We switched to a gas dryer (Samsung) and it's been excellent. At least where I am gas is cheaper to operate so that was a deciding factor.

Personally I'd go with a gas dryer so you can have your choice in the kitchen. The clothes don't really care, but your food, well, that's art! :)

-Stooxie

I think if he chooses the electric dryer then he has his choice in the kitchen.

I chose a gas dryer for operational cost.

But the results are the same.

So I would get the electric dryer and gas range.

Oh, yes, deeageaux, you're right. I need to ease up on the egg nog!

-Stooxie

Maybe I've had too much eggnog, too, but Stooxie I think you had it right the first time. Assuming there's no limitation on gas supply since it's not been mentioned:

Gas dryer = Combination of gas and electric can be used as wished in the kitchen.

Electric dryer = Limited/no electric avail for major kitchen appliances.

Seems to me OP's real question is re the safety of gas dryers. In this day and age I doubt they'd be sold if they weren't safe. Installation would have to be kosher, of course.

Yeah, the either/or choice posed is confusing me too. Regardless, I've had a gas dryer for about 12 years. I never gave it much thought one way or the other. Never had a problem with it.

I would hate to have an electric range again unless it was a super duper induction range, but there's not a lot of those to choose from. You'd have to pry my new CC gas rangetop from my cold, dead hand first.... ;)

If the Viking ovens are nice why not use them? Gas dryer will dry faster than electric. We chose an electric dryer this time as it would have cost more to convert the dryer to propane than it did to add the electric circuit. Of course I have 300 Amps coming in, can you say energy hog, Oink, Oink. We still vent the dryer out the side of the house as we did with our previous gas model. The heat and lint have to go somewhere. Do treat yourself to a nice CC or Bluestar rangetop though, as stooxie said "The clothes don't really care, but your food, well, that's art! :)".

I would go with an electric dryer which works just fine, gas dryers don't dry any better/faster.
and get a nice Gas range which is way better than a plain electric (non induction)range.

Thanks everyone, and sorry I wasn't too clear in my original post! Either option we would have a gas rangetop, but it was the oven I was considering getting electric. We have to make a choice because our electrical service wouldn't allow for both an electric dryer AND electric oven.

I think now we are leaning toward an electric dryer and all gas range. Our vent for the dryer is too close to our windows and I would worry about drawing in the exhaust air if we used a gas dryer.

We're also looking into a built-in microwave/oven combo that would only be 15 amps...I think we could swing that with our 60-amp service.

Ahhh, I see. For us it would depend on how much laundry versus baking. Not sure how the vent location effects the decision. A properly running gas dryer is not emitting toxic fumes like car exhaust. Carbon dioxide and water vapor.

IF I had to pick in your situation I'd do a gas dryer and an electric oven. For our reno we ended up with gas everything. Gas is cheaper where I am and I'm a total pyromaniac at heart anyway.

-Stooxie

IIRC, codes require a separation between windows and gas dryer vents. And a gas dryer emits the same stuff as a gas furnace or a gas hot water heater.

""our electrician has told us that it would be cost prohibitive to upgrade our 60-amp service""

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Don't know if I'd let my electrician tell me what is cost prohibitive or not....I would decide for myself, especially if I lived in an apt in NYC.

that being said, you may want gas on both...you wont notice much difference on the dryer but baking with gas has benefits, and who knows what the future holds.

We replaced our electric dryer with a gas one to free up some amps. The gas one works great. Code restrictions aside, the exhaust from a gas dryer is pretty dilute and you don't want the humid exhaust from an electric dryer coming back inside anyhow.

Get more quotes on upgrading your electrical. 60 amps is beyond substandard for a modern home's electrical needs, 200 amps has been standard since around 1980, and plenty of new homes are choosing 400 amp services because of the electrial demands of modern life. I'd prioritize new electrical above just about any other project unless the kitchen was actually falling apart unusable. If you had to wait a bit after doing that to be able to do your kitchen, then at least you could do the kitchen that you wanted to do with no compromises based on restrictions and limitations.

I think live wire oak has a good point.

I live in NYC and apartment has no external venting possible. Building is requiring new dryers to be electric in this layout due to concerns re: carbon monoxide w/ gas dryer. I've lived - 22 yrs w/ gas dryer and venting into a thingy with water, but I see the point. It's not that CO poisoning is likely. It's that it's so bad and so preventable in this situation.

Besides - NYC building dept and "expediter" ...

Gas range/elec dryer--hands down!! I had an electric range for 30 years (no gas service in area) and now have gas at last. I would never go back.