OT - Gas or Electric Stove?

[chem-e]

I need to buy a new stove and I was thinking about getting a Frigidaire electric stove. I like the smoothtop look, but what are the drawbacks to these stoves.

We don't cook much, but sometimes my GF likes to host dinner, so that's the only time we'll really use the stove. Otherwise, it just sits there with the occasional use of boiling water or heating something up.

Does anyone have one of these and do they recommend it? Are they easy to clean or are they a PITA? Am I just asking for trouble buying one of these?

Thanks

[crp]

Get Gas!

My MIL as a jenn air. Takes forever to heat up and no matter how long you wait, it will not boil water.

[Travis L. Stevens]

Electric! I don't trust natural gas, and the heat is usually dissipated a little more evenly with electric.

[Misled]

Gas cooks better unless you get pans MADE for electric. Then the electric takes longer to heat up either way. Also gas ovens cook more evenly.

[crp]

I also like gas because you can immediately adjust the flame.

[dkh0331]

We bought something similar to chem-e's link.

I hate it. The glass top is a PIA to clean. I've had gas stoves for the vast majority of my life and when we remodel the kitchen next year, I'm going back to gas.

Cast iron pots/pans should not be used on a glass top stove. Shortly after we got it, the step daughter broke the glass top with a cast iron pan. $$$$$$$$ to replace.

[crp]

David, you really need to get rid of that stepdaughter!

[chem-e]

I've heard similar things about the electric stoves being slow.

I think the most important thing for me is cleanability and durability. I've never used one of these smooth top ranges, but I imagined taking a wet cloth and just wiping down the top. If I need to worry about being extra cautious in how I clean the electric top, then this is not for me. I don't want a stove that I needs to be babied. It should be durable as it's going to have steel pots and pans on top of it, so if it's going to get all scuffed up then it's too much hassle.

[dkh0331]

Originally posted by crp
David, you really need to get rid of that stepdaughter!

No argument from me on that!

Originally posted by chem-e
I've heard similar things about the electric stoves being slow.

I think the most important thing for me is cleanability and durability. I've never used one of these smooth top ranges, but I imagined taking a wet cloth and just wiping down the top. If I need to worry about being extra cautious in how I clean the electric top, then this is not for me. I guess an analogy would be acrylic tanks. I don't want a stove that I needs to be babied. It should be durable as it's going to have steel pots and pans on top of it, so if it's going to get a scuffed up then it's too much hassle.

If you are looking for easy cleaning, then the glass top is not your answer. Break out the windex to clean and then you have to buff it out so it doesn't leave streaks/ skid marks.

[hobbzz]

Ask any chef and they'll tell you gas 100 percent of the time. Restaurants don't use electric for a reason. It takes forever to heat up and cool down, so when trying to do something as simple as boil water you're constantly changing the temp because first it boils over, so then you turn it down. Then it doesn't even simmer so you crank it back up, and it ends up taking 20 minutes to boil water. Also, all ovens are off temp a few degrees. If it says 300, it might be 290 or 305. But electric is often off by 15-20 degrees.

I don't know the price of the one you're looking at, but I'd recommend a gas convection oven (the oven will have a fan in it that evenly distributes the heat).

They might not be available in an oven/range combo, but if they are, that would be the best short of going with professional equipment.

[chem-e]

Buffing out streaks and skid marks? That's why I have a glass tank.

I guess I'm going to have to pick out a gas stove now...

[Drewcipher]

I prefer gas, but I have tested gas vs electric in boiling 6 cups of water. From cold to full boil, electric was significantly faster.

[MarkS]

I hate electric stoves (the curly heating element type) and I do a lot of cooking. I've actually had an electric stove catch a cast iron pan on fire. It was actually the seasoning (NOT food seasoning) on the pan, but this never happened with gas. The heat spread from electric is not better than gas, and has been worse than gas in all of my experience. You'll never find an electric stove in a restaurant. They are just too unreliable.

