9 ways to go green in the kitchen
Energy efficiency: gas vs. electric stove
When you use a gas stove, natural gas enters your stove from a gas supply to your house. Once it reaches the burner, it comes into contact with air inside a mixer tube and is mixed with more air when it is released through holes in the burner. The ignition system lights the gas-air mixture, creating a blue flame and the higher you turn the burner control knob, the more gas is released.
With an electric stove, electricity runs to a wire inside the coils on the cook top. When you turn the dial on the stove, the electricity flows to the coil and heats up the metal.
When talking energy efficiency between a gas and an electric stove, the gas stove is a clear winner. It takes about three times as much energy to produce and deliver electricity to your stove. A gas stove will cost you less than half as much to operate, according to the California Energy Commission, provided you have an electronic ignition and not a pilot light.