448315 Sat Oct 06 10:20:53 -0700 2007 44 41 Cookware 0 3010524 We are buying a new oven and have a choice between gas or electric. We've always had gas ovens. I've heard that electric might cook better. Does anyone know anything about this? Thanks Sat Oct 06 10:20:53 -0700 2007 71916 arizonagirl 1 3010698 I've had both, and find electric ovens far superior. More even heat, better broiling, and, best of all, the self-cleaning cycle. Get a model that features convection cooking, too, if it's in your budget. Sat Oct 06 11:48:03 -0700 2007 3010524 58743 alanbarnes 2 3010869 Do things brown nicely in an electric oven? Sat Oct 06 13:34:28 -0700 2007 3010698 71916 arizonagirl 3 3010896 Better than with gas, I think, because you're not introducing water vapor as a byproduct of combustion. Sat Oct 06 13:54:56 -0700 2007 3010869 58743 alanbarnes 2 3012179 I agree here. We just redid our kitchen and did it right and have a gas cook top and put in double wall ovens and they are electric. It bakes much more even than our old gas oven. Just baked off a loaf of the "no knead bread" and it's outrageous. Sun Oct 07 09:12:26 -0700 2007 3010698 77397 Eric in NJ 2 3014982 Alanbarnes, you mention the self-cleaning cycle as a point about electric ovens. My last oven was gas and it had a self-cleaning cycle. Do gas ovens normally not have a self-cleaning cycle? Now we live in a house with an electric stovetop and double electric wall ovens. Love the ovens, and I've gotten used to the stovetop, but can't say that I love it. Water boils VERY quickly, but I don't like how it's much harder to control the heat while actually cooking something. Mon Oct 08 11:45:37 -0700 2007 3010698 10205 valerie 3 3015322 I was told that gas ovens can't get hot enough to self-clean, but a quick google search establishes that this information is incorrect. I used gas ranges for a long time, but not in the last 15 years or so. Maybe it's a more recent development, or maybe my source was just wrong. Sorry to repeat bad info here. Agreed that a residential gas cooktop is a pain when bringing a lot of water to a boil. Fortunately my outdoor kitchen has burners with more firepower; the biggest is 60k btu, and will boil a gallon of water in no time. Mon Oct 08 13:07:59 -0700 2007 3014982 58743 alanbarnes 4 3015388 I have a very inexpensive Maytag gas oven that does indeed have a self cleaning cycle - and it works like a charm. But it does take forever to boil a big pot of water - definitely hoping to upgrade in the near future - but I'm probably sticking with gas for both the cooktop and the oven. I just prefer it. Mon Oct 08 13:25:11 -0700 2007 3015322 63569 flourgirl 5 3036271 Re: boiling a big pot of water. I recently bought a house with what seems to have the same Maytag range in place and also find this painfully slow. Now I simply divide up the water into a few different pans, put a pan on top of each available burner, and light them all up. Each is boiling in a few minutes and then they all get poured into the big pot. I have noticed (with the help of an oven thermometer) that the temperature in the oven tends to be right on the money compared to the setting--I've always had to make an adjustment of 25-50 degrees with the previous electrics I've owned--and that the temp doesn't fluctuate as much as the electrics during the cooking process. Mon Oct 15 12:17:53 -0700 2007 3015388 12051 tubman 6 3038672 I've adjusted to it and just make sure to start the water heating way ahead of when I actually need it to be boiling. And yes, I agree, my oven has been very reliable temperature-wise. Tue Oct 16 07:02:53 -0700 2007 3036271 63569 flourgirl 2 3016666 Okay, I'm going to retract my recommendation. Or at least revise it. My thoroughly modern self-cleaning electric Jenn-Air convection oven is far superior to the elderly and decrepit gas ovens I used in the past where I had to lie on the floor to use the broiler. I'm like the guy who drives a new Lexus and a '72 bug and declares that the Japanese make better cars than the Germans. But at least I'm man enough to admit it. (Whimper.) Mon Oct 08 20:14:46 -0700 2007 3010698 58743 alanbarnes 2 3043723 completely agree. i've been using electric ovens all my life and then got a gas one with my current home. hate it. takes forever to heat up and is incredibly uneven. Wed Oct 17 13:09:16 -0700 2007 3010698 10634 pinstripeprincess 1 3010879 Gas is easier to control temperature, but I won't buy them anymore. A few years ago, we moved to a subdivision that didn't have gas. I did think I could survive, but then, after a period of time, I realized the kitchen stayed so much cleaner. None of the film on the cabinets, etc. So, when we built our current house, the architect was stunned that I didn't