There's a whole lot of people for whom "electric stove" means "giant metal coil that heats up in an uncontrollable way and contacts my cookware unevenly."
When my gas stove fails, I will almost certainly replace it with an electric induction stove. I have never used one, but my understanding is that they are just as easy to cook with as a gas stove.
However, old style electric stoves are still about half the price of induction stoves, and gas stoves are even cheaper. I can't fault someone for having to replace their range with something they can just barely afford instead of with something they can't afford at all.
halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
It’s because so many electric stoves fucking suck. A cheap gas stove is infinitely better to cook on than a cheap coil electric stove.
While people will talk about electric stoves and reference newer glass top ranges, and induction cooktop that heat the pan directly, that’s not what 90% of people have. They have the shitty coil burners from the cheap piece of shit model the apartment complex installed.
The price difference to get to a good electric means many apartment complexes and landlords won’t buy them, or it’s just cost prohibitive for current homeowners with the current economy when the current stove unexpectedly breaks.
AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
I’ve also found gas is better for frying or using a wok
brygphilomena@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
The consistent heat, even with all the inefficiency, is so much better for anything that requires a precise, consistent temp. Trying to keep fry oil at a specific temp when the electric top is duty cycling is a huge pain the ass.
But, as far as I’m concerned, different tools for different purposes. I hate this black and white mentality that electric is undeniably “better.” I’m also getting over the “we found something bad about Z so we should all stop using Z everywhere.” Life’s about tradeoffs and we will never have something perfect for every use case, so being able to make the choice on what is right for you is important.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Ok, but gas is a lot of bad things. It poisons the air in your house, releases an extremely potent greenhouse gas on accident constantly, and when everything goes right it still inherently contributes to climate change because it’s a fossil fuel.
Like I don’t really care how good it is, it’s a problem.
AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
I agree. My testing was all done on likely the cheapest of each version. I mainly just prefer gas fire wok cooking. 90% of the time I don’t need a flame. I really ought to just buy a single counter top burner for the wok and get an induction
mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 1 week ago
Replied this in another thread: I don’t think it should be prohibited - BUT - never used around kids. Life’s about tradeoffs sure and your kids don’t deserve to grow up with asthma either.
This shit poses the greatest risk to developing bodies:
massmed.org/…/Connection-Between-Natural-Gas-Stov…
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9819315/
rmi.org/gas-stoves-health-climate-asthma-risk/
www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/75
oregonlive.com/…/gas-stoves-are-hazardous-to-your…
BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Which gas stoves and what electric stoves did you test this on?
where_am_i@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
tell us the model on which you had a wok working. Cuz I tried all of them out there, including $2k ones and it still sucks. Electric/induction stove – no wok.
AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
The ones in my rentals. So probably the cheapest in each category
5714@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
It’s Time To Break Up With Our Gas Stoves [Climate Town] | www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX2aZUav-54
SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Okay, other than the could taking longer to heat up and a bit of a struggle to clean. What’s the issue with them?
Of course something cheaper isn’t going to be as good, so what it takes a few extra minutes to warm up.
halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Exposed coil burners take a long time to heat up and don’t change temperatures quickly. That’s fine if you’re cooking something simple that you’re just throwing in a pan for a few minutes and don’t really need to adjust at all like a box of hamburger helper, but for actual cooking those are limitations that just don’t need to exist. There is a reason restaurants don’t use coil burners.
Lowes currently has a GE gas range with 4 burners, a griddle, convection oven and even includes a range hood for $179.00 after a $20 discount. That’s pretty dang cheap for a much better cooking experience than a similarly priced electric.
SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I didn’t know people’s kitchens were restaurants. Yeah of course they have their limitations, they are cheap for that reason.
Every unit has electricity, you know how much it costs to plumb gas to every unit…?
onion@feddit.de 2 weeks ago
Yes but it’s not 1920
fishpen0@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Cool. Let me just convince my landlord to let me do that. And my next landlord and my next landlord and my next landlord
Annoyed_Crabby@monyet.cc 2 weeks ago
If that’s the case, a cheapo portable induction cooktop is good enough actually.
halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Ah yes exactly what everyone wants to do when their gas range with 4-5 burners and an oven needs to be replaced… getting a tabletop induction burner. Perfect replacement.
Lowes currently has a gas range with 4 burners, a built in griddle, and a convection oven from GE for $179.00 right now, and it even comes with a range hood, usually sold separate.
Meanwhile the cheapest random Chinese “brand” single induction burner I can quickly find on Amazon is $89. For 1 burner, that’s a tabletop using up counter space instead, and will likely fail within a year because it’s not from a real brand. The company probably won’t even exist in a year so they don’t have to handle warranty claims.
If all you ever need is 1 small burner then awesome. I don’t know about everyone else, but I don’t usually cook entire meals using a single pan small enough to fit on a small portable burner however. So I’d probably need a larger burner, which is more expensive, and probably multiple burners to actually cook a full meal without having to do one thing at a time. Where I’m right back at the cost of just getting a range and hood that fits where the existing spot in the house already is.
SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
You aren’t talking about this Combo are you…?
Because that has a charcoal filter and is the entire issue with gas ranges, they need to be vented outdoors… yeesh…. Way to completely miss the point.
Annoyed_Crabby@monyet.cc 2 weeks ago
Firstly, I doubt majority of people cook with 2 or more stove every single day, i certainly only very rarely does that and i cook daily, so i think your issue is widely exaggerated.
Secondly, a quick search in homedepot yield me a $50 single cooktop, the one with double induction cost around $125, way cheaper than your $90 single induction.
Thirdly, i only suggest you a portable cooktop when you complain about the terrible(it’s not, unless it’s broken) coil heater the apartment provided.
Fourthly, electric stove is far safer than gas stove are, and this article is talking about how poor people are more exposed to nitrogen dioxide. Of course the electronic variant with electronic components inside is more expensive, but to argue against it because you can’t get the same price compared to the gas variant is sort of disingenuous, almost as if you’re making up problem to argue against changing for better and safer option. Sure, some compromise must be made to swap into electric, but for general purpose cooking, double cooktop works just as fine as gas range with multiple stove and oven and those stuff you probably only use once per year.
BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
That really sucks you can’t use the counter space where the stove is.
chemicalprophet@lemm.ee 2 weeks ago
I can’t wait to see you deglaze a pan on your portable electric induction cooktop.
Annoyed_Crabby@monyet.cc 2 weeks ago
I’m sure you deglaze every single day.
Also yes you can.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Honestly disagree. When I think of a stove I think of my landlord special electric and it’s fine. I really don’t get why people hate them. And yes I’ve used gas. And glass. Never induction though.
someguy3@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
See this right here. It’s easy. It really is.