Oven – Gas grill compared to regular (high end) oven

Here's a couple of hints:

1. Learn to judge doneness by feel. See this answer for a good guide to temp by feel.

2. Learn to judge grill temp by hand. Hold your hand palm down about 3-4 inches above the grill. If you can hold it there for a second or two, it's hot; 3-4 seconds is medium; 5-6 seconds is low.

3. Sear first. Start with a very hot grill. You want about two minutes per side. Do not move the steak while it is searing. Make sure you've given the grill grate at least 5 mins to heat up.

4. Use a two level fire. Once you've seared your steak, you want to finish cooking over a lower heat. Build a two level fire by putting the coals on one side of the grill rather than the whole thing. Then sear over the coals. Then move it to the other side to finish. If the grill isn't wide enough for a two level fire, you could try quenching the fire by cutting off air flow. That will cool it quickly.

5. Finish with the lid on. This helps cook by heating the air rather than just using direct heat.

6. Change your fuel. Stop using lighter fluid. Use a chimney instead. Hard lump charcoal is better than briquettes. It's easier to light, creates less left over, and burns hotter.

7. Rest your meat for a few minutes before eating. Be aware that it will continue to cook during this time, so you want to pull it off a little early.

8. Read up on cooking steak. There are a bunch of good questions on this site!

I have used gas ovens with gas hobs, electric ovens with electric hobs, and electric ovens with gas hobs. By far the best combination is gas hob and electric oven. I'll break the pros and cons down:

Gas Hob

Pros:

• Heats up quickly
• Heat changes quickly - when you turn it off, it's off.
• Fine control over heat

Cons:

• Can create 'hotspots', but this is why you have different sized rings
• Can be fussier to clean
• Obvious danger of gas leaks, but modern safety systems mitigate this

Electric hobs are pretty much the opposite. They can be slow to heat and react slowly to heat changes (so if you want to go from a boil to a simmer you have to plan 20 minutes ahead). They also have the disadvantage of remaining hot even when they're turned off, which can be dangerous. Their only advantage over gas hobs is a more even heat across the pan, and being easier to clean.

Electric Oven (preferably fan)

Pros:

• Quick to preheat
• Even temperature throughout the oven
• Precise temperature control

Cons:

• None that I can think of

In contrast, gas ovens are slow to preheat, have marked zones of different heat (cooler at the bottom, hot at the top) and have coarser heat control. Also, because the flame is generally at the back of the oven, you can end up burning larger dishes that butt right up to it. All this builds up to make an unreliable oven (in terms of cooking results).

In conclusion, a gas hob/electric oven combo is the best because it gives you ultimate control over your cooking.