I realize that the cost differences are regional, and it's up to me to
call up the local utilities and find out what the going rates are.
*however*, there are some things that may preclude cost, and
implementation matters too.

Might be buying a house that has a gas waterheater and a gas
boiler/baseboard system. Both appear to be fairly new- i.e. 5 years
maybe. The water heater is fine- if it ain't broke don't fix it.
However-

1) Would it be best to heat the house with the gas boiler, or would it
be best to shut it down completely and heat with small electric space
heaters? The house is bi-level, very open, about 1100 sq feet, no
basement, approximately 20 years old. This is South Central Wisconsin,
and we have real winters here (i.e. sustained temperatures between
8-20F for weeks at a time). Can you just "turn off" modern gas
boilers- i.e. no pilot light or anything?

2) We will need to buy a stove for the house. I prefer cooking on gas.
The Missus prefers electric. Looks like they cost about the same, and
when you sit down to eat the end result is the same. In the long run,
which might be a better choice?

3) We will need to buy a washer/dryer pair for the house. Once again-
gas dryer or electric? I have no opinion on this, personally. I think
the hookup is currently electric, but we may relocate them anyways.
Are the over/under combo units still inherently evil?

4) I like beer. Beer gives me gas. The Missus threatens to buy an
electric cattle prod to punish me for my efforts. Which will win- gas
or electric?

Is gas considered enough of a hazard to where it's best to avoid it if
at all possible? Can multiple electric appliances require an update of
the fuse panel to something higher (i.e. from 100 or 130 to 200A)?

Thanks for any replies.

"phaeton" wrote in message

1) Would it be best to heat the house with the gas boiler, or would it
be best to shut it down completely and heat with small electric space
heaters?

No. I repeat. NO. In case you missed it NO, don't do it.


Can you just "turn off" modern gas
boilers- i.e. no pilot light or anything?

Yes, bu t you need t ofr h eat. In the summer, you can turn it off, pilot
and all if it has one. YOu do't want to turn it off and on every day in
mild weather though, as the repeated heating and cooling put stress on the
internal components.


2) We will need to buy a stove for the house. I prefer cooking on gas.
The Missus prefers electric. Looks like they cost about the same, and
when you sit down to eat the end result is the same. In the long run,
which might be a better choice?

Who does the majority of the cooking? We ditched electric and went to
propane becuase we really disliked electric cooking. YMMV. Gas is more
responsive, and you can toast marshmallow too!


3) We will need to buy a washer/dryer pair for the house. Once again-
gas dryer or electric?

In most cases, electric is still more expensive. I'd go with gas if I had
the option. Check local rates. Gas installation may cost more though.



4) I like beer. Beer gives me gas. The Missus threatens to buy an
electric cattle prod to punish me for my efforts. Which will win- gas
or electric?

Use a lighter and help heat the house. Wife can't complain on a cold day.


Is gas considered enough of a hazard to where it's best to avoid it if
at all possible?

Every year a house or two blows up from gas. Every year year many people are
killed by electric. I don't see any hazzard if proper use of the appliances
and general common sense are used.


Can multiple electric appliances require an update of
the fuse panel to something higher (i.e. from 100 or 130 to 200A)?

100A should get you by unless you go to electric heat or perhaps central AC.

phaeton wrote:
I realize that the cost differences are regional, and it's up to me to
call up the local utilities and find out what the going rates are.
*however*, there are some things that may preclude cost, and
implementation matters too.

Might be buying a house that has a gas waterheater and a gas
boiler/baseboard system. Both appear to be fairly new- i.e. 5 years
maybe. The water heater is fine- if it ain't broke don't fix it.
However-

1) Would it be best to heat the house with the gas boiler, or would it
be best to shut it down completely and heat with small electric space
heaters?

Define best! Chances are you want the least expensive to operate with
quality results. Both produce quality results and in about 95% of North
America where gas is available, gas, even after the latest increases is
still the least expensive by a large margin. On exception to that rule are
warm areas of the US where heat pumps become practical most of the year.

