Are Electric Cookers Safer Than Gas Cookers?

There has been a raging debate on whether electric cookers are actually safer than gas cookers. Both are now an integral part of many kitchens in most continents although coal is also used in remote places and in some countries which are considered Third World. Both gas and electric cookers have revolutionized the way we cook and bake and this has contributed to the great variety of modern foods that we enjoy and which could never have been possible if these two were not around. Both gas and electric cookers constitute of freestanding stoves and ovens which usually have three, four or six heating surfaces. These surfaces are where the cooking pots or utensils are placed and heated. When it comes to appearance, electric cookers and gas cookers share a lot. They both have surfaces on top and they also have control knobs or buttons which are used to regulate the heat. They also both come with in-built ovens which can also be easily regulated to bake.

Gas cookers are actually preferred to electric cookers by culinary professionals who site the flame produced as being more conducive to precision cooking than the electric surfaces. Gas cookers come in many sizes. They even come in small flat portable units which can be easily transported from place to place. In the Third World countries, these portable gas cookers are widely used. The gas comes in the form of a gas cylinder which can be sold separately. There is then a place to attach the gas cylinder to the actual cooker and the burner can be lit with a match or a lighter. This has been the predominant way of cooking for decades.

In the West, gas cookers are larger and more innovative, spotting precision temperature controls and safety valves. The gas is pumped through a network of underground pipes which are maintained by a gas utility company in much the same way as water or electricity is done. The gas utility company can disconnect the gas the same way as the power company can in the event that the customer falls behind on their bill.

Electric cookers on the other hand use primarily electricity. They also contain surfaces where the electricity transmits the heat and the surface increased in heat gradually until it is hot enough to cook or warm something. Electric cookers have been deemed safer than gas cookers. This is because gas is highly flammable and if someone was to accidentally turn on the gas and leave it on it can leak into the atmosphere where it can explode if someone does as little as light a cigarette. This has been the cause of many deaths and property damage in many places.

Electric cookers on the other hand does not pose this threat. If someone was to leave the electric cooker on accidentally, the only thing that would happen would be a waste of power and the fact that the surface would remain hot to the extent that it would warm the immediate area. But the threat of fire is minimal.

Autor: Theodor Cartman

Looking for electric cookers? Check out complete guide to electric cookers.

Added: December 21, 2008
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/