Choosing between a gas or electric combi oven isn’t always straightforward. While both options can deliver excellent results, the best choice depends on your site’s utilities, legal requirements, and how you plan to use the equipment day to day. In this article, we’ll break down the key factors to consider so you can decide whether gas or electric is the right fit for your kitchen.
Gas or Electric?
There’s no single right answer here—it all depends on your site and your specific circumstances. The first thing to assess is what utilities you already have available. For example, if your building doesn’t have three-phase electricity, your options may be limited to gas and/or single-phase electric.
Gas combi ovens come with specific legal requirements covering installation, commissioning, and ongoing annual servicing. If your site is already set up for gas equipment, and you’ve discussed adding a combi oven with a qualified engineer who has confirmed there’s sufficient capacity and ventilation, then a gas oven may be the right choice for you.
If you have both gas and three-phase electricity available, electric combi ovens are well worth considering. Unlike gas appliances, electric ovens aren’t subject to the same legislation and don’t require installation or servicing by Gas Safe engineers. For instance, while extraction is always recommended, an electric oven doesn’t legally require a canopy, whereas a gas oven must have suitable extraction and gas interlocking in place.
One factor that’s often overlooked is cleaning. Gas combi ovens can’t be cleaned overnight unattended due to gas interlock requirements—someone must be on site to shut the gas off once the cleaning cycle finishes. With an electric oven, you can simply start the cleaning cycle and leave it to run overnight without supervision.
It’s also worth noting that gas ovens contain more components and gas-specific parts. More parts mean more potential points of failure and, ultimately, higher maintenance considerations.
Looking for advice?
If you’re starting from scratch, we always recommend arranging a site survey with a qualified engineer. They can assess your exact conditions and advise on the most suitable fuel type, helping you avoid the costly mistake of ordering the wrong equipment.
If you’d like our expert guidance, get in touch with our team today. Call 01227 469692 or email sales@catercombi.com and we’ll be happy to talk through your options and help you make the right choice with confidence.