The house is bi-level, very open, about 1100 sq feet, no
basement, approximately 20 years old. This is South Central
Wisconsin, and we have real winters here (i.e. sustained temperatures
between 8-20F for weeks at a time). Can you just "turn off" modern
gas boilers- i.e. no pilot light or anything?

2) We will need to buy a stove for the house. I prefer cooking on
gas. The Missus prefers electric. Looks like they cost about the
same, and when you sit down to eat the end result is the same. In
the long run, which might be a better choice?

Get what she wants, unless you do most of the cooking. Gas will likely
be cheaper, but not enough to worry about. Cooking is a small portion of
the total.


3) We will need to buy a washer/dryer pair for the house. Once again-
gas dryer or electric? I have no opinion on this, personally. I
think the hookup is currently electric, but we may relocate them
anyways. Are the over/under combo units still inherently evil?

Electric is almost always cheaper to buy and more expensive to use. I
chose gas. In most cases the difference in cost will make gas the best
choice.


4) I like beer. Beer gives me gas. The Missus threatens to buy an
electric cattle prod to punish me for my efforts. Which will win- gas
or electric?

Is gas considered enough of a hazard to where it's best to avoid it if
at all possible? Can multiple electric appliances require an update
of the fuse panel to something higher (i.e. from 100 or 130 to 200A)?

Gas is not a safety hazard. Look at all the homes around the world
using it. How often do you hear of a house burning down because of a gas
failure and how often do you hear of one burning down because of a wiring
problem. If it was a problem the insurance companies would charge you a big
premium.


Thanks for any replies.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Edwin Pawlowski said:

1) Would it be best to heat the house with the gas boiler, or would it
be best to shut it down completely and heat with small electric space
heaters?

No. I repeat. NO. In case you missed it NO, don't do it.

Don't do which? And why?

Electric is almost always cheaper to buy and more expensive to use. I
chose gas. In most cases the difference in cost will make gas the best
choice.

I see. Once again the location is up for grabs, so that might dictate
what we eventually end up with. It's just the two of us so it's not
like we will be doing 750 loads of laundry each week.

gas safety hazard

I'm actually more concerned with Carbon Monoxide than with the gas leak
itself- typically you know when you have a gas leak. With a C0 leak
you just lay down for a nap and don't wake up.

Btw, if I were to shut off the boiler I would leave it off- i
understand that heating/cooling constantly will wear it out.

Thx!

"phaeton" wrote in message
ups.com...
I realize that the cost differences are regional, and it's up to me to
call up the local utilities and find out what the going rates are.
*however*, there are some things that may preclude cost, and
implementation matters too.

Might be buying a house that has a gas waterheater and a gas
boiler/baseboard system. Both appear to be fairly new- i.e. 5 years
maybe. The water heater is fine- if it ain't broke don't fix it.
However-

1) Would it be best to heat the house with the gas boiler, or would it
be best to shut it down completely and heat with small electric space
heaters? The house is bi-level, very open, about 1100 sq feet, no
basement, approximately 20 years old. This is South Central Wisconsin,
and we have real winters here (i.e. sustained temperatures between
8-20F for weeks at a time). Can you just "turn off" modern gas
boilers- i.e. no pilot light or anything?

Some boilers are pilotless, I sure wish they would do the same for hot water
heaters. Just why do you want to turn off the pilot in the winter time?
Every gas appliance I have seen has a local shut off valve.

http://www.hvacopcost.com/

http://www.wapa.gov/es/calc.htm


2) We will need to buy a stove for the house. I prefer cooking on gas.
The Missus prefers electric. Looks like they cost about the same, and
when you sit down to eat the end result is the same. In the long run,
which might be a better choice?

Gas ranges are always a few dollars more. Beats me. I prefer gas, mom like
electricity. I get the ones that are self cleaning as well. Long run? what
an open question? Cost of fuel, how much do you use the appliance?



