Stoves

[Barbio]

(Not sure if this thread belongs in Census or Hot Box; feel free to move it if needed)

 

Earlier this month, gas stoves became a "culture war" issue in the U.S. over a rumor that the Biden administration was considering banning them. This was untrue, but it still caused a lot of people to go berserk and declare their undying love for their gas stoves. I'm sure a lot of the reactions were exaggerated, but it still left me wondering... do people actually have such strong feelings about their stoves?

 

So, setting aside politics and just looking at this from a purely objective standpoint: What are your preferences when it comes to stoves?

 

Personally, I've used an electric stove for almost all my life, but I just recently switched to a gas stove for the first time after moving (since it came included with the house). So far, I'm honestly not seeing much of a difference? The gas smells awful when you turn it on, but otherwise, it functions almost the same as any electric stove I've used. That's why I'm having such a hard time wrapping my head around the "gas stoves are superior" argument. The gas does seem to make the food cook slightly faster, but that's not a huge deal to me, personally.

 

I guess I still prefer an electric stove just because it doesn't have a smell. If gas stoves didn't smell and were more environmentally friendly, but otherwise functioned the exact same way, then I wouldn't really have a preference for one or the other.

[Tetus]

As a millennial, I would love to be in a position where my opinion on the type of stove in my home had any bearing on the realities of my life.

[Blue eyes white dragon]

All the electric stoves I've dealt with doesn't cook as well for my preference plus the gas stove is the best way to warm a tortilla 

[Starry Sky]

I currently use a gas stove. No preference for either gas or electric but it does bother me switching between the two when I visit my mom. I can never get used to the large temperature difference between the two. End up waiting eons or scorching my food in a matter of seconds. 

[Olallieberry]

You know what's missing from this? The age dimension.

 

Both gas and electric stoves started sucking worse when EnergyStar or other efficiency regulations became mandated for new appliance sales or building/development code.

 

I have lived in apartments which came with older stoves, not necessarily antiques but old enough that they put out as much as four times the heating power that contemporary efficiency-regulated models can.

 

Efficiency is good but sometimes you need an effect you can't get from an excessively underpowered stove.

 

I know, I know, you said set politics aside, but politics created this situation.

 

Another benefit of these older models, besides simply being able to get them a lot hotter when you wanted to, is that because the range of available heat is much wider, the controls were more responsive and sensitive. You could use them effectively to get the setting you wanted. One of the casualties of contemporary manufacturing is the race-to-the-bottom of cheapest components, and the controls are underengineered, inaccurate and imprecise, which is why people get so mad trying to set a particular heat level and having the hardest time getting it right.

[Epitaph]

Lol then there's my millenial ass using a fucking wood heated cookstove.

 

I'm not super picky on what I use, and I've used all flavors of cooking stuff, but if it were electric vs gas, I tend to like gas more even though it has the possibility of blowing you up/suffocating you. I think it's because gas produces an open flame, somewhat but not entirely similar to a wooden cookstove. I haven't delved too deep into the why's, but I've always been curious about it. I tend to notice that food cooked with a woodstove has an entirely different feel to it than something done with an electric stove or a gas stove. I imagine it has to do with what materials are conducting the heat, and what's being used as a fuel source determine little nuances. At least for me, gas stove and electric stove don't produce the same results, either.

 

I'm not the biggest fan of gas though. It being a byproduct of the creation and extraction of oil, it's doomed to become a scarce resource the moment oil production or reserves cease, along with electricity, since a big chunk of what we use to create electricity is burning some other exhaustable resource.

 

I've always hated the idea of having my ability to eat warm food or cook anything tied to resources that I can't control, to devices I can't fix if they break somewhere like within their circuitry. Not that wood is this magical resource that's inexhaustable, but at least it lies within your ability to influence. You cut a tree down, hack it up, and put it in a special metal box and light it up. That can't be taken away from you unless somebody chops your arms off or you're too sickly to work with firewood.

[Epitaph]

15 minutes ago, Ollie415 said:

You know what's missing from this? The age dimension.

 

Both gas and electric stoves started sucking worse when EnergyStar or other efficiency regulations became mandated for new appliance sales or building/development code.

 

I have lived in apartments which came with older stoves, not necessarily antiques but old enough that they put out as much as four times the heating power that contemporary efficiency-regulated models can.

 

Efficiency is good but sometimes you need an effect you can't get from an excessively underpowered stove.

 

I know, I know, you said set politics aside, but politics created this situation.

 

Another benefit of these older models, besides simply being able to get them a lot hotter when you wanted to, is that because the range of available heat is much wider, the controls were more responsive and sensitive. You could use them effectively to get the setting you wanted. One of the casualties of contemporary manufacturing is the race-to-the-bottom of cheapest components, and the controls are underengineered, inaccurate and imprecise, which is why people get so mad trying to set a particular heat level and having the hardest time getting it right.

 

Don't forget ease of repair. You can't repair a glass convection plate stove by yourself if that panel cracks or no longer conducts heat. An older stove, you can crack open and either easily replace parts or identify what's up, even if you don't have an engineer's or electrictician's level of understanding. Some of those old models are built like tanks(the sturdy ones, not the cheapies) and designed so that even somebody who's new to it could figure it out.

