Are gas ranges on their way out?

[mavei511]

Smart people cook with modern gas!

... slogan,American Gas Association,1963.

I'm very concerned that we are not teaching our young people how to respect gas and use it safely. We are bringing up a generation raised on microwave food and perpared mixes-boxed dinners,etc. You don't know how many of the younger women I have run into that have never cooked on gas before. Can't believe it.They don't know what they're missing.In fact , this trend angers me so much,if I was an entrant in a cooking contest with these electric smoothtops, I would walk out.

Although I've used electric stoves several times before(all coiltop),I'm a gas person. I believe that gas stovetop cooking produces a far better product than electric. And yes,it's true that gas takes longer to bring a pot of water to a boil. For some reason,I can always lower the flame much lower than anyone else can without going out.

Also I want any-REPEAT ANY-gas range to have an oven with a knob.Why?

I have heard stories of the electronic microprocessor control board screwing up and deciding to open the solenoid gas valve and fill the oven with gas-BEFORE TURNING ON THE GLOW BAR IGNITER.Then it unfortunately decides to do so-BOOM! Failsafes didn't work there.
Give me a good old fashioned mechanical or electric snap-action thermostat--WITH A KNOB. Gas and microprocessors don't mix. Think how many HVAC techs have replaced them in newer gas furnaces.
New gas ranges with oven knobs include lower end GE,Hotpoint,Frigidaire,Whirlpool, also the minor brands Premier amd Summit( these last two use spark ignitors with a heater pilot that can be manually lit with a match during a power failure).

In 2005 we bought a lower end Kenmore that is identically the same as the Frigidaire FGF316 except with the addition of a digital clock timer(doesn't operate the oven,just a minute minder reminder).

The new slogan should be:Gas-the Power of the Valve.

 

[58limited]

I've cooked on both and know the advantages/disadvantages. I choose gas - I just like it better plus my personal taste in style is for the older gas ranges from the 30s and 40s. Electric ranges from those eras are fairly rare compared to the 50s. Plus, I can use the oven as well as burners with the old range. I cooked several full meals after Hurricane Ike - trying to use up all the food so it wouldn't spoil. Several friends used their propane BBQ grills, but when the propane tank ran out of propane they couldn't get anymore: either the stores were closed or they were sold out of tanks.

As far as browning foods in the oven, I've never had that problem. Plus, when doing roasts or poultry, I use a Lisk self basting roaster pan (I have four sizes) and the food turns out moist with good browning.

I guess my dream kitchen would be similar to Lawrences: both gas and electric burners, two ovens: one gas and one electric.

 

[rp2813]

I was raised with electric and switched to gas as soon as I had the option. I will agree that electric has its advantages and can be better than gas in some applications, but I like the flexibility of gas, and it's much cheaper than electric to use. That's for cooktops. No doubt about it, electric is better than gas for roasting and baking. When we had a gas oven briefly before we sold our previous home, I hated the smell that would come out of it during warm-up. This was a late model JennAir, not some old clunker. I felt like I was breathing in lethal fumes, and no doubt I was. I had to run the exhaust hood whenever the oven was on for peace of mind.

I presume that gas is used in restaurants because the equipment holds up far, far better than electric would. I can't imagine an electric burner coil lasting more than a week in a restaurant kitchen with all the banging around that goes on, so it's probably an issue of practicality.

Induction requires not only magnetic cookware, but magnetic cookware with perfectly flat bottoms. Again, in a restaurant situation I don't see where cookware wouldn't get all banged up and compromised enough to negatively impact the way induction would work with it.

And regarding spending $5K to be able to boil water in one minute, I think that's a case of listening to Kelly Rippa without noticing just how much water she's boiling. In a large stock pot, she has it filled with about an inch or two of water. Yeah, my portable induction burner will get that same type of action in about a minute and a half, but it's another story entirely with a full pot of water, and for that reason I don't see induction making inroads very quickly.

 

[alr2903]

58Limited, My mom had a lisk roaster for years. Did they all have that nice drip pan with the "half-loop" lift handles? They were a great roaster, i see them on the bay from time to time. Also the radiant roaster pan's that came with the Frigidaire/Flair show up every once in a while. alr2903

 

[mavei511]

I don't like the chlorine-like smell of gas ovens during startup either. It's probably because they are not removing all the impurities and byproducts at the natural gas processing plants. Even though I like gas,I would probably pick an electric oven for a new stove. Oe exception-I detest the smell of burning propane.
I use small countertop convection and roaster ovens where possible.The GE dual fuel ranges with the 120v. gas assisted ovens have been discontinued. Why?

