A new 1500 sq ft home my wife and I are building is to have propane
heat. We'll be living in Adirondack Park in upstate NY.

We are debating on whether to eventually purchase either a wood stove
or a gas stove. I like wood (I enjoy splitting it, stacking it, the
smell of it) but everyone tells me gas is the way to go for efficiency,
convenience and cleanliness.

My question is that other than ambiance, would a gas stove benefit us
in any way, that is, if I already have a gas furnace does it make sense
to buy a gas stove? Would there be any benefit in purchasing one to
possibly reduce my energy bill?

Thanks in advance.

wrote:
A new 1500 sq ft home my wife and I are building is to have propane
heat. We'll be living in Adirondack Park in upstate NY.

We are debating on whether to eventually purchase either a wood stove
or a gas stove.

I'm old enough to remember my mother cooking on a wood stove. The labor
difference between that and a gas stove was at least 10 to 1. She got
remarkable results but it was real work and a summer kitchen was
absolute hell for women then. She just murmured, "Thank god that thing
is gone..." as the scrap wagon hauled it away.
Buy a wood stove if you must and put it someplace where it can be seen
and admired by guests, but keep the wretched thing out of the house. No
way the average shaky marriage of immature adults these days could
survive the hassle of having to rely on something so primitive. But
your situation may be different, and better so choose wisely. Whatever,
good luck. You live in a pretty area.

Joe

wrote:
A new 1500 sq ft home my wife and I are building is to have propane
heat. We'll be living in Adirondack Park in upstate NY.

We are debating on whether to eventually purchase either a wood stove
or a gas stove.

I'm old enough to remember my mother cooking on a wood stove. The labor
difference between that and a gas stove was at least 10 to 1. She got
remarkable results but it was real work and a summer kitchen was
absolute hell for women then. She just murmured, "Thank god that thing
is gone..." as the scrap wagon hauled it away.
Buy a wood stove if you must and put it someplace where it can be seen
and admired by guests, but keep the wretched thing out of the house. No
way the average shaky marriage of immature adults these days could
survive the hassle of having to rely on something so primitive. But
your situation may be different, and better so choose wisely. Whatever,
good luck. You live in a pretty area.

Joe

wrote in message
oups.com...
A new 1500 sq ft home my wife and I are building is to have propane
heat. We'll be living in Adirondack Park in upstate NY.

We are debating on whether to eventually purchase either a wood stove
or a gas stove. I like wood (I enjoy splitting it, stacking it, the
smell of it) but everyone tells me gas is the way to go for efficiency,
convenience and cleanliness.

My question is that other than ambiance, would a gas stove benefit us
in any way, that is, if I already have a gas furnace does it make sense
to buy a gas stove? Would there be any benefit in purchasing one to
possibly reduce my energy bill?

Thanks in advance.


Cook and heat with propane
Backup heat and ambience heat with wood.

A proper wood stove will have a flat top that you can use to cook in an
emergency, and yet be a decorative wood stove to provide heat and ambience
otherwise

In article .com, wrote:
A new 1500 sq ft home my wife and I are building is to have propane
heat. We'll be living in Adirondack Park in upstate NY.

We are debating on whether to eventually purchase either a wood stove
or a gas stove. I like wood (I enjoy splitting it, stacking it, the
smell of it) but everyone tells me gas is the way to go for efficiency,
convenience and cleanliness.

My question is that other than ambiance, would a gas stove benefit us
in any way, that is, if I already have a gas furnace does it make sense
to buy a gas stove? Would there be any benefit in purchasing one to
possibly reduce my energy bill?

I'm guessing that you don't do the cooking, or you wouldn't even ask. What
does your wife think?

_No_way_ would I ever want to cook on a wood stove if I had the option of
using gas, and for the same reason I hate cooking on electric stoves, only
worse: far too slow response to changes in the heat setting. When you turn the
burner up on a gas stove, the heat goes up instantly -- and, even more
importantly, when you turn the gas *down*, the heat goes *down* instantly.

On an electric stove, if you have a pot beginning to boil over, or if you're
starting to scorch a white sauce, your only option is to move the damn thing
to a different burner. And if they're all in use... you're SOL. Same problem
with wood, only worse.

On a gas stove, you turn the heat down, and the pot stops boiling, and the
sauce stops burning, *right*now*.

Want to brown meat? Turn the burner up high on the gas stove, and you're
browning it in moments. Electric? Wait ten minutes, and it might be there.
Wood? Build your fire half an hour ahead of time, I guess.

Want to brown meat, and then add sauce and simmer it? Child's play on a gas
stove, to go immediately from high heat to low. Electric? Not hardly. Wood?
Forget it.

And we haven't even started to talk about cleaning out the ashes.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

wrote:
My question is that other than ambiance, would a gas stove benefit us
in any way, that is, if I already have a gas furnace does it make
sense to buy a gas stove? Would there be any benefit in purchasing
one to possibly reduce my energy bill?