3) We will need to buy a washer/dryer pair for the house. Once again-
gas dryer or electric? I have no opinion on this, personally. I think
the hookup is currently electric, but we may relocate them anyways.
Are the over/under combo units still inherently evil?

Gas dryer is the only way to fly, IMO. Better check the plug before you
buy an electric unit. Most older homes are 3 prong. New code has 4 prong.
Not to worry there should be instructions on how to convert the dryer to the
3 pronged plug. Again how much do you use it?



4) I like beer. Beer gives me gas. The Missus threatens to buy an
electric cattle prod to punish me for my efforts. Which will win- gas
or electric?
Please forward the link to the gas cattle prod.

Is gas considered enough of a hazard to where it's best to avoid it if
at all possible? Can multiple electric appliances require an update of
the fuse panel to something higher (i.e. from 100 or 130 to 200A)?

Conversion from gas to electric could drive you to a larger service. Sorry
it goes 100 amps, 200 amps then 400. I have not seen a 150 in a long time
so they might still be out there. The cost of the service and circuits
could run thousands of dollars.




Thanks for any replies.

1. Gas boiler, not counting anything really bizarre with local utility
rates.

2. There's something better about food cooked over fire. Keeping the
woman happy is likely more important.

3. People I've known with gas dryers love them. Over/under
washer-dryers are nice, but what about when 1/2 breaks beyond repair?

4. Perhaps you've found a renewable form of energy. You drink beer
and produce methane. Wife shocks you with cattle prod. Ouch. Drink
more beer, shock, repeat. Harness the escaping methane to power a
generator.

-rev

"phaeton" wrote in message
oups.com...
Edwin Pawlowski said:

1) Would it be best to heat the house with the gas boiler, or would it
be best to shut it down completely and heat with small electric space
heaters?

No. I repeat. NO. In case you missed it NO, don't do it.

Don't do which? And why?

Electric space heaters will end up costing you a fortune.



gas safety hazard

I'm actually more concerned with Carbon Monoxide than with the gas leak
itself- typically you know when you have a gas leak. With a C0 leak
you just lay down for a nap and don't wake up.

Again, not a big deal. Every house should have a CO detecor or two anyway.
Not just gas, but any burning fuel.

"phaeton" wrote in message
ups.com...
I realize that the cost differences are regional, and it's up to me to
call up the local utilities and find out what the going rates are.
*however*, there are some things that may preclude cost, and
implementation matters too.



As far as I am concerned, nothing precludes price of the gas or electricity
for heating, perhaps a gas range may be preferred over electric, or gas
dryer over electric, but I am more concerned of the price of the source of
power be it gas or electric for home heating. Also your location is
important. Not much sense in putting in a gas furnace if you live in Miami!

If you lived next door to me, gas heat would be the only choice I would
consider for primary heat. If you lived a couple miles south of me I would
go with electric! (Different energy providers!)
Greg

or electric?

Is gas considered enough of a hazard to where it's best to avoid it if
at all possible? Can multiple electric appliances require an update of
the fuse panel to something higher (i.e. from 100 or 130 to 200A)?

Thanks for any replies.


You sound like we have almost identical situations. We are also in SE
WI, just moved into a 40 year old house with propane and ho****er
boiler, water heater and gas stove & dryer. I been fixing up older
homes for 25 years, this setup I consider is the best. Ho****er heat
is much more comfortable than hot air. So you will be able to turn the
stat down a little. With propane you have to find the right supplier,
some of the robbers out there drive propane trucks. We switch
suppliers after the supplier the former owners had quoted a price of
1.64 for a gallon ( in august) I called around and found no one else
that high. I settled for a supplier that gave me a very good quote and
a prebuy, So I bought all of my propane in August and they will come
and filled when needed.

