Gas stoves are also linked to slightly higher cancer rates. But dammit, gas stoves rule. I spent so long cooking with nonstick pans on electric stoves. Now I’ve got cast iron on a gas range and everything is better and easier.
Electric stoves come in two forms though: ceramic, where you have an old-fashioned spiral which heats up the plate your pan sits on and plainly sucks imho. Or induction which heats your pan directly though an electromagnetic field. The latter is more efficient and modern cast iron pans work perfectly fine on them, no need for an enamel coating
Last few years I alternated between induction and gas due to moving around, induction is a clear winner for me.
You forgot IR, which was the ‘cool’ electric stoves during the 80s through late 00s when induction came about and took it’s spot.
Edit: and also Coil stoves (which what I thought you meant with Ceramic, but that’s the slightly more upmarket version) which are the absolute worst and the standard ‘landlord special’ in Australia.
We call old-fashioned stoves with a resistive spiral a ceramic plate here, while induction stoves are never referred to as a ceramic plate. Might not be technically correct, but that’s language for you I guess.
I used to say that also but dammit, induction stoves are even better. The clear winner is my pasta pot on the big burner boils water significantly faster than gas used to
Actually I’ve noticed fairly frequently that I no longer have time to prep while things are getting up to temp - I’ve had to change my habits to do essentially all prep ahead of time (ok the pasta water still takes a bit but instead of turning it on high before doing prep, I use medium high to give me more time)
Some people have problems with their cookware, but I was already using cast iron, which works beautifully, and multilayer stainless which works beautifully. I do keep a couple non-stick skillets for eggs, or visitors to use, and had to get special ones since most won’t work.
The only real problem with induction is it isn’t commonly available (in the US), and can be expensive. I paid way more than I wanted to, because induction and air fryer which I wanted, only came with “smart” and double oven which I didn’t want to pay for …… and I never did see a floor model so had to buy without actually seeing it
Horrid may be the wrong word, but yes if you put a big pan on a small coil it will heat unevenly. It’s more noticeable in skillets where you’re trying to sear something.
Yes I’ve noticed that
putting a 12” skillet on a coil sized for 10” does not cook well around the edges
putting a 12” stock pot on a coil sized for 10” takes longer to boil.
They do work for wok, Technology Connections even made a video about it. It just needs to be a specific set designed for it (but really, the same goes for gas if you want a proper wok).
With a gas burner, you can just change out the grill on top to make it accommodate a wok pretty well. With an inductive stove, you can’t. They make flat-bottom works for use on them, but they’re useless.
The advantage and disadvantage of induction is that the cookware is the heating element. It makes them very efficient, but they are terrible at spreading heat. I love boiling water in mine because it’s super fast and efficient. But I can only heat 1 pancake, steak, or tortilla at a time on them because if the food isn’t centered over the coils it doesn’t cook evenly at all.
I’m currently in an Airbnb with a gas range, and fuck do I miss this shit. I have an electric range at home, and it’s just shit. I feel like gandalf or some shit just turning down the heat and having it actually happen instantly is some next level shit.
I just keep a double induction hotplate on top of my stove. In the rare cases where I need the non-induction burners, I move the hotplate out of the way. Made dolsot bibimbap just this week and was using the non-induction burner for the stone dolsot bowl and the two induction ones for cooking the toppings seperately.
Though I am considering just replacing the whole range because the ovens also suck and I’d definitely call this a developer special stove/oven.
Gas with cast iron and stainless is top tier. I do my best to stay healthy but sometimes I make choices for quality of life over quantity. Gas stoves is one I’ll make when given the chance I love them. I’ve admittedly only tried induction a couple times. For electric they’re awesome but it doesn’t seem like you can maneuver the pans as well especially for something like a wok it doesn’t compete. Plus aside from anything practical playing with fire is just more fun, it’s satisfying
I’ve got a wok that I use with my induction burner. It’s pretty thin, so heats up pretty quickly, and that heat will travel up the sides. The induction burner will beep at me sometimes if I stir by moving the wok rather than with a wooden paddle, but it’s no big deal, stops complaining when the wok is close enough again. Would be nice if it had a silent mode.
