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

[htc]

Electric? Gas? Glass top? Did I miss any?

I have an electric stove and have always wondered how cooking with gas is. Seems like it would be great to cook with gas. At my Mom's house, I think her gas stove/oven doesn't get as hot as mine does. When I bake and stir fry at her place, it doesn't go as quickly as it would at my apartment...So that's my fear if I were ever to get my dream kitchen.

I have used the glass top stove and dont like them as much because I think it takes longer to heat water to get it boiling. I could be wrong, never actually tested it, but seems to take forever. I do love the easy surface clean ups.

Side note: I've heard in the past people say if you have a gas range in your house, that you need the gas company to come out to your house once in a while to reset something? Some sort of period maintenance done? Is this maybe why Mom's gas range isn't that hot?

 

[Pam Leavy]

When we moved into our new home I choose for a glasstop. I am really sorry now. It is easy to clean, but very slow and not hot enough.

I will be going back to gas next time.

Pam

edited to add: I do prefer an electic oven. I don't think they even sell gas ovens here anymore, but could be wrong.

 

[mudbug]

htc, I have a gas range and oven and prefer them to electric because you can adjust the temperature faster. Never heard the one about the gas company.

Grew up in a house with electric range and burned my fingers several times on burners that looked cool (i.e., black) but weren't. For the same reason, I don't think I would like glass tops.

 

[PA Baker]

I have had gas and electric cook tops and would choose gas hands-down. It is so much easier to control than electric. Plus, it's easier to know when I've accidentally left a burner on (I have a history with that! ). I do like electric ovens as they seem to bake more evenly, but I have nothing against gas. Mine works fine.

 

[mudbug]

Me, too, PA - about leaving the burner on. HH razzes me about it all the time.

 

[PA Baker]

Yeah, hubby always quietly double checks the stove after dinner. I'm not supposed to know he's checking up on me, though!

 

[Ishbel]

I have gas oven and hob - with a larger gas burner in the middle which allows me to turn up the heat for things like wok cooking.

I used to cook on an Aga - now that WAS an experience! It warmed the whole house - but was HELL in the summer! I'm not sure whether or not you have Aga ranges in the USA - so here's a link

http://www.aga-ranges.com/kitchens/gallery1.htm

 

[Haggis]

Gas for stovetop. There is no debate.

The only thing that might come close is the magnetic induction field type of electric stovetops. The field heats the pan/pots, but of course you can only use metal pots. The only reason why this is remotely comparable to gas stovetops is that, unlike other types of electric stovetop, the change in heat is instantaneous.

There is something about seeing the flame and judging the temperature by it that you just cannot do on electrics. And I have also found that some electric stoves, even on the lowest possible heat setting on the smallest burner is still too hot for slow or sensitive cooking methods, like when you want the slowest simmer or are cooking something like a creme anglais.

I go through torture when I go back to living on campus, shoddy electric stove with most of the plates ruined so that you can barely boil water on them (I'm not exaggerating).

 

[mudbug]

Ishbel, Agas are available here, for astronomical prices, and usually only at the high-end shops.

Can you explain the principle behind their operation, i.e., why they are always "on"?

 

[crewsk]

I have a glass top & I love it! I have never used gas so I don't know if I would like it or not.

 

[Ishbel]

Mudbug
Here's a bit of explanation from the site above


An Aga is made of cast iron - a dense, strong and stable metal with remarkable heat storage and transmission properties. Conventional ovens have very little mass and cool rapidly, causing them to continuously cycle on and off in an attempt to maintain a steady temperature. As a result, oven temperatures can swing up to 75°F and subject food to frequent high blasts of uneven heat. An Aga, in contrast, generates heat by the single burner which is then continually released by the cast iron through the ovens and hot plates - that's why an Aga is always ready to use. This 'radiant heat' is transmitted from all sides of the ovens and is "less severe" than heat that would be created by a direct fuel flame or electric element. The result? All the moisture, flavour, texture and goodness of the food is preserved, producing the 'Aga taste' owners talk about so passionately!
I enjoyed cooking on it, but found that I had to plan more carefully what I intended to cook on any given day!

The ovens were interesting, too - one cooked 'hot' for the set temperature - the small one, cooked a little cooler.

