Electric Vs. Propane Gas Stoves

Why the Pros Love Cooking with Gas—and You Will Too!

If you are building or buying a new home, you have a long list of decisions to make. Some things, such as paint colors, are more personal, but others are more practical: flooring needs to be functional for the space as well as attractive. Choosing a kitchen range is similar. Appearance and features are part of the decision, but efficiency and performance are important, too, and that’s where propane stands out.

Watch any cooking show, and you’ll never see a chef futzing with trying to heat a pot of skillet over an electric coil. Peek into the kitchen of your favorite restaurant—or sit at a chef’s table with a view of the culinary action—and you’ll see a gas-fired range. But you don’t need to be a professional chef to appreciate the benefits of cooking with a propane stove. Here’s how they compare:

1. Control. An electric range will never provide the same control as cooking with gas. Think about why you opt for a propane grill instead of charcoal: you can adjust the flame with the turn of a knob. An electric burner doesn’t respond as quickly, taking more time to reduce or increase the heat. That means you can sear food quickly without overcooking it, and you can keep a delicate sauce at a subtle simmer without scorching.
2. Cost. Propane burns extremely efficiently: It generates more Btus than an equivalent amount of electricity, so you need much less propane to produce the same amount of heat or energy. That means cooking with propane can be significantly less expensive than cooking with electricity.
3. Reliability. Propane is a convenient, reliable fuel. You’ll always have a ready supply—especially if you sign up for convenient automatic deliveries. It works when the power is out, too, which means you can heat up some soup while you wait for the utility company to restore power. (Propane is great for running a whole-house generator, too, speaking of outages!)
4. Clean. Recent stories about gas stoves and indoor air quality are a bit misleading: While natural gas stoves can potentially emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas, propane contains no methane. And, cooking of any kind creates particulate matter and affects indoor air quality, no matter what fuel is used. When it comes to environmental impact, propane gas is one of the greenest and most efficient fuels around. It produces minimal emissions.
5. Domestic. Propane is also an American energy source. About 90% of the United States’ supply of propane is domestically generated. Most of it comes from the processing of natural gas—which is considered a greenhouse gas when burned. Propane is not considered a greenhouse gas. While electricity is also generated domestically, it’s the second-largest creator of greenhouse gases in the United States. That’s because most of our electricity supply is generated by coal-fired power plants. (Only the transportation sector creates more greenhouse gases.)

The bottom Line

As you can tell, cooking with propane gas is a smart choice for a lot of reasons. Here’s one more to consider: Propane gives you a lot more versatility and choice when it comes to running other appliances in your home: water heating, laundry equipment and a range of other appliances can all be run by clean-burning efficient propane instead of electricity.

Want to learn more? Talk to the pros at SWVA. We are happy to answer all your questions and help you create your dream home with a propane range and other appliances, too! Contact us today for more information.