Are gas ranges on their way out?

[toggleswitch]

Various cut and pastes from the web

I cooked with gas all of my childhood (I was mom's sidekick in the kitchen), and for the first few years of my married life. I experienced an electric stove in college & liked it. Now I have a solid surface one, which is my preference.
What DebitNM said above, is right on. But, some people still prefer the gas. Mom still loves hers & it definitely comes in handy when the power is out - she lives in hurricane territory. One other consideration is that the gas gradually deposits greasy brown/black discoloration on the ceiling & walls. hastening the need to clean/repaint. Much like burning candles on a regular basis does.

What Placename said + I have asthma and have to vent my propane range at the cottage or end up with twitchy bronchi.

"I've never had a greasy mess on my walls, cabinets or ceiling. Maybe this is the difference between cooking with electricand cooking with gas." Gas cooking creates a large updraft which carries the grease.

 

[norgeway]

I have had both!

I liked some aspects about gas,I for one think the gas oven is fantastic,the top burners are ok, but we have window ac units and you never could keep the burners lit at simmer heat, I will take my 61 Frigidaire anyday overall.

 

[chromecap]

Whether it be gas or electric,...the fumes have to be released somewhere!..Right..wrong? I grew up with gas cooking and i just feel and know for me it seems like breathing,..just that more natural,..and i had electric in my first apartment, really do not hate it,..it is one of those things i just know i like the visual heat that much more

I do have a kenmore full size toaster over bought in about 00 or 01 thereabouts,...it kicks but for electric oven performance!

I would give induction a fair shake though,..i am intrigued by the technology of this way of cooking.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I believe there will always be both

Because People will prefer both. The which is better, as seen in post above, is subjective to the user.

My preference is electric. The question is would I ever buy a smooth top again? Don't think so. It looks clean and modern, but it is not easy to clean (note to self don't do black/black cook top again) But the disadvantage is it is slower than a standard electric range. It can't handle large pots or pressure cookers. You can't use it to can the goods from your garden.

The electric convection oven--LOVE IT!!

 

[rapunzel]

I think Frigidaire's thick coils were called monotubes o

Or could it be that they were even thicker than the Frigidaire elements?

Have a look at the link. Select cooktop elements and click on monotubes.

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stoveconnection.com.au

 

[tomturbomatic]

Monotube was the name for elements made by Tuttle & Kiff in this country. They were large-mass elements like the Frigidaire Radiantube surface units, but Radiantube was Frigidaire's name for their electric elements. Even their sealed-rod bake and broil elements were called Radiantube elements.

 

[mayguy]

I grew up gas, used to work in a restaurant and always liked cooking on gas. When I moved on my own, my fist apt had electric, and that was a change! I learned to put up with it, and really didn't mind using. Had electric for 18 years (one place did have gas lived there for 2 years and was a treat again!)

When we brought this house, said I want my gas back. So after 3 years here, I got a Maytag Convection gas stove. Been very pleased with the baking results , and stove stop cooks even for me.. One thing I do admit, it does take a while to get water boiling.

A friend of mine he's a serious cook, and their smooth top looks like crap from his mess/spill!

 

[irishwashguy]

I grew up with electric, gas however is not on its way out

As a matter of fact, I had never lived anyplace until my last house where we had one because we went out and bought one.I prefer gas over electric, fast, accurate,etc. It is becoming more popular here. We have cheap electric rates here, some of the lowest in the country. So in most homes here, it has been electric everything; not that electric forced air is something to write home about.

 

[lordkenmore]

All electric was pretty common in Washington. I'm not sure about dates, but it seems like the 80s were the period gas became popular for heating. It seems like heating is the first thing that gets gas most of the time.

 

[thomasortega]

I loved cooking with gas until last March 14th.
I always thought nothing would be better than a good and powerful flame under the pan.

It was my sister's birthday and I decided to offer a lunch to our family and some closer friends to celebrate. Italian food, served with gourmet style. small bits of many different recipes, served on different dishes. actualy 5 entry dishes, 3 different salads, 4 main dishes, 4 desserts, coffee, Nocello and Frangelico .

Preparation begun on Friday 12th. I was really busy on friday and saturday nights.

On Sunday morning my kitchen was looking like on fire. Since 7am there were 5 people running against the clock to make everything not less than perfect until noon. The 4 burners gas cooktop that looks commercial, all stainles steel and cast iron and relly powerful wasn't enough (imagine 2 people cooking on the same cooktop and my mom literally stepping on my toes every 30 seconds). It got on my nerves and I decided to take out of the box the 1 burner portable induction cooktop that Electrolux gave me a few years ago and see if that chinese crap would do something to help. My life changed forever!