[Gloomy]

I have an electric stove. The thought of an open flame in my home does make me paranoid (hence why I don’t like using candles anymore and when I smoke weed I prefer to do it in the bathroom or kitchen next to the sink) but if a place I was looking to move into had a gas stove it wouldn’t be a deal breaker. At least it’d come in handy if I wanted to make s’mores.

[RoseGoesToYale]

I hate all kinds of stoves. Gas stoves suck because they pollute the earth. Electric stoves suck because they use electricity which comes from power plants that pollute the earth. Gas is unwieldy and requires a CO monitor and they can leak. Glass cooktops were literally designed by a sadist, the heat sucks and you'll never keep it clean, ever. Coils are nice, but then shit falls down in the hole and breaks the elements, plus the heat is uneven and they can warp. Solid elements are unevenly heated piles of yikes. Induction is expensive as fuck and requires uber-special expensive pans to even use. Can't even use wood stoves here because it's waaaay too hot.

 

That said... I have a gas stove and I used to despise gas, until a big hurricane hit. We were without power for several days, but you know what we were all able to do for the first time during a power outage? Cook food and boil water. Every hurricane-prone area needs to be allowed to keep gas stoves for this reason. And especially the city of Temple Terrace, FL, which experiences so many power outages it makes Soviet Union infrastructure look super reliable.

[Steel13]

As someone that cooks and bakes a lot, I feel very strongly about my stove!

Electric stoves do not cook things nearly as well and it is much harder to judge the correct heat. I simply can't make lots of dishes with electric since a fair amount of things I make need an exact temperature and I need much more immediate heating and cooling.

I feel bad about it, though. Being eco friendly matters to me. I just wish electric stoves were better suited to people that love baking and cooking as much as me.

[Autumn ace]

Where do propane stoves fit in this conversation?

[Ceebs]

Never used a gas stove in my life, don't think I've even known anyone who has one. Maybe they're not very common here, I dunno.

[Network_Apparition]

I don't mind either way for actually cooking, but as far as winter survival, I prefer a gas stove. I can open the oven door and set a pot of water out and stay toasty even if the power goes out. Its particularly useful in my region, where our infrastructure is trash. So I guess I would feel more secure with a gas stove, but if I moved somewhere with betetr infrastructure I probably wouldn't care either way.

[ThatBadCat]

If the only options where standard electric or gas I would prefer gas. I currently have a electric hob and I hate it, it taken ages to boil water and then ages to cool down afterwards. I would really like an induction hob though. I've had a gas hob before and it was certainly better than an old fashioned electric one like I have at the moment, but still slow and very inefficient (so much heat wasted!) compared to a good inducution hob. Also gas scared me a little, I was always worried about accidentally leaving it turned on or leaks and getting blown up.

[J. van Deijck]

We have an electric stove at home, so I use it by default. My parents have a gas stove, so I have experience with both. And, honestly, I have no preference.

 

The only type I've never used in my life is induction. 

[blunose2772]

House I grew up in had a gas stove. My current apartment has an electric stove. I don't really have a preference. both do their job equally as well although if the power goes out the gas stove still works so that's a point for gas

[Ortac]

I have an electric oven and an electric hob, specifically an induction hob.

 

I would not have a gas stove. I do remember gas stoves when growing up. I can't really imagine why anyone would choose a gas hob over a modern electric induction hob. The halogen or ceramic electric hobs that were commonplace twenty years ago were not really much faster than gas and were not the most energy efficient, but the modern induction hobs are so fast and are about energy efficient as you are going to get.

Another reason why I would not choose gas is because I would be nervous about the risk of something going wrong and gas being released into the room, or even worse, a gas explosion.

 

[a little annihilation]

All my life I've only lived in places with electric stoves. I think I've been to people's houses that had gas stoves but I don't really remember. The only time I've used a gas stove is a little propane one for camping.

[ElloryJaye]

I've only ever used electric, and to be honest I have a phobia about open flames.  I know gas stoves are supposed to have better temperature regulation, but for the level I cook at it doesn't matter—I'm not a chef or even an enthusiastic home cook.

 

[J. van Deijck]

1 hour ago, Ortac said:

I can't really imagine why anyone would choose a gas hob over a modern electric induction hob.

I'd love to have an induction stove, but the electric one was there when we rented the house and we're not allowed to replace it, so I guess we would be in the same situation if there was a gas stove having own house really has its benefits.

[Jordan...]

After living with an electric oven for the 8 years since I moved out of the family home, I got used to it. But after moving in to where we currently live, which has a gas oven, I understand why people like them more.

 

Electric oven would take a bit of time to heat up, gas one seems to be ready in under a minute.

 

HOWEVER! There is one major issue with gas ovens... The fuel isn't renewable. As much as I prefer using a gas oven for its speed, with electricity being both cheaper and able to be generated by renewables, that will be what we have when my fiancé and I somehow manage to afford a house.

[Barbio]

19 hours ago, Ollie415 said:

You know what's missing from this? The age dimension.

