# advice on gas cooking stoves?



## RIDGERUNNER30 (Jul 21, 2010)

Hey guys, I have been remodeling our kitchen all summer and my wife is wanting to get a new cooking range, we have always had electric and the stove we have now has a glass top and we cook alot of our food in iron skillets, the really old kind and the glass top on our stove is in bad shape, but anyway I was looking at gas stoves and love looks and big heavy cooking grids for pots and skillets, my question is are gas stoves safe and would they be cheaper to run than a electric range, alot people tell me the will blow up and are dangerous, but I just don't know, does anybody on here have a gas stove? and whats your opinion abut them


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## woodsman23 (Jul 21, 2010)

gas stoves are great and are more efficient than electric ones. They are not going to blow up unless you break off the line and strike a match. I have a amana and it works well. all electronic ignition and timers for everything and self cleaning oven. Just spend a bit more and get a nice name brand one and you will never look back. Just make sure you have a gas line somewhere near the stove or you will have to run one using black pipe.


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## rtljr (Jul 21, 2010)

Consider a "dual fuel" range, i.e. gas cooktop and electric oven; best of both worlds in my opinion.  My wife and I bought a Frigidaire dual fuel when we remodeled a few years back.  Five gas burners, large electric convection oven, and a small conventional electric side oven.  I love the gas burners (two simmer, two regular, and one high output) for the precise control, the convection oven is outstanding, and the small side oven is great for reheating items, rolls, brownies, etc.  The same stove is available as a Kenmore at Sears which is usually less money than the Frigidaire labeled one, but we bought an entire kitchen's worth of appliances and the Frigidaire was two hundred dollars less at an appliance store than the Kenmore version at Sears.


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## smokinj (Jul 21, 2010)

“dual fuel” Thats what I have gas top ele oven.


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## begreen (Jul 21, 2010)

When we remodeled the kitchen I pulled out the built-in electric and replaced it with a gas cooktop (Modern Maid) with nice heavy grates, but affordable. That was 15 years ago and it still looks like new and works great. I put in a new cabinet underneath it and moved the oven to a separate electric wall oven. This combo works well and we always have a cooktop during power outages.


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## firefighterjake (Jul 21, 2010)

Dangerous . . . geez . . . no more dangerous than having an appliance hooked up to 220 volts that is capable of burning down a house.  Sure . . . there is gas and there is a danger (but any appliance whether gas or electric has its own unique dangers) . . . but there are a lot of safety features incorporated in gas stoves today . . . and no pilot lights thanks to electronic ignition. 

I wouldn't cook on anything other than gas these days. Been running a propane range now for 16+ years. They're efficient and much cheaper to run in my area of the country than electric stoves. My current range is a double oven Maytag . . . which I like a lot. Smaller oven is perfect for most of our cooking and with a little more than a year . . . maybe it's two years now . . . I forget . . . no issues.


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## semipro (Jul 21, 2010)

Consider an induction stovetop. 

Gas stoves do have their drawbacks; like odors and introduction of water vapor to the house,  I've used gas and liked it mainly for its infinite variability and instant response.  However many new electric stoves now offer those features without the drawbacks. 

Since you use cast iron cookware a lot I'd consider you check out an inductive electric stove.  There's a pretty good description of induction stoves here: http://www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Appliances/induction-cooktops


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## vvvv (Jul 21, 2010)

Semipro said:
			
		

> Consider an induction stovetop.
> 
> Gas stoves do have their drawbacks; like odors and introduction of water vapor to the house,  I've used gas and liked it mainly for its infinite variability and instant response.  However many new electric stoves now offer those features without the drawbacks.
> 
> Since you use cast iron cookware a lot I'd consider you check out an inductive electric stove.  There's a pretty good description of induction stoves here: http://www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Appliances/induction-cooktops


can the top crack from impact?


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## JeffRey30747 (Jul 21, 2010)

We put a Jenn Air dual fuel double oven range in our new house over two years ago and so far have nothing but good things to say about it. I have always liked a gas cooktop but was never really able to bake like I wanted in the gas oven I had before (might have been me instead of the oven) so I steered my wife in this direction. She loves the gas cooktop and the ability to use the smaller oven and not heat the house up as much. Ours is basic white instead of stainless.

http://www.jennair.com/flash.cmd?/#/product/JDR8895BAS


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## begreen (Jul 21, 2010)

Semipro said:
			
		

> Consider an induction stovetop.
> 
> Gas stoves do have their drawbacks; like odors and introduction of water vapor to the house,  I've used gas and liked it mainly for its infinite variability and instant response.  However many new electric stoves now offer those features without the drawbacks.



