Gas ovens have always been the first choice for most restaurants and other commercial food service establishments. In fact, if you were to poll consumers, you'd find that most would prefer a gas oven as well. While electric ovens are undoubtedly inferior to gas ovens in many regards, they do have a following among consumers for a number of reasons, here are 10:
1. Compared to a gas-powered oven, an electric oven provides a more even temperature. Although it seems trivial, the level temperature is especially important for baking cakes and pastries.
2. Electric ovens are energy-efficient. Gas is less environmentally friendly.
3. Most electric ovens come with a self-cleaning feature. When cooking, spills and such are obviously inevitable. Because ovens are hard to clean, having a self-cleaning option can save time.
4. The electric version has less moisture. Although for some crusts and other baked goods having a moist oven is a benefit, most foods cook better with drier heat. Plus, moisture can be added to an oven, but not taken out.
5. Because the heat is more even and comes from the top of the oven, broiling in an electric oven works better than a gas oven. Before important holiday meals or dinner parties, broiling quickly and evenly keeps you from having to waste time by constantly re-checking progress.
6. Electric ovens lose less heat. Because the heat is more controlled, it is less likely to leave the oven. The loss of heat not only costs money; the extra heat in the kitchen has to be compensated for by equally expensive air conditioning costs. Therefore, you not only lose the money from the unit, but you spend even more in A/C bills later.
7. Electric ovens require less maintenance. Gas ovens are more prone to breakage. The electric oven runs longer with fewer problems saving money on repairs.
8. Electric versions require less ventilation than gas ovens. Ventilation can not only be expensive, but the ventilation occupies a lot of room, taking up space where cabinets or other appliances could be. This is especially important in smaller kitchens.
9. For less experienced cooks, electric is much easier to use and manipulate when just starting out. The temperature is not only more precise, but the electronic scales and numbers are easier to read than the classic knobs on most gas ovens.
10. The electric oven is one of the only oven models that allow a good roast. Because of combustion, gas burns off moisture which makes even roasting virtually impossible. This is an especially important consideration for roasting meat. Because of the water, the meat loses a lot of the classic roast taste and even more of the appealing look. With chicken, the crunchy skin is also lost because of the moisture in the cooking air.
For at-home cooks, choosing an oven is a personal process that depends on preferences and cooking styles. Electric ovens do have some advantages over gas. The energy is more efficient and less heat is lost, therefore saving money. Plus, the electric oven in the end saves time and effort, two commodities that are in short supply in most households.
