Which energy type is currently the most cost-effective for cooking ?

ifeelfine

Hi,
Not sure if this is the right forum for this query or even if this site can help ?

We are refitting our kitchen, but before I can choose a cooker, I need to decide which energy type is currently the most cost-effective for cooking ?

...and then the best type of cooker.

So I would appreciate anyone's help.

Info: We're in the UK, have both electric & piped gas
gas central heating, and the kitchen currently has...
Gas Hob, Electric Cooker, Microwave,

There's just the 2 of us, and currently most of the cooking is done in the Microwave, on the Hob & Pressure Cooker on the hob

We have conventional meals, not take-a-ways or preprocessed meals.

Thanks

Andy_WSM

For convenience, you can't beat a gas hob and an electric fan oven in my opinion.

Cost wise, gas is approx one third of the price of electric. However, for a cooker which isn't heavily used the cost of energy won't make much of a difference anyway.

iris

My choice would be a electric ceramic hob with touch controls (so easy to clean) and an electric fan oven that cleans itself.


I know gas is cheaper, but I find it much dirtier.

Farway

Has to be gas

yangptangkipperbang

Farway wrote: »

Has to be gas

yes.........then you can redecorate the kitchen often !

Electricity is cleaner and much less troublesome. Unless you are doing a lot of cooking there probably isn't a great deal of difference in running costs.

Smiley_Dan

Seems it would be quite difficult to compare because there are many different styles of cooking. Searing, slow cooking, sweating, baking, steaming...

Generally, faster cooking places the most demands. Even if you use the same overall energy as slow cooking, you have to use it quicker, which is more limiting. Slower cooking would be very suited to those that generate their own electricity, for example.

What materials are your cookware made out of? Cast iron is a lot different to steel.

One thing of interest regarding the microwave - the stated wattage on a microwave is the *output*. The input is typically around 2x that. However, the fact that it radiates heat probably makes it more efficient than heating the air which then cooks the food (as in a standard convection or fan assisted cooker).

silverwhistle

I've an induction hob which is very efficient and has the advantage in the summer of not putting so much heat into the kitchen. It was one of the IKEA range and not expensive at all, and ideal for a messy cook like myself..

PasturesNew

If it weren't an expensive investment .. I'd say don't have an oven at all ... just buy a mini grill/oven for £30 as most things you're likely to cook will fit in that. Even Xmas dinners are possible with a bit of juggling and leaving the meat to rest.

Most of the cost of an electric oven is the time it takes to heat up a big cavity, that's not required for 1-2 small dishes, a couple of jacket spuds, or a pizza.

I've just bought a house and, unfortunately, I don't think I'll have room for a mini grill .... but will have to live with a big unused oven as it's not worth turning it on for one small thing.

Pincher

Don't forget, you can have domino hob units, so you can have gas AND induction.

Richie-from-the-Boro

Definately an induction hob, and in the case of the O/P a decent quality cheepo mini-oven.

REM an induction hob may need a new set of pan-ware.

Andy_WSM

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Definately an induction hob, and in the case of the O/P a decent quality cheepo mini-oven.

No one in their right mind would go to the trouble of refitting a kitchen and NOT fitting an oven, which is what the Op is asking - what type to fit, not "alternatives to fitting an oven".