 

[revvinkevin]

I'm not going to "fuel" the debate... of which is better, gas or electric.

So.... all I can say is I grew up with gas and have cooked on both, though lesser degree on electric. Maybe it's because of limited exposer to electric cooking, but I prefer using gas.

I suppose if I were to use some of the newer, quick response electrics that may change things, but for now I still prefer gas.

Kevin

 

[petek]

Induction range prices are dropping in Canada and the USA finally. Sears in US and Canada has a few more models now including a Samsung for under $1800, still high but a good drop.

 

[toggleswitch]

I presume that gas is used in restaurants because the equipment holds up far, far better than electric would. I can't imagine an electric burner coil lasting more than a week in a restaurant kitchen with all the banging around that goes on, so it's probably an issue of practicality.

The COST to run an elecric professional kithchen can be PROHIBITIVE. No to mention they are on and hot on all day long. Also the amperage required to run so many ovens and cooktops could probably otherwise light a small town.

That is a lot of heavy wiring and service required!

 

[rayjay]

Electric Ranges

Even Julia Child recommends: QUOTE: I her latest edition,(after the movie came out), She saya that unless you own a COMMERCIAL GAS RANGE and OVEN, the home cook is much better of with an electric stove. Now this was quoted many years ago in her first publication.

I always cooked on gas up until about 20 years ago and I do miss a few things about gas, but have rally adapted to electric cooking and baking, especially for the BAKING. My baked products bake so much nicer. The cooktop boils water quicker, and will also keep a lower temp if needed, and of course clean up is much easier.

 

[roto204]

Hee hee!

1.) I prefer electric to gas because I can boil a stock pot of water without having to watch all of The Simpsons and half of Family Guy to do it.

2.) If the power goes out, that means the dishwasher isn't working either, and in that case, I'm not cooking, beeyotch.

 

[mattl]

Gas for cooking, electric for baking --for me. We've had both, electric, electric smoothtop and gas cooktops and I'm firmly in the gas camp, at least until induction becomes affordable. We've had gas cooktops since about 1990 and I have yet to see ANY film or residue on my walls or cabinets, I've never seen or heard that from anyone else. The kitchen wallpaper has a white background so it certainly would be noticeable, and the paper has not been changes since before the introduction to gas in the kitchen.

Last fall I dropped in a new siemen/bosch gas cooktop and could not be happier. Very easy to cook on, full grates across the top for sliding pans, a diamond shaped layout to allow big pans the space they need, and high output and simmer burners. All for $399. Plus it's easy to clean, what's not to like?

I'd love an induction model but the price is still way too high for what it does, plus my dad has a pacer, so it's ruled out. All in all you'd be hard pressed to get me to use a conventional electric cooktop, smooth or otherwise.

On the other hand you'd have to pry my Electrolux electric oven out of my hands I love it. Neatest oven I've ever seen or owned.

 

[bugsyjones]

I do like gas cooking. But I also have no problem with electric either.

The main problem I have is the cost of Propane. It's cheaper to run electric and had my house been equipped with an electric range, I'd probably be ok with it. In fact, the only two appliances that run on gas are the stove and furnace. The water heater and everything else is electric.

Currently, my modern gas GE range is having issues. The oven thermostat went bad and you have to adjust the temprature just right or you will destroy whatever you are cooking. Burned cookies are nothing new. It's so hard to find a good cooking temprature. It always seems too hot. Also, the electronic igniters work some of the time.

I think, in the future, an electric range (probably vintage) will do my worthless GE gas range in.

~Tim

 

[petek]

Why more and more women are changing to electric cooking

If you don't believe me believe this guy
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[andrewinorlando]

This is a great thread!! So many options out there.

I bought a JennAir semi-commercial gas convection range two years ago. It replaced a GE coutertop gas cooktop and electric wall oven, neither of which were anything to write home about. Personally, for various reasons, I think they both sucked.

It has 17,000 and 18,000 BTU burners in front, and 6,000 and 9,000 BTU burners in back. Far bigger than the standard 9,000/12,000 standard burners most gas ranges provide. The two front multi-tier burners will boil large stock pots of water faster than any electric stove can. But there is a price to pay: it puts out more heat than the furnaces of hell, unlike a smoothtop range that just heats the pot, and not the air around it. Cooking on it in the summer is possible only with the air conditioner on. The cast iron grates retain so much heat that you have to remove a pot from the stove to stop boiling quickly, or try to slide it to another burner, which isn't as easy as it sounds across the heavy cast iron grates. The cooktop control is second to none, as far as boiling all the way down to simmering, but only the simmer burner can give you a true simmer. The rest of them produce too much heat even at their lowest settings, but that works well for general cooking. I guess that's why they call it a "simmer burner".