want a gas cooktop or ovens. I have no issue with going without gas. And, yes, things brown beautifully with an electric oven. Sat Oct 06 13:41:12 -0700 2007 3010524 64168 kkak97 1 3012165 We too have had both and when we built our new home there was no doubt that electic double ovens would be in the kitchen. Have the 30" Fridgedaire convention double ovens and they are outstanding. Baking and broiling are a snap. I'd never go back to gas ovens if I had my choice. However, do have a great 36" 5 burner Kitchenaid cooktop that is also outstanding. I would hate to go back to electric on my cooktop. Sun Oct 07 09:05:42 -0700 2007 3010524 10925 rtmonty 1 3013001 We have both an electric range and a gas range. The electric is the one we use 90 percent of the time, particularly the oven. (Gas ovens cannot broil decently, of course, because the heat is coming from the bottom of the oven.) And if I remember correctly, gas ranges have more repair problems than electric. Sun Oct 07 16:47:56 -0700 2007 3010524 12213 jillp 2 3013015 I love having a gas stove top, but if I could, I'd have an electric oven - agree about the broiling issue. Sun Oct 07 16:54:27 -0700 2007 3013001 10985 MMRuth 2 3015037 Maybe I'm being dim about this, but I have a gas oven and it broils beautifully. The heating element for the broiler is at the top of the stove and when I turn the broiler on, the element ignites and wa-la - flames. This is the only gas oven I've ever had, so my experience is limited, but I do remember the old electric oven in my mom's house had the same setup, just an electric element instead of a gas fired one. I don't see why one would work better than the other. And, in fact, my gas oven definitely does broil just as well as any electric oven I ever used. What am I missing??? I also bake a lot and have no issues with uneven baking, etc. (The igniter did burn out after about 6 yrs and it wasn't cheap to have repaired.) I can't even imagine ever going back to an electric cooktop and would avoid doing so at all costs. Mon Oct 08 11:58:50 -0700 2007 3013001 63569 flourgirl 3 3015192 Is this common on gas range ovens now? I lived in a couple of apartments with gas ranges, and to broil you always had to put the pan in the slot down by the floor. Very hard to watch that way. Probably won't have a gas unit again for some time. The house came with an electric range, and although it is plumbed for gas my SO is far more comfortable with the electric, even on the cooktop. I personally get by either way. The cooking we do doesn't seem to have tight tolerances for having high then low heat. In other words, it tolerates the slower reaction of the electric coils. BTW, if you are doing a typical moderate electric range, the old fashioned coils are what you want. These react faster than the smoothtops. Mon Oct 08 12:36:28 -0700 2007 3015037 40162 CrazyOne 4 3025344 I had a gas oven in my last house that had the broiler element right at the top of the oven. All you needed to do was turn the dial to "broil". Now, I DON'T think my Whirlpool electric ovens broil as well. They are 13 years old and seem to take longer to brown things than the gas did. Any ideas on why? Thu Oct 11 10:38:09 -0700 2007 3015192 87837 RGC1982 3 3015574 Mines the same way too. I have a warmer drawer underneath the oven, which is electric of course, but the stove/oven is gas with the broiler at the top of the oven. I like because you don't have the worry of someone catching something on fire in the typical broiler drawer, which usually doubles as a storage drawer. That happened in a cooking class I was taking one time when someone put their pot holders in the drawer and someone else turned on the broiler without checking first. Sadly I thought I would use the warmer drawer more then I do- I think I've turned it on once or twice and the rest of the time its been great for storing roasting & some of my baking pans. Mon Oct 08 14:04:52 -0700 2007 3015037 117958 anniemax 1 3014430 If it meant having to have an electric cook top, then I'd go for gas. Electric ovens are better, but gas is by far a better option for the stove top. The heat is instant, it's easier to control, etc. There's nothing worse than having an electric burner that's too hot at a crucial time in the cooking process. Mon Oct 08 09:49:47 -0700 2007 3010524 88180 heWho 2 3014763 I can't stand electric cooktops, either. But if the OP is buying a range instead of a wall oven, there are plenty of "dual fuel" models out there with electric ovens and gas cooktops. Mon Oct 08 10:58:28 -0700 2007 3014430 58743 alanbarnes 1 3015054 I guess I am in the minority. I love gas ovens, and cooktops. That is what we used when I was a cook in restaurants, and hated going home to an electric