Preference of Gas or Electric ranges?

[jeffg]

Yep. According to the DOE in 2001, electric stoves accounted for just 2.8% of the total electric use for households that have them. The oven part of the stoves comprised only 1.8% (see bottom link)

A newer DOE survey in 2009 lumps cooking appliances in the "Other" category, so it's impossible to know how much of the total they represent. The category also includes washers/dryers, dishwashers, tv's computers and other things, and from the numbers these appliances represent about 1/3 of total electricity use:

http://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/data/2009/index.cfm?view=consumption#end-use

How much energy is used for cooking? Gas vs. Electric?

 

[retromania]

Gas

I absolutely love my O'Keefe & Merrit gas range in every way. Thanks again Dynaflow and Norgeway!!!

 

[davey7]

For me, gas is the better choice...

For a lot of people in multi-family housing, the gas (in smaller buildings, at least in Chicago, Peoples Gas conned people into separate meters for each unit so people pay 20/30, ok more like ten, a month in service charges for a few cents worth of gas) is already included in assessments whereas electric isn't. So you'd be paying for a service but not taking advantage of it if you had electric cooking. That's the case in my building. When the building was built ('26) it had oil heat and town-gas ranges which had flues up through the roof which still exist, though nobody connects to them as far as I am aware.

Nowhere I've lived with gas or electric has had stained walls or ceilings - that's a function of what is cooked and how clean people are while cooking. My mother doesn't even have a backsplash behind her range or a fan and there is no staining in her mostly white kitchen.

I know commercial or faux-commercial gas (and probably electric as well) ranges are a problem in that they require massive venting in a residential setting which is a problem in areas which require tight construction for energy efficiency. You also wouldn't have gas cooking in a passive-house either due to the tight construction and need for very controlled air exchanges. I think it was Minnesota where they require blower tests and some fancy houses had to have their commercial ranges replaced with residential/domestic ranges which didn't require venting which cooled out the whole house.

I love my daily driver which has Robert Shaw oven controls - the oven temp stays put once you set it, it's really rock steady with the modulating flames.

 

[ozzie908]

Having used all including solid fuel I would have said gas..

However having had an induction hob for the last 3 years I have to say it leaves gas in the dark ages its quick efficient and so easy to clean, You can even leave it to switch itself off and it has warning lights to tell you whats hot etc. Foolproof I would say )

 

Austin

 

[norgeway]

OK andM

I like that range!, That is one of the later ones that uses the same burners as some of the Tappans, I always loved the way those worked with the film of flame instead of small holes, im glad someone agrees with me about baking in a gas oven!LOL

 

[retromania]

Daveyseven

Love your stove!

 

[davey7]

Thanks!

I love my range too. I have to get the electronics (well, electrics) fully working - the meat probe and automatic oven controls aren't functional, but the burners and broiler are. It bakes far better than and more evenly than the Kenmore (almost brand spanking new when I moved in) at my old apartment (and WAY better than the apartment issue Brown in my place). Just wish it had two ovens instead of the broiler on the left, but eh, big deal.

 

[sel8207]

electromagnetic field distance for induction

Watched a couple of the attached videos for conduction and was wondering how far the EMF field extends from the burner. What effect, if any, can it have on the body? Just curious as I work in an environment where radio and transmitter emf fields are all around me. Is there any info on that? curious Les

 

[ozzie908]

Magnetic field

I believe you have to be lying on top of the hob to have any effect at least thats what the salesman said...

Austin

 

[58limited]

Gas. I grew up with electric but once I used a gas range I never looked back. Currently using a 1950 O'Keefe &Merritt but have a '49 Roper Town & Country that will be replacing it.

 

[sudsmaster]

The problem of excess heat from a gas burner escaping up the sides of the pot or pan is largely due to the popularity of "sealed burners" in modern gas rangers. Older burners were not sealed and got their oxygen for complete combustion mixed in before the burner. Most sealed burners instead get their oxygen from underneath the burner, and the resultant flame spread pattern is wider and shallower than an older burner flame patter. This means that instead of the flame fitting well within the perimeter of the cooking utensil, it tends to bloom outwards and reach the edge, especially at full flow.

