At some point all home owners and restaurant owners will need to purchase a range or oven. One of the most important decisions to be made is weather to go with gas or electric. The technology of both gas ranges and electric ranges has advanced now to the point where what had been seen as serious limitations for gas ranges and gas ovens in the past are now either gone or vastly reduced. I was recently faced with such a decision and purchased a gas range and gas oven after much research. However we all have different needs and wants so what works best for my needs may not for yours.
The big plus of gas ranges is the instant control of heat. This alone was enough to sway me towards gas for my range. It is truly a different experience to cook on a gas range. Modern gas ranges typically have sealed burners which reduce the cleanup when there is a spill. In the past cleanup could be problematic when food would spill into the burners and occasionally clog them.
Gas ovens used to be known for having uneven heat and poor broiling performance when compared to electric heat. The poor broiling performance was usually due to the broiler being a separate shelf under the main oven. That is now a thing of the past, newer gas ovens have even heat and dedicated broilers set up on the top of the main oven cabinet.
Another advantage of gas ovens are the by-products of gas combustion, carbon dioxide and water vapor. In most gas convection ovens, the by-products of combustion flow through the oven before going out the flue. This gives gas baking a moist heat that makes baked goods especially turn out moister and with a better crust. Electric heat hits the food products with a direct, dry heat that tends to produce a much drier product and therefore a product with a significantly reduced shelf life. Baked goods will normally hold for 50% longer when made in a gas oven versus an electric. This means less food waste for your restaurant and less labor cost as you don't need cook new batches as often when using a gas oven.
Overall the decision was clear for me, gas all the way. More heat control on the gas range and more consistent, superior quality product from the gas oven makes them a joy to cook on. Although gas ranges and gas ovens will typically cost more to purchase, gas is usually cheaper than electricity and running the range will cost less over time. On top of it all, being able to minimize food waste and cut the labor costs required to produce baked goods, makes a gas range and gas oven the clear choice in my mind.