stove and oven in the apartments I rented. Electric ovens have hot, and cold spots, and zero circulation. Broiling in an electric oven is terrible vs the hot blue flame of a gas broiler. When we built our house we had the choice, and it was a no brainer for me. Gas stove, and convection gas oven. Everything turns out perfect. Mon Oct 08 12:03:41 -0700 2007 3010524 26725 swsidejim 2 3015397 Yep - I totally agree. I posted earlier about these issues. I think gas ovens bake more evenly and I think the broiler function is far superior in a gas oven compared to an electric oven. And I have a very inexpensive Maytag at the moment. I can't wait to upgrade to the convection gas oven! :) Mon Oct 08 13:27:46 -0700 2007 3015054 63569 flourgirl 3 3015547 I don't really use the broiler in the oven that often for whatever reason, but when I do, I agree that the broiler in the gas oven is much better. My last oven range in a rental apartment was a GE and it was gas, and now in the house that we own I have double GE Profile wall ovens (electric) so nothing super fancy here either. Mon Oct 08 13:59:00 -0700 2007 3015397 10205 valerie 3 3015548 We purchased a Frigidaire 5 burner convection oven for our home, and I love it. It has 3 big "super burners", and 2 smaller burners. The large ones dont struggle to bring a pot of water to a boil at all. Also I believe gas is cheaper than electric. Mon Oct 08 13:59:08 -0700 2007 3015397 26725 swsidejim 4 3052184 I looked at one of those (my MIL has one) and she said that she wishes she'd never bought a new one--her 60 year old gas stove did a better job than the new one. She's also been unimpressed with her "convection" oven. Also, I've been told (we were range shopping not long ago) that Frigidaire doesn't make a true convection oven...it just has a fan to circulate the air. My convection oven has the burner in front of the fan, and then the burners on the top and bottom like a normal oven. Honestly though, I think the convection thing is a waste of money--the whopping 2 or 3 minutes it's taken off of the cooking time (if it's even that much) wasn't really worth the extra money I spent on it. It's really going to be personal preference though....there is probably someone out there that thinks that their "convection" oven is just fabulous...:rolleyes: Sat Oct 20 09:41:42 -0700 2007 3015548 133518 Farmgirl22 1 3015572 we had a gas range that I really like for baking in particular. The water vapor was favorable to me and it never failed in any of it's duties or heat. We now have a Thermador wall electric. I like it very much too, but I am having trouble getting use to baking with it. Both self cleaned well, but the Therma is much better built than the previous range and self clean is excellent, less the racks off course. Mon Oct 08 14:04:10 -0700 2007 3010524 13468 Fritz 1 3016803 I have a gas stove, oven in the kitchen. I like it for most things however I have a three car garage and I took over a bit of the counter space, bringing in a few of my toys. A fryer, and that's where I make ice cream,and also a beautiful commercial grade convection oven with features that go above and beyond. It has a rotisserie, a pizza setting, drying for making fruit leather, a basket attachment for I guess fish (never used that one yet) but I love to do bacon in it, and I love the way it bakes. I think if I had to choose, I would probably still keep my gas range because of the stove top and being able to control the heat. But yes it does get dirty, I have to work at keeping the surrounding areas clean. As far as the oven goes, I have had no complaints and it self cleans very nicely... Mon Oct 08 21:34:05 -0700 2007 3010524 50431 chef chicklet 1 3018198 I like our dual oven with gas on the cook top and electric and convection on the bottom. This post just reminded me that I have been wanting to clean my oven so will use the self-clean now. Tue Oct 09 10:39:52 -0700 2007 3010524 13962 Cheesy Oysters 1 3036315 most high end custom homes tend to have double electric ovens (better temperature control) and gas cooktops (better temperature control). Seems like an oxymoron...but the great thing about electric "burners" is their ability to achieve and maintain a steady temperature, very useful in oven type cooking. Gas is much easier to change quickly, much better for stovetop type cooking. Mon Oct 15 12:26:47 -0700 2007 3010524 57890 KaimukiMan 1 3041763 Absolutely go with electric! Gas ovens often vent heat into the house, and if you do indeed live in AZ, that's about the last thing you need. And as others have already mentioned, if it fits your budget, go with convection. I think almost all electric ovens are self cleaning today. I also recommend that if you are putting in a double