Do Professional Chefs Use Gas or Electric Stoves? - Mountain High Appliance (2024)

If you’ve watched even just one episode of Iron Chef or any competitive cooking show on TV, you know professional chefs know their stoves inside and out. Of all the appliances in the kitchen, it is the stove where the chefs get the most creative and resourceful.

The stovetop is a professional chef’s tool of the trade, like a carpenter’s hammer or a welder’s stick welder. The way they use the stove is like creating art, from the way they sear shrimp to the way they pan-flip stir-fry veggies.

And the result is pure culinary magic.

Sometimes it feels like the only way to enjoy gourmet dishes that are Food Network approved is by dropping a few Benjamins at your local, fine dining restaurant.

If you’re tired of dressing to the nines and selling off your firstborn each time you want Instagram-worthy food, it’s time to start cooking like a pro.

Do Professional Chefs Use Gas or Electric Stoves? - Mountain High Appliance (1)

They Prefer Gas

Professional chefs know what it takes to deliver so take some tips from the experts. To start cooking like a pro, start with their preferred tool - a gas stovetop. Gas stoves offer an incredible experience with every use.

Plus it has a wide amount of benefits over electric stovetops which we explain here to help you decide if you’re ready to take the plunge for gas!

Immediate Responsiveness

Electric cooktops work by using electricity to heat the coils which is then passed on to your pan. The transaction takes some time to initially heat your pan.

Gas, on the other hand, is an open flame that directly heats your pan so it takes very little time to get your pan to the temperature you need, even if it’s a cast iron pan stored in a cool place.

For professional chefs, it’s convenient to save time in the kitchen to quickly heat their pan and start cooking immediately.

Better Control

Another reason the pros prefer gas is the control they have over the heat. Just as electricity takes some time to heat your pan, it also takes some time to adjust in temperatures, whether you need fast heat or need to cool the contents immediately.

Electric stovetops take so much time that most chefs just take the pan off the burner to cool it faster. Gas is practically immediate when it comes to making adjustments since the flame can quickly be diminished or ignited.

A Variety Of Cookware

Electric cooktops involve coil burners and glass stovetops rely on a flat surface heating your cookware, which is great if your cookware is also flat.

But some of your best pans that have seen battle with a fat steak and are used just about every night of the week may no longer be perfectly flat so they may not heat up evenly on a flat surface, or you may have a wok which is designed for open flame.

With a gas stovetop, all you need is the flame itself to heat the pan which is obviously by no means flat. Additionally, the popular induction stoves rely on specific cookware that is high in iron so you are more limited with electricity.

The versatility of cookware allows professional chefs the freedom to cook the way they prefer.

Do Professional Chefs Use Gas or Electric Stoves? - Mountain High Appliance (2)

Cooking Freedom

In addition to using whichever cookware they want, the open flame also allows professional chefs to cook a more variety of foods.

With electric or induction cooktops, you can’t quite hit those high temperatures to char or smoke certain ingredients, such as tomatoes and eggplants.

With an open flame, there is more freedom and creativity to achieve all your culinary ambitions.

Let’s Talk About Induction

You may be asking yourself, “What about induction cooktops?” Electric stovetops have come a long way since coiled burners thanks to the introduction and the recent popularity of induction stovetops. Induction burners provide many of the advantages of gas, including responsiveness, immediate heat, and accurate temperature.

It also has the added benefits of safety and energy -efficiency since it only heats the pan, not the surface. However, there’s one thing induction doesn’t have - an open flame.

As mentioned above, the open flame allows for more cooking methods and cookware, the dream of every aspiring chef.

Be sure to visit Mountain High Appliance to check out your wide variety of electric, induction, and gas stoves in person. Let our expert appliance specialists help you find the perfect stovetop for your budget, style, and cooking preference.

We are proud to carry top-name brands in conventional and luxury categories!

Call us, shop online, or visit us today at any of our luxury appliance stores in Colorado!

Do Professional Chefs Use Gas or Electric Stoves? - Mountain High Appliance (2024)

FAQs

Do Professional Chefs Use Gas or Electric Stoves? - Mountain High Appliance? ›

Better Control

Do chefs prefer gas or electric ranges? ›

And it boils down to one question: Which cooks better, gas or electric? For most home chefs forced to choose between gas ranges that heat quickly or electric-coil stoves that are inefficient and ugly, the answer is simple: gas.

