Gas or electric stove? What is the flex?

The Sandbox General
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I’ve always thought gas was the $$ flex and sign of luxury. But since moving into my tiny apartment from my ginormous house I’m getting used to this electric stove.

But main reason I like gas is because of asian stir fry. Woks don’t sit on flat surfaces, and also the flames hug the woks better (especially real woks where it’s rounded at the bottom and literally can’t stand on its own).

I was also under the (mis)conception that gas emits more heat, but that might not be true since electric stoves can get pretty hot nowadays.

Functionality aside, does gas speak luxury to you?

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Not luxury in the 21st century. Maybe 19th…

Ive used both and I find I can control the heat better with gas. And it is immediately hot.

Plus, I can still cook when the power goes out…

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Or use it to warm the house!

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Been there, done that.

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This

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I agree with BG and Serena and JSM. There is a movement to electric because it’s more eco-friendly, so I think the tide will turn to electric being more preferential from that POV. But for pure cooking… gas wins.

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I’ve always had gas and maybe this is irrational but I don’t think I’d like electric because it’s less obvious that it’s hot… seems more of a risk to get burnt than gas where it’s a legit fire

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I’ve owned many a range/stove/oven.

Sorry, JSM, but this question is really not really relevant.

If you want “luxury” then you need a stove that’s wider than average, like 48". But you need a bigger kitchen and a bigger house for that usually.

A range is a tool, and functionality is the paramount criteria in selecting one.

That said, I have owned several. The last one that I bought was a ceramic top electric model. It would heat up just as fast as a gas range top. My experience is that water boils just as fast on a modern electric top as it does on a gas top. It doesn’t cool down quite as fast as turning off the gas does.

Cleaning the ceramic top is much much easier than cleaning a gas range top. Also, electric ovens have self cleaning cycles that I am not aware of in gas fueled ovens. So for me, electric is preferred.

Right now I have a gas range, because it was here when I bought the house. I likely won’t replace it until it dies.

I have heard multiple TV cooking hosts, including Alton Brown, state that no american range will generate the kind of heat that is required for real asian stir fry.

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I might be impressed if I walked into a home kitchen and saw a Vulcan stove or other commercial brand. Mostly I’d think they’re an idiot for buying a commercial range for a home.

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Potbelly or GTFO
image

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My first thought would be: are you really getting that level of use from your stove? Or do you just want me to be impressed?

I have a really nice gas cooktop. Jenn air. We got a good deal bc SO does so many kitchens with the wholesaler. And we use the heck out of it. I don’t know that I’d get any more use out of a commercial grade Vulcan. (Live long and prosper :slight_smile: )

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NERRRRRRDDDDD!!!

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My gas range is easy to clean. And much harder to damage than my sister’s fragile glass-top thing. And my gas oven has a self-cleaning cycle. And i do like that my gas burner hugs the sides of my wok, which is round and wouldn’t work at all with an electric stove.

But i think the “flex” range right now is induction. I know a good induction range heats water faster than anything else residential. My friend’s who have gotten them are all really happy with them.

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Induction is definitely the fastest way to boil water. The water is boiling within seconds of turning the stove on. But only certain pans work, so you might have to buy new pans. Not a huge deal, but it adds to the initial outlay. If a magnet won’t stick to the pan, it won’t work on an induction stove.

I am the odd person out here. I hate, loathe and despise gas. The only redeeming feature, IMO, is that you can cook when the power is out. Which, depending on how often you lose power, might be really nice.

I do not own a wok, but your argument that a wok works better with gas seems quite plausible. And gas ovens certainly can have self-cleaning features, same as electric.

But I hate gas because it is so freaking hot in the summer. Electric is MUCH more efficient. Most of the gas energy goes into heating the room. And it makes the kitchen miserable. It’s fine in the winter, but not in the summer. Especially if you don’t have air conditioning.

The gas oven vents a crap-ton of heat into the kitchen and the pans sit so far above the flame on a gas stove that it does too. Gas stoves are awful to clean.

I had a glass cooktop in my condo and I loved it. In 6 years I think the longest I was ever without power was maybe 15 minutes, so the not being able to cook during a power failure was no big deal. You do have to have the right cleaner for it and a microfiber cloth, but with the right products it’s unbelievably easy to clean.