I consider adding moisture to the house a benefit. We do a lot more indoor cooking in the winter. The extra humidity is always welcome. As for odors? We get lingering garlic odors, but not from the propane. 

What a gas cooktop gives one over electric is control. One can set the temp precisely from very low to high and has a visual check. Most importantly, the control is instant, no wait for the burner getting up to temp, and no wait for it to cool down. The other advantage is burner size. If you are a pro chef or cooking large quantities, you can get gas tops with serious btu capacity to take a big pasta pot full of water up to a boil in no time.

AFAIK, most serious cooks use a gas cooktop for the above reasons. I know my wife would be after me with her Henkels in an uproar if I tried to change back to electric.


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## semipro (Jul 21, 2010)

BLIMP said:
			
		

> Semipro said:
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I don't know.  I've never used one but a guy I work with loves his.


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## semipro (Jul 21, 2010)

BeGreen said:
			
		

> Semipro said:
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I used to feel the same way about our gas stove.  I thought gas was the only way to go if you were serious about cooking. I think you may be thinking of the the old style spiral thick element electric stoves.  Those stink.  

I can identify a house that uses propane for cooking when I walk in the door; reminds me of my grandma's house.  The extra humidity and carbon dioxide produced is not always welcome inside a house; depends on your circumstances I guess.  You're  basically using a vent-free heater when you crank up a gas stove top. 

Our latest electric stove (thin heating element, ceramic top) offers almost all the benefits of a gas stove you mention except visual feedback, although I can see the thin heater elements growing red or dimming when I adjust the temp.   I say "almost" because I'm not sure how an electric stove like ours compares to the type of gas one you mention as far a heat output.  We've never wanted for more heat though but maybe that's because we've never had more.


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## Bobbin (Jul 21, 2010)

Gas stoves are the balls!  Fire is there, fire is gone when you turn the knob to off... none of the "tick, tick, tick" cool down crap.  Blow up? I don't think so! gas is the way to go.  If the electricity goes out and you don't have a generator you can always light the burners and do some cooking.  

We have a GE Profile that I purchased in the spring of '09.   I was pushed over the edge when  it took me 35 minutes to get the oven on the 25 yr. old, 24" apartment size range to hold steady at 350 degrees so I could bake the cake rounds.  I was so pissed off I didn't even bother to discuss the $1200 purchase with the old man.  I bought it, arranged for delivery and installation, and we paid the bill.  And I took a lot of -hit for my unilateral decision, too.  (The husband does all the cooking and I'm effectively the skullery maid, in charge of cleaning up the debris trail that follows any meal).  Until he used it for the first time, lol.  All I heard was, "wow....  Oh wow... .  Oh my god...".  And then this, "Honey, great call on the range! this thing is unbelievable, I love it!".  Hehehe... 

GE Profile has heavy duty grates to protect the 4 burners and the 5th burner that heats the optional griddle for the center of the range top.  The grates provide a smooth surface that allows you to slide pans over the entire cooking surface of the stove top.  No lifting is required to move them.  Two burners (in the rear) are smaller, and one is larger and has the "rapid boil" feature (great for boiling water quickly or using a wok).  The 5th. burner(in the middle of the stove top) is oblong in shape at it heats the griddle option my husband said he'd "never use", but uses at least 3x/wk. because he loves pancakes and French toast.  

The gas oven heats quickly, cooks evenly, and has a fabulous broiler (for "finishing" fish).  Gas ovens are great and every bit as evenly hot as an electric model.  The only difference we've noticed is that when the electricity has gone out we can't light the oven, and must restrict ourselves to rangetop meals.  

Rave reviews on our range.  I should have bought it years ago.  Go for it! and don't look back!


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## begreen (Jul 21, 2010)

I'm wondering if the propane smell was from a pilot lit gas stove? We really don't get any odors from ours that I can tell. It has piezoelectric ignition. But then again we have 80 yrs of aromas in this house. If we make waffles in the winter you can smell them all day.


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## Highbeam (Jul 21, 2010)

I went from a decent natural gas range/oven in my last house to one of these fancy glass top electrics. I'm no fine chef but I know how to do some things. These modern electric glasstops sure do turn red really fast so they look hot. No burned hair from the back of your hand. Cleanup is super easy since there is nowhere for the junk to go. There are severe limitations on pot size which is no good for large pots of soup, chili, water bath canning, or brewing beer. The burners just don't make as much heat as NG. Not that big a deal. The real big deal is this.... the damn thing doesn't have a medium or low setting. What these ranges do is intermittently send juice to the burner at a pulse width corresponding to the dial setting. So you get full hot, then off, then full hot, then off. This is irritating when you are trying to fry eggs or when you want to simmer something on low heat. 

Perhaps the smell is from propane vs. natural gas? I never had a NG smell from the oven.