When I realized how powerful and accurate it was, I called my mom. she repeated "oh my God" dozens of times, amazed with it. That little crap is accurate, fast, responsive, amazing, fantastic, fabulous, excellent! (more words?)

She always complained when new appliances arrive here "Oh no, spending money again?" but when I told here there's a built in cooktop with 4 induction burners she didn't think twice "Order it! I'll pay."

So in a few days, my 10 months old gas cooktop will be donated to the first that asks and a brand new induction cooktop will be installed. I'll buy a 1 burner built in gas cooktop and place it next to induction because we have some vintage pans (alluminum, ceramic, glass and stone) that don't work with induction.

I never trusted induction. I always thought it was good for those "weekend cookers" that can't make a simple rice without a recipe book of for those stupid very rich women that don't know how to spend the husband's money to impress their friends.

Of course after everything calmed down, I decided to make the test to see if the famous Kelly Ripa's tv ad was true. I filled my pasta cooker up to the top with cold water (really cold, from the fridge) and it really boiled in less than 5 minutes.

Since then, the gas cooktop looks like a toy. I'm using the portable unit for everything. Ever day a different surprise. It's wonderful to seal steaks, even better for french fries that are now always crispy. Now I can prepare a steak without that horrible "water" on the bottom of the pan. and I can also use the lowest temperature to melt chocolate without using the pan inside another pan with water (How is this technique called in english?)

Is there something better than induction? I'm starting to believe induction came to change our lives forever. It can be more expensive (specially here in brazil, where gas is cheap and electrocity is really expensive), but the results make it worth.

Before I forget... When I bought my apartment, I got a fancy 4 burners vitroceramic halogen cooktop. It was another gift from Elux. Thank God I decided to install it above the counter and try it for a few days before installing it permanently.

Come on, that crap doesn't work. it's good for a slow cook, it's easier to clean, but it's horrible when you need real power. After a week I gave it to one of the building's cleaner and I got a Bosch gas stove that I used until last year. It was excellent, but it didn't resist our very heavy use. Well, I can't complain... It lasted for 12 years. It's oven was wonderful.

 

[thomasortega]

This is the gas cooktop I have

http://www.electrolux.com.br/produtos_detalhe.asp?categoria_id=cooktops&modelo_id=GC60X&codigo_id=23604IBA

 

[thomasortega]

Induction portable unit... It can be used everywhere and you just need an ordinary power outlet.

It's bigger than it looks on the picture. Perfect for average size pans.

http://eden.electrolux.com.br/Eden_Brazil_2006/imagens/laminas/lamina_ICP30.pdf

 

[mavei511]

A number of years ago my dad,while working for Sears service,
had an opportunity to work on some of the first induction ranges(1980s). He's in electronics,and none of the stove repairmen could sucesssfully repair them. He witnessed a horrible incident back then that fortunately can't happen today with induction ranges.

Back in those days the coils didn't have sensors that could tell when there was no utensil over the coil.
One of the other techs was sitting on top of one of the magnetic coils while it was operating at FULL POWER. He had a frying pan in his hand cooking eggs-all while the powerful high-tension magnetic field was passing through his body.

It messed up the circulation in his legs.
That's probably why they have sensors nowadays.
Just thought I'd throw this in.

BTW,does anyone else think as I do that induction is the most serious threat to gas cooking?

 

[panthera]

Induction

is the only technology which compares to gas and - at the non-professional range level, offer in one unit both fastest recovery for boiling large quantities of water and most delicate heat control for temperamental sauces.

I suspect gas ranges, like aspirin, would not be given such an easy pass if invented today. Forced ventilation would be required at todays BTU levels.

 

[chromecap]

Man has been cooking with flame since the dawn of time,..i doubt very seriously that gas ranges will go by the wayside.

 

[iheartmaytag]

It messed up the circulation in his legs.

Yea, and I bet he can't have children either.

I am very unfamiliar with induction cooking. So I wouldn't be aware of such a thing happening.

I do remember a story, it may be in snoops, when Microwaves first came out and some guy was trying to warm his hands by defeating the safety switch. He ended up having to have his hands amuptated from the cell damage.

 

[askomiele]

One thing for sure!

Gas is the cheapest way to cook! Even in Belgium with very high gasprices, cooking on gas is cheaper than any other electricmethode of cooking. They (Consumer Reports over here: TestAanKoop) tested all sorts of cooking + they counted what it would cost to cook with them. Gas was the cheapest, then came induction, halogene hobs, ceramichobs and last the in ironsealed coilcooktops. One thing I miss overhere are fanforced gasovens. We don't have them here!

 

[mayguy]

I've been next to induction stove in the 80's, and it caused an issue with my hearing aids.. I'm afraid to get near then with my digital hearing aids!