Both a wood stove and a gas one will burn the pin feathers from a
newly-plucked chicken. So I guess it's flip a coin.

On 9 Aug 2006 15:59:43 -0700, wrote:

A new 1500 sq ft home my wife and I are building is to have propane
heat. We'll be living in Adirondack Park in upstate NY.

We are debating on whether to eventually purchase either a wood stove
or a gas stove. I like wood (I enjoy splitting it, stacking it, the
smell of it) but everyone tells me gas is the way to go for efficiency,
convenience and cleanliness.

My question is that other than ambiance, would a gas stove benefit us
in any way, that is, if I already have a gas furnace does it make sense
to buy a gas stove? Would there be any benefit in purchasing one to
possibly reduce my energy bill?

Thanks in advance.

Here's my take on a gas range over electric

Professional cooks insist on gas ranges
Instant on/off
Less expensive
Less repairs needed
Better browning when broiling, baking
Gas has more dependable service than electric

wrote:
A new 1500 sq ft home my wife and I are building is to have propane
heat. We'll be living in Adirondack Park in upstate NY.

We are debating on whether to eventually purchase either a wood stove
or a gas stove. I like wood (I enjoy splitting it, stacking it, the
smell of it) but everyone tells me gas is the way to go for
efficiency, convenience and cleanliness.

My question is that other than ambiance, would a gas stove benefit us
in any way, that is, if I already have a gas furnace does it make
sense to buy a gas stove? Would there be any benefit in purchasing
one to possibly reduce my energy bill?

Thanks in advance.

Consider this: 99.97% of people who have had a choice have switched to
gas or electric over wood.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

"Doug Miller" wrote in message

_No_way_ would I ever want to cook on a wood stove if I had the option of
using gas,

I'd love to cook on a wood stove. Maybe two, three times a year.

We have a wood burning stove for heating, but it does have a griddle on the
top. A couple of times a winter we'll cook on it, or do a pot roast. As
for having it as my regular cook stove, No way.

One big disadvantage is the heat in warmer weather. Gas shuts off, wood
keeps going until it burns out.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

Advantage gas surface burners - faster warmup for pots or pans on the
surface. I prefer a gas cooktop. Also, when electric power is lost,
the gas cooktop still works though the electronic ignition may not.

Advantage electric ovens - less heat released into the kitchen since
the heat is generated within the insulated cooking space rather than
externally applied.

Advantage electric griddles and large cooking surfaces - more even
heat with fewer hot spots.

I would not buy a standalone, all-gas stove.

Doug Miller wrote:
In article .com,
wrote:
A new 1500 sq ft home my wife and I are building is to have propane
heat. We'll be living in Adirondack Park in upstate NY.

We are debating on whether to eventually purchase either a wood
stove or a gas stove. I like wood (I enjoy splitting it, stacking
it, the smell of it) but everyone tells me gas is the way to go
for efficiency, convenience and cleanliness.

My question is that other than ambiance, would a gas stove benefit
us in any way, that is, if I already have a gas furnace does it
make sense to buy a gas stove? Would there be any benefit in
purchasing one to possibly reduce my energy bill?

I'm guessing that you don't do the cooking, or you wouldn't even
ask. What
does your wife think?

_No_way_ would I ever want to cook on a wood stove if I had the
option of
using gas, and for the same reason I hate cooking on electric
stoves, only
worse: far too slow response to changes in the heat setting. When
you turn the
burner up on a gas stove, the heat goes up instantly -- and, even
more
importantly, when you turn the gas *down*, the heat goes *down*
instantly.

On an electric stove, if you have a pot beginning to boil over, or
if you're
starting to scorch a white sauce, your only option is to move the
damn thing
to a different burner. And if they're all in use... you're SOL.
Same problem
with wood, only worse.

On a gas stove, you turn the heat down, and the pot stops boiling,
and the
sauce stops burning, *right*now*.

Want to brown meat? Turn the burner up high on the gas stove, and
you're
browning it in moments. Electric? Wait ten minutes, and it might be
there.
Wood? Build your fire half an hour ahead of time, I guess.

Want to brown meat, and then add sauce and simmer it? Child's play
on a gas
stove, to go immediately from high heat to low. Electric? Not
hardly. Wood?
Forget it.

And we haven't even started to talk about cleaning out the ashes.

But they could be used to make soap!!

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

In article t%ECg.19223$hj4.4226@trnddc03, "dadiOH" wrote:
Doug Miller wrote:
[...]
And we haven't even started to talk about cleaning out the ashes.

But they could be used to make soap!!

When I can buy three bars of soap for two bucks at the grocery store, I see
_no_ point in making my own. The old ways aren't always better...

