What type of range do you have or prefer at home?

[AllenOK]

Allen, I love the pots and pans storage! I have no built-in storage in my oven, and I really miss that!

I forgot to mention the other pot/pan storage. If you look at the first picture, you'll notice a drawer on the very bottom. I've got my cast iron skillets, and baking pans down there.

Right now, the only pans I have in cabinets are my china cap strainers, mixing bowls, and my crock pot.

 

[PA Baker]

That's great, Allen! I have to keep the pots/pans and other kitchen things that I don't consider everyday on a shelf in the basement. I know I have more kitchen toys than the average homeowner (at least that's what DH always points out!), but my kitchen really is short on cupboard space!

 

[Pam Leavy]

AllenMI


That is what I call a stove! I had one similiar many years ago in a house I rented.

The Americans sure know how to do stoves. Here in Wooden Shoe land we have mini appliances. Pam

They go with the mini houses.

 

[lyndalou]

I have a glass top electric and an electric oven. My daughter has a gas stove with a gas oven, and I love it! My stove is too new for me to start hinting about a gas appliance, plus the expense of getting hooked to propane would probably be prohibitive.

 

[cats]

I have an electric 36" ceramic glass cooktop inserted into a 10' island and, behind this, are double electric wall ovens. Our previous two homes had gas ranges. We just moved into our home in 4/04 and the house is less than two years old. Anyhow, I really like the electric ovens, seem to bake very evenly, especially nice when making cookies. I'm not terribly excited about the electric cooktop. It definitely seems to take absolutely forever to boil water. I don't have any problems with adjusting the temperature settings and the low setting is really very, very low. There are guide lights to let me know when a burner is on or still warm, so I haven't managed to burn myself or anything yet. Unfortunately, there is no exhaust ventilation in the kitchen, so nowhere for steam or smoke to escape. Just opening windows doesn't really draw air from the kitchen. We are fearful that, in no time at all, the kitchen ceiling will be a nightmare of stains and the wood cabinets starting to be ruined. Thus, we have ordered a replacement ceramic glass cooktop with a downdraft. This was not easy to find in the 36" size we need, unless we wanted to have the counter cutout enlarged to 43" for the Jenn Air downdraft model, or replace the entire counter and go with a smaller 30" size downdraft cooktop. Then, on top of finding the downdraft cooktop, we have had to find an installer to run the exhaust piping underneath our kitchen flooring, through the crawlspace, and out the side of the house. The first cooktop we got arrived with the top cracked through. Our installer was here doing his end of things and when the box was opened we discovered the damaged cooktop. We had to take it back and are now waiting for a replacement. It's been 3 wks. and the replacement is still not in. Meanwhile, our installer can't finish his end of the job. The cooktop we are replacing is still in place and working fine, except of course for the lack of an exhaust. If the house wasn't as new as it is, I would probably want to go back to gas, but we also would have to use propane for fuel as there are no gas lines out here in the country where we live. Then, that would also mean we would need a propane tank, we have oil heat. The cost for all this would just not make any sense at this point. So, I will just be happy to get the downdraft cooktop and continue to really like the ovens.

 

[annamaria]

I prefer gas also because more cheap! I have a top with six fires and a very big oven! I saw it one day into a shop and... it was love at first sight!
I think gas is faster to cook but I am not sure.
I like ovens that work with the wood. I have one at my seaside home. Meat, fish and pizza taste better!

 

[SizzlininIN]

I have gas and although the cost of natural gas is a bugger right now here in the country I'll opt for Gas when we move back to the city. Its so much easier to contol the heat settings vs. electric.

 

[AllenOK]

That's great, Allen! I have to keep the pots/pans and other kitchen things that I don't consider everyday on a shelf in the basement. I know I have more kitchen toys than the average homeowner (at least that's what DH always points out!), but my kitchen really is short on cupboard space!

I don't really have that much counter- and cabinet-space. Well, actually, I have MORE than what we had in the apartment, but, since everything still isn't properly stowed away, I still have some boxes of stuff that's laying in the kitchen.

The one thing I really miss (besides a dishwasher!) is a pantry. I don't have one upstairs. My canned goods and pastas are stored in floor-level (child-locked) cabinets, and my spices/herbs are in an overhead cabinet above the microwave. Baking supplies are WAY overhead, over the canned goods. I have to use a chair just to get to my baking supplies. I need a folding step-ladder!

