The Kitchen Debate: Gas vs. Electric Range Cooktops & Top Brands To Buy
We’ve been hot on the topic of kitchens lately, between popular countertops, farmhouse sinks, the best and worst faucets and refrigerators to buy, and even how to make marble countertops! And while each feature is so important to your kitchen, one important consideration before buying is whether or not you need a gas cooktop or an electric ceramic cooktop.
Knowing your preference is important to your cooking habits and how you’ll enjoy cooking in your kitchen every day. Read on for the pros and cons of both gas cooktops and electric cooktops, along with top brands for each, and which our team prefers!
To keep this post simple, we’re limiting electric cooktops specifically to ceramic cooktops and not including coiled electric cooktops.
Gas cooktops pros & cons
Pros:
- Heats up instantly from the flame source.
- They cool down more quickly (*great safety advantage).
- Very precise temperature control.
- Temperature adjusts immediately upon changing.
- Capable of handling any type of pots and pans without damaging the burners.
- Will cook food evenly regardless of pan shape.
- Can be used if your electricity goes out.
- Cooler when cooking in the kitchen because the heat scatters instantly.
- Saves on energy and tends to be less expensive to operate than electric.
Cons:
- Needs a gas and electric hookup for installation.
- If you don’t have a gas hookup already installed, it can be very costly.
- Tends to be slightly more expensive than electric.
- Gas requires professional installation.
- Susceptible to hazardous gas leaks if not installed properly.
- Harder to clean than a smooth electric surface.
Some of our favorite top-rated, gas cooktops to buy:
I searched different types of popular cooktop features with strictly high ratings across the board. For Best Overall, I found a mid-price, highly-rated option with some bells and whistles. Budget-Friendly is a highly-rated, least expensive option. The best luxury appliance is for high-end kitchens with high ratings. Lastly, the best freestanding range is a mid-priced and very highly-rated appliance.
Best Overall Cooktop – Frigidaire Gallery 30 in. Gas Cooktop with 5 burners
Budget-Friendly Cooktop – GE 30 in. Gas Cooktop with 4-Burners including Power Burners
Best Luxury Cooktop – KitchenAid 36 in. Gas Cooktop with 6 Burners
Best Freestanding Range – Samsung – 5.8 Cu. Ft. Self-Cleaning Freestanding Gas Convection Range
Electric cooktops pros & cons
Pros:
- Higher heat capability.
- Heat food faster (this may also be an issue for some chefs).
- Easier to keep clean.
- Even heating on flat cooktops.
- Only needs an electric source to be installed.
- Could potentially be installed on your own if you know how.
Cons:
- Takes longer to heat up.
- Takes longer to cool down.
- The glass surface can shatter easily.
- Cold water on a hot burner.
- Heavy pots or pans placed too heavily on top.
- Cast iron cookware will damage the cooking surface.
- Prone to staining and spills that can’t be taken off.
- Will not cook evenly is pan is warped or uneven.
- Won’t work if your electricity goes out.
- Additionally, some backup generators won’t be able to handle the electricity needs.
- Requires special cleaners to keep surface clean.
- Hotter when cooking in the kitchen because the whole appliance warms up.
- More expensive to run.
Some of our favorite top-rated, electric cooktops to buy:
I searched different types of popular cooktop features with strictly high ratings across the board. For Best Overall, I found a mid-price, highly-rated option with some bells and whistles. Budget-Friendly is a highly-rated, least expensive option. The best luxury appliance is for high-end kitchens with high ratings. Lastly, the best freestanding range is a mid-priced and very highly-rated appliance.
Best Overall Cooktop – GE – 30″ Built-In Electric Cooktop
Budget-Friendly Cooktop – Frigidaire – 30 in. Radiant Electric Cooktop
Best Luxury Cooktop – GE – Profile Series 30″ Electric Cooktop
Best Freestanding Range – GE 30 in. 5.3 Cu. ft. Slide-In Electric Range
So what’s the Hip2Save team verdict? Here’s what some of us had to say:
Gas cooktops vs. 
Electric cooktops
“I prefer gas! It seems to cook faster, and you can throw tortillas directly on it to heat up quickly. The last time I used electric was at my grandma’s back in the 1900s. LOL!” – Angela
“Gas all the way! I love that you have so much more control over the amount of heat that comes out. I just got the best deal on a gas cooktop and can’t wait to put it in my new kitchen!” – Michelle
“I LOVE gas cooktops! I find that it cooks things more evenly and keeps the temperature the same. It’s also super ideal in hurricane season since if you lose power, you won’t lose your stove. With electric, you obviously lose that when the power goes out. I never thought about it until the last hurricane season when we had no power for 4 days and our rental has electric.” – Alana
“I can’t imagine going back to electric after having a nice gas stove, especially as a food blogger and someone who cooks often! I find it faster and easier to control heat. Plus, I’m addicted to the griddle that’s in the middle of mine.” – Lina
“I seriously love cooking with gas, although it was intimidating at first! Our very first house had an electric range and I didn’t like it, so when we moved, I knew gas was going to be a priority. I didn’t like how our electric top cooked foods and my husband would always joke that I could even burn boiling water on it. LOL. I also don’t care for the way electric cooktops look in general, to me they are outdated. It took me a few goes to get used to the flames on our new gas cooktop, but now I could never go back!” – Sara
“I have electric cooktop at our apartment, but I always grew up using gas. I hate our electric cooktop because it’s so hard to monitor the heat! I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had rice boil over even when I turned down the heat to the lowest setting. Plus, I’ve tried to get rid of some of the spots on the electric top, and they refuse to come off. I’ll 100% be getting a gas range when I buy a house.” – Emily
“Growing up on the west coast we only ever had gas. I didn’t even know electric cooktops existed until I moved to the East coast. Now all ever see are electric, unless you bring in a propane tank and have it installed on your property. I loved being able to cook tortillas right on the open flame and miss my gas so much!” – Jami
The verdict? Gas Cooktops – 7 vs. Electric Cooktops – 0
It’s pretty clear that our team favors gas ranges over ceramic electric cooktops!
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’ve used True cooktop daily for nearly five years and it has exceeded my expectations in every way. I am something of a foodie, trying out complicated techniques that require precise temperatures. I absolutely love that when a recipe says “simmer for 18 minutes” I can set it by temperature for 18 minutes and know that I can get on with the rest of the prep. Unlike a built-in, I can move it to the table or the patio for in situ cuisine. This cooktop is my favorite appliance in the kitchen.