Cooking: Gas vs. Electric

[KatC]

My very old and faithful electric stove is on it's last leg. My DH has promised me a new stove before the Christmas baking season. We are strongly considering a gas stove because we have heard it is much more economical and also that it is far more useful to someone who does a lot of cooking. I have heard mixed messages from friends, and I'm looking for any information anyone can give me. Would you choose one over the other? Why? Also, if we don't go gas, we are considering a flat-top electric, but I have heard they are terrible to clean. Any info to share????

Thanks a bunch,
KatC:confused:

[Leisa M]

I love gas vs electric. The gas range is better economically(sp?) for me. Also, if your electricty goes out for an extended period you can still cook (that happened to my dad).

I grew up with gas and made sure I would have gas in my house.:) :D

[wallycat]

Both of our stoves are/were GE. The electric was the one with the solid disks...YUCK. Seemed like forever to get it hot.
I got the GE profile (gas) ....MUCH prefer it to electric. I only have one complaint, and this may be GE specific. If I turn on the right burner to a certain level, I smell gas. I've had them come out and they claim it's been fixed, but I think they're liars.

Other than that, I'd pick gas over electric any day....

They do make "dual" type ranges where the stove top is gas and the oven is electric too....

[Ohioan]

I've used both, and I still like gas better, mostly because the heat adjustment is almost instantaneous -- which is especially important for wok cooking. I also like a gas oven and broiler, because I think things just plain taste better when they're cooked by a real flame. (Isn't that why so many folks love their grills??? ;))

Oh, and I once discovered another use for gas stoves: lighting cigarettes when your lighter conks out and you've run out of matches. (No, no, I didn't stick my face into the burner! I rolled a paper "spill" and lit the cigarette from that!) I don't smoke any more, but I suppose the principle is the same if you need to light candles, say, for a birthday cake or a candlelit dinner. :)

Cheers,
Phoebe

[AndreaU]

I grew up with a gas stove/oven then moved into several apartments (not at once :p) that had electric... when we bought our house I made sure we got a gas range. I like the fact that it seems to cook more evenly and when you shut off the burners, they're off!

[Shirley Ekstein]

From someone who's been forced to cook electric for the last 25 years (no gas supply where we live and bottled gas is HUGELY expensive) I'd say go for gas every time - it's immediate - no waiting for a ring to heat up - and it's responsive - turn down the flame and the contents of your saucepan stop boiling. Try doing either of those thngs on electric! (OK - you learn to get on with electric if you have too - you move the pan on and off the heat - but the WASTE of fuel doing that bugs me rigid.)
For the first 15 years of my cooking life I cooked on gas - and am telling you, kid, there ain't no comparison. If you can get gas, go for it.

[aggie94]

I never experienced cooking on a gas stove until we moved into this house about two weeks ago. Up until then, I had always had electric stoves/ovens. My "new" range gas stove/electric oven. I love cooking with gas. Everyone is right about how immediate the response is when you increase or decrease the flame. And it does cook more evenly. My last stovetop in Oregon was electric, with the smooth, flat top burners, and I couldn't have hated it more. We were renting, but there were still days when I was tempted to go out and buy my own range, I hated it so much. :rolleyes: Anyway, my vote is for gas.

Wallycat, I also have the smell of gas problem you described with my stove - only with one burner and only at a certain level. It's a Kenmore, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it (no leak, etc.). It's just one of those things.

[Sami]

i agree, go with gas. I have cooked with electric and don't like it at all. There is so much better control with gas.

Sami

[katygirl]

Shirley,

Out of curiosity I did a search for the oven you were describing. Is this it? It looks wonderful!

http://www.johncooperandsons.co.uk/images/redfyre/redfyre%204.jpg

[Melman]

I have electric...and would LOVE to have gas!! My stove is a "drop-in" that is very narrow. I don't think they make a gas stove this small. If I ever want to go with a gas range, I'll have to totally re-do my kitchen. (Hey...if I EVER win a kitchen remodel, that's the first thing to change.)

My parents, sister, and brother each have a flat-top range. Personally, I don't like them. They look cool..but I don't think there's even heating in any of their houses.

My own opinion is that for the people who KNOW how to cook (or at least LOVE cooking), they prefer gas. I think people who have gas and don't like cooking that much, just really don't like it. I think it's a matter of just not knowing how to control it.

Just my own speculations. :D

[Kjente2]

Call me a rebel..I say go Dual Fuel (gas burners, electric oven..with convection all the better). If it can't be that..gas all the way!

[sneezles]

Originally posted by Kjente2
Call me a rebel..I say go Dual Fuel (gas burners, electric oven..with convection all the better). If it can't be that..gas all the way!

