Range War

[kenmore71]

I lived with and cooked on electric for the first 28 years of my life. First on Frigidaire radiantubes, and then on the later WP thin coil elements. When I moved to the "big city" I have cooked almost exclusively on gas for the last 13 years. Here are some of my impressions:

The old Frigidaire Radiantube(r) elements took some getting used to. I remember that both my grandmother and my mother would turn the element to HIGH before they went to get out the pan or fill the percolator. Those elements heated rather slowly, but had a lot of inertia at the end of the cooking period.

Gas is so very precise for frying and cooking certain things that require EXACT control of medium-lo to medium high temps. That said, when you need to bring 10 quarts of water to a full boil for canning or pasta, bring on a 2600 watt Calrod or Radiantube! The same can be said for keeping small quantities of chocolate or something else that is sensitive right at the melting point. Electricity wins hands down.

That said, there is nothing like frying potatoes or eggs on a gas cooktop with cookwear that has an aluminum core. The precise and instantaneous control that one has over the heat is unmatched in the electric world except perhaps by induction.

 

[alr2903]

Just my opinion

I cook with gas,  we have had both over the years.  I think our expectations re: gas/ electric have decreased over time.  If you want to char a rare steak you head outside to the gas grill.  If you plan on melting chocolate or butter, many would turn to the MW.  The real magic of features like Frigidaires speed heat was that people did not have a microwave for a quick cup of boiling water, or to heat a baby bottle.  IMHO an electric oven is cooler to use in the hot summer.  Gas broilers under the oven are very dissappointing.  Gas self cleaners with  the broiler "in the oven"  turn out broiled meat with a better appearance than the old style "under the oven",  electric broils faster with better appearance.  Solid electric cooktops are the easiest to clean ( if you are tidy).  With either fuel  a self cleaning oven gets you extra insulation, better baking results and a cooler kitchen, more so with electric.  The electrics with the solid cast iron surface plates must of been difficult to use i have not seen one in years.  alr

 

[firedome]

The best insulation ever

was in a Chambers: "Cooks with the Gas Turned Off"! Or electricity, in the case of ours. The massive cast iron plate in the bottom and the precision ground cast iron door seals made for incredible heat retention... in efficiency they were way ahead of their time. And it's why the 37" range weighs 500 lbs!