That being said....

The IR stoves do look promising. They use infrared radiation to quickly heat the cooking surface. Induction cook tops are the latest and greatest and I'd buy one of them if I HAD to choose electric. The only downside is that you MUST use a metal pan. The biggest pluses are that the pan heats VERY quickly and gets VERY hot and the entire base of the pan gets evenly hot. There are no hot spots. I think water boils in a matter of minutes (maybe seconds) on an induction cook top. Both of these types only come in smooth top, so cast iron is out unless you are extremely careful.

[VoidRaven]

Gas stove.....I hate electric. Been cooking on a smooth top electric for 4 years now. Can't stand it. Takes too long to heat up and cool down. I MUCH prefer the control and even cooking of a gas range.

[chem-e]

VoidRaven - How do you feel about the cleanability of the smooth-top? Is it easy to clean or does it require some scrubbing? Is it prone to scratching?

[VoidRaven]

Can be a little bit of a pain if stuff drips on a hot burner but not really. I use either Windex or 409 and paper towels. Cleans up real easy. No major scratches either and I use Emeril Stainless Steel cookware.

I mean, there may be slight wear and tear but 1) mine is a older model that was with the house when we bought it and 2) it's black, not white, in color so it hides stuff a little bit.

[iCam]

I have a gas stove and oven, and I would never use electric again if I didn't have to.


Though, I know one night I will blow the house up or die of inhilation in my sleep due to my own incompetence

[blface]

My profession is a kitchen designer, gas is the only way to go. Instant heat. Just don't drop anything on that electric glass top!!! I can't remenber the last time I put in an electric oven.

[zenguitar]

I've never used one of these smooth top ranges, but I imagined taking a wet cloth and just wiping down the top.

This was a few years back but I had a glass top stove in the house and it was horrible!! It took scraping it with a razor to clean it because anything that spilled immediately fried to it.

I have gas now and will never go back to electric.

[vonodie1]

I grew up using gas stoves...Love them. The first place I moved to after living at home had an 'old' electric stove-I burnt everything cause I didn't know how to properly cook on an old stove.

The first house we purchased had a gas stove in it...The only problem with it was it didn't seal properly so you have to worry about carbon monoxide.

Then we moved to South Padre and you either had electric or electric. (the only gas on the island is propane and most houses do not have propane tanks). These houses had newer electric ovens and they actually work like gas stoves.

Now, that we own a home once again- we actually had a choice of gas or electric and went the a GE electric version of the one you pictured. I have had absolutely no problems with it. Either one would have suited me just fine. One thing to remember though, is with Natural Gas after a while the walls will get a yellow tint to them.

The only things gas in my house are the water heater and central heat along with a small gas heater in the back room. I wouldn't give up my gas water heater, but could give up the gas central heat.

[dc]

I love my electric glass top. Keep in mind they are not all created equal. The one we have now is a GE Profile. We had a Hotpoint. It was the worst, we hauled it off after only a year. This one heats up fast, and can go low enough to simmer all night without worrying. I don't like gas myself.

[dinoman]

I didn't know there was that much of a difference between a gas and electric stove! We always had an electric stove because we live way out in the boonies and our house is the the one on the ranch that doesn't have gas . I've never noticed any of ours ever taking forever to warm up - of course maybe I'm just patient...

[D-Rod]

Gas!

[Siberia]

I would give my vote to an electric stove. No house has ever blown up with an electric stove. There has been cases of houses blowing up because of a leaky valve or pipe connection. It's your move.

[MarkS]

Originally posted by zenguitar
This was a few years back but I had a glass top stove in the house and it was horrible!! It took scraping it with a razor to clean it because anything that spilled immediately fried to it.

That's why I like induction ranges. The cook top never heats up. If you take the pan off of the cook top, the ceramic cools very quickly (heat from the pan) and you can touch it in seconds. Food does not have time to fry.