Replacing an Electric Cooktop With a Gas Cooktop

A gas cooktop has several features valued by professional chefs and serious cooks. Some of these features are instantaneous reaction to a change in heat level, visual monitoring of the flame, greater control over temperature, and adaptability to more types of cookware. If you plan to replace your electric cooktop with a gas cooktop, carefully consider some of the following pros and cons.

Safety

Gas cooktops use an open flame for cooking, regardless of whether you buy a standard gas cooktop with open burners, or a more advanced one with sealed gas burners or “gas on glass”. The risk of a fire is higher as compared to electric cooktops. Also consider investing in a carbon monoxide detector, which is a must for all homes with gas cooktops. The by-products of combustion are not a healthy choice for you or your family. An efficient venting system is also required, so that most of the harmful fumes can be directed out of the home.

Gas Supply and Electrical Work

If you use an electric cooktop, you most probably do not have a gas connection in your home. You will have to provide a connection to the gas cooktop, either through a gas company or from a propane tank. If available in your locality, natural gas is a good option, but you will have to look at additional costs for installing the gas line in your home. You will also need to provide a basic electrical circuit, if you purchase a cooktop with electric ignition, which is a common feature on most of the current gas models.

Benefits

Gas cooktops offer instant control over the flame level, as compared to electric heating elements that take longer to heat up. Gas burners also cool down faster. A definite advantage over electric cooktops is the visual feedback from the flame, which you can alter as you require. You can also toast or roast food over the open flame, which is not a possibility with an electric cooktop. In addition, you are free to use a wider variety of cookware. Electric cooktops require the use of flat-bottomed cookware that aligns itself to the heating element.

Drawbacks

Gas cooktops are lower in efficiency as compared to electric cooktops. Most of the heat from the open flame is lost to the surrounding space, and heats up the kitchen. Electric cooktops are about 15 – 20% more energy efficient. The emissions from gas cooktops can be a health risk, and must be vented out effectively.

Features to Look For

Once you have decided to replace your electric cooktop with a gas one, you must decide on the features that you require the most. Depending on how often you cook and for how many people, you can buy a standard 30 inch cooktop or a larger 36 inch model, with suitable burner sizes and configurations. Gas cooktops with sealed burners are much easier to clean than the standard open burners. Gas cooktops with a glass ceramic surface are quite popular because of the ease of cleaning they provide, and the value they add to your kitchen.