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## Bobbin (Jul 21, 2010)

Our range is fuelled by propane.  There is no smell in our home unless the ignitor on the burners has failed and the gas is still being emitted.  In that case, turn the burner off, wait a bit, then turn it on again and light the burner manually.    No big deal.  

As I understand it, if you "smell" propane, you are smelling a leak from the delivery system and you should call your gas provider immediately.  After you shut off the main valve that delivers the gas into your home!


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## semipro (Jul 21, 2010)

BeGreen said:
			
		

> I'm wondering if the propane smell was from a pilot lit gas stove? We really don't get any odors from ours that I can tell. It has piezoelectric ignition. But then again we have 80 yrs of aromas in this house. If we make waffles in the winter you can smell them all day.



Maybe the smell comes from the small amount of propane that's released before the burner lights off on a piezoelectric stove???    

A friend of ours uses a propane stovetop.  I noted the smell when I walked in once, remarked that it smelled like my grandma's kitchen (fond memories) and she said she remembered that smell in her grandma's house too.  So I'm not crazy... am I?   My grandpa used to cook coon on his stove at the orchard.  Though the smell of cookin' coon was strong I could still smell the burning gas, in this case, natural gas from a well on his property (more good memories).


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## begreen (Jul 22, 2010)

We're on propane, no odors. Though I do know the smell. I think it might be the old match light style stoves. I used to deliver newspapers and remember that smell in some folk's houses.  I also remember the smell of a places that had coal burning, not bad, but unique. Same two houses still had the iceman deliver ice for their refrigeration. Now that is really dating me.


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## firefighterjake (Jul 22, 2010)

Can't say as though I've ever noticed any excessive moisture in the air . . . unless we've been cooking a lot and boiling a lot. 

As for propane smells . . . the only time I smell propane . . . well my wife smells propane . . . is when I'm a numbskull and put a pot on the stove, turn on the burner and fail to realize that the gas has ignited . . . for 5-10 minutes or until my wife says, "Jay, you hammerhead . . . did you not light the burner?" . . . at which point I open a window to ventilate the area . . . fortunately this is a rather rare event.

I thought for a few minutes about buying a combination propane stove top/electric oven since this seems to be what the professionals use . . . and then I realized that I am not a professional cook . . . I mean one of my favorite meals is hamburger and gravy over steamed rice . . . so since I'm not making a lot of soufles having the temperature be spot on isn't so critical . . . so far I haven't been disappointed with any of the cookies, cakes or pizza coming out of the oven . . . I do notice the propane stove tends to cook things faster rather than slower than what most recipes state.

As Bobbin mentioned one plus with a gas stove is the ability to cook without power. In my pre-woodstove days when we were without power for 14 days because of an ice storm my wife and I learned that there are many things you can cook on a stove top . . . namely since the items in the freezer were melting . . . food that is typically baked or microwaved was cooked on top of the stove . . . even those Banquet Frozen parmesan chicken patties.

As for clean-up . . . my wife insisted we get a stove with a sealed top and self cleaning ovens . . . which I must admit is very handy. To clean up the top you just pull off the two grates (which cover the entire top surface above the 5-burners) . . . and swipe with a clean rag.


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## firefighterjake (Jul 26, 2010)

Incidentally I was wrong . . . our stove is a Kenmore . . . but if you look at it and a Maytag of the same year you would see that they're pretty much the same stove.


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## pyper (Jul 27, 2010)

Sometimes I can smell propane from the burners. I think it's right after they fill the tank. I have no idea why that would be.

For cooking, gas stoves rule. Watch any cooking show on TV and they're using gas. 

Instant adjustment of temperature, and you don't have to throw away your pans if they get a slight warp.

We have a GE profile range, which is a moderately priced unit. I don't understand how the results would be any better from an electric oven. Supposedly they heat more evenly, but our oven does just fine. I never rotate things, other than stuff under the broiler.

Do make sure your broiler is on top of the oven. The kind in the drawer are no fun.


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## ironpony (Jul 27, 2010)

I do alot of cooking and what I found to be important when looking at stovetops 
was the burner spacing, we bought a six burner top kenmore elite series
some of the tops the spacing was to close to use all the burners with normal size pans
so what is the sense in having five or six burners if you cant use them
I can put six 10" diameter pans on at the same time, not that I often do
but when eveyone wants a different omelette on sat morning
it can be done


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## firefighterjake (Jul 27, 2010)

ironpony said:
			
		

> I do alot of cooking and what I found to be important when looking at stovetops
> was the burner spacing, we bought a six burner top kenmore elite series
> some of the tops the spacing was to close to use all the burners with normal size pans
> so what is the sense in having five or six burners if you cant use them
> ...



