Gas oven v Electric

Zolablue

First off, I couldn't log in under my usual username and when I tried to do a password reset it didn't recognise my email address - so no idea what has gone on there! So now I have a new account and new username.

Anyway, on to my issue. We currently have a gas oven and it takes forever to heat up - if we want to cook oven chips (don't judge!) it takes 45 minutes to heat up. We went away for a holiday a coupe of years ago and the apartment we were in had an electric oven that heated up in only 10 minutes - my wife loved it. We are now looking at changing our oven and we are tempted to go for an electric one (despite the higher running costs - so not very MSE!) simply as it would be more usable. My question is, are gas ovens notoriously slow to pre-heat or is our particular model just rubbish (Hotpoint HUG61)? Also, is it possible to get a fan-assisted gas oven?

Cheers

shaun_from_Africa

One point to bear in mind that could make a big difference to the total cost is the power for an electric oven.
You can get some that plug straight into a 13A socket ( these will be rated below 3kW) but if you go for anything higher, you will need a dedicated feed from the consumer unit to the kitchen.
This may already be there but it's worth checking before you make any firm decision about switching to an electric oven.

Zolablue

Yes, we already have a dedicated cooker point but thanks for pointing it out. I have looked at electric cookers and noted that all of  the "plug in" type that I saw were single ovens - my wife insists that, whatever we go for, must have a double oven!

neilmcl

The only pro of having a gas oven is that it's a bit cheaper to run. Electric ovens distribute heat more evenly, they are generally cleaner or at least easier to clean, they have many more cooking modes. TBH, aside from the cost to run I can't see any advantage in getting a gas oven. Generally gas ovens should preheat quicker so if yours isn't then I'd guess there's probably something awry, or it's just a bit rubbish.

Jonesya

It's an issue with your oven rather than gas ovens in general,  if you check the details of various models many gas ovens have similar heat outputs to electric.

They're also cheaper to run, gas is around a quarter of the cost of electric, oh and they're silent.

daveyjp

If it takes 45 minutes to heat up it sounds like your gas oven is faulty.

A gas oven isn't complicated.  It works by a pilot light heating a thermocouple which then opens the gas valve to full giving heat until the temperature is reached, the flame is then reduced to maintain the set temperature.

Turn the oven on and see how the flame behaves from a cold start.  There should be a flame 3-4 inches high across the full width of the burner.

If the thermocouple is faulty it may not be opening the gas valve fully.

clive0510

we have a newholme cooker. and thats gas hob electric oven. that was put in here about 16 yrs ago and its been wonderfull. touch wood. had to have a dedicated power feed put in for it. the old cooker was here when we moved in. it used to run off propane bottled gas and had been in here since the house was built I guess.

Zolablue

daveyjp said:

If it takes 45 minutes to heat up it sounds like your gas oven is faulty.

A gas oven isn't complicated.  It works by a pilot light heating a thermocouple which then opens the gas valve to full giving heat until the temperature is reached, the flame is then reduced to maintain the set temperature.

Turn the oven on and see how the flame behaves from a cold start.  There should be a flame 3-4 inches high across the full width of the burner.

If the thermocouple is faulty it may not be opening the gas valve fully.

Just checked and that is exactly what we get - full width lit with blue flames about 3-4 inches high

bris

Gas ovens are actually pretty rare, I see a few gas cookers on my travels but never any ovens, there must be a reason for that. 

Zolablue

bris said:

Gas ovens are actually pretty rare, I see a few gas cookers on my travels but never any ovens, there must be a reason for that. 

Maybe I am not calling it the right thing, it is a stand alone cooker with double gas ovens

Grenage

Is gas not just a little cheaper than electric but massively so?
We've had both; if there's a supply then we opt for gas.