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

wrote:

A new 1500 sq ft home my wife and I are building is to have propane
heat. We'll be living in Adirondack Park in upstate NY.

We are debating on whether to eventually purchase either a wood stove
or a gas stove. I like wood (I enjoy splitting it, stacking it, the
smell of it) but everyone tells me gas is the way to go for efficiency,
convenience and cleanliness.

I think you're talking about a supplemental heat source. Others
think you are talking about a cooking range. If you want to cook,
propane is a no-brainer for all the reasons they've stated.

For supplemental heat and a little ambiance, I'd go with propane, too.
I'm down near Schenectady and made the switch 4-5 years ago.
I did it because I was buying wood and it was twice as expensive as
propane. I bought a cast iron Desa stove with fake logs that fool
casual observers. The fire itself mimics a wood fire.

If you have a source of free wood, then it makes the decision harder--
but for me the thrill of cutting wood wore off after a few years.

Now I enjoy regulated heat;
no bugs, sawdust, smoke or ashes in the house;
increased safety;
zero labor for constant heat;
increased humidity -propane *adds* moisture to the air;
lower heating costs-- this year propane/wood were probably equal here,
but for the first 3 years propane was 1/2 what wood was costing me for
a much more regulated and labor free heat.


My question is that other than ambiance, would a gas stove benefit us
in any way, that is, if I already have a gas furnace does it make sense
to buy a gas stove? Would there be any benefit in purchasing one to
possibly reduce my energy bill?

If you have a cold area that would be difficult to run duct work to,
or is a huge heat-loser it might make sense to supplement with a space
heater. Mine is on a converted slab porch with 6 windows and an
outside door. It is on the far end of the house from the [oil]
furnace so ducting would take a supplemental fan and would still be on
the 'wrong' wall for comfortable heat. My propane stove keeps
that room comfortable and serves as a backup if the power fails.

Get one with no fancy fans or electric thermostat & it will also be a
heat source when the lights go out.

Jim
[and don't forget to buy a propane & CO detector]

wrote:
A new 1500 sq ft home my wife and I are building is to have propane
heat. We'll be living in Adirondack Park in upstate NY.

We are debating on whether to eventually purchase either a wood stove
or a gas stove.

Aside from the cooking decisions of gas vs. wood, you will want to look
into issues of ventilation and out-gassing. There's definitely a lower
risk of problems with CO and other harmful gasses cooking with gas than
cooking with wood, no matter how skilled a person is at building a
proper fire.

In older houses that wasn't an issue, but today's construction is much
more air-tight and more prone to containing those gasses.

Doug Miller wrote:
In article t%ECg.19223$hj4.4226@trnddc03, "dadiOH"
wrote:
Doug Miller wrote:
[...]
And we haven't even started to talk about cleaning out the ashes.

But they could be used to make soap!!

When I can buy three bars of soap for two bucks at the grocery
store, I see _no_ point in making my own. The old ways aren't
always better...

It gets rid of bacon grease too

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Doug Miller wrote:

In article p5HCg.21763$qw5.11554@trnddc06, "dadiOH" wrote:
Doug Miller wrote:
In article t%ECg.19223$hj4.4226@trnddc03, "dadiOH"
wrote:
Doug Miller wrote:
[...]
And we haven't even started to talk about cleaning out the ashes.

But they could be used to make soap!!

When I can buy three bars of soap for two bucks at the grocery
store, I see _no_ point in making my own. The old ways aren't
always better...

It gets rid of bacon grease too

So do my dogs... :-)

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

What do you use to get rid of the dogs?

Pete C.

I have a wood stove for heating. For cooking I can use it like a crock pot.
Put a big kettle of stuff on and cook it all day. I can't use it to boil
water quickly as there is not enough heat. Also the amount of heat on the
wood stove top depends on how cold it is outside and how warm it is inside.
If it is not too cold outside and warm inside, I don't want to build a big
fire. And don't want any fire during the summer. But if it is cold outside
and I will need a fairly good fire all day, then I will get out big pot and
cook a stew or a roast/turkey, etc. Then this will last all week and I can
heat it up in the microwave. In the mornings (winter) fried eggs and bacon
cooked on the woodstove comes out perfect, but takes longer to cook. Also it
can take a half hour for the wood stove top to get hot when first building a
fire.

Electric stoves are either off or on. There is a sensor which turns the
heating element on and off, on and off. So you get really hot, then warm,
then really hot again, then warm. Eggs don't do well with this off and on
business. Things tend to burn on the bottom of the pan from the periods of
on - high heat. I wish they made one which was more like a light dimmer.
Always on but a steady heat and you would control how much heat. Maybe they
do make such an electric stove?

With a gas stove, as someone else pointed out, you can adjust the amount of
flame and get a steady low, medium, or high heat. So for example fried eggs
will come out better. The downside of a gas stove is the fumes - get an
outside vent/hood.