Mind you, there is nothing better than standing, on a cold, cold morning with a hot cup of tea in your hands and your bum against the front of the Aga.... bliss! 8)

I have lots of friends who don't want to move house because they don't want to lose their Aga or Rayburn (a similar stove). In fact, when I had mine removed (kitchen makeover time!), I sold it to a friend - and you're right they are VERY expensive! I believe Rayburns are a little less expensive - but only relatively so.....

 

[mudbug]

Mind you, there is nothing better than standing, on a cold, cold morning with a hot cup of tea in your hands and your bum against the front of the Aga.... bliss! 8)

Sounds lovely. Could use that here this morning! I wouldn't mind having one of these beasts, if someone else would pay for it and for all the re-wiring and piping. They are quite aesthetically pleasing.

 

[htc]

Hey, that Aga looks a lot like the type that R. Ray uses on her show, wonder if it is... They are very cute and vintage looking. Great to hear that they work really well too!

Yet another mental note for me to file away for when I have my dream kitchen (one day).

 

[Ishbel]

They are very nice to look at.... my Grandma had one, then my mum - and then me!

BUT, the new kitchen (about 2 years ago now) is just so much more practical and quicker, too.

HTC - who's R Ray? Don't forget I don't live on your side of the pond and very few American cooks make it onto TV here.... 8)

 

[htc]

Ishbel, sorry for being so geo-centric!

R. Ray is Racheal Ray, she has several shows on the food network. The one in particular that has a cute range is called 30 minute meals. I've included the link below.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_tm

BTW, do they have a version of Food Network where you are? A channel completely dedicated to cooking/kitchen things?

 

[pdswife]

I have a gas stove.. but, natural gas doesn't come out to the woods where I am .. so we use propane. I don't think it gets hot enough. Takes for ever to boil water. At this point I'd like to go back to the eletric one I had at our last house.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Speaking from years of professional cooking, I can say gas is the only good option. Unfortunately, at home I have an electric stove. I rent, too, so it's not a great option to buy my own stove, although I could (the house has a gas water heater & furnace). I'll probably move before within a year, though.

 

[Pam Leavy]

Weren't some Aga's also intended to warm water? That's why they were always on. I know there was the option of choosing fuel, oil, wood, coal etc.

A good friend of mine has a new Aga. It has the same charm, but a modern gas cooktop and three ovens. She has had mixed results. I know she cannot make her favorite merengues anymore.

The Aga sites all seemt to be in the process of updating. Here is the Dutch one. There is a picture of the new Aga on it.


http://www.aga.nl

Pam

 

[Ishbel]

Pam - yes, Aga's provided hot water and in some houses, the central heating, too.

My Granny was the first of my family to use an Aga - and it was what I grew up with.. But, as I said, I find my new, simpler gas cooker a joy to use - and fits better into the slightly more high-tech style of kitchen I know have, rather than the cottage style we had before, where the Aga fitted in very well!

Hmmmm - I made meringues in my Aga - so maybe the 'refinements' of the newer style make a difference to performance. As I said, I found that Agas are temperamental, and each one seems to have its own quirks... just a case of learnng them and adapting. 8)

 

[Catseye]

I have an ancient 30" Frigidaire electric oven. It works okay, but year before last the bottom oven coil flamed out. In fact, I'm quite proud of my DIY home-repair job that I did, in replacing the coil myself. (With the help of the Internet and a hundred questions to the Lowe's appliance guy.) I couldn't afford to have an appliance repair guy come to the house to replace it, so it was a case of do it myself or do without. It was scary, the first time I turned on the oven after I'd done the replacement. What would happen? Would it work properly or blow up or what? But it's worked perfectly ever since.

I'm glad you asked this, Htc. I've been meaning to post a question on this thread. Am I crazy, or is there such a thing as a unit with a gas stovetop and electric oven? Seems I've seen reference to such ... I'd like to google it, but I don't know what it's called. Do you know?

Anyway, that's what I'd have in my dream kitchen. I'd have to use propane like the poster upthread, but I wouldn't mind, if it meant I could have a gas stovetop. I agree with the posters who complain of the difficulty of heat control with electrics.


Cats