The advantages of cooking with gas

Close up of person sauteeing chopped vegetables in a frying pan over a gas hob
Cooking with gas

Electricity makes our lives easier in many ways, but gas can be the most efficient and responsive way to cook. Whether boiling or steaming, sautéing, grilling or stir-frying, there’s many advantages to cooking with gas.

Responsive heat

The reason most professional kitchens use gas cooktops is that they can easily control the heat. With a simple turn of the dial, the flame gets bigger or smaller so the change in heat is immediate and precise. This saves time and ensures dishes aren't spoilt by a slow response. 

While the convenience of instant heat means gas appliances are much faster to heat up than older electric versions, there's also the bonus of seeing the flame. This helps you assess heat levels and obtain temperatures closer to those recommended in recipe books, meaning more consistent, dependable results every time you cook.

There's a reason for the saying, "we're cooking with gas!"

Even heat distribution

Cookware used on electric cooktops needs to be perfectly flat or the heat won't be distributed evenly while cooking. The flames on a gas cooktop, however, are central so that they heat cookware evenly, with no cool spots and without scorching them.

As the entire surface of an electric cooktop heats up, gas cooktops tend to be safer as they are cooler when turned off.

There are also benefits to a gas oven, as they're known to produce a more humid heat - beneficial for cooking meats and keeping that Sunday roast nice and moist.

Less wasted heat

Electric cooktops can emit more heat than those powered by gas, which generates excess heat in your home. Gas cooktops keep your home cooler, because as soon as you turn them off, the flame is extinguished and the heat source vanishes - not so with an electric cooktop, which continues to emit heat after it is switched off.

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Unaffected by power cuts

You can usually still cook with gas appliances in the event your electricity is cut by inclement weather. Gas lines tend not to be affected by the kind of weather that can cause electrical power outages.

Electricity will be needed to power the ignition, but cooktops and gas ovens can be easily started by carefully lighting the burner with a match.

Electric appliances, of course, won't work at all without power.

What about the BBQ?

Smokers and wood-fired grills are great for connoisseurs and those with plenty of time, but a gas barbecue is perfect for frequent family cooking. You may have to sacrifice some of the smoky flavour, but with gas there's far less mess and wafting smoke, few flare-ups, and the same benefit of fast temperature control mentioned earlier.

Cheaper operating costs

Gas cooktops might be more expensive to buy and install, but the long-term outlay may be lower than what it costs to operate electric models. This is especially true in Western Australia where the cost/unit price of natural gas delivered to a home is cheaper than grid electricity.

A gas cooktop with four burners turned on has a typical energy rating of 35MJ, with an estimated running cost of $1.52 per hour.*

* Estimated cost only - actual cost may differ. It's recommended to calculate costs based on your unique usage patterns and appliances. Additional factors that may influence your appliance's gas costs include its brand, model, energy efficiency, and settings.


Acknowledgement of Country
Alinta Energy acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, work and conduct our business operations.  We acknowledge the continuing connections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to Country and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

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