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What Fuel for Cooking in the Kitchen

Your choice of fuel for cooking will depend on 2 things:

  • What fuel is available to you
  • What you prefer to cook with.

Many cooks swear by gas. Gas ovens bake better cakes, produce a better Sunday roast as my Mum says. However, if you haven't got mains gas available, don't lose hope. You can run a gas oven off LPG tanked gas, just like that camping stove.

Gas Cookers

Gas is a low cost fuel although there is little difference in running an oven, you will save on the cost of running the hob as gas is instantaneous. You can get fan-assisted gas ovens which are marginally cheaper to run and have an even temperature throughout the oven. The only thing is a lot of people like the different heat zones in conventional ovens. Yorkshire pudding at the top, meat and roasties in the middle and plates warming on the base.

LPG Gas Cooking Stoves

LPG Gas is usually supplied in tanks that are stored outside with the gas being piped into the kitchen to supply the cooker. Normally you have 2 tanks so that when one runs out, you swap to the second whilst awaiting a replacement for the first.

The only difference in the cooker between LPG and Natural Gas is in the injectors. Most manufacturers can supply LPG injectors often for free or at nominal cost for their cookers and hobs - just ask at the shop. NB these must be fitted by a qualified person - not a DIY job!

Electric Cooking - Ovens

There are 3 types of electric ovens:

  • Forced Air - here the fan at the back sucks air in over an element, heats it and pushes it over the food. Because the hot air is always next to the food and replaced frequently, they cook at about 20 degrees less and 10% faster, thereby reducing energy use.
  • Fan Assisted - here conventional elements at the sides or top and bottom heat the oven with the fan circulating the air to even the temperature inside the cavity. Some are more efficient than others.
  • Conventonal - these do not have a fan and the oven cavity will have heat zones from hot at the top to cool at the bottom, just like a fan oven. Usually the cheapest option to buy.

Electric Cooking - Hob Tops

  • Solid plates are the cheapest to buy but they take a while to heat up and cool down. Using them efficiently means you have to get used to switching off early.
  • Ceramic Hobs - here the glass like surface is smooth and the rings are underneath. Stylish but effectively the same as solid plates with the major frawback the surface can be damaged by hot sugar / jam being spilt on them.
  • Halogen Hobs - just like a ceramic hob except the heat source is very instant. Easiest to use but nearly the most expensive to buy.
  • Induction - in theory the most efficient as the pan is heated by magnetic induction. Pretty expensive to buy though.

Oil Fired Aga & Rayburn Cookers

These are more a lifestyle choice than efficient cookers. In fact you need a pretty good income to feed them. They look great, some love cooking on them but boy do they cost a packet to run. There are gas fueled versions, slightly less expensive to run.

Solid Fuel & Woodburning Stoves

In effect you have a combined heater and cooker. That's a benefit and a drawback. In the winter the kitchen is lovely and wam but in the summer, your hot meal means the whole kitchen is sweltering.

Our country living friends tend to have both a woodburner and an LPG gas stove for the summer. With solid fuel heating you can hold stock, ensuring that your home will be warm even in the most adverse weather conditions. Whatever the weather, you don't need to worry about supply failures or power cuts. You can even boil a kettle on a flat-top stove

 

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