Now the boiler, since it is not my first one I prefer to have a
standing pilot, reason being the pilot will provide a slight amount of
heat during summer which will keep the cast iron boiler from rusting
away. It also pays to learn how to maintain your boiler or pay someone
to do it annually. I dissemble the burners remove the chimney pipe,
then with a boiler brush ( a long round wire brush with a wire handle)
which you snake around between the sections to remove the scale
thereby increasing the heat transfer. The vac everything up and put it
back together. I've check into replacing my original to the house
boiler but I can't figure a decent payback. Take the input BTU
subtract the output BTU and you can figure what EFU precentage you
boiler is, my came back at 80%. I might have a vent damper install to
lessen the off cycle loss up the chimney. ( like the new one have)
A new boiler almost the same I was quoted $3500, for a high eff. one I
was quote $7500.

I'll keep this one until it no longer works and work on plugging the
heat leaks of the house to save on heat bills. Ho****er heat if you
can do it where you're at is the easiest to adapt one of those other
side wood heaters. They are costly also but if you can find the wood
for free or cheap nice heat no mess in the house.

Good luck

Tom

Trekking Tom wrote:
....

Now the boiler, since it is not my first one I prefer to have a
standing pilot, reason being the pilot will provide a slight amount of
heat during summer which will keep the cast iron boiler from rusting
away. ...

That may be the case in a few cases, but, at least for water heaters
test does some years ago proved that the pilot actually increased the rust
situation. The increased temperature and the moisture from the flame
(natural gas byproducts (H²O, CO and CO²) caused additional rust.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

On 25 Oct 2005 10:02:12 -0700, "phaeton"
wrote:

2) We will need to buy a stove for the house. I prefer cooking on gas.
The Missus prefers electric. Looks like they cost about the same, and
when you sit down to eat the end result is the same. In the long run,
which might be a better choice?

Unless you are prepared to take responsibility for all of the cooking,
I'd strongly suggest that you get an electric stove.

Jo Anne

Me cooking isn't an issue at all.

And actually, it's not that she prefers to *cook* on electric, it is
more one of the environmental impact of gas vs. electric, both locally
(in the house itself) and the big picture. I can see her point in that
every time you fire up a gas stove you are releasing a great deal of
toxins into your living space. As small as this house is I'm starting
to wonder if she's right- Baking a few loaves of bread or
slow-simmering something might asphyxiate us.

And then there is the big picture environmental impact. No need to
start a debate about fringe groups but we both tend to lean a little
towards the "green" crowd. Sure, electricity generator plants burn
fossil fuels to create energy also (around here they are coal) but
they're probably a model of efficiency for what they are doing.

Regarding electric stoves- my current roommates have a brand new
smooth-top electric. It seems really nice, actually- it heats up
quick, but my guess is that will change as it gets older. Still
remains hot for an hour after you turn it off though.

Something it does that I don't particularly like- if you turn one of
the 'burners' on to a low or mid level, i.e. 3 or 4 (i was making soup)
it will 'pulse'. It doesn't hold a low temperature constant, it
instead comes on full bore and shuts off, on, off, on, off. Changing
the setting only changes the duty cycle from "more off less on" to
"less off more on".

I experimented with it a little bit but I really couldn't get it to
gently warm up a pan of soup without bringing it to a boil (ableit
briefly) a couple dozen times. If you know soup, the mantra goes
"soup boiled is soup spoiled". It's not really the end of the world,
but there are other things I frequently like to make that indeed
*would* get ruined by this- slow-cooked refried beans comes to mind.
"So get a crockpot or a dutch boiler".... yeah I know, but this is
using appliances to overcome the shortcomings of appliances.

Is this typical of smoothtop or modern electric ranges, or is it simply
brand-specific? I can't tell you what brand stove that is off the top
of my head (at work now).

Thanks.

2) We will need to buy a stove for the house. I prefer cooking on gas.
The Missus prefers electric. Looks like they cost about the same, and
when you sit down to eat the end result is the same. In the long run,
which might be a better choice?

Unless you are prepared to take responsibility for all of the cooking,
I'd strongly suggest that you get an electric stove.


Exactly. The person who USES the equipment gets to choose it.

