HeyBub wrote:

Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
On 11/20/08 11:24 am SteveB wrote:

After a measly 32 years, my range has cratered.

Any rec's for a new one? $500-$700 price range?

Any ones to stay away from?

Thanks a heap,

Stay away from electric.

Why? My wife was a Home Ec. major in college and has taught Home Ec.
She has used both gas and electric ranges over the years and seems
perfectly content with her new ceramic-top electric range. We could
have had gas run to the kitchen for a gas range (the furnace is gas),
but she decided that electric was fine.



Electrics are deficient in the following areas:
* They take a while to heat up,
* You don't have full control over the heat,
* They don't get as hot as a gas range,
* They cost more to operate,
* You can't tell by looking whether they're on or off,
* You don't have the versatility:
#You can't toast marshmallows on an electric range.
# You can't burn the pin feathers off a freshly-plucked chicken.

Electrics do far better at low simmers without burning than gas, except
for the high end gas with intermittent burners for simmer. A separate
electric cook pot (not crock pot) does an acceptable job of covering for
this failing with a gas stove.

Electric ovens are nearly always superior to gas ovens, hence my
preference for a dual fuel setup with gas burners and electric ovens.

Operating cost on either type is not a factor unless you are cooking in
commercial quantities.