I'll have a bacon, sausage and tomato omelette . . . could I also get a side order of hashbrowns (no onions please) and raisin toast?


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## ironpony (Jul 27, 2010)

sorry no raisin toast but
we have raisin english muffins


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## firefighterjake (Jul 28, 2010)

ironpony said:
			
		

> sorry no raisin toast but
> we have raisin english muffins



Close enough . . . I'll be over on Saturday morning.


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## dswitham (Jul 28, 2010)

Just to add a little more info to think about. If you go with gas, don't go with the cheapest you can find. My husband and I cook for a crowd once in awhile that has two cheap, and I mean cheap, gas stoves. You can't turn the burners down at all. We cook for two weeks each summer at a youth camp and the commercial stove they have there can be adjusted better than the cheap ones. The cheap ones have one temp and that's it. Now I cook all the food at home on my gas stove and bring it over there. I have a Bosch gas stove and love it. If you do a lot of baking you might want to consider a convection oven for the oven part. They are becoming more common in residential ovens and are great when you have to cook for a crowd, a frequent occurrence at our house. I love the fact that I can fill all three racks in my oven with pizza and bake them all at once. We finish off our maple syrup inside and having a stove that can handle large kettles is great. The grates cover the top and it is has what is called a sealed top, which is wonderful for cleanup time.  It has been in use for about 5 years and still going strong. Also it has one burner that is for large kettles and skillets and it handles my 12" cast iron skillet with no problem.


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## LLigetfa (Jul 28, 2010)

Semipro said:
			
		

> Gas stoves do have their drawbacks; like odors and introduction of water vapor to the house...


The additional moisture is a BIG bonus inside the oven as it helps reduce how much the food you're baking dries out.

I have a gas range and gas oven and wouldn't have it any other way.


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## pybyr (Aug 23, 2010)

One drawback to modern gas ovens is that they use a "hot surface ignitor" as a way of eliminating a pilot light.

It's good to save the energy and avoid the combustion byproducts from a pilot light...

BUT-

-the hot surface ignitors are a finite-life part- they sit in the flame even after it has been ignited, and the flame gradually 'cooks away' some of the ignitor, until it gets to the point that the ignitor can't send the proper signal (current flow) to open the gas solenoid valve in response to the oven thermostat's call for heat.

Net result- if you use your oven much, you can count on needing to replace these ignitors periodically- perhaps as often as every several years.  The ignitors themselves are not cheap (varies by stove make and model- but often some considerably tens of $ per ignitor and many ovens use several) and if you are having to pay a service tech to come change them out, it'll get expensive.  

Ridiculously, any modern gas oven that I've seen does _not_ have provisions to make it simple to change this part- they are hard-wired in and you've got to disassemble a fair amount of stuff to get to them.  Seems to me that when the manufacturers have reason to know that this will be a part that'll need periodic replacement during the life of the appliance, they ought to plan for accessibility and easily-changeable connections/ mounts.

If I knew what I know now about the ignitors, I am not sure I'd have gone for a gas range (even though I like the way that they cook) or might've most likely gone with a "dual fuel" gas burner/ electric oven.


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## begreen (Aug 23, 2010)

Very good point on the oven ignitors Trevor. We have a friend that has an expensive Viking commercial range. They have gone through a few ignitors in the past 15 years and they are very expensive. Now they always have a spare. They love the stove, but the ignitor is a sore point.


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## pybyr (Aug 23, 2010)

BeGreen said:
			
		

> Very good point on the oven ignitors Trevor. We have a friend that has an expensive Viking commercial range. They have gone through a few ignitors in the past 15 years and they are very expensive. Now they always have a spare. They love the stove, but the ignitor is a sore point.



I've got one of those V- brand things myself (bought during some brief high earning years in the late 90s- never could think of buying one now).  At least in mine, changing the ignitors is a moderately involved task involving cutting and reconnecting wiring.  

I'm a pretty hard core DIY-er and while I am completely capable of changing the ignitors and won't pay service call rates to have them changed, it annoys the $#%& out of me that it is built in such a way that it's not only expensive for the part, but a needlessly troublesome chore (that the average oven owner couldn't and shouldn't do themselves).

I've known of people having the same issues with regular-household brand gas ovens, too- expensive part/ inaccessible location.

Why on earth are these ovens not _all_ set up with a little access panel, and some connectors on the ignitor so you could pop the old one out and new one in?  Simple neglectful design and non-consideration of serviceability.


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## pyper (Aug 23, 2010)

We've had our GE oven about a decade and the ignitor hasn't been a problem yet. Knock on wood. 

But one issue we _have_ needed to contend with is that you cannot use the oven when the power is out.


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