I'll admit, I had not considered how the age of the appliance would affect the quality. Thanks for offering your perspective!

 

19 hours ago, E said:

I've always hated the idea of having my ability to eat warm food or cook anything tied to resources that I can't control, to devices I can't fix if they break somewhere like within their circuitry.

Same here. I'd love to learn how to be more self-reliant someday, but I'm just using what I've got in the meantime.

 

19 hours ago, RoseGoesToYale said:

We were without power for several days, but you know what we were all able to do for the first time during a power outage? Cook food and boil water. Every hurricane-prone area needs to be allowed to keep gas stoves for this reason.

I did not know you could still use a gas stove during a power outage. That's good to know! And yes, I agree that gas should still be available during emergencies, if nothing else.

 

 

 

I must say, I'm learning quite a lot about stoves from this conversation. Granted, I've only ever used three.

[sirenian]

Here's what I'd say.

With a gas stove, you know what you're getting.  The oven may have hot spots or something, but basically you know how it'll work, and with the stovetop you definitley know what you're gettin.
Electric stoves are all over the map.  I grew up with an electric stove in my house, and I have, over the years, lived in different places with electric stoves (though right now I have gas) and they are all different. You have to learn how to cook with each one: what does "high heat" or "low heat" mean, and how fast do they get hotter or cooler, and do they heat evenly across the whole burner, and how good is the contact they make with the pot.  You have to really learn to use an electric range.  (Note: with induction cooktops, I think there is less variation, but I've never had one of these.)

So, I think you CAN get excellent results with a good electric stove, but only if it happens to be a good one, and then, only after you take enough time to learn that particular system with its idiosyncrasies.  Whereas a gas burner is a gas burner, and you just turn the flame until its the size of flame you want.  Not as good for the environment.  Possibly other issues.  But definitely more consistent and straight-forward to use.

[everywhere and nowhere]

I'm very used to gas stoves and I'm a bit worried about gas and all fossil fuels in general becoming more and more of a problem, because I don't want to burden the environment excessively, but electric stoves have a big downside.

Some things need to be cooked on a higher or lower heat, right? You can turn the gas on as much as you like when you're heating water for cooking pasta or rice, but once you start actually cooking it, it should be kept on low heat because otherwise it might boil over. If the flame is too high, it's just a small turn of the gas knob and the reaction is immediate. And if an electric stove is too hot... it might take a minute for it to achieve the same effect. In the meantime, of course, the contents of the pot or pan might boil over or burn... So from this point of view, electric stoves are extremely inconvenient and I find using one hard to imagine.

Too bad that even new gas stoves don't have the layout I'm used to. My stove in in a left-hand corner of the kitchen and the layout is, clockwise from top left: medium gas ring, large one, another medium one and the tiny one. It's a good layout for me - I use the bottom-right medium gas ring the most and it's very comfortable that it's not next to the wall. When I was looking at stoves before my apartment's renovation, all new ones had a different layout... finally we decided that my stove is not actually broken, it's just that over time all markings have been completely erased from the knobs (particularly inconvenient in case of the oven, I had no idea what the exact temperature might be), but it was enough to buy new knobs...

[Libellule]

I currently use an electric one, and have been for most of my life. My first own flat had a gas stove, and at first it slightly terrified me but it grew on me eventually and I came to appreciate it during the 2 years I lived there. 

Can't say I have a strong preference for either, though. I'm probably just more used to electric ones.

[daveb]

49 minutes ago, Libellule said:

I currently use an electric one, and have been for most of my life. My first own flat had a gas stove, and at first it slightly terrified me but it grew on me eventually and I came to appreciate it during the 2 years I lived there. 

Can't say I have a strong preference for either, though. I'm probably just more used to electric ones.

Similar for me, except I was more used to gas stoves. But I'm fine with either. I think both have their pros and cons, and mostly it's a matter of getting used to one or the other (for me at least, not being much of a cook anyway).  

[Ultima]

personally, i like wood burning stoves. I had a grandmother in ohio who used one and it was great. she had some wooded areas near her house so it cost her nothing to use it. This stove was designed to also heat the house as well as food. She had no heating costs and refuse to switch to gas or electric. She also would not use microwaves, she believed you could get cancer from them.  

[SpaceDustbin]

With electric, did you mean any kind of stove that works on electricity, or this kind of stove in specific? 

 

Either way, I voted for other, because I'm currently using induction, and before that ceramic, but maybe I'm being too specific

 

I grew up using a gas stove, but in the places I've lived on my own since 2012, I've only used electric, ceramic and induction stoves. Not a fan of the old type electric stove, because the temperature regulation is very slow, but that's much better in induction (which has as an advantage that it automatically switches off when you've removed the pan from the stove) 

[Grumpy Alien]

I just don’t see the point/benefit of gas. It’s not ye olden times.

[Anomaly Q3Xr]

I have used both gas and electric. My home is fully electric, there is no gas connection in my flat at all, so I would have to use electric here anyway, but I have always preferred electric in any case.

 

I don't have a full stove/oven, I only have a "small" portable electric oven that sits on my side.