"phaeton" wrote in message
I can see her point in that
every time you fire up a gas stove you are releasing a great deal of
toxins into your living space. As small as this house is I'm starting
to wonder if she's right- Baking a few loaves of bread or
slow-simmering something might asphyxiate us.

Natural gas is probably the cleanest buring fuel available. Millions of
homes use it to simmer pots of soup and bake bread. It is really not a
consideration. I've had gas heat and cooking most of my life and that is
the preference in our house.


And then there is the big picture environmental impact. No need to
start a debate about fringe groups but we both tend to lean a little
towards the "green" crowd. Sure, electricity generator plants burn
fossil fuels to create energy also (around here they are coal) but
they're probably a model of efficiency for what they are doing.

If you are leaning green, go with gas. In spite of the efficiencies of the
power plant, natural gas is still going to be cleaner overall than the coal
used at the power plant and resultant loss of efficiency in delivery.
Another consideration is reliability. If you are in an area of power
outages, electric won't work, With gas, the oven may not work, but the
burners will. Sure it nice to be able to cook a meal even if you can't make
toast!



Regarding electric stoves- my current roommates have a brand new
smooth-top electric. It seems really nice, actually- it heats up
quick, but my guess is that will change as it gets older. Still
remains hot for an hour after you turn it off though.

There have been many improvements in the smooth tops, but I'm still not fond
of them. They do not take kindly to the heavy cast iron skillets we like to
use. I still hear horror stories about tops getting broken and other
malfunctions.

Good points, Edwin. Thanks.

That was going to be my next question- cast iron on top of a smoothtop.
A couple of birds in the house means we can't use teflon but i
wholeheartedly feel that cast iron is the way to go anyways. (Teflon is
horrible for all kinds of reasons, and cast iron is *good* for all
kinds of reasons).

Something else to note, is that my roommates have a bunch of (cheap,
probably) stainless steel saucepans that have all gotten warped by the
smoothtop- if you turn the pan upside down and look at it, they all
have a high spot in the center of the bottom. I think it's the
heatup/cooldown pulsing that does this. Probably wouldn't be a big
deal normally, but since the top *is* smooth these pans now jiggle all
over the place when you try to heat something up. You almost have to
stand there and hold onto it, and it doesn't ever get the full 'contact
patch' that a (normal) flat pan bottom would. There goes any
efficiency. True that the pans are cheap, but heat is heat and metal
is metal, and so I bet there is no guarantee that soemthing like this
won't warp the **** out of my nice high-dollar pans just as bad as the
$12 set.

Goedjn says:
Exactly. The person who USES the equipment gets to choose it.

You have a point there, but it's also all about getting along ;-)
FWIW she looks at cooking as a necessity, I'm the one that wants to
make a hobby out of it. We'll both cook, but I would venture to guess
that I will cook *more*.

The stove thing is actually not as big of a deal (between us) as I've
made it out to be. It's more one of I want gas because that's what I
prefer, she wants what is most efficient and environmentally friendly
be it gas or electric. (we'll talk about solar ovens another day).

"phaeton" wrote in message

Something else to note, is that my roommates have a bunch of (cheap,
probably) stainless steel saucepans that have all gotten warped by the
smoothtop- if you turn the pan upside down and look at it, they all
have a high spot in the center of the bottom. I think it's the
heatup/cooldown pulsing that does this.

Good pans have a low spot. When heated, it becomes flat. The best are clad
with aluminumor h ave a tripel ply with aluminum in the core. There are
many good brands, You don't have to spend $100+ per pan.

Cast iron has many advantages, one is that it doubles as a roasting pan in
the oven. Once seasoned, it is easy to clean.
Ed

One of the problems with the modern life style. Since we aren't out farming
during the summer, and tilling and planting, we have too much time on our
hands.

Cooking on a gas stove isn't going to kill you for toxins, unless you get
the recipe wrong. Go find something more important to concern you.

