How Much Propane Does a Gas Stove Use?

Safe & Precise Cooking with a Gas Stove

Simply put, gas is the gold standard for people who like to cook — whether it’s professionally or at home. In fact, 96% of professional chefs prefer cooking with gas over electricity!

It’s no wonder, then, that propane gas consumers in Chattanooga, Gatlinburg, Spring Hill and many other Tennessee communities want to get accurate information about gas stoves, as well as other propane appliances. Let’s start with how much fuel you can expect to use when you have a propane gas stove.

Generally, a propane gas stove for residential use will only need about 35 gallons of propane per year. If your family does a lot of cooking, anticipate higher usage in the 60-gallon range. You may be surprised by this relatively low annual usage, but there is a good reason. Propane gas ranges are incredibly efficient. One gallon of propane produces about 91,502 Btu of heat energy.

If one of the larger burners on your propane range produces 18,000 Btu per hour, then one gallon of propane will power that burner for over five hours.

That means you can fuel a propane-fired stove and oven, plus other propane appliances, with a modestly sized propane tank on your property that doesn’t require too many fuel deliveries over the course of the year.

Other Benefits of a Propane Stove

There are many reasons that propane stoves have been so prevalent in new home construction. Here are just three.

1. precise temperature control–the primary reason chefs prefer cooking with gas stoves over electric ones.
2. 30% less carbon dioxide emissions than an equivalent amount of electricity.
3. propane gas burners heat quickly once lit, and when you turn off the burner, it cools much faster than an electric element.

Propane Gas Stove Vs. Natural Gas Stove

Besides the type of gas used to power your stove, the major difference between a propane stove and a natural gas stove are the gas jet nozzles. Because propane is highly pressurized, the nozzles have much smaller holes. Natural gas isn’t pressurized as much as propane, so the nozzles have larger holes. That’s the reason propane and natural gas stoves can’t be interchanged as is. If you wanted to switch from a natural gas stove to one that’s fueled by propane, you would need to get a propane conversion kit for stoves. This is needed to replace the gas jets. For safety reasons, this job is best left to a professional.

Are Propane Stoves Safe for My Home?

After a slew of media coverage about gas stoves, many people have become reasonably concerned about the safety and eco-friendliness of propane stoves. But many of the emissions at the center of the current debate don’t come into play with propane.

That’s because recent indoor air quality (IAQ) studies have cited the problem of methane leaks coming from natural gas stoves. Unlike natural gas, however, propane does not contain any methane gas!

Another issue has been the release of particulate matter into the home. Particulate matter refers to microscopic solids or liquid droplets that can be inhaled and cause health problems like asthma. However, all cooking produces some particulate matter, regardless of whether it involves a gas, electric or wood stove.

Our advice is to always use your kitchen range hood or open a nearby window to get ventilation when you cook. You should also have a propane professional check your stove to ensure its safe operation, as you should do with any propane gas appliance.

Read more about indoor air quality and gas stoves.