Dual Fuel vs Gas Ranges - Which One to Choose

Dual Fuel vs Gas Ranges – Which One to Choose

You may call it a stove or range but when the time comes to buy a new home appliance for your kitchen is hard to decide on the way it’s powered. Isn’t it?

Many households today use gas ranges. But then again, having a dual fuel range doesn’t sound too bad either. Should we put them side by side to learn more about them and compare them and see where this dual fuel range vs gas range comparison leads us? Let’s do that.

Gas ranges and dual fuel ranges – what’s each?

You know what’s a gas range, right? It’s a range – or stove, however you like to call it, that runs with gas.

The question is what is a dual fuel range, right? Well, it’s a range but this one has an electric oven and a gas flame stovetop. And so, here you have the main difference between gas stoves and dual fuel stoves – or ranges. While the former uses only gas to fuel the oven and the stovetop, the latter uses both gas and electricity.

What do they have in common? Well, they are still ranges. This means that the kitchen appliance integrates a stovetop and an oven. Another common feature is that they both have a stovetop that runs on gas. And so, we see that their differences are narrowed down to having an oven that is powered from a different source.

What’s to like and not to like with gas stoves?

Gas cooking appliances are very popular nowadays. Although they are more expensive than electric stoves, they are cheaper than dual fuel stoves. Gas stovetops have become a must in most homes lately since those who cook can easily arrange the flame and also see the flame to decide when they want to set it lower or higher. Another advantage of gas stovetops is that gas becomes heat right away as opposed to electric burners that take time to heat up. Gas stovetops immediately heat up and when you turn them off, the flame immediately goes off – all this saves energy.

The disadvantage of gas ranges is with the oven. To keep a certain temperature, gas ovens turn on and off the flame non-stop. That’s not good energy-wise and it’s not good for the food you are baking. It’s not baked evenly due to the erratic temperature fluctuations. In their defense, gas ovens heat up much faster than electric ovens. That’s good when you are in a hurry but not a reason to choose it since the food is still not baked well.

What’s to like and not to like with dual fuel stoves?

All the advantages of gas stovetops discussed above apply to dual fuel ranges too. And so, as far as the stovetop part of the range is concerned, both types of appliances are an excellent choice. What remains to be seen is if electric ovens are better than their gas counterparts. And they are. Why? For all the reasons the gas ovens are not. That’s to say that electric ovens may take a few minutes to heat up but when they do, they keep the prearranged temperatures steady. If you decide to bake at 300 degrees, the electric oven bakes at 300 degrees. There are no heat fluctuations but consistency and this ensures even baking. And that’s the main advantage of dual fuel ranges compared to gas ranges.

Want to know what’s also good about dual fuel ranges? You get the best of both worlds. And you also get alternative solutions if there’s a problem with the gas line or if there’s a power failure. You will still be able to cook something.

Dual fuel ranges are usually more expensive than gas ranges, but it always depends on the model. The dual fuel range installation is also pretty expensive. In order to choose for your home, make sure there’s a gas line and enough power, or an electrician must add a circuit. The good thing is that there are several options of both types and for all budgets – hence, you won’t have a hard time choosing based on your personal expectations.