There are SOME modern burners that attempt to correct for this by having a sealed burner with a flame that doesn't bloom as much. I haven't tried one but it sounds like a worthwhile improvement.

The sealed burner is probably cheaper to manufacture than the older design, and perhaps also allows for a more compact top end of a range or height of a cooktop.

 

[countryguy]

Yesterday the Salton portable induction cooktop I ordered arrived. I must say that I am very impressed with induction cooking! Of course I had to try it out to see how long it would take to bring the pot of water I cook spaghetti in to a boil - just over 2 minutes. I can select the 8 heat settings either by watts (300-1800) or temperature (F or C). When turned on it defaults to 1400 watts. I changed it to the maximum but found it tripped the circuit breaker on the outlet on the stove even though it is a 15 amp breaker (15aX120V=1800w). It also has a 3 hour timer. My pots are stainless steel so they were induction ready. My skillets are not however so I will go shopping for a small skillet.

Gary

http://www.shop.ca/c/salton-portable-induction-cooktop-id1401-with-induction-tester-magnet-SA-SAIC-ID1401-23522431

 

[ozzie908]

Cast iron skillets

on induction cooktops work really well but as I found out when using a 40 year old one my Mum gave me on my hob DO NOT heat it on HIGH its too much and caused the pan to crack in two, it also goes with a loud bang that made me think at first my hob had cracked but no it was the old skillet.

Austin

 

[imperial70]

Very interesting information in this thread.

I was thinking of getting a portable induction burner, but hearing that it interferes with pacemakers (which I am a member of that club nixes that idea.

I have cooked with nothing but gas. I have never had an outside exhaust but I hear they are required now in most states. When I remodel someday, I plan on having an outside exhaust fan installed.

 

[jeffg]

Davey, add me to the list of people who love your stove. If I had to make one from scratch it would look much like that.

Also the comments in this thread about gas and staining/air quality/etc were a surprise: both I and my partner, and most of both of our families use gas stoves/ovens, I can't recall a single stained kitchen in anyone's home. WTF.

Again I'll play the trump card in this debate by bringing up the fact that you'd be lucky to find a single $1,000,000+ home for sale with something other than gas on the stovetop. Induction etc have their uses and this is not meant as a swipe at any technology, but nothing so far has replaced flame.

 

[retromania]

Cheese Straws

I baked cheese straws in the O'Keefe twice recently and they came out great. Better than any electric oven I ever had.

 

[rickr]

.

I like a gas range, and I love this one. It has been in service in this house since 1937. Quality brand by Roberts and Mander Stove Company.

 

[rickr]

.

We also own a rental house, and we put a 1972 Frigidaire in service at that house. I used only once, to make cranberry relish and used the "heat minder" burner for that. I was impressed by the way that feature operated. We chose an electric over gas at this house because of fire risk. Sometimes tenants are careless, and we thought an electric would be the best bet.

 

[davey7]

Thanks!

Jeff, thanks! If I had been the one redoing my kitchen in circa 1960 I would have had two wall ovens and a cooktop, but that's just me.

Rick, your gas range is charming.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Am I cheating if I look at the NUMBERS on my gas burner knobs?

Wonder when they started using them? I remember when there was only Light and Off, or Off, Light and High--In fact, there was a once upon a time when burners just said Off, and before that, nothing! (IN fact, you probably didn't even have to push the knob in...)

I think I just need to get into the habit of looking under the pot or pan and see the FLAME! The marks of a TRUE GAS USER...

What's more, I love just having the flame on the lowest setting (I use a very small "Simmer Burner" my "new" range has) if I want to keep something warm--and I think my gas range--ANY for that matter--seems to give the freedom to do that, while with an electric, there would still be "cooking" going on there...

Seen this done on older gas ranges, w/ regular-sized burners, and sometimes the owners being trustworthy enough to leave it on! (Oh, I never would!)

-- Dave