What kind of stoves do professional chefs use? ›

Professional chefs are often known to use gas ranges at home. Having the luxury of high heat burners, extra large ovens and customizable options give them the flexibility to create large meals and entertain. Many professional chefs also opt for convection ovens that help them cook evenly across multiple racks.

Can chefs cook on electric stove? ›

Switching over to electric isn't just a boon to your health and the planet – it also makes for a better cooking experience, according to a growing number of professional chefs. Read on to hear from three who have embraced electric and are loving the results.

Do professional chefs prefer induction or gas? ›

Chefs love induction cooking because of the extremely fast heating and precise heat control provided through a high-performance glass-ceramic surface. Also, induction technology warms the pan and not the surface or surrounding area, so very little heat escapes into the room.

Is it healthier to cook with gas or electric stove? ›

We do know that, overall, electric stoves directly generate lower levels of airborne contaminants. This reduces a potential exposure hazard and associated health risk. If you're replacing your stove/oven anyway, electric is likely a better choice both for better indoor air quality and the general environment.

What cooks more evenly gas or electric? ›

If you ask a trained chef, many say they prefer gas because it helps them achieve high heat faster. However, bakers tend to prefer electric models because they distribute heat more evenly and are easier to clean and maintain.

Does Gordon Ramsay have a gas stove? ›

On pretty much every one of them, featured chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Rachel Ray, Giada de Laurentiis and Jose Andres can be seen cooking with gas.

What stove does Bobby Flay use? ›

When designing his own New York City kitchen, celebrity Chef Bobby Flay chose a platinum series stainless steel BlueStar oven gorgeously trimmed in antique brass. Did you know you can choose from 750 colors to configure your knobs, trim, and oven color? You can also customize your burner options.

What stove does Ina Garten use? ›

Her Lacanche range

“I think if you can cook, you can cook on any stove,” Garten wrote. “The Lacanche keeps a very steady heat and it's a total pleasure to use. Functional and beautiful at the same time!”

Should I change my gas stove to electric? ›

A: You have good reason to want to trade your gas stove for an electric one. A growing body of research shows that cooking with natural gas is not good for the environment or your health, including a December study that linked the fuel usage to an increase in asthma risk among children.

Why do people prefer gas stoves over electric stoves? ›

Gas ranges employ an open flame while electric ranges utilize metal heating elements. Both have their benefits: gas stovetops are highly responsive, allowing you to move between heat levels quickly while electric ovens tend to have dry, even heat that's ideal for baking and roasting.

Does food taste better on a gas stove? ›

"It has such a well-dispersed energy in how it heats the pan that it is very efficient. Basically, 90% of the energy that is creating that heat is going into the food." As for the difference in what you cook, Rossi and Hennessey said your dish should taste the same on whatever type of stove you use.

What ovens do chefs prefer gas or electric? ›

The visual feedback provided by a bright blue flame on a propane stove cannot be replicated by an electric or induction stovetop. More than 96% of professional chefs prefer cooking with gas because of the convenience, ease, and control it provides in preparing the meal.

Why don't professional chefs use induction cooktops? ›

Part of what keeps chefs from embracing induction cooking is tradition, maybe even the fear of hanging their reputations on equipment that's unfamiliar to them. Galarza is convinced chefs have outdated ideas about induction ranges and stovetops. Take, for example, the fear of shattering the glass surface.

Who should not use an induction cooktop? ›

People who require pacemakers, for instance, shouldn't use induction cooktops because they can interfere with their medical devices. “As induction cooktops gain in popularity, additional research on the potential health effects of these and other appliances should continue to be carried out,” Sarosiek said.

Why do most restaurants use gas stoves? ›

Advantages of Cooking on a Gas Stove

Any type of kitchen pan works with a gas stove. The upfront investment is more affordable. Durable for commercial kitchen wear and tear. Gas stoves are the tradition and the preference for professional kitchens in the US.

Do home buyers prefer gas or electric stoves? ›

About 51% of homebuyers prefer gas for cooking, and that's compared to about 39% of people who prefer electric, and that's according to a 2021 survey by the National Association of Home Builders. The rest of the folks said they had no preference or didn't know. So generally, homebuyers, homeowners prefer gas.

Are gas or electric ranges more popular? ›

Electric stoves are overall more common in the U.S., with 68 percent of households owning one opposite 38 percent which have a gas stove. In a majority of states, electric stove ownership surpasses 70 percent of households.

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