OT - Kitchen Ranges

Re: OT - Kitchen Ranges

walta

Before you buy anything make sure you test drive an induction unit.

Induction heats faster than gas or a micro wave when you cut off the heat the boiling stops instantly. The pan stays cool nothing is into the outside of the pans. You can put a paper towel between the burner and the pan and boil water thru the paper.

Walta

Waste heat from gas

Jim Matthews

Our gas stove gives great control, particularly at lower temps.

That said, it dumps considerable waste heat inside our kitchen - working against the AC.

Induction tops are easier to clean, but not all pans work with the coils.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-the-best-cookware-for-induction-cooktops-908920

Compatible cookware

JL

The cast iron skillets that we have will work with induction.

Regrettably, several of our commonly used pots and pans will not work effectively.

I think we will pass on induction.

Re: OT - Kitchen Ranges

David Yoho

I don't know about your area but propane is expensive. I'd stay with electric. The duel fuel is an option. The one thing I like about gas, especially on the cooktop, is it heats so much quicker.

When we had natural gas hooked up to our house I had the plumber install a stub-out under the house for a future gas range. Problem is our electric range is still new enough that it will probably last longer than we'll live here.

Re: OT - Kitchen Ranges

John in NM

I usually leave whatever the old hook up is if I'm changing to the other.

Exception was the house we remodeled in 2017, wife wouldn't let me leave in the gas connection for the stove or the water connection for the fridge because they were so poorly done that I wanted to replace them with a better executed hook up that we would not be using.

We always have a big argument about that - she doesn't want to waste time, effort, and even the minimal expense, and I want to make it easier for the next guy who's wife will get rid of whatever we put in and replace it with what she wants I always lose the argument, as husbands do...

Re: OT - Kitchen Ranges

Dale Warder

We just went through this last summer. I replaced a drop in electric with a side in electric. As I had used a premium propane cooktop/electric dual oven in our previous home I was convinced I wanted the same thing here. However, the cost of having a gas line run convinced me to go with electric. .we selected a glass top, convection dual oven unit. This is my first experience with a computer controlled cooktop. I am very impressed! Unlike previous electric cooktops, this one has fine incremental control for each element, giving the excellent simmer control. Heats very fast, and cools quickly. The ovens do not dump heat into the house, a consideration in the mid south. I never thought I would be this happy with an electric+ range.

The range I have is a GE Profile series. Hope this is useful.

Glad I'm not the only one

Re: OT - Propane

JL

We heat with propane and our heat pump. Currently propane is running $1.80/gallon. Estimated gas consumption for cooking would be on the order of 5 gallons/month.

Re: OT - Kitchen Ranges

JL

Very helpful, thanks.

Re: Compatible cookware

Rick Christopherson

Two years ago I stumbled across a set of pans at Sam's Club that looked and felt so nice, I bought them on a whim. That promptly led me to build a nice cherry pan rack above my island. Which of course led to replacing the island countertop with a 2-1/4" butcherblock counter. Yeah, the burdens of being a woodworker.

So anyway, After realizing that these new pans were also induction ready, I decided to buy a countertop induction burner. The idea of cooking by precise temperature fit directly with my sous vide cooking methods. It turned out to be such a fantastic way to cook, that I haven't touched my main stove in 2 years.

If I hadn't just replaced the stove 3 years ago, I would definitely have gotten an induction range.

propane consumption

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

We run off 100 pound tanks. We rarely go out to eat and I bake a lot. We use about 250 pounds a year, which is $100, which is insignificant.

I prefer cooking with gas. There is a reason professional stoves are gas. However, don't get a professional stove. The BTU output is too great for home cooking.

Re: OT - Kitchen Ranges

Stuart Johnson

I would go with gas/propane stove and electric oven. We don't have gas available and the cost of installing propane is too much. Our stove top just went out and we found out you can't just go down and buy one or in our case any. The initial wait for delivery was almost 3 months but luckily they will make delivery early so we get it after six weeks next week. Cooking on a two element hot plate can be done with a little care and a lot of fussing. Just count on a wait as inventory is starting to make it's way into the market.

Re: OT - Kitchen Ranges

Johanna Johanson

So which does the person who does most of the cooking prefer? As a cook, I much prefer gas (propane in our case) because it is infinitely adjustable and does not take time to heat up.

Cost is another factor that may affect the decision. It did not affect it in our case - electric is much cheaper since we have solar panels.

The final thought is whether you have frequent and/or long electric outages. It sure was nice to have gas last year when the power was out for 3 days in December!

Re: Compatible cookware

walta

Before you say no take a test drive.

Yes we had our favorite that would not work after a few weeks we found new friends and do not miss the old ones.

We bought a steel plate you can use under a non compatible pan it never gets used anymore.

Also the induction top is so easy to keep spotless. I scrubbed off the pattern old one and it was never spotless.

Walta