The broiler is nothing short of perfect - no electric oven I've ever used can broil as fast or as much so quickly as this thing can. But again - it puts out more heat then the furnaces of hell, especially when the cooling fan that cools the electronic control panel comes on, which is about 5 minutes after the oven heats up.

The convection oven itself if fairly quick, even, easy to use and dead accurate, but at temps above 325 degrees or so, it heats up the room like a small furnace - and I have a big kitchen. Timing is tricky - it seems to cook everything far quicker than standard cooking times given, though the temp is dead accurate throughout the cycle. The oven cleans well inside, takes about 3 hours per cycle for heavy soil, but we won't talk about the heat this thing puts out while it does it.

Cooktop cleaning isn't awful, and it's not great. It's just okay. An electric smoothtop is far easier to clean than this thing after cooking/frying or even boiling! Its burner surface shows every streak, spot and mark. The range is stainless with a black burner surface. It shows every speck of dirt, grease or grime, though the cast iron grates are surprisingly easy to clean.

Bottom line - it cooks very well, does what it's supposed to do, but even with high end ventilation, this thing puts out some major heat, and that's just not an issue with an electric smoothtop range in my experience. It's much, much easier to burn yourself using its cooktop then it is an electric one - as it heats up handles, lids and everything around it, so it's not for everyone.

Performance does come at a price! I can't say I would buy it again, can't say that I wouldn't - always fun to try new "toys". I have both a gas line and 220 supply at the stove, so I can have whatever I'd like there. But I like it, a lot. And I pretty much cook every day - not the "heat and eat" type at all. But it takes some getting used to, that's for sure.

 

[ironrite]

Pete, here's Julia's take on it

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[hunter]

Isn't it great that there is choice?

Personally, I have enjoyed using a gas range. However, we've cooked with electric since 1997 - because any type of respiratory problem is made worse by having an open gas flame in the house.

(We do use gas for heating and water heating - but both draw exterior air in for combustion).

I now have a Kitchenaid electric smoothtop that I like. I do sometimes miss the infinite adjustability of the gas range though - but the superior heating of the electric makes up for it.

 

[lordkenmore]

I only know electric. I have only used one gas stove in my life, but that stove was not the best representative for gas stoves. Old, worn, didn't work particularly well.

I'd be interested to spend time with a good gas stove, but I'm not sure it would really make much of a difference for me--I don't really need the fast variation of heat.

One supposed plus to electric is ease of cleaning. However, my experience has been with old-style burners, not smooth top, and in some ways, I think this style might be as bad or worse than a gas stove. A smooth top would be quite easy to clean--but they (at least once) were said to hold too much heat (making the limited heat variation of electric stoves an even bigger problem). Maybe this has been fixed. The other concern I have is with the stories I hear about the tops cracking or needing replacement at huge cost.

Another stove technology that hasn't been mentioned yet that might be worth considering is wood stove. From what I hear, possibly a pain to use, but some swear by the baking ability for bread. Plus, it will work during a power failure--both for cooking and heating one's home.

 

[lordkenmore]

A point worth thinking about that's been hinted at earlier: how much does stove type really matter to most people in this era when many people's idea of "cooking" is hauling out the frozen dinner and nuking it?

 

[maytagbear]

That may be so

for the vast majority, Lord Kenmore, but around here, most of us cook, at least once in a while.

Cooking is likely to become even more optional in the years ahead, and perhaps become a hobby for a super elite. But, what do I know? I had chicken ramen for lunch, because I've been busy with my spring cleaning this week.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[58limited]

My mom had a lisk roaster for years. Did they all have that

Yes, all Lisks are supposed to have the inner tray. I've seen many for sale without the tray. The tray makes a world of difference with a Lisk (or Reed - a similar brand) roaster. Of the four I have, one is so small it just barely holds two Cornish hens and on the other end I have one big enough for a 20 lb. turkey (they were made in even bigger sizes). I first used it this past Thanksgiving and the turkey was finished about an hour faster than the cooking time listed on the turkey wrapping. The turkey was moist and well browned.

The oven of the Chambers range was specifically designed to be used with Lisk roasters.