Electric Ranges, why do Colorodians love them? (Denver: houses, water heater)

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by DenverBrian

Indeed, you could say that this is the "dual fuel" of the 21st century - a gas range below, a microwave oven above.

Don't forget convection either. It turned out that for my latest house, I got a gas convection range below and a microwave/convection oven above. Lots of options with that.

I would never think to use gas and convection in the same sentence. I usually think of microwaves when I think of convection.

[TechMike]

In my experience, the older the home, the more likely it has a gas stove. Seems sometime in the 50s they switched to electric stoves. Both the houses I lived in cap hill and in park hill have gas stoves. The places I lived in Golden and Englewood were newer, built in the 70s, and had electric.

[ryanek9freak]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

I've lived in many houses in Colorado through the years, and toured many that I was looking to buy.

It seemed to be an even split ... 50-50 ... as to gas or electric ranges in the houses.

While my own residence is now a gas range/oven, a top rated GE unit that only cost $480 (very plain jane controls and features, which is fine by me, rated to cook as evenly as units costing many times more) ... my 2nd home has all-electric kitchens with older coil-type surface elements.

IMO, the late model halogen cooktops are every bit as controllable as the gas ranges I cook on. I get to cook on these when I visit friends in the region, and the ranges are a pleasure to cook on. Cleaner and even easier to modulate than a gas range.

I agree, those glas top ranges do heat up and cool down almost as wuick as gas ranges, and look sleek and are easy to keep clean, however....I refuse to cook on one, because having been a restaruant cook for a bit, I can tell you there's a reason why commercial kitchens only have gas cooktops.

The heat is faster and more even. Even the flat top griddles in restaruants are heated with gas. We had a 220v electric char brolier i the kitchen and nobody ever used it cause it took forever to heat up and cook food.

Now, I don't know if you guys have seen the Electro-inductive cooktops, that use the pan itself to conduct electricy through. They're super expensive, heat and cool unbeleivably fast, and you can take the pan right off the stove, and put your hand on the burner and it's not even hot. I want one really bad, but they're still all around $4000 on the low end.

Take a look at the picture on the page:

http://www.electroluxappliances.com/...tops/induction

[sbelvedere]

I imagine that the prevalence of electric is some combination of the post-electrification age of Denver suburbs (1950s+) and the later concerns over the safety of gas that I remember at least as far back as the 1980s. In apartment buildings, it's almost certainly an issue of cost and building age, as providing electric appliances is much cheaper than also having to run gas lines to every unit.

A few folks have mentioned induction: they used to be quite expensive, but GE now makes an induction range for under $3k, and Home Depot now sells a Maytag induction range that is about $1500, so I expect they'll be more available soon and will replace radiative electric soon enough.

[Prodigal Native]

Originally Posted by sbelvedere

I imagine that the prevalence of electric is some combination of the post-electrification age of Denver suburbs (1950s+) and the later concerns over the safety of gas that I remember at least as far back as the 1980s. In apartment buildings, it's almost certainly an issue of cost and building age, as providing electric appliances is much cheaper than also having to run gas lines to every unit.

I think this is a large part of it. I grew up in a house built in the 50s (Hampden & I-25 area); we and all of our neighbors had electric ranges. My step-mom lived in Park Hill and rented the top floor of a house and she and her neighbors were the only people I knew who had gas ranges (and ovens).

I also think that when it comes to rentals many landlords also look at not just the cost of running gas lines, but also the fact that in a rental you never know when you are going to get a total idiot who will do something stupid with a gas range.

A few folks have mentioned induction: they used to be quite expensive, but GE now makes an induction range for under $3k, and Home Depot now sells a Maytag induction range that is about $1500, so I expect they'll be more available soon and will replace radiative electric soon enough.

In the dream house I have been building for several years in my mind there is a 36" induction cooktop with dual convection wall ovens and a stand-alone microwave. To me, that is the best of all worlds.

Among the many pluses of induction are the ability to cover the range with newspaper and still heat your pan. Apparently many people do this when frying to minimize the cleanup.

Induction also has the benefit of heating up your pans directly so less heat it wasted (gas is horribly inefficient in this regard) which means less ventilation is needed.

[ChrisFromChicago]

Here is why I ended up against induction and electric
1 ) I hate the smooth surface. Its soooo hard to keep your pots from moving. you got to grip with both hands as you stir. Annoying

2) Still only a few induction options. A lot more flexibility on gas.

3) not a biggee, but only certain pans will work. I don't have concerns over the radiation really. . .

I'm betting that induction will replace all but the cheapest electric ranges. . .in what 5 or 10 years? If only I had the options/flexbility of that day today.

[Prodigal Native]

Originally Posted by ChrisFromChicago

Here is why I ended up against induction and electric
1 ) I hate the smooth surface. Its soooo hard to keep your pots from moving. you got to grip with both hands as you stir. Annoying

I have heard that one too, but I don't think that is too big of an issue for me. I tend to grab the pot and stir already. The one part that does concern me is the potential for scratches as I move the pans; especially my cast iron skillets.

I have also heard that some pans can make strange noises on some of the cooktops. I experienced this at The Melting Pot once and it was not pleasant.

2) Still only a few induction options. A lot more flexibility on gas.

That's the big issue as far a I am concerned. I know the features I want, but I haven't seen that combination in a well reviewed model... yet.

3) not a biggee, but only certain pans will work. I don't have concerns over the radiation really. . .

The only pan I would miss is my wok, but a flat-bottom wok should take care of that.

I'm betting that induction will replace all but the cheapest electric ranges. . .in what 5 or 10 years? If only I had the options/flexbility of that day today.

I'd like to think that and from what I hear it is very popular in Europe, but I'd put it at closer to 20 years. There are advantages, but I don't think any of them are game-changers that will make induction a must have especially since, unlike gas, it is foreign and "weird".

[davebarnes]

http://theinductionsite.com/

Lots of info.

[Mike from back east]

FWIW: The current edition of Consumer Reports (July 2012) rates all sorts of kitchen appliances, including stoves and ranges.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by sbelvedere

I imagine that the prevalence of electric is some combination of the post-electrification age of Denver suburbs (1950s+) and the later concerns over the safety of gas that I remember at least as far back as the 1980s. In apartment buildings, it's almost certainly an issue of cost and building age, as providing electric appliances is much cheaper than also having to run gas lines to every unit.

A few folks have mentioned induction: they used to be quite expensive, but GE now makes an induction range for under $3k, and Home Depot now sells a Maytag induction range that is about $1500, so I expect they'll be more available soon and will replace radiative electric soon enough.

I know some people who are living in a crappy old small one bedroom apartment. The place is terrible, nothing works, the pluming backs up all the time. But they have a remodeled kitchen with all new appliances, including an induction range. I'm pretty sure that their cheepo landlord didn't spend very much money on that range.