There are advantages to both gas and electric ranges. Gas cooktops are generally cheaper to operate and allow you to vary the heat levels more quickly. Electric models are easier to clean and release less excess heat into your kitchen. Whichever kind you have, cleaning them is much easier if you do it immediately. Spills that aren't cleaned up right away can bake on and be hard to remove. Soaking the drip pans in hot, soapy water can soften burnt-on foods, and stainless steel pans can be cleaned in a self-cleaning oven. Most can also be put in the dishwasher. The stovetop itself can be safely cleaned with a paste of baking soda and water. Ovens can either be conventional or convection, in which the air inside the oven is circulated during the cooking cycle. Moving air cooks the food more quickly, so be sure to adjust cooking times accordingly. Cleaning ovens has become safer and easier in recent years. Self-cleaning ovens have a special high-heat cycle that burns off grease and minor spills. You can also find continuous cleaning ovens, in which the surfaces are coated with a catalyst that helps burn away spatters at normal cooking temperatures. If you have a standard oven, use one of the fume-free oven cleaners. They're both safer and more ecologically sound that harsh oven cleaning compounds.