* Quit smoking
* Reduce your cholesterol intake
* Get away from the computer, and get some exercise
* Wake up a half hour earlier
* Drink grape juice every day
* Stop drinking coffee
* Wear your seatbelt, always. Even for short trips.
* Never leave children unattended in the bath tub or shower
* Make the kdis wear their bicycle helmets
* Wear aluminum foil on the side of your head where you hold your cell phone
* Never let your dentist Xray your gonads.

Any of these is more important than a trace of gas toxins from the stove.

--

Christopher A. Young
Do good work.
It's longer in the short run
but shorter in the long run.
..
..


"phaeton" wrote in message
oups.com...
Me cooking isn't an issue at all.

And actually, it's not that she prefers to *cook* on electric, it is
more one of the environmental impact of gas vs. electric, both locally
(in the house itself) and the big picture. I can see her point in that
every time you fire up a gas stove you are releasing a great deal of
toxins into your living space. As small as this house is I'm starting
to wonder if she's right- Baking a few loaves of bread or
slow-simmering something might asphyxiate us.

And then there is the big picture environmental impact. No need to
start a debate about fringe groups but we both tend to lean a little
towards the "green" crowd. Sure, electricity generator plants burn
fossil fuels to create energy also (around here they are coal) but
they're probably a model of efficiency for what they are doing.

Regarding electric stoves- my current roommates have a brand new
smooth-top electric. It seems really nice, actually- it heats up
quick, but my guess is that will change as it gets older. Still
remains hot for an hour after you turn it off though.

Something it does that I don't particularly like- if you turn one of
the 'burners' on to a low or mid level, i.e. 3 or 4 (i was making soup)
it will 'pulse'. It doesn't hold a low temperature constant, it
instead comes on full bore and shuts off, on, off, on, off. Changing
the setting only changes the duty cycle from "more off less on" to
"less off more on".

I experimented with it a little bit but I really couldn't get it to
gently warm up a pan of soup without bringing it to a boil (ableit
briefly) a couple dozen times. If you know soup, the mantra goes
"soup boiled is soup spoiled". It's not really the end of the world,
but there are other things I frequently like to make that indeed
*would* get ruined by this- slow-cooked refried beans comes to mind.
"So get a crockpot or a dutch boiler".... yeah I know, but this is
using appliances to overcome the shortcomings of appliances.

Is this typical of smoothtop or modern electric ranges, or is it simply
brand-specific? I can't tell you what brand stove that is off the top
of my head (at work now).

Thanks.

"phaeton" wrote in message
ups.com...
I realize that the cost differences are regional, and it's up to me to
call up the local utilities and find out what the going rates are.
*however*, there are some things that may preclude cost, and
implementation matters too.

Might be buying a house that has a gas waterheater and a gas
boiler/baseboard system. Both appear to be fairly new- i.e. 5 years
maybe. The water heater is fine- if it ain't broke don't fix it.
However-

1) Would it be best to heat the house with the gas boiler, or would it
be best to shut it down completely and heat with small electric space
heaters?
CY: In most places, th e gas boilers are a lot cheaper.


The house is bi-level, very open, about 1100 sq feet, no
basement, approximately 20 years old. This is South Central Wisconsin,
and we have real winters here (i.e. sustained temperatures between
8-20F for weeks at a time). Can you just "turn off" modern gas
boilers- i.e. no pilot light or anything?
CY: sure, you can close the gas valve which should be right next to the
boiler. I do that kind of thing when replacing furnaces or boilers.


2) We will need to buy a stove for the house. I prefer cooking on gas.
The Missus prefers electric. Looks like they cost about the same, and
when you sit down to eat the end result is the same. In the long run,
which might be a better choice?
CY: In NYS, electric cuts are much more common than natural gas cutoffs. A
range can be used for backup heat. I know, I have in the past. However,
overall it's more important to keep the missus happy all year than it is to
heat with the range one day of the year. Buy a portable propane heater, at
the store, and some propane bottles for the one day a year the electric is
out.


3) We will need to buy a washer/dryer pair for the house. Once again-
gas dryer or electric? I have no opinion on this, personally. I think
the hookup is currently electric, but we may relocate them anyways.
Are the over/under combo units still inherently evil?
CY: I'd prefer gas dryer, cause it's cheaper to run.


