Stoves are essential requirements to make any place habitable. A stove is what you cook on, and without it, cooking becomes quite difficult. However, just any stove isn’t the market requirement anymore. There are types of stoves out there that have a very drastic change in the value of your home. Yes! Choosing the right stove might help you increase the selling price of your home, even up to the thousands.
What Are Stoves and How They Work?
The simplest definition of a stove is an apparatus that is used for cooking or heating. It works by burning fuel or electricity and creating a flame at the top. This flame can be increased and decreased, by controlling the amount of fuel or electricity available to it. This is done with the help of the knobs or buttons in the machine.
Gas stoves work by the connection of natural gas to them by a pipeline. The knobs in the stove are used to control the release of natural gas to the top. Igniting the gas creates a flame. Electric stove, on the other hand, works through coils that are either inside the stove or visible on the top of it. When the stove is turned on, electricity runs across the coils. This heats the coils and turns them a bright orange or red color.
In recent years, stoves have also started to come attached with ovens. Which has increased the comparison between best gas stoves and electric stoves. Now, this not only concerns the stovetop itself, but the bigger fight is also if gas ovens are better than electric ovens. This is why the type of stove or oven in your house helps it sell better.
Can a Stove Increase Home Value?
Yes. According to realtors all across the globe, and especially in America, having a natural gas connection increases the value of your house by 6%. This is the price difference when it is compared to houses with electrical stoves. This means even with the introduction of electric stoves, people still prefer natural gas to this day. Several features contribute to this, and we’re going to discuss all of them in detail.
The first comparison between the two types is the price point. Even now, natural gas is cheaper when compared to electricity. It costs an average house around 1,860 heated square feet, which is about four times as less as electric resistance heat in 2019-2020. It is estimated that consumers using natural gas save an average of $874 on energy bills each year, compared to those who use electricity. These figures are estimated and stated by the American Gas Association. There are also a few theories that state electricity produces more greenhouse emissions than burning natural gas.
Gas stoves also appeal to serious home cooks. The flames are great for searing and similar activities. Not only that, gas stoves provide instant heat, whereas electric stoves need time to warm. Also, gas stoves distribute heat more evenly and cook food better. Cooks also like natural gas stoves, because they turn off instantly. Unlike electric stoves, there is no residual heat, or time required to cool down.
Natural Gas is also abundantly available throughout the world, whereas some places may have electricity shortages. Weather problems also don’t affect natural gas. Electricity, on the other hand, is often shut down for long periods. This makes people prefer having gas stoves. During the time Texas had a snowstorm in 2021, many people were worried because they had electric stoves which could not run as there was a mass power outage. The fact that gas stoves still performed optimally was one thing that created an immediate surge in the demand for gas stoves after things got back to normal.
There have been municipalities banning gas pipelines in newly built homes. Berkley, California was the first state to pass this law in 2019. As such, the demands and prices of homes with gas stoves are going up exponentially. People also choose natural gas stoves because they provide a lot more options. Natural gas stoves resell quicker and are comparatively cheaper to replace.
Gas stoves have been in use so long that there are a lot of fixing options available. There is a huge market of repairmen, spare parts, and resale available. Gas stoves also have a life expectancy of about 15 years, where electric stoves live somewhere from 10-13 years.
For all these reasons, people are more willing to buy houses with gas stoves. People are also willing to pay more for them.
Learn more about the types of stoves – Types of Stoves
What Are the Drawbacks of Gas Stoves?
While gas stoves have a larger selling market, they also come with their disadvantages. The first safety concern is the open flame. There is a risk of things catching fire, or someone getting hurt. Gas stoves are also difficult to clean because they have burners and pan supports. However, the biggest drawback of the gas stove is its ability to cause explosions. This happens when the flames go out, or the knob is left on. Gas keeps leaking and accumulating in the oven and kitchen. When this gas gets the slightest spark, it explodes.
Since the fuel source is gas, it is very difficult to identify a leak. Also, a lot of companies add a smell to the gas so it can be identified, but natural gas itself is odorless. Even with the added odor, by the time the smell becomes noticeable, it may be too late.
The prevention of these issues is simple. Make sure you regularly check your gas connection for any loose pipes or leaks. Always be sure to close the knob of the stove. If the oven and stove ever explode or catch fire, be sure to turn off the gas at the main supply. Do not keep any gas cylinders, fuel, or any other flammable substances near the kitchen. In case you ever smell gas, turn off the main gas connection of your home and stay away from the area where the smell is coming from. Let the gas go away and then you should visit the affected area. It is advised to also open all doors and windows of your home so that the gas goes away quickly.
History of Stoves
The earliest records of cooking food were of people lighting leaves, wood, and sticks to create little fires. These fires created light, gave warmth, but most importantly, cooked food. Then came the ovens. People no longer just cooked on open flames, they had learned ways to bake, by distributing the heat of the fire.
Ancient civilizations all show signs of having a stove or oven of some sort. These were usually made of brick and mud, and used wood and sticks as fuel. The bricks would heat up and would create a surrounding heating system.
This is similar to today’s gas and electric ovens. The temperature would be controlled, by lighting more wood to heat it and opening the door to cool it down. Stoves like these were used in many parts of the world, up to the end of the 20th century. While the world has long since moved towards gas and electricity, rural areas in underdeveloped countries still use stoves of this sort.
Cast iron stoves were introduced in the 18th century. These stoves had only one fire source, but they could be used to heat multiple pans at once. However, these stoves were too large to fit in family houses. They were used in either large mansions, or restaurants and inns. In 1802, gas was used in cooking for the first time, and in about another three decades, gas stoves were available for the common man to buy and use. T
hey were very popular by the end of the century because they allowed the manipulation of the temperature and flame. In 1892, electric stoves came to the market. Thomas Ahearn, a Canadian company owner, made one of the first models of an electric stove.
Today, we see highly sophisticated electric stoves and gas stoves which come with a wide variety of functions. These stoves can be used in various ways and not only for cooking. One can also bake because they have ovens with them. Making a pizza or a cake? A stove oven would be perfect for the job. The temperature control option is also quite an interesting one that has popped up recently.
Suggested Reading – How to Remove Burn Stains from a Stove Top?
Conclusion
Stoves have evolved a lot over the years. With how much variety is available in the market, it can understandably be hard to make a choice. According to realtors, the best way to choose your type of stove is by how much effort it takes. If your house has a gas connection available, it is better to go with a gas stove. However, if you don’t have a gas connection, you need to calculate the effort, time, and expense it would take to switch to gas.