However, I have a huge walking closet/pantry downstairs in the basement. All the shelf space I could want! I'm currently in the process of trying to buy lots of non-perishable goodies to stock in it. Right now, I'm keeping a couple cans of any one item upstairs in my canned goods cabinet, and the rest (from 2 - 5) of the same item downstairs. I'll move more upstairs as I need it. I really should create an inventory list and tack that up on the wall, so I can write down minimum par levels of what item I want to keep on hand. When I go below that minimum, go get more.

We have a coat closet just inside of the back door. I'm thinking about possibly converting half of that into a panty by adding some shelves. Then, I wouldn't have to keep most of everything downstairs.

Heck, we're still figuring out where everything needs to be stored, shelved, or warehoused.

 

[retirednana]

We remodeled our kitchen and I opted for a dual fuel. Gas burners and elect/convection oven. Love it. There are so many nice stoves our there and everyone has to decide what features are important to them.

 

[Catseye]

We remodeled our kitchen and I opted for a dual fuel. Gas burners and elect/convection oven.

Nana, can you tell me how the stovetop is fueled? Did you have to run gas lines to an outside propane tank, or does it use cylinders, or what's the setup?

Thanks!


Cats

 

[PA Baker]

AllenMI, I think you and I have twin kitchens--I have all of the same issues as you, including that I'm thinking of converting a small back coat closet into a pantry. The problem then is where to keep coats! :roll:

I do recommend you keeping an inventory list of what you have downstairs on your shelves. I also store stuff in the basement but have never taken the time to make a list of what I have on hand--hence having WAY too much TP and sponges and realizing too late that I don't have other things!

 

[JohnL]

I definately prefer gas for a cooktop.
When I had my house built, (15 years ago) I spent $3,500.00 to extend the city gas line to my property. Gas just seems to be more responsive for me than electric. I'm re-doing my kitchen a bit now and plan on installing a 36" five burner cooktop with a high output burner and a simmer burner. I'm still undecided about my choice of a double wall oven though.
John.

 

[kitchenelf]

JohnL - one thing to consider about your double oven - some double ovens - like mine unfortunately - are much smaller than a regular oven. It can't hold my favorite skillet when I pan fry salmon and it won't hold some cookie sheets - they won't fit either way you place them. So........... just be on the "lookout" for the size.

 

[JohnL]

Hi K. Elf,
I've considered that and am looking at the 30" models which seem to be the largest of the standard size models. My main question now is whether or not I should spring for the top convection oven feature or not. They are quite more expensive, but what the heck I hope I won't remodel for another 15 years.
John.

 

[retirednana]

CatsEyes: Our duel fuel range is natural gas burners and dual electric/convection. They do have the same range for propane users. Hope this helps.

 

[retirednana]

John: You won't be disappointed in the electric/convection oven. It is great for baking, roasting, etc. Love it. It was new to me and I was leary but now I use it all the time.

 

[JohnL]

Thanks for the input nana,
Does convection cook things that much faster? And if so, how do you adjust temps or cooking times?
Is it just something that you experiment with untill you get the hang of it, or is there a conversion chart or something?
Thank you,
John.

 

[kitchenelf]

JohnL - check this out

 

[retirednana]

John: The link above is a good one to check out. I usually lower the temp by 25 degrees. I watch it carefully though and then annotate it on my reciipe. None of my recipes are geared to confection cooking so it is trial and error for me too.

 

[Claire]

I hate it when this happens. I find a line and there are so many answers I can't figure out if I've already put my two cents' worth in. First of all, Allen, I had that stove in military housing 20 years ago, and it was old then, and I loved it!!!!!

When I moved here I had the choice of gas or electric, and I'm sorry if I'm repeating, but I chose a smooth-top electric range. 99% of the reason was ease of cleaning. I cook a lot, not just for fun, and I get to do 100% of the stove cleaning. Being able to wipe that stove top off so easily is a huge factor. I, too, own a very old house, and having that flat surface in an odd location is helpful (can easily pour a glass of juice, put the fridge items on it to load into the fridge after a grocery trip, etc, is very nice), and most importantly that many who absolutely say gas only either ignore or deny, gas burners are much, much hotter than electric, and if you do not have A/C (I don't), in the summer it can be unbearable. That heat may seem like an advantage, but electric heat pretty much goes straight from burner into the pot, whereas gas heats the entire kitchen. Great in winter. Not so good in summer. Most folk have central A/C and don't even notice it. Oh, yes, the bottoms of the pots and pans are a little cleaner over the years with electric.

Don't get me wrong, there are times (when I'm stir frying, for example) when I wish I had that extra control and heat. But I'd buy the same stove again tomorrow if I had to make the choice again. I use it so much, I'm wearing the color off of some of the burners, and am very happy with it.