Electric cooktops are thought of as second best to gas and only installed when gas wasn’t an option. However, times have changed, and technology has made electric cooktops a contender. As you decide which type of cooktop or range you’d like to put into your kitchen, read on and find out why electric cooktops might be the best option for you.
What to Consider
Whether this is your fifth or first time shopping for a cooktop, educating yourself on what to look for in an electric cooktop option is essential.
Speed of Heating Up
You’ll need to check the speed at which the cooktop will heat up. Electric cooktops have been notoriously slow at heating up and cooling down. Newer options have fixed this problem to a degree, but you’ll want to check the specifications on the range to ensure it will work for you.
Temperature Control
When you’re cooking your famous french toast and the pan starts to get too hot, you can easily turn down a gas stove to quickly cool things off.
However, with an electric cooktop, this often is not the case. Electric cooktops take a long time to cool down, so if you’re burning your meal, you’ll likely have to pick up the pan and wait for it to cool down.
Operation cost
Depending on gas prices, gas cooktops are often less expensive to run than electric ones. Electric cooktops and ovens eat up a lot of power and might not be the best solution for an eco-conscious home. Electric cooktops might not be the best idea if keeping a low carbon footprint is essential to you.
The Pros of Electric Cooktop Options
In summer, it can be hard to convince yourself to cook when the cooktop heats the kitchen to uncomfortable temperatures. But with an electric cooktop, this isn’t an issue! They don’t warm up a kitchen as gas does, and their flat surface makes them easier to clean up. Many electric options are cheaper than gas, but the newer model with fancy features isn’t always the case.
However, if you’re looking for an affordable option, you’ll likely find an electric cooktop that suits your needs. Because of that flat surface, you won’t have to worry about balancing the pots as much as you might on the gas grates. Those can be uneven and sometimes cause spills. That won’t happen on an electric cooktop’s smooth glass surface.
If an electric cooktop gets accidentally turned on, you’ll only have wasted a bit of electricity. But if a gas cooktop gets bumped into, gas might leak into the home without anyone realizing it. This makes electric cooktops safer in homes where this might be an issue. In addition, new technology is making electric cooktops smarter, and they come with more fancy bells and whistles, which could be a fantastic addition to your kitchen.
The Cons of Electric Cooktop Options
There are many people out there who will swear that they don’t ever want an electric cooktop in their home. These people have a lot of reasons why and these might be some of them. When electric cooktops are hot, it’s tough, if not impossible, to tell that they are hot. This might be fine if the home only has adults who know when it’s been turned on, but it could be dangerous with little kids who wouldn’t know. Kids often get burned on electric stoves because they can’t see that it is hot like you can with a flame on gas cooktops.
If the power goes out, so does your cooktop. Unless you have a backup generator, you won’t be able to use your electric cooktop if the power goes out, but you can use a gas stove without power.
The glass of an electric cooktop can be shattered. You’d have to be pretty rough with it for this to happen, but those heavy cast iron skillets and pans could do the job pretty easily. Additionally, these pretty glass tops can scratch if you’re not careful. It might become pretty obvious which burner is your favorite over time.
Lastly, electric cooktops use more energy than gas, and they cook food slower. You can learn to cook with an electric cooktop even though it’s slower, but you can’t make it use energy better, and if that’s important to you, it might not be a good fit.
Each type of cooktop has its place, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. That’s why doing your research, identifying what is important to you, and checking them out yourself is key to finding the best option for you.
