Gas or Electric?

[VeraBlue]

I grew up with an electric stove and oven, convinced that a gas stove would blow me to kingdom come (my Mother's words, not mine). Then, when I got married and got an apartment I was finally introduced to gas. I had to light the oven with a match each time, again convinced I'd blow myself to kingdom come, but I never did....

Now, I don't think I can ever cook on anything except gas. It would be a dealbreaker if my next home purchase didn't have gas..

What are you using and how do you feel about it.

 

[Bangbang]

I know about blowin myself up.....did it once while lighting a propane stove with a match. The oven door knocked me across the room but no injuries. I like gas but currently have an electric stove. My wife refused to use gas because we had little kids at the time. I grew up cooking on a gas stove so it took me a long time to get used to electric. Its hard to boil large amounts of water.

 

[skilletlicker]

I have an electric stove. I would prefer gas, but I resent the "turning up the nose" attitude towards electric that is sometimes exhibited. I also tire of hearing an electric stove used as an excuse for substandard results.

Ducking the flames...

 

[pdswife]

When we moved here the house came with a gas stove...
I like it except it seems to be harder to control the temp
and I know for sure it takes water a long long time to boil.
OH, it's propane not natural gas.

 

[auntdot]

For all but a brief hiatus of two years in the 28 years we have been married we had electric stoves, not a choice.

We both grew up with gas stoves and always missed them.

Now we have one, propane not natural gas, but we love it.

Find it much easier to control the temperature.

 

[TATTRAT]

I want gas....



well, a gas stove, or a gas equipt house. They are pretty rare around this area. I love cooking on gas, there is NO comparison.

 

[FryBoy]

I grew up with gas and had it for the first 7 years of marriage, but our first home came with electric. I was disappointed, but I learned to cook with it and it wasn't all that bad.

When we finally remolded the kitchen about 20 years later, we opted for a Viking gas range. What a difference! I found the heat much easier and quicker to regulate, although very low temperatures were always a bit of a challenge. I wasn't crazy about the gas convection oven, however, as it was slow to heat and had hot spots.

We moved to our present house almost two years ago, and it has a Jenn-Aire gas cooktop and GE electric electric ovens. The cooktop sucks, big time! The problem is that its burners are simply too little. On my Viking, I had four 15,000 BTU burners; this thing has one 12,000, one 10,000, and two 8,000 BTU burners. I have to cover pasta to keep the water boiling, and that's on the "big" burner! The little ones are next to useless. The electric ovens are fine, even though they're not convection.

So, when it comes to stoves, give me gas, but lots of it!

 

[expatgirl]

I like an electric top (easier to contol temps) but I love a gas oven. Any manufacturers out there listening???

 

[middie]

Gas. All the way

 

[GB]

I grew up with gas, but that was before I got into cooking. By the time I found out I really enjoyed being in the kitchen I only had electric. At first I was really disapointed because you always here how much better gas is, but I do not think this is true. I think both gas and electric have their advantages and disadvantages and one is not really better than the other.

I am very happy with electric as that is what I am used to. I know how to cook on it and I can do it well.

 

[VeraBlue]

hey, I grew up with one..

I have an electric stove. I would prefer gas, but I resent the "turning up the nose" attitude towards electric that is sometimes exhibited. I also tire of hearing an electric stove used as an excuse for substandard results.

Ducking the flames...

It had a round coil that slowly got redder and redder until it was at the set temperature. I was always fascinated how something that got so hot could be so harmless 20 minutes later.

I wonder what my mother is using now....down in florida...I should probably visit and find out.

 

[VeraBlue]

propane..?

For all but a brief hiatus of two years in the 28 years we have been married we had electric stoves, not a choice.

We both grew up with gas stoves and always missed them.

Now we have one, propane not natural gas, but we love it.

Find it much easier to control the temperature.

Like a tank used on an outdoor grill? I have lived in the suburbs of NYC my entire life. Without sounding offensive or worse, nitwitish, how much propane does it take to run a kitchen?

 

[VeraBlue]

I grew up with gas, but that was before I got into cooking. By the time I found out I really enjoyed being in the kitchen I only had electric. At first I was really disapointed because you always here how much better gas is, but I do not think this is true. I think both gas and electric have their advantages and disadvantages and one is not really better than the other.

I am very happy with electric as that is what I am used to. I know how to cook on it and I can do it well.

I don't think my kids have ever seen an electric stove. For what it's worth, my kitchen is the size of a postage stamp, and not one of those big "love" ones that brides to be get. It's one of those small ones with a little american flag size. Yet, I can manage to host parties for 60 out of that room. A good cook can always work with the tools they are given.

 

[TATTRAT]

I don't think my kids have ever seen an electric stove. For what it's worth, my kitchen is the size of a postage stamp, and not one of those big "love" ones that brides to be get. It's one of those small ones with a little american flag size. Yet, I can manage to host parties for 60 out of that room. A good cook can always work with the tools they are given.

Ditto, a true craftsperson(pc), NEVER blames his/her tools!

 

[FryBoy]

I like an electric top (easier to contol temps)...

I'm curious as to why you think that it's easier to control temperature with electric than with gas.

In my experience, temperature is easier to control with gas for two reasons:

1. You can see the size of the gas flame, but with electric all you can see is a dial (which gas also has) and a glow, which doesn't vary that much from one temperature to another.

2. With gas, when you turn the flame on, you have heat, and when you turn it off, the heat dies down almost instantly; with electric, you turn it on and wait 30 seconds for it to get hot, and then it continues to heat up for several more seconds; when you turn electric off, the heat continues until the element coos off, which can be several seconds.

Is your electric stove somehow different?

 

[expatgirl]

Fryboy,

I've had gas tops that you could not turn the flame down low enough (for low simmering) without it blowing out---that's what I mean by controlling it (I'm sure that there are better gas tops out there where that's not a problem but I've not been fortunate in that department) so that's why I prefer electric tops--at least when you put it on low it's low and there's no chance of it blowing out.

 

[buckytom]

hmmm, that's interesting, from an engineering standpoint, expatgirl.

like all things that are used for the output of a device and the measurement thereof, the measuring devices should be most accurate within their median "range".

electric stovetops appear to have less accurate range at higher temps, but precise gain and control at lower temps.

most people prefer gas, i'd assume, because there is no lag or delay in the heat applied to the pan, but that's probably a fallacy. the pan, depending on the material used in it's construction will retain a certain amount of heat, so the quick changes of applied heat are not as drastic as what you'd think.

so, like gb and others have said, if you're a good cook, you'll learn to use your tools accordingly.

 

[Ishbel]

I've cooked on gas for preference most of my life. In fact, I ended up removing an Aga from my kitchen a few years ago, in order to get a gas hob with a wok burner!

 

[far3]

I had an electric stove all my life. Now I will be getting A gas stove. Should be interesting to hear the cooking differences. At least its easier to boil water

 

[Claire]

Still love my smooth top electric range .... no one is cleaning the stove top except me, and if you're the head maid, it is very nice. I also don't have a/c in my kitchen, and gas is much hotter. (Yes, I've cooked on both, for years at a time). Love to cook, hate to clean, and my friend consider me to have the cleanest house. They require different cooking methods, no two ways about it. But until someone puts central a/c in my house and hires me a maid to clean my stove top ... smooth top electric.