oven, go with two singles instead. Should one oven need to be replaced, then you just replace one oven. There are other options in electric ovens. There are steam ovens, but for me, a steam cooker is easier since I don't steam that much food, and when I do, I do it stove top. General Electric makes a couple of amazing ovens. During the holidays, you'll see a lot of commercials for their Trivection ovens. They cook with thermal heat, or with convection heat, or with thermal, convection, and microwave all at the same time. And they broil beautifully. The trivection method is incredibly fast, with exceptional results. I did our 22+ pound Thanksgiving turkey in mine last year in a bit over two hours. Hands down, it was the best turkey I've ever roasted. General Electric also makes the Advantium oven. It comes in several "fire powers." 110 counter top models and built-ins, and a 240 built in, which is much faster than the others. The Advantium cooks with microwave and/or halogen light. It comes with several trays to use on the turntable, or you can put a casserole or glass/porcelain dish right on the turntable itself. The microwave works like any other microwave. It's on the high end of speed, and uses the ceramic tray on the turntable. To cook or broil with halogen light, you remove the ceramic tray and replace it with one of two enameled metal trays; one flat, the other ribbed for broiling. There are halogen light sources both above and below the tray that cycle off an on to cook or brown your food. I have to admit that broiling in the Advantium produces a bit more smoke than I'm confortable with in my kitchen, but now that I've learned (here) that putting a shower cap over the smoke alarm will restore the peace, I might give it another try. I don't think I could get along without the Advantium. I could give up the Trivection if I absolutely had to (kicking and screaming), but not the Advantium. It does an incredible job of defrosting frozen food, though it does insist you turn things over during the thawing cycle. It cooks with a combination of halogen and microwave to produce nicely browned foods. It does a fantastic job with those little hors d'ouvres size quiches, with browned crust top and bottom and just right center. Well, it's just fabulous. And I have the two ovens installed as if they were a double oven. Most people don't notice that they aren't. Mention has been made of cook tops... Mine is a really cheap Frigidaire smooth top that I put in to tide me over until I get around to replacing the countertops. I'll be replacing it because it has knobs instead of electronic controls. I just hope the new one will be as responsive, get as hot, hold temp as well, and work with my wok as well. I've been really surprised! It heats my wok as well as the gas in my last house. Blew me away the first time I tried it. Wed Oct 17 04:08:59 -0700 2007 3010524 112096 Caroline1 2 4213000 Caroline1: What can the Advantium do that the Trivection can't? I'm getting ready to remodel my kitchen and thought I'd get a double-oven with Trivection. Should I get an Advantium as an (expensive) microwave replacement (and possible save by not buying a warming drawer?) Mon Dec 01 17:16:03 -0800 2008 3041763 233698 Colbrook 1 3044139 The venting heat into the house of the gas ovens is a big deal if you live in a hot climate - just that much more heat for your air conditioning to have to deal with. I never used my gas oven except for about 3 months of the year because of this. Then I broke down and got a dual-fuel - gas cooktop and electric oven, which is the best of both worlds. The electric oven does seem to heat and cook more evenly, and I love gas for the burners. Wed Oct 17 14:43:14 -0700 2007 3010524 98500 Bat Guano 2 4056683 I thought all ovens vented heat into the house. I have an electric oven in the middle of the house. I used it last week, then today opened it to put something in and it was cool. Where did that heat go if not out into the house? Electric ovens actually do vent, usually under the right rear burner. Tue Sep 23 19:24:09 -0700 2008 3044139 228128 SeasonedSteve 3 4116035 My electric doesn't vent nearly as much as the gas one did. The gas one had a large vent that was spewing heat out continuously while the oven was on. I think that's because the gas flame needs oxygen, so it requires a continous supply of fresh air; thus the old, hot air has to be vented out. Of course the electric one will cool down by releasing heat into the house, but it vents much less while cooking. Mon Oct 20 09:05:06 -0700 2008 4056683 98500 Bat Guano 1 3047642 Have you considered a duel-fuel? I love mine! I have the GE Profile duel fuel with the grill, and I Love it. Thu Oct 18 14:57:57 -0700 2007 3010524 54116 