A cooktop is an essential item when you plan a picnic, camping outdoors, RV trip, patio cooking, family vacation, etc. And so, investing on a portable outdoor cooktop and keeping yourself ready for outdoor cooking activities has rather become a necessity for every family.
Portable outdoor cooktops are generally designed slim and small so that you can conveniently move it around or pack it easily when going outdoors. People often buy a single burner or dual burner cooktop for outdoor cooking purposes.
When you are looking to buy a portable outdoor cooktop, you will surely find yourself questioning which cooktop model to choose- electric model or gas model. Electric cooktops and gas cooktops have their own distinct advantages as well as limitations. Knowing the advantages and limitations before you decide which model to choose will help you buy the right cooktop model. This article is a comparison between gas cooktop and electric cooktop (comparison solely made for outdoor cooking purposes), pointing out the advantages and limitations.
Gas Cooktops- Advantages and Limitations
Gas cooktop is a model you could trust for all cooking purposes. Even after the introduction of electric cooktops, many are still using and relying on gas cooktop for everyday cooking. Here, let’s find out the advantages and limitations of gas cooktop when cooking outdoors.
Advantages
You will love cooking with gas cooktop outdoors because of its powerful nature and ability to change the cooking temperature instantly. These two important factors of gas cooktop give you complete control on what you are cooking. Gas cooktops are also a great choice because they are favorable for cooking any kinds of dishes/recipes.
Gas cooktops are still the favorite cooktop for many because they are easy to use and simple to operate. Some people find it hard to operate the touch control system found in electric cooktops. They find it much easier to control everything just by dialing the control knobs found in gas cooktops.
Gas cooktops are also easy to start up, and instantly heats the pan as soon as it is lighted up. Most of the modern/latest gas cooktop models now use auto ignition system that lights up itself at the dial of the knob. Also modern gas cooktops from trusted brands/manufacturers are safety certified. They have safety features such as safety valve, leakage detector, auto gas supply shut off, safety lock, light indicator, etc.
Limitations/Disadvantages
Some minor disadvantages are also noticed when cooking outdoors using gas cooktops. Gas cooktops are bulkier and less elegant in looks compared to electric cooktops. Also the cooking grates, steel construction, attached control knobs, etc. made cleaning harder.
To use a gas cooktop for outdoor cooking, you would have to take an extra burden of filling and carrying a propane tank. And since gas cooktops produce open flame, you may find it hard to use it in open air. Since cooking with gas cooktop involves open flame, one needs to be carefull and cautious while using and handling it.
Electric Cooktops- Advantages and Limitations
The cooking mechanism of electric cooktop is completely different from that of gas cooktops. Instead of relying on gas, electric cooktops are run by electricity; and so they are commonly referred as electric cooktop. Electric cooktops are of two types- electric smooth-top and electric induction cooktop. Electric induction cooktop models are the more popular one, and many agree that induction cooktop is the future of cooking. Let’s find out how electric induction cooktops fared when cooking outdoors.
Advantages
One good advantages of cooking with electric cooktop is higher energy efficiency which results in faster cooking. Induction cooktop has the highest energy efficiency level and thus it cooks food faster than any other types of cooktop.
Unlike gas cooktops, induction cooktops are slim and elegant in looks. Portability is at its best and cleaning is a breeze. Induction cooktops are also easy to operate. At a simple press of a touch sensitive glass control panel, you can get the desired settings. There are varying cooking temperature you can select depending on the food that you cook, and the temperature changes instantly at your command. Since there is no flame involve in induction cooking, you don’t have to worry about cooking in the open air. Cooking with induction cooktop is regarded safer than cooking with gas cooktop.
Induction cooktops are also rich in features. Some useful cooking features such as auto shut off, child lock, cooking timer, etc. can make cooking more convenient.
Disadvantages
The biggest setback you will find in cooking with electric cooktop is the absolute dependency on electricity. So, unfortunately, you wouldn’t be able to use an electric cooktop at a place where there is no power source.
Also if you plan on cooking with induction cooktop, don’t forget to pack along induction compatible cookware.
Conclusion
After comparing the advantages and limitations of both gas cooktop and electric induction cooktop, one can conclude that each cooktop has its own advantages and disadvantages. And the question- ‘which one to choose’ is a personal matter.
In my own opinion, induction cooktop is a great choice if you plan on cooking at a place where there is electricity such as patio, backyard, vacation home, RV, etc. But if you want to take outdoor cooking to a place where there is no electricity, investing on a portable outdoor gas cooktop is a better choice.
