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From: ddb@mrvax.DEC (DAVID DYER-BENNET MRO1-2/L14 DTN 231-4076)
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Electric stoves
Message-ID: <582@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Feb-85 16:19:13 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.582
Posted: Thu Feb 14 16:19:13 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 17-Feb-85 04:45:34 EST
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: DEC Engineering Network
Lines: 33


I find electric stoves considerably preferable to gas stoves for three
basic reasons:

1.	Having gas piped into the house scares me, too (and I don't
	even live in an earthquake area).
2.	Electric stoves produce a more stable and controllable low
	heat than gas stoves do (they tend to go out).
3.	Electric stoves in general produce more heat on their highest
	settings than do gas stoves.  (True in my experience of not
	all that many specific stoves; the generalization based on
	more facts is from Consumer's Reports.)

The problem with an electric stove is that you cannot instantly\
increase or reduce the heat level by turning knobs.  Normally, by
reasonable planning I avoid the need of doing this.  In an emergency
I can reduce heat by lifting the pan off the burner (if my advance
planning didn't work out).  Also,  I tend to prefer heavy pans,
especially cast iron; they hold heat, so even on a gas stove turning
off the flame wouldn't remove the heat from the food.

I have seen (and used) electric stoves with only a few (5 or 6)
discrete heat levels.  These are an abomination.  They don't seem to
be the mainstream of modern electric stoves, I'm pleased to say.

But electric stoves still don't transfer heat to a wok as well as
I'd like.  One possibility is to get one of the bottled-gas wok
burners for that special case.  One possibility is to get a good
electric wok (and let me know if you find one).  We won't even
consider giving up chineese food.

		-- David Dyer-Bennet
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