Dual fuel ranges have been touted as the best cooking appliances you could buy, with even and precise cooking in the oven combined with the speed of a gas cooktop.
But is it really?
In this article, you’ll learn the five reasons why you shouldn’t buy a dual fuel range. And at the end, I’ll show you the instance where you almost have to.
Table of Contents
Roasting
Electric is a dryer, more even heat is better for baking. However, if you like to roast, then the moist heat of gas is better. Like my mom’s pot roast when I was a kid.
To be honest, I don’t like pot roast, but it was never dry because of our old caloric brand gas range.
Broiling
I have an electric range in my new apartment. For broiling, electric takes time, while gas is an instant on and the heat is more concentrated in the middle and better for broiling.
If you’re considering a pro range, almost every brand has the infrared broiler, which concentrates the heat even more directly without diffusing than even a gas burner.
So if you like to broil in roast, gas is a better choice. What if you use the top more?
Stovetop
Gas is instant and far more responsive than electric, with the element heating the glass in the glass of your pan.
However, the fastest is induction, which is magnetic heat. Instead of heating the glass top, like electric, induction excites the metal molecules in the pan, so the pan cooks the food,
bypassing the glass, making it the fastest burner you can buy.
It’s also better on the simmer because you have an instant simmer, while gas will extinguish itself at the lower temperatures.
Power
You can’t replace your gas stove with dual fuel or induction without changing electrical. Gas only uses 12 amps, while dual fuel is at least 30 amps, while induction requires 50 amps.
In certain older condo buildings where power is limited to 60 amps, replacement is not always possible.
If you want to replace between changing an electrical panel, running a line in the outlet, plus an electrician’s time, it’s about $3,000.
If you’re converting from electrical, you still have to run a gas line. That’s assuming you have gas in your building or want to convert to liquid propane, which in some cases diminishes the performance of your gas top.
Price
The difference between a dual fuel and a gas range is $200-$400. That’s not a huge consideration, but there is no inexpensive dual fuel range.
You’ll spend at least $2,500 or more on anything decent.
Ventilation
Cooking in all types emits a certain amount of gases. However, natural gas from propane emission is far greater, especially with carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, nitrous oxide, and particular matter.
But if you don’t have a suitable vent, electric or induction will be safer than a gas stove top.
Now, assuming you can vent, here’s the one instance where a dual fuel range may be better.
When Dual Fuel is Best?
For whatever reason, brands like Wolf, Thermador and Miele have more features in dual fuel than all gas.
It’s a completely different range.
In Wolf, the max output on burners in all gas is 15,000 vs 20,000 in dual fuel. The dual fuel model also features their new blower convection system, WiFi compatibility, and their Wolf Gourmet.
Miele has their master chef touch controls in their dual fuel only, which is like the Wolf Gourmet, but they also add steam functionality.
Speaking of steam Thermadors, larger dual fuel ranges offer full steam ovens. For pro range, dual fuel is a viable option mostly because of the added features.