With the current range and richness of options, choosing a gas stove is not so easy as it was before. Well, let's look together, on what nuances it is necessary to concentrate at purchase of the most important kitchen equipment.
Safety
With careless or reckless treatment, natural gas from a kind friend who brings warmth and comfort to our homes can instantly turn into a terrible enemy, sweeping away everything in its path. Therefore, when buying a gas cooker, safety should be the cornerstone.
In modern models of plates next to each burner a temperature sensor is installed, which controls the operation of the shut-off valve on the gas nozzle. If the burner is extinguished due to a pressure drop in the gas supply system or was flooded with runaway milk, the sensor will cool quickly and automatically shut off the fuel supply.
Imagine how many explosions, accidents and poisoning could have been avoided if each plate had been equipped with such devices. Meanwhile, unfortunately, they are only available in models of medium and expensive price segment.
The budget-priced slabs remain potentially dangerous and, under adverse circumstances, can turn the apartment of their owners into a gas chamber or a powder keg. We strongly recommend that you do not neglect this option, in spite of the difference in price that you will have to pay. Remember: health and life are priceless!
Burners
The most important element of any gas cooker is certainly a hotplate. Its design is quite simple and in this regard, expensive plates from cheap are no different. The maximum power of the burner depends on the diameter of the nozzle, through which gas is supplied to the burner. With increasing power, the diameter of the burner also has to be increased.
In the simplest models of gas cookers, all the burners have the same power and diameter. This "equalization" allows you to reduce the cost of production of the device, but makes the plate less convenient to use.
Much more practical are models in which burners of different capacities are installed. This approach allows you to use the possibilities of the plate most flexibly: you put dishes of low capacity on a conventional cooking zone, and a pan of 5 or 10 liters - for reinforced. And it will be more convenient to cook, and the gas will be spent rationally.
It's been a long time ago when you had to burn a match or a lighter into the burner with a dashing shout "Abdullah, set fire!"In modern plates, the process of ignition of the burner is much simpler. Next to the burner place an electroland, which is activated by pressing a special button.
There are more "advanced" ignition systems, in which nothing needs to be pressed: the spark plug generates a spark automatically when the handle that controls the gas supply to the burner is turned. Of course, the stove with the built-in lighter costs a little more than usual, but from the first minute you will understand that you spent money knowingly.
Even the most expensive gas stove turns into a simple interior decoration when the gas is turned off. Those who want to insure themselves against such cases, should choose a combined version of the plate, in which, in addition to gas hobs installed one electrical. Just make sure before that your wiring is able to provide the power consumed by such a burner.
hob material In the vast majority of gas stoves, the hob is made of either enamelled steel( "budget" version) or stainless( in expensive models).The advantage of enameled surface in addition to cheapness is the richness of the choice of color solutions.
However, enamel is a brittle material, sharp temperature changes can lead to the appearance of cracks on its surface. Stainless steel is considered more practical: it is ductile, easy to clean, resistant to corrosive processes and the effects of chemically aggressive substances.
Fans of refined interiors will certainly have to taste a plate with a working surface of tempered glass. This shockproof material is very smooth, so it is easy to keep it clean. Yes, and it looks like tempered glass is very presentable, because manufacturers produce it all colors and shades.
Oven
Preparing food in a conventional gas oven is relatively cheap because of the low cost of natural gas. But the oven of this type is not able to provide a truly high-quality and uniform heat treatment of the dish. Therefore, many manufacturers equip slabs with electric ovens, or hybrid( gas burners + electric grills).Consider all the options in more detail:
Gas oven
The simplest and least practical option is a conventional oven with a gas burner located in the lower part. If you decide to buy a plate cheaper, most likely the oven in it will be just this. A variant with a gas grill is considered more effective. It is located in the upper part of the chamber and has the form of a metal grate with a burner inside.
The heated gas grill, just like the electric grill, emits heat, thanks to which the dish is prepared much better. Those who are ready to fork out for the most progressive option, you should choose a gas stove with a gas oven equipped with a fan.
The latter provides air circulation in the chamber, creating simply ideal conditions for the preparation of any dish. The burners in this oven have a special design that prevents the blower from blowing the flame.
Electric oven
The classic oven with electric oven has two heaters installed in the upper and lower part of the oven. Such an oven design remains very popular today, but it is found mostly in inexpensive slabs. In the more expensive models manufacturers do not install two, but four heaters: two are placed according to the classical scheme, and two additional ones - on the side and back walls of the camera.
Experience has shown that this solution is the most optimal in terms of cooking quality, but it also does not provide an ideally uniform heat treatment.
Therefore, the electric oven is equipped with a fan that mixes the air and helps prevent the formation of hot and cold zones. The mode at which the oven works with the fan on was called "Convection".
Traditional metal TEN is inferior today to the place of the newest development - quartz heater. The latter has a number of advantages:
- takes up very little space;
- consumes significantly less electricity;
- has less aggressive impact on the product than a conventional heater.
Perhaps electric ovens would have long ago supplanted gas, if not for two significant deficiencies that are inherent in them. We already mentioned one thing, this is the high cost of electricity.
The second - the high requirements that such an oven makes to the quality of electrical wiring not only in a single apartment, but throughout the house. Therefore, before buying a plate, please check with the appropriate services if your internal wiring is designed for such a load.
Hybrid Oven
The hybrid version of the oven is devoid of the main disadvantage of a gas oven - uneven heating, and at the same time is more economical than a purely electric camera. However, do not rush to make a purchase, remember the possible problems with the wiring.
Once again about the oven
It will be vexing if the appetizing cake that you are going to bake for your home, just can not fit into your brand new stove. In order not to be in such an absurd position, consider in advance the most suitable for you volume of the oven. There is something to choose from: in different models the furnace volume can be from 42 to 56 liters.
If a toddler or a pet is living with you, it will be superfluous to take care of their safety. In this case, we advise you to choose a plate with double or triple thermal insulation of the door.
A good gas stove has many useful things that greatly simplify the life of its owner. These include:
- backlight;
- timer( preferably with automatic shutdown of heating after the set time);
- catalytic self-cleaning function;
- pan, automatically retracted when the oven door is opened.
Size of
In the heat of an intellectual battle with a sales consultant trying to sell you a "heaped" stove with a preinstalled operating system, do not forget that your new purchase should fit well into the interior.
The standard height of gas cookers for the kitchen is 85 cm, but if it does not suit you, you can choose a model with adjustable legs. The depth of the stoves is 50 or 60 cm. But the width - for every taste: from 30-centimeter "thin" to a full 100-centimeter units.
Cost of
The most affordable price is traditionally possessed by domestic plates. Products companies Lysva, GazMash, DE Luxe will cost the buyer no more than 250 dollars. The average price range can be attributed plates BEKO, ARDO, Indesit and some other manufacturers.
Depending on the "filling" will have to pay from 200 to 500 dollars. A plate of elite class, for example, from Bosch or Simens, can "pull" from 500 to three or even four thousand dollars. This is, so to speak, the front line of progress, the owner of such a plate will get everything that you can dream about.
Now you know everything about gas stoves: you can safely go to the store. We wish you a successful purchase!
