Gas reacts faster, but electric can get way hotter

Post #420,968 by drook 10/22/17 9:39:56 AM 10/22/17 9:39:56 AM Reply	Gas reacts faster, but electric can get way hotter Other than charring peppers I can't think of anything I used to do on gas that isn't easier on electric. In a restaurant I'd still go with gas so I wouldn't have to worry about breaking the glass surface. -- Drew
Post #420,969 by Another Scott 10/22/17 11:23:32 AM 10/22/17 11:23:32 AM Reply	We need to remodel our kitchen With its ~ 50 year old push-button drop in electric range. The oven temperature fluctuates ~ +/- 50 degrees, there are only 5 heat settings on the top burners, etc., etc. I hate it. J hates when I bake anything because there's a big buildup of splatters and spills that smoke enough to make her cough (there's no vented range hood either). I love the flexibility of gas, and the lack of burning of the bottom of cookies (a big problem in this thing even with double-bottom cookie sheets) in a gas oven, but I've read that gas is bad for baking because it's a "moist heat" (water's one of the byproducts of combustion). I dunno how much of a problem that really is though - we don't make french bread or other things that are intended to shatter like crackers... Oh, and our coiled electric burners aren't flat, many of our skillets aren't flat, so they don't heat evenly on the electric burners. Even a glass (non-induction) cooktop has trouble with pans that aren't flat while gas doesn't care anywhere near as much. We'd have to run a gas line to our kitchen as part of the remodel, so that means ripping up the basement ceiling (stapled ceiling tiles), etc., etc. I know there are combination gas cooktops/electric ranges, but I dunno if it makes sense to go that route. Doubles the amount of things that can go wrong... I've got lots of CorningWare pots and pans that are handy for some things (cooking on the stove, popping in the microwave to keep warm or to reheat), so induction hasn't been on my list even though it does (apparently) boil water very quickly. So, dunno. Maybe we'll just get one of each when we win the lottery and retire. ;-) Cheers, Scott.
Post #420,971 by hnick 10/22/17 12:23:39 PM 10/22/17 12:23:39 PM Reply	We now have a new kitchen. It wasn't planned... About 3 months ago, we had a major electrical fault: the neutral wire coming into the house burnt out or disconnected for some reason. Long story short: it started a fire, but the arcing punctured a hot water feed for the dishwasher and put out the fires started by the arcing. Refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, all the televisions in the house, and a lot of wiring burnt out. We now have all new Whirlpool appliances in the kitchen including a stove, refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher. I haven't gotten to use the stove much because all my cooking equipment is still in the garage in boxes. The oven is rather nice; much better than my older electric stove. The stovetop heats up more quickly than the older models, but I don't know yet how long it takes to cool down. Seems usable anyway. "Religion, n. A daughter of Hope and Fear, explaining to Ignorance the nature of the Unknowable." ~ AMBROSE BIERCE (1842-1914)
Post #420,972 by Another Scott 10/22/17 12:31:14 PM 10/22/17 12:31:14 PM Reply	Ouch. Reminds me of the gas light at my dad's house getting hit by lightning. It did all kinds of damage inside the house (ice maker caught on fire, blew up a bunch of TVs, etc.), but yours was much worse. I hope insurance took care of much of the cost, and that you enjoy your new kitchen after all that! Cheers, Scott.
Post #420,973 by drook 10/22/17 12:40:44 PM 10/22/17 12:40:44 PM Reply	Crappy old appliances are crappy (and old) Your mid-last-century relic isn't comparable to modern stuff. I get what you're saying about potential hot spots with non-flat pans, but other than a wok I haven't had any trouble with my stuff. Maybe I'm more careful with mine and they stay flatter? Dunno. The glass does stay hot longer than the grid over a gas burner, which matters when the stovetop is full and you can't move a pot off to the side as easily. As far as safety, gas burner grids hold plenty enough heat that you don't want to touch them. tl;dr I wouldn't spring for the expense of running a gas line or a 220v circuit that isn't already there just so I could choose one or the other. But if they were both there and I were in the market, I'd prefer electric oven with something like this. -- Drew
Post #420,974 by Another Scott 10/22/17 12:55:36 PM 10/22/17 12:55:36 PM Reply	Interesting. And zooks! It's cheap! (If one is willing to buy 100 of them. ;-) Thanks. Cheers, Scott.
Post #420,976 by malraux 10/22/17 2:30:38 PM 10/22/17 2:30:38 PM Reply	We have a Jenn-Air ceramic It's about 16 years old now and no problems. One nice thing is that there's room for a cupboard below it (we have a separate double oven). Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #420,977 by Andrew Grygus 10/22/17 2:51:58 PM 10/22/17 2:51:58 PM Reply	Some old stoves may be crappy . . . . . but I get along just fine with my late '40s Wedgewood chrome top. It has a lot of space due to the griddle in the middle (which I have never used as a griddle). It is really easy to clean because all the top surfaces lift out without effort (well, the griddle is a bit heavy) and can be easily cleaned in the sink. Wedgewood Stove Yes, it would be nice to have restaurant level BTUs, but as a home stove this one does great. Production stopped by the mid '50s, but today Wedgewoods sell for $1000 and up.
Post #420,982 by Another Scott 10/22/17 3:51:22 PM 10/22/17 3:51:22 PM Reply	Very nice. Ours seems to be a 1963 "builder's special" GE. It's one of these, including the delicious "rare, lemon yellow" color. :-/ All it needs is some tail fins and some fake jet engine air intakes to be perfect!! When we moved in only a couple of the burners worked, but it was easy to get replacement elements and drip pans and trim rings and replace them without a tech visit. I may have checked the connections at the switches too - it's a pretty simple beasty. The clock doesn't work, but the timer still does. Cheers, Scott.
Post #420,980 by boxley 10/22/17 3:24:53 PM 10/22/17 3:24:53 PM Reply	with gas I can see what the heat output is, on an electric I have to guess "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #421,005 by Ashton 10/23/17 5:24:00 PM 10/23/17 5:24:00 PM Reply	Ha! ..agreement (but I ain't no Chef-grade end-user.) Modrin gas-tops/or other ... provide a vernier fine-control at low-end also-too. Electric: it's ALL 'numbers' == as Bad a thing as those numbers about 'I.Q.', I Wot.

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