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From: mmr@ritcv.UUCP (Margaret Reek)
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Re: Electric stoves
Message-ID: <1542@ritcv.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 18-Feb-85 15:24:30 EST
Article-I.D.: ritcv.1542
Posted: Mon Feb 18 15:24:30 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 21-Feb-85 04:01:25 EST
References: <582@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
Lines: 29

> 
> 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.)
> 
	Electric stoves may not go out, but they do not produce a constant
level of heat at low levels; they turn the various elements on for a period of
time, then let them go off. For most things, the net effect is the same as
having the elements on at a low level all the time.  However, if you use a
pressure cooker, the constant fluctuations in temperature change the pressure.
If you are canning in the pressure cooker, this fluctuation can force food
out of the top of the jars, and if the pressure drops below the required level
requires that the timing start all over again.  I would gladly trade my
electric burners for gas burners, but there is no gas in our area, and those
propane tanks are ugly as well as a nuisance.  (The same does not apply to the
oven, I once had a gas oven blow its door off because the pilot wasn't really
on.)

			Margaret Reek
			Rochester Institute of Technology
			rochester!ritcv!mmr