4) I like beer. Beer gives me gas. The Missus threatens to buy an
electric cattle prod to punish me for my efforts. Which will win- gas
or electric?
CY: Easy choice. Electric is far less expensive, in this case.

Is gas considered enough of a hazard to where it's best to avoid it if
at all possible?
CY: I've had gas appliances for the 20 years I've been out of the house.
Never had a problem. Electric is just as dangerous. Both are managable
dangers, if used with caution.

Can multiple electric appliances require an update of
the fuse panel to something higher (i.e. from 100 or 130 to 200A)?
CY: yes, if you use the appliances all at the same time. Typically dryer is
30 amps at 220 volts, range and stove are 50 amps at 220 volts. Hair dryer
15 amps at 110 volts. Of course, the only time you're using all the burners
on the stove is thanksgiving, and so don't dry laundry then. And no hair
dryers until after dinner.


Thanks for any replies.
CY: Yer welcome.

Excellent wisdom.

--

Christopher A. Young
Do good work.
It's longer in the short run
but shorter in the long run.
..
..


"Jo Anne Slaven" wrote in message
...
On 25 Oct 2005 10:02:12 -0700, "phaeton"
wrote:

2) We will need to buy a stove for the house. I prefer cooking on gas.
The Missus prefers electric. Looks like they cost about the same, and
when you sit down to eat the end result is the same. In the long run,
which might be a better choice?

Unless you are prepared to take responsibility for all of the cooking,
I'd strongly suggest that you get an electric stove.

Jo Anne

Good pans have a low spot.

If that's the case, then a smoothtop isn't a great idea.

Well, these also have all sorts of creases around the edges and a
couple have some heat discoloration. They were indeed cheap. I've
also got some cheap pans (in storage) that i've discolored on a gas
stove I had in the last place but they haven't warped any.

Agreed on cast iron. IMNSHO nothing beats them. My mom has cast iron
pans that are a thousand years old (i think they've been passed down
from HER grandma) and they are incredible. Easy to cook with, tilt the
pan and the eggs slide right out, easy to clean.

Reports even say that food cooked in cast iron has elevated iron levels
in it. This is harmless for guys and slightly beneficial for women.

phaeton wrote:

I see. Once again the location is up for grabs, so that might dictate
what we eventually end up with. It's just the two of us so it's not
like we will be doing 750 loads of laundry each week.

Location is not the determinate. In virtually every area where natural gas
is available, it is cheaper than electric.


gas safety hazard

I'm actually more concerned with Carbon Monoxide than with the gas
leak itself- typically you know when you have a gas leak. With a C0
leak you just lay down for a nap and don't wake up.

Don't lose sleep over it. CO posioning occurs when people run charcoal fires
indoors.

I grew up in a house that had natural gas space heaters. They've got to be
WAY out of adjustment to generate carbon monoxide.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
news:EaN7f.15963$Io4.9188@trnddc06...

" There have been many improvements in the smooth tops, but I'm still not
fond of them. They do not take kindly to the heavy cast iron skillets we
like to use. I still hear horror stories about tops getting broken and
other malfunctions.





As for smooth top electric ranges, we bought on a few years ago. We do like
it, but the burners heat a little slow, and do stay warm for quite a while.
Our range has warnings lights that stay on as long as the top is hot. We do
not use cast iron pans so that was not and issue.
Gas is probably the preferred cook top for "real" chefs.
Greg

"HeyBub" wrote in message
...
phaeton wrote:

I see. Once again the location is up for grabs, so that might dictate
what we eventually end up with. It's just the two of us so it's not
like we will be doing 750 loads of laundry each week.

Location is not the determinate. In virtually every area where natural gas
is available, it is cheaper than electric.



I don't know about virtually, but a mile down the road from me is a
different utility. The electric price they offer is cheaper than natural gas
so don't assume it will be!
Greg