Have to agree it's the best of both worlds. Have had dual fuel for a year now and it's wonderful!

[ChristieinMB]

GAS GAS GAS cooktop that is, electric is great for the ovens. I now have an electric cooktop that came with my house that I moved into about eighty days ago (but who is counting), I HATE it. I want my old Professional Thermador back. I only agreed to buy this house on the condition that I get a gas cooktop. We had the gas line brought in, now I need to go buy the gas cooktop. Now my DH says you sure you can learn to like electric, hmmm, no I can't. My flat electric cooktop is ugly, the house is only two years old, it is the only thing that looks used. It is a Jennair, I don't know if that makes a difference, but the glass top is permanently marred already. Okay enough of my complaining, go with gas.
Christie

[knunes]

I agree with all who are suggesting dual fuel. We are in the planning stages or remodeling our kitchen (DH is a cabinetmaker) and have been planning the range situation. Right now, the top candidate is a dual fuel Kitchen Aid Proline. Gas cooktop, electric convection oven. Also, we'll get a second oven in our island. I won't care if that one is convection----smaller and thermal will be fine. If I can butt into this thread, I'd like to hear from any others who have dual fuels---can you tell us what kind you have? Features?
KatC----doesn't seems like all electric is too popular on the BB! Good luck with your decision.

[KatC]

Wow! I can pretty much say that it's obvious what everyone prefers. I had pretty much assumed that gas was going to win out. We have been looking at stoves for a time now and have not come across any dual gas top/electric oven types. I will have to look into that, but it sounds like the cost will be pretty up there. Thanks so much for all your helpful information.

[Kjente2]

this puter isn't the greatest for this, but if you do a search on dual fuel, there are a couple of threads with information that are current. I'm going to try to make you a link. Have fun and good luck!!

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29681&highlight=dual+fuel

[irishspy]

I've been cooking on an electric range and oven for years and I can't stand it. You just don't have the control you get with a gas stove. I've learned how to work around it, but I can't wait for the day I'm in an all-gas kitchen again.

[SusanL]

I'm getting the Gemini but if I could afford the dual fuel, I would have gone for that, but I really wanted the continuous grates and warming drawer/oven so the Gemini meets our needs!!
KatygirlThat range looks wonderful! How big are the ovens?

[HejazSunKat]

I'm with the gas crowd too. I grew up cooking with it and love it for all of the reasons previously mentioned by others. I am forced by circumstances to cook with electric at the moment and I hate, detest and despise it. I am forever turning on the wrong burner or forgetting to turn them off because there is nothing to see beyond a tiny little light on the panel. After the umpteenth time wondering what is taking my water for tea so long to heat up or having to go without a side for dinner because I turned the wrong !@#&%$#@#$%%^^$$#@@!@!! burner on and it never got cooked my stove and I just tolerate each other.

[KatC]

Originally posted by SusanL
but I really wanted the continuous grates and warming drawer/oven so the Gemini meets our needs!!


Can you tell me, what are the continueous grates and warming drawer/oven? I am not familiar with these terms. :)
Thanks,

[KatC]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Kjente2
[I'm going to try to make you a link. Have fun and good luck!!QUOTE]

Thanks for link. There was so much info on that thread that I think my head will explode. :) While I'm thinking, can someone tell me how a convection oven works? I have heard they cook a lot faster than an conventional oven. How then would you know how to adjust a recipe cooking time?
:rolleyes:

[lakelady1]

Gas range; double electric ovens, top one convection/regular. Only way to go. The instructions will give you the conversion for convection times; some of them actually do it on the oven "board" -- ah, the wonders of computers. Convection cooks faster, more evenly, and is GREAT for cookies!

[Kjente2]

for convection, I reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and plan to cut the baking time by 25%. its usually right on at 20 - 25% less time.
There are different types of convection. Some ranges have a third element at the back of the oven that heats as well as circulates the heat making it more even and more efficient...so,for example, I can bake cookies on all three racks in my oven with consistent results for example. Other ranges have only the fan part of that unit at the back. Convection comes with several different names but that third element is what you're looking for. This is a pretty good article that may help you
http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/pages/c00042.asp
Continuous grates mean that there is no break between the burners, in my case 4, so I can just move a pot over without having to pick it up..

[KatC]

Kjente2,
Thank you for clearing that up for me. I will check out the website as well.

Thanks again,

[BarbaraL]

I have a dual-fuel. I have to have gas for the stovetop; I can't stand electric. I was planning to get all gas, but DH got involved and got intrigued with the dual-fuel (he's a gadget junkie) and I got talked into it, and now I like it just fine. By the way, my sister-in-law has a flat stovetop and loves it, and she says it's easy to clean.