Baking - would you choose gas or electric?

[3littlewomen]

Well, after 11 years with my hotch potch kitchen secondhand kitchen (that never fitted our rather squiffy not straight 300 year old kitchen walls) I have being given dispensation to talk to joiners re freestanding cabinets that fit......

Over the (11 fecking) years of uneven worktops that stop where they are not meant to - I have had much opportunity to dream and plan MY kitchen - we are talking good sized island with a freestanding classic mix of units, some painted - some not.

However - one decision i have no clue on is whether to go gas or electric with my single oven and hob (both hob and cooker must be same fuel - no mixing and matching) ? This cooker is in addition to the 50 year old AGA I use currently - I will continue to use the AGA for all the cooking etc except I plan to bake in the new oven and use the unit when its hot (laughing at the foolishness of this thought - a hot Irish summer ) and we turn the AGA off.

OMG, I also think i frightened the first joiner who came to look at my kitchen space as i was so excited!!

IMO I would go for gas; it's far easier to stay in control of heat levels.

I'm assuming the fact that it's got to be all the same fuel is due to the fact that the cooker will be free standing - but did you know you get freestanding dual fuel these days; so this might be of interest?

The best combo is gas hob and electric fan oven.

If you cant do that then personally I would go for electric. But the oven must be fan. I have had nothing but trouble with gas ovens!

gas hob, electric fan oven is best combination. Enjoy your new kitchen! I am excited for you too.

Electric fan oven if baking is your prime concern. My mums was always fabulous. My regular electric oven is dreadful lol, I would choose:
Electric fan oven
Gas regular oven
electric regular oven.
I really hate electric hobs though!

Definitely electric oven for baking, with fan.
I would go for an induction hob. We replaced our horrid ceramic hob in our last kitchen with an induction. Then moved to a house with a gas hob, which is what I always thought I wanted, and I really miss the induction hob. They are as quick and flexible as gas but SO easy to clean.

Thank you so.... the reason I cannot have dual fuel is because the corner of the kitchen where the cooker is going will need either a electric powerpoint or gas inlet - DH has vetoed having both!

Love the idea of the induction - as I understand it is so safe and controllable. Ohhhh I loves new kitchen things (really really sad I know)

Are you talking freestanding or built in? That's bizarre about the power points: most gas cookers will need an electric supply anyway just for ignition, timer etc. Ours has an electric grill although hob and oven are gas.

The actual electric socket need not be above the worktop although you might need an isolation switch near it. If you're having work done it would be well worth your while running an electric supply in case the cooker ever gets changed, it would be a real shame if your beautiful kitchen has to be ripped out just to run a couple of wires in the future.

That would give you the option for a freestanding gas, electric or dual fuel.

Another vote for electric fan oven and gas hob.

My old gas oven had a hot side and a not as hot side and had to keep jiggling cakes and roasts etc around for an even browning.

I'd go for induction hob and electric oven.

Built in.... We don't even have piped gas here - we would be looking at gas cylinders or sinking a gas tank under the garden. The joys of very very rural living!!

Think will go for the induction (does this give me an excuse to buy new pans?) and fan electric oven. They look so yummy and sleak (I know i will spend weeks just stroking them ) and i am so so excited.

I love my big old AGA... she is a beast sitting in the corner of the kitchen, guzzling oil but heating all our water, cooking our meals and warming the kids knickers/pj's , but as a 50 or 60 year old cooker she just doesn't bake well. I have tried all the tricks but no no no....

Thank you mumsnetters for your oh so wise wisdom!!

By the way, we had an induction hob in our last house.

We spent £15-20 per week on electric.

We now have a gas hob (with a gas canister) and we spend £10 elec a week.

The canister cost £16 (for the rental one off charge) and £39 for the gas in it. It will last us about 6 months.

39 / 6 = 6.5

So £6.50 per month versus a potential £20-40 on electric.

Thats not entirely accurate I know. But worth thinking about :)

We have a gas hob and use bottled gas, no mains gas here.

gas hob and electric fan oven.
nice even heat for very good even baking results.
have a gas stove atm and have to turn anyhing I bake because the back is much hotter than the front and the lower shelves much cooler than the upper. I'm a bit dissapointed tbh.

electric oven, electric hob.

with toddler twiddley hands, gas is a liability.

and v. easy to clean.

Another vote for induction hob and electric oven. Never thought I'd say it but would never go back to gas.

Thinking of getting an induction hob but wannabe's comments about running cost are a bit shocking - anyone else found them so expensive to run?

Electric is more efficient generally speaking, although I prefer a gas hob for ease of cooking. HATE my current (old) gas oven (we've only been in the house 6mths) compared to our previous electric fan oven. My preference would def be gas hob + electric oven, but if I had to choose, electric for both.

Thanks for all the advice... I really appreciate it.

I think induction is great, and use it for almost all cooking. But for certain things, like quickly charring a pepper for a recipe, I still turn to the gas burner.

I think induction technology is still relatively in infancy and there will be loads of innovation in the near future. New zoneless surfaces and seamless lava stone induction worktops have recently come to the market. I imagine in the future there might be wireless technology so you can use the iPod to start, stop cooking etc. So if you buy one now, it might be a good idea to think about how you might upgrade in the future without much disruption.

Your kitchen with an aga sounds gorgeous, btw.

Thank you flatbread... The kitchen suits me, nothing matches, yet it all works. Aggie has a tendency to act up (usually before guests arrive), so would be nice to have cooker and hob.

Excited at the thought of a new cooker - not sure re technology, we live on the side of a mountain!!

The best combo is gas hob and electric fan oven.

ITA. I told dh it was a deal breaker and the most important thing in the kitchen as far as I was concerned.