Refresh My Memory ~ Cooking with Gas

[kitchenelf]

A short person did not design these appliances A person could "Mrs. Doubtfire" themself

 

[GB]

I know you can regulate the cooking temp better

I would not say you can regulate the cooking temp better with gas. Faster yes, but not better.

 

[DramaQueen]

OK, the key here is the knobs are on a back splash - not sitting directly on the surface of the stove. Isn't that what you mean, DQ? These knobs are easily reached if you reach around either side of the stove...you don't have to reach right over a hot pot.

Thanks Kitchenelf, you and Grillincook seem to be the ones that "get it." If people burned themselves on electric ranges, they wouldn't be making them the way they do. It doesn't take a genius to know how to turn a knob without burning yourself. This is such a minor thing I can't believe all the debating about it. I have to admit now that I think about it, why are the knobs on the back of the stove on all electric ranges? I can understand why on a gas stove but.......

 

[Andy M.]

I would not say you can regulate the cooking temp better with gas. Faster yes, but not better.

Isn't faster better?

 

[GB]

If that were the only item we were measuring against then maybe, but it is not. I have better control with my electric than I would with gas as far as getting the heat as low as possible without a breeze blowing it out.

Also, faster does not always have to be better. I have been cooking on electric for many years now and have learned how to control the heat as fast as if I had gas. There are multiple ways of doing this. The easiest is just moving the pot or pan partially or fully off the burner. You can also use the two burner technique where you have one burner on high and if you need to switch to a lower heat then you move the pot or pan to the next burner that is set on a lower heat.

I think that often times the claim that gas is faster at controlling the temp does not really tell the whole story anyway. For instance, if you are cooking in cast iron then it really does not matter because the pan will have sucked up the heat and will hold onto it much longer than it would matter anyway. If you have a large post or pan full of food then the same could be true too.

 

[DramaQueen]

If that were the only item we were measuring against then maybe, but it is not. I have better control with my electric than I would with gas as far as getting the heat as low as possible without a breeze blowing it out.

Also, faster does not always have to be better. I have been cooking on electric for many years now and have learned how to control the heat as fast as if I had gas. There are multiple ways of doing this. The easiest is just moving the pot or pan partially or fully off the burner. You can also use the two burner technique where you have one burner on high and if you need to switch to a lower heat then you move the pot or pan to the next burner that is set on a lower heat.

I think that often times the claim that gas is faster at controlling the temp does not really tell the whole story anyway. For instance, if you are cooking in cast iron then it really does not matter because the pan will have sucked up the heat and will hold onto it much longer than it would matter anyway. If you have a large post or pan full of food then the same could be true too.

AMEN to all of the above. Cast iron holds the heat so well that I can turn my burner off and the food will still cook for awhile. Then it cools down gradually.