electric stove- need tips

I've always had Gas stoves.. except once... and it was a nightmare to control the temperature, plus there was a lot of wasted energy because it didn't turn off or on fast like the gas stoves.. so there was a lot of heating up, and a lot of turning off with wasted heat, especially with the oven..that was on an old ring style stove like the OP describes...

Today if I was to change to Electric, it would be to an Induction hob... fast , clean.. and no waste of energy..

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ElCastor said:
My wife and I have always had an electric stove. It does the job and seems safer than gas. Some comments …

* I use a folding battery powered thermometer (Thermapen) to test stove top pan heat before adding food. Very useful device for a lot of reasons.
* We seldom use the oven, and then only for large jobs. Smaller items like chicken pot pies, fish sticks, or a quiche, are more efficiently heated (and browned) with a counter top plug in Breville Oven.
* On the plus side of gas, if you live in an area subject to frequent power failures, that electric stove isn‘t of much use to make the morning cup of coffee, so you might want to go with gas, or get a camp stove for emergencies.
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Excellent!! Thanks for sharing your experience. I have a thermapen but never thought to use it to test pan heat.

I have a Breville countertop oven also. I find that it runs a little hotter than my gas oven. I thought it might be because it is smaller than a full size oven, so the heat is concentrated into a smaller space. Food is always done sooner than expected.

My new apartment is all electric. I will be buying a small propane stove on Amazon. At the very least I can make pour over coffee.
Thank you!
 

I grew up with and learned to cook on gas stove and oven. The hubs grew up in apartments that were all electric.. Our first little house had gas appliances in the kitchen. Skip to the big house 10 years later, all electeric in the kitchen. We were here a couple of years, saving for remodeling the kitchen first. W had gas in the house for heat, the fire place had gas, the water heater and even built in line for the grill in the backyard.

I begged and pleaded to have a gas line run to the kitchen, the new ovens and cooktop I wanted to be gas. Well, not needed to be said, I did not win that battle although I was the one in there everyday cooking.

Well here we are, I am a widow now. When the appliances, double ovens and cooktop go out, I will be having that gas line run to the kitchen. I will have what I want for cooking. Mind you, the hubs will be looking down and let me know he is not happy, but he does not have to be the one cooking, that will be me!! I also think it will be a good selling point, when the time comes. Anyone who is a cook wants to have gas ovens and cooktops!!
 
Kika said:
Excellent!! Thanks for sharing your experience. I have a thermapen but never thought to use it to test pan heat.

I have a Breville countertop oven also. I find that it runs a little hotter than my gas oven. I thought it might be because it is smaller than a full size oven, so the heat is concentrated into a smaller space. Food is always done sooner than expected.

My new apartment is all electric. I will be buying a small propane stove on Amazon. At the very least I can make pour over coffee.
Thank you!
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Again a warning. Buying and using a gas fueled space heater or countertop stove can also be dangerous because of the fumes. I wouldn't use one in a sleeping area. Every once in a while you read where someone has died because of a gas fueled space heater or bar-b-que being used.
 
Janice, it just takes a little while to get used to an electric stove. Start on high and then turn down very soon. Mine is a smooth top and I would never go back to gas again. It’s filthy. For your coffee, I gather you’re using a manual perk. You could look for an electric perk - there’re always lots in very good condition in the thrift stores. Or you could use a kettle and do drip coffee and rewarm it in the microwave later.
 
JaniceM said:
Is there a way to make coffee in a microwave???
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There is a cold brew system by Toddy that makes a concentrated coffee that when it's used is a shot of concentrate to a cup of water and zap it. The upside to this is that it's also very very smooth coffee. A quick search for cold brew coffee system gives more information on other brands, but I only have experience with the Toddy.
 
ManjaroKDE said:
Again a warning. Buying and using a gas fueled space heater or countertop stove can also be dangerous because of the fumes. I wouldn't use one in a sleeping area. Every once in a while you read where someone has died because of a gas fueled space heater or bar-b-que being used.
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I was thinking of this with small cans of butane. Would this be unsafe to boil water? If so I could always put on the balcony.

Amazon.com: Coleman Camping Stove—Classic 1 Burner Butane Camping Stove
 
Kika said:
I was thinking of this with small cans of butane. Would this be unsafe to boil water? If so I could always put on the balcony.
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The problem with using this type of stove indoors is that it produces carbon monoxide, which can be deadly if it builds up in the room where the stove is being used. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause flu-like symptoms and even death if there’s too much of it in your home or workplace.
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Out on your balcony would be relatively safe. I think
 
Kika said:
I will follow this discussion closely. I have only had gas stoves. In January I will move to Pa, where I will have a glass top electric stove.

I love to cook and bake, and the thought of not having a gas stove is producing a little anxiety for me.
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I like my glass top cooktop. The thing to know is it can scratch easily and it shows a lot of dust if it is black, so wipe it clean frequently. They make special cleaners for glass cooktops, nothing abrasive. You need regular "modern style" pans not usually cast iron and nothing with a recessed bottom. The bottom has to touch the glass to conduct heat. You may need new pans as the bottom of the pan must be flat to conduct the heat correctly. Some of the glass top cooktops are induction and they heat up pretty fast. I just follow the numbers on the knobs. The middle one, or 5 on my model, cooks scrambled eggs quickly and starts the soup to boil fairly fast. Oh, and the ring under the glass will get red and hot. Keep the size of the burner to the same size as the bottom of your pan or less. The problem with these glass cooktops is if one is visually impaired, they are often impossible to use. My husband can no longer cook because he can't feel the burner nor see the burner. But I sure like them, they look nice and are easier to clean than those old recessed circular burners that always got gunk stuck on them.
 
JustBonee said:
My opinion ....sorry
Maybe glass top electric stoves are different now, and have improved, but I had one years ago, and for the life of me, I HATED it! .. the burners never got hot enough. I remember having to use corning ware to cook everything with, and it was never right.
I couldn't wait to get rid of it!
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My closest friend bought a house several years ago with a glass top electric stove. To say she hated it would be an understatement.
When she finally decided on how she would renovate the kitchen
she had propane tanks put in for a gas stove. So I guess it's very real. I will be renting, so I am stuck with the electric. 😭
 
ManjaroKDE said:
Again a warning. Buying and using a gas fueled space heater or countertop stove can also be dangerous because of the fumes. I wouldn't use one in a sleeping area. Every once in a while you read where someone has died because of a gas fueled space heater or bar-b-que being used.
Click to expand...
We have a gas furnace and water heater, both sealed in their own closet with access from outside the house. Even so I have installed five carbon monoxide detectors around the house, three being combination fire. One morning a month ago two started beeping. We evacuated and I took the beepers, still beeping, to a local fire station. Seems the beep was a low battery warning. Air was OK. Amazing coincidence, but a lesson in the importance of keeping those batteries up to date.
 
I had an electric stove (coils) for about 20 years. Like a previous person stated turn on low until you get use to it and you will. I now have had gas almost 10 years and I love it. Gas cooks more evenly and when you cut it off it is off very quickly.
 

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