New Stove Dilemma

[whistler]

It's time for a new electric cook stove. My wife is a terrific cook and would prefer a double oven model. She also like canning, and we have lot's of cast iron cookware. The problem is the new flattop ceramic stoves. No cast iron cook ware says the salesmen. They also say pan diameter should be no larger than 1" larger than the burner size. That rules out her pressure cooker, some dutch ovens, and several other items. The conventional burners are not available with the double oven model stoves. We cannot be the only one dealing with this problem as most single ovens models are now smooth top also. Those of you using smooth tops and canning are you having a problem? what about cast iron cookware?

[TRAPnHUNT]

When I bought my house 6 years back, it had a smooth top electric stove. The first thing I did was ran a gas line and did away with that stove. I'm not suggesting. I'm just saying!!!

[Admin]

The smooth top stoves are out of the question for canning mostly due to the weight of the canning pot. From the sounds of it you'd be better off with a stove that can handle the task you plan to use it for. Electric stoves are worthless during power outages. If it was me, I'd have a gas range that can handle all your task with without worries. My house is equipped with multiple fuel sources. A smooth top range on one side, a 5 burner gas cooktop on the other and a wood fired range in the dining room. There's no stopping us ;D

[whistler]

I like gas and discussed that with a salesman. He talked me out of it because of cost. It would have mattered to him whether we bought a gas or electric so I didn't think he had a motive. We don't have natural gas in this area so the gas would have to be propane? Which one are you fellows talking about?

JC all I can say is your going to be the most popular man in the neighborhood if the &%#T hits the fan and people know you're set up like that!

[Admin]

Apr 10, 2011 10:56:53 GMT -5 whistler said:

I like gas and discussed that with a salesman. He talked me out of it because of cost. It would have mattered to him whether we bought a gas or electric so I didn't think he had a motive. We don't have natural gas in this area so the gas would have to be propane? Which one are you fellows talking about?

JC all I can say is your going to be the most popular man in the neighborhood if the &%#T hits the fan and people know you're set up like that!

Im pretty sure it's cheaper to run propane than electric. If you're just using the propane for cooking, a tank will last a long time. All my gas consumption is propane and I love it. Again, you can keep cooking with gas even when the power is out and that means a lot. You can heat water for showers and dishes etc. I hate being dependant on the grid for all my household task.

Seriously, the best thing you can do for your family is be prepared. When the grid goes down for several weeks and you can't heat water or cook, things can get pretty chaotic in a household. You can have a few gas lights and a gas stove rigged on a single hundred pound tank and continue on as normal when s**t hits the fan. You can stockpile propane for a long long time and it doesn't go bad. Gasoline goes to s**t in just a few months and you can't even get any when the grid is down. I have propane bottles that were filled in the 80s and still bruning clean.

be prepared. ;D