What the heck is a Dual Fuel Stove?

August 13th, 2015

Appliance Questions Appliance Talk Ovens Ovens & Cooking

Continuing Appliances Online’s irregular “What the Heck?” series, today we explain an occasionally tricky appliance definition – the Dual Fuel stove.

So what the heck IS a dual fuel stove?

In short, it’s a stove (as in, a freestanding upright oven with a cooktop mounted on top) that utilises two types of fuel to power your cooking performance – gas and electricity.

Westinghouse WFE914SA Freestanding Dual Fuel Oven/Stove

This usually translates to an electric oven and a gas cooktop

What are the benefits of a duel fuel cooking appliance?

Stovetop cooking with gas provides you with quick, simple and efficient control over your heat, allowing you to fry, simmer and boil with ease.

Freestanding Omega Dual Fuel Oven/Stove OF901XZ

An electric oven offers even and reliable heating that’s perfect for baking and super-simple to use.

By combining these two cooking methods, your kitchen gets the best of both worlds!

Are there disadvantages to using a Dual Fuel stove?

Pretty much the same disadvantages as using any freestanding stove – the lower oven means you’ll need to bend down to access your food (not ideal if you have a dodgy back), and they can take up a fair bit of space in your kitchen.

Freestanding Euromaid Dual Fuel Oven/Stove GE90S

Plus, not every home will be able to accomodate the installation of a Dual Fuel cooker… let’s take a closer look at that:

How is a dual fuel oven installed?

Dual fuel cooking appliances need to be connected to both your home’s electricity and gas supplies.

Freestanding Smeg Dual Fuel Oven/Stove C6GMXA8

As most dual fuel cookers are freestanding models, they often only need to be plugged into a normal power point for electricity. However, some designs may need to be hard-wired to your home’s mains power supply by a qualified electrician – always check first!

Some dual fuel appliances connect to your home’s natural gas supply, while others are LPG models that run on bottled gas. Some models even include conversion kits so they can be swapped over to run on either gas source. Regardless, all gas installations and conversions should only be carried out by a qualified gas plumber.

How big is a dual fuel stove?

How long is a piece of string? 😉

Freestanding Ilve Dual Fuel Oven/Stove NT906WMPSS

But seriously, there are dual fuel cooker models to suit all kitchen sizes an household budgets, including 60cm designs with 4 burners, and 90cm designs with 5 or 6 burners.

Freestanding Falcon Dual Fuel Oven/Stove CLAS110DFFBL-BR

Some dual fuel cookers include double ovens, allowing you to multitask by simultaneously cooking two or more dishes at different temperatures.

Is there anything else to look out for with a Dual Fuel oven?

Pretty much the same kind of features to look for on any other oven or stove – multiple cooking functions, improved safety features and so on.

Freestanding Fisher & Paykel Dual Fuel Oven/Stove OR90SDBGFPX1

We’re big fans of self-cleaning ovens, whether that’s using a special pyrolytic cleaning mode, or replacable catalytic panels.

Where can I find more Dual Fuel stoves?

Right here at Appliances Online!

In addition to our dual fuel designs, we also have exclusively electric or gas freestanding stoves, as well as built-in wall ovens and a wide range of other cooking appliances.

And if you ever need a bit of help with working out the best cooking appliances to suit your home, you can always contact out legendary team on 1300 000 500 – available 24/7!