gryphonskeeper 2 3670620 We're looking at a GE Profile duel fuel and can only find one with a stainless steel or enamel cooktop. We wanted a glass cooktop, but GE stopped making it about 2 years ago. I'm worried that the stainless steel is going to be hard to clean. What material do you have on your cooktop? Thu May 08 20:15:34 -0700 2008 3047642 190767 maywilbur 1 3051311 I've had both gas and electric and while if you're going to be using the stove top mostly it didn't matter much to me one way or the other. But now that I'm baking all the time I tried a gas stove and it's awful. Everything takes twice as long to bake and it doesn't bake evenly and it's a pretty brand new model that's supposed to be pretty good. I am going back to electric. Fri Oct 19 17:40:27 -0700 2007 3010524 136049 nonstopbaking 1 3051471 After reading all these posts and making some earlier comments re: gas ovens I have come to believe that much of the opinions here favoring electric over gas might be attributable to something of a fad. Duel fuel ranges are all the rage now and I'm seeing a lot of recommendations here for them - a lot of claims that people are finding that electric bakes better than gas. But I have been around the block a few times and I also remember well when the trend was for everyone to turn their noses up at electric ovens and insist that only gas would do for anyone serious about cooking/baking. I believe I even recall reading in many a baking book published in, say, the last 15 years or so, assertions that gas was much preferable to electric for baking, precisely because gas ovens were found by these authors to produce more even results than electric ovens. The point being that I believe you need to try to find out on your own whether you prefer gas or electric based on your personal needs, as separating fact from fad can be very challenging, to say the least. Fri Oct 19 19:32:51 -0700 2007 3010524 63569 flourgirl 1 3052173 You could go with the dual-fuel if you are interested in the electric oven. I do think that electric ovens work better, but electric cooktops still aren't quite to the same level as gas cooktops. I don't know that I recommend the covection thing--I haven't noticed enough of a cooktime decrease to justify the purchase. However, I do use a lot of stoneware, and that might be the difference...*shrugs* Sat Oct 20 09:32:02 -0700 2007 3010524 133518 Farmgirl22 1 3698670 I would never buy a gas oven if you could possibly get electric. The only time I have use gas is in a commercial setting, and I hated them, especially in baking situations. They don't heat evenly and they are not very precise. I did not notice that lack of a broiler, as we also had salamanders for that job. Electric cook tops are tolerable if they are capable of high BTU outputs, but the preferred residential cooking appliances are duel fueled to give both gas burners and electric ovens. I would also recommend that you get the electric ovens with a convection option, as they are worth the extra cost. Sun May 18 12:24:55 -0700 2008 3010524 22220 Kelli2006 2 4355084 How are electric ovens for roasting? I've always used a gas oven and love how it roasts. Sat Jan 24 21:39:27 -0800 2009 3698670 260261 icats711 1 4356115 So many generalizations made here its hard to respond. 1) If you buy a good quality gas oven it will heat and cook evenly, always, and maintains a specific temperature very well. Gas ovens found in your rental apartment probably don't qualify as good quality. Viking, Wolf, BlueStar, Five-Star, etc., will all do the job just fine 2) Most of the nicer brands mentioend above also have a broiler that is not just open flame, it is a ceramic element that heats up and allows you to brown and braise beautifully... infra-red broilers. 3) If you are going to make a generalization about gas v. electric, it would probably be that Gas is better for roasting meats, etc., whereas electric is better for baking, cakes, cookies, etc. Many people believe that the gas is a more moist heat. Sun Jan 25 11:27:31 -0800 2009 3010524 260356 kev_800 2 4357044 I had the gas man come in and totally disconnect the gas from my kitchen, then I had an electrician come in and install an appliance outlet so I could buy an electric stove. I had tolerated the gas stove for 6 years because it was here when I moved into my house and don't ask me why but I hated having a gas stove. Maybe it was because of the open flame, it made me nervous especially when I was deep frying something. I purchased a smooth surface stove and it cooks everything wonderfully. I feel more comfortable cooking on it than I did the gas stove. For peace of mind, it was worth the switch for me. Sun Jan 25 17:29:04 -0800 2009 4356115 259262 macandcheese4ever