Induction gets even cheaper

[combo52]

Gas versus electric versus induction cooktop cooking

I have often observed over the years that people who don’t like or can’t cope with electric cooktops are usually more creative individuals, but don’t have much scientific or mechanical ability.

If you understand the way, an electric cooktop works. It’s so much easier to get it to do what you want you have a much wider range of heat choices, and a much hotter high in the lower low then as possible with a gas stove top.

And of course cleaning even a conventional coil electric cooktop is far easier than cleaning. Any gas cooktop ever made. Gas just has too many little nooks and crannies to clean too many things that can get plugged up. Even on a conventional coil top element most soils just burn off and they keep working properly even if you don’t clean them.

John.

 

[ea56]

I think that the problem many people have with electric stoves is that they don’t realize that you don’t have to ramp the burner up to warp 10 when you begin any cooking procedure. The only time you need to start out on high is to bring liquids to a boil.

For sautéing I start out on med hi which on my stove is between 7 and 8. For frying or browning meats I start out on med or between 5 and 6. I place the frying pan on the burner, turn the heat on to med and wait about 3-4 mins then hold my hand about 2” to 3” above the surface and when I can feel the heat radiating from the pan I throw the meat into it. This way I never burn anything and the heat is controlled! To keep a pot of water with pasta at a boil that doesn’t boil over I turn the heat down to 6 or 7 once I’ve added the pasta and it has returned to a boil, easy peasy and NO mess of a boil over.

The heat control of and electric stove top can’t be beat. You just have to use the correct technique.

I have to agree with everything that John stated in reply #80. If people would just read the owners manuals that come with most electric stoves they would see that the info that I’ve written above is what is in these manuals.

After using my new GE smooth top stove I’ll never go back to a coil top again. Its so much easier to keep clean and the low heat control is superlative.

But if you like a gas stove better, more power to you, your kitchen, your choice. However if you’ve never used an electric cooktop properly then you don’t know what you’re missing.

Eddie[this post was last edited: 12/4/2022-23:46]

 

[sudsmaster]

Eddie,

 

I've used both electric and gas stoves.

 

I much prefer gas stoves.

 

It's that simple.

 

 

[Marky_Mark]

It's this simple:

Rich, you much prefer using gas stoves compared to electric stoves.  But.....and here's the thing....you've never used induction!!!

 

If you ever get the chance to try out induction, give it a go and see what you think.  If you still prefer gas, that's absolutely fine and I'll respect that 100%.

 

Mark

 

[sudsmaster]

That's fine.

 

Except I have a number of pots and pans that are pure aluminum and which wouldn't work on induction without an extra platter, at which point, what's the point?

 

 

[mattl]

Well I found one thing a gas cooktop can do that electric and induction can't do- burn off chicken pin feathers. Have not thought about that in decades, as a kid I recall my folks doing this.

I bought a bag of chicken wing parts that was on sale at Kroger's and found a number of sections had thin feathers still attached. Had a vague memory of my folks dealing with this and tried it, and it worked. The odds of ever doing this again are extremely low, won't buy that brand of wings again.

 

[ea56]

Matt I Too

remember in the early 50’s watching my Mom singeing off pin feathers from ducks that my Dad shot and the Thanksgiving turkey that my brother and I plucked, on the burner of our 36” O’Keeffe and Merritt gas stove.

Eddie

 

[joeekaitis]

I grew up in a house with a GE electric coil stove . . .

 

. . . so Mom used matches to burn off stray pinfeathers.

 

[jamiel]

Funny story: I've mentioned on here my 1st job out of college was as a mystery shopper for KFC. I'd visited 100% of the corporate restaurants (bigger cities) from '87-'89...15 average per day. From time to time, stray feathers were not properly plucked; it was actually a failure for the chicken product (as if they were missed at the slaughterhouse they were to have been removed by the cook when the chicken was sorted/marinated). We had to take out the feather, splay it out and tape it to the back of the evaluation sheet (oil stains and all). The motto was "the shortening adds authenticity".

One random weekend I found myself in Winston-Salem NC working and the slaughterhouse had a problem because I had feathers in 3 of the first 4 restaurants I went to. Went ahead and called that in (there were "poultry reps" embedded in the large processors who could raise the issue).

 

[bradfordwhite]

Are "pin feathers" really a problem these days?
In my 40 years of shopping I've not really noticed them but maybe I wasn't looking in the correct places.

An induction cook top with air fry oven or oven(s) would be ultimate. It would be awesome if they would simply come apart in sections as well so it would be easy to ship them and replace sections that might need service.

cook top
1st oven
2nd oven
stove base/drawer

 

[joeekaitis]

All the biggies make all the pieces.

 

Just about every maker offers Air Fry wall ovens.  A recent design trend is putting a wall oven under the counter with a cooktop on top.  Look for wall ovens suitable for undercounter installation and cooktops that specify they can be installed over a wall oven.

 

[foraloysius]

Europe is totally different in that regard. All wall ovens overhere are suitable for under counter installation. A set up with a cooktop over a wall oven is something that was available since the 60's or 70's I think. It's something you see here rather often.

 

[combo52]

Wall ovens under cooktops

Europe definitely started doing this before us. However, we started doing this in large numbers in the 90s and it still is a very popular trend in US kitchens.

The thing that’s really missing in. Modern ovens is a micro combination thermal oven that’s the type of oven it really needs to be built. They are incredibly fast and cook extremely well, and then the whole thing a self cleaning.

Air fry, while useful is really just a new twist on a convection oven with chip in popular in the US now for decades.

John.

 

[mattl]

John,

 

True.   I  love my OTR micro/convection oven. I often do chicken in it and occasionally bake in it. I full sized oven would be great.

 

[joeekaitis]

Ya hear that, Haier?

 

Bring back the GE Versatronic oven!

With induction on the range models, of course.

 

[foraloysius]

John

Bosch and Siemens have a few TOL ovens with conventional and convection heat, grill/broiler, microwave function and pyrolitic cleaning. These ovens are rather expensive though, in the range of over 2000 euros. Other brands have ovens with all those functions but without the pyrolitic cleaning, they are way more affordable and can be found for around 700 euros. I saw a nice one with an enamelled interior.

 

[petek]

I'll have to take a look at the Bosch lineup then. Not that I'm getting one lol. Pretty sure the prices over here will be doubled over the Euro prices butcha never know.

 

[brisnat81]

I've been curious about the air fry ovens with full convection. How much mess does putting oiled food in a mesh basket and then running the oven actually make?

My older Miele offers similar with the perforated bread trays and the usual fan forced settings, but I've never used the perforated trays for messy items because of the drips and then cleaning the holes in the trays.

Does the Air fry basket just create an unholy mess?

 

[bradfordwhite]

I always use my portable air fry oven OUTSIDE so all the grease, heat, steam, smell, smoke just floats away. And one can see stuff coming out of it when cooking. Can only imagine the mess in the house if it were used inside.

I wonder if these stationary air fry wall and free-standing ovens have a vent duct outlet on the back with fan that vents that stuff directly outside.
If not, why not?

One wouldn't think of using a Jennair grill range indoors without the down draft vent fan on. An air fry oven is no different.

 

[petek]

I'm forever after the other half to place the air fryer under the hood fan when using it.. I'm making some progress. Now I'm working on getting him to turn said fan off when he's done.