I have a gas range here and I hate it, but it was practically brand new when we bought the place and I’m too cheap to replace it. Although my excess air conditioning costs over the time we’ve lived here probably would’ve paid for a new range. So I’m probably being dumb to leave it alone, but now we’re talking about selling, and buyers seem to prefer gas for some weird reason, so if we do sell then we’re better off keeping the current range.

Were I to replace my range I’d want an electric oven and probably a split of half-induction / half regular electric burners (yes, you can do this). All glass cooktop.

I am definitely in the minority with this viewpoint, but my opinions are strong.

I will say that where my ex & I lived we lost power a lot and being able to cook on a gas stove in a power failure was really nice. I never figured out how to use the oven (assuming that you can’t, due to the thermostat?) but just having use of the stove was nice. When I moved to the city we basically just never lost power.

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We have a vent over the range. When the fan is on, the oven barely heats up the kitchen. Even without the fan, it doesn’t seem to add that much heat to the room.

As for the stovetop, the flame is always smaller than the pot. I really don’t notice the difference between a gas and an electric stove top for “leaks heat”.

Our old gas oven did heat up the kitchen. It was also really slow to bring up to temp. I think i mentioned in the oven thread that the new one was AMAZINGLY better insulated. It’s larger inside, it heats up much faster, and it doesn’t heat the kitchen as much.

If you hate your stove, it’s worth replacing it. You are an actuary, and your husband is also employed. I’m sure you can afford it. The pain of the cost will dim in weeks, and you’ll be happier with the stove for years. At least, i certainly am. I, too, felt weird replacing a stove that didn’t have any critical failures. But I’m SO glad i did. This one cooks so much better. And heats the kitchen less. And can hold three trays of cookies at once. And comfortably fits a roast goose.

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I’m sure you are aware, but just in case: make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector if this is your plan.

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Absolutely.

Our induction stove heats oil and keeps it at temperature in a way comparable to commercial friers. No electric or gas stove can compare. I frequently make french fries for 10-20 people, and induction stove is better even than my large double boiler propane stove.

It’s not hard to clean, but I know my So is concerned about scraping the glass. That’s about the only downside, though in a year plus of heavy use we don’t have any scratches yet.

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This is my third gas stove and they all leak tons and tons of heat. The electric coils leaked a little, but not nearly as bad. The glass cooktop doesn’t leak heat at all… there’s nowhere for it to go but into the pan. I guess maybe some leaks underneath, but that’s into the insulated oven and isn’t noticeable.

The heating element on the cooktop isn’t exposed to air if there’s a pan on it.

I will say that the downside is that with the cooktop I had to buy all new pans because my old ones were warped after years of use on the gas stove. I had no clue they were warped… wasn’t particularly noticeable when I put them in the cabinet. But boy was it noticeable on the cooktop!!!

Got all new pans and everything was great.

As for replacing the range…

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I lived in my condo for 6 years, stove was installed by previous owners, and I got one tiny scratch in that time, and I honestly think it happened the night that my husband (then-boyfriend) and my mom got together while I was working and cooked dinner in my kitchen. But I’m not sure… might’ve been me and possibly I was subconsciously looking at the stove closer after they were done.

One of my neighbors had teenagers and their newer-than-mine cooktop looked positively awful after a year or so. They blamed their teenagers, but I’m not convinced it wasn’t how she cleaned it. She didn’t use the special cleaner. Their unit had been remodeled by a flipper and I looked at it at the same I looked at mine and opted for mine. They bought the flipped unit a couple of months after I moved in. Mine had been remodeled by a couple who’d intended to stay but went bankrupt. They may have opted for better quality than the flipper… not sure. But I’m guessing the cleaning at least played into it.

I’m sure the teenagers didn’t help, but I’m not really sure whether the scratches were from use or improper cleaning.

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That’s interesting and something that I didn’t know / wouldn’t have guessed. Not because I dislike induction… just haven’t researched much.

My mother has a half induction / half regular glass cooktop stove, so I’ve done some cooking on it when I visit her. But I’ve definitely never made French fries… it’s more like assisting with Thanksgiving dinner or making breakfast.

I’ve never owned induction myself.