I get that cooking on a gas stove is viscerally rewarding, and a link back to one of the first technologies ever invented: controlling fire.
I like sitting around a camp fire or bonfire too. It makes me happy. But i know the smoke is bad for me. There’s no reason for me to say it is “junk science” to be concerned about the smoke.
I’m still going to sit around the campfire but I’ll be respecting it and trying to minimize harm.
Agreed. My balance is to put a little more effort into inside air that I have to breathe constantly. Induction is a nice cooking improvement and investment into cleaner inside air, and I cook outside when I want a flame
Having a gas stove is the equivalent of having a smoker at your kitchen table from a benzene (carcinogen) perspective. Measuring benzene is not junk science. And benzene is a well known carcinogen that was found even when not using the stove. Is your assumption that everyone runs their exhaust 100% of the time?
somehow ignores that gas ranges all have exhaust fans.
Mine literally does not because the house was built in the 80s in the soviet union. I mean I don’t even have a hob. If I want to ventilate the gas out, I need to open a window. Which does more to work against my heat pump than to actually ventilate the kitchen.
Gas stoves are also linked to slightly higher cancer rates. But dammit, gas stoves rule. I spent so long cooking with nonstick pans on electric stoves. Now I’ve got cast iron on a gas range and everything is better and easier.
Electric stoves come in two forms though: ceramic, where you have an old-fashioned spiral which heats up the plate your pan sits on and plainly sucks imho. Or induction which heats your pan directly though an electromagnetic field. The latter is more efficient and modern cast iron pans work perfectly fine on them, no need for an enamel coating
Last few years I alternated between induction and gas due to moving around, induction is a clear winner for me.
You forgot IR, which was the ‘cool’ electric stoves during the 80s through late 00s when induction came about and took it’s spot.
Edit: and also Coil stoves (which what I thought you meant with Ceramic, but that’s the slightly more upmarket version) which are the absolute worst and the standard ‘landlord special’ in Australia.
Ah, TIL that the electric family was even larger than that. Thanks for the addition.
Uh most induction ones are also ceramic though, and not all old-fashioned ones are.
I think you mean resistive vs induction, not ceramic vs induction
We call old-fashioned stoves with a resistive spiral a ceramic plate here, while induction stoves are never referred to as a ceramic plate. Might not be technically correct, but that’s language for you I guess.
Ah yeah, apparently in English ceramic stovetops are only called ceramic when there’s a resistive spiral lol, didn’t know.
It’s funny because the ceramic refers to the glass, which is quite literally the same for induction.
In my case Dutch, never realised it might differ across languages. Although in hindsight it makes sense, like you said: it’s all ceramic.
I’m a convert. Induction is so much better. Heats cast iron like you wouldn’t believe.
I used to say that also but dammit, induction stoves are even better. The clear winner is my pasta pot on the big burner boils water significantly faster than gas used to
Actually I’ve noticed fairly frequently that I no longer have time to prep while things are getting up to temp - I’ve had to change my habits to do essentially all prep ahead of time (ok the pasta water still takes a bit but instead of turning it on high before doing prep, I use medium high to give me more time)
Some people have problems with their cookware, but I was already using cast iron, which works beautifully, and multilayer stainless which works beautifully. I do keep a couple non-stick skillets for eggs, or visitors to use, and had to get special ones since most won’t work.
The only real problem with induction is it isn’t commonly available (in the US), and can be expensive. I paid way more than I wanted to, because induction and air fryer which I wanted, only came with “smart” and double oven which I didn’t want to pay for …… and I never did see a floor model so had to buy without actually seeing it
induction stoves are great if the pan fits the coil and has a perfectly flat bottom.
With oversized pan they get horrid hot spots, and for something like a Wok they just don’t work.
Horrid may be the wrong word, but yes if you put a big pan on a small coil it will heat unevenly. It’s more noticeable in skillets where you’re trying to sear something.
Yes I’ve noticed that
You could just…. Not do that
They do work for wok, Technology Connections even made a video about it. It just needs to be a specific set designed for it (but really, the same goes for gas if you want a proper wok).
With a gas burner, you can just change out the grill on top to make it accommodate a wok pretty well. With an inductive stove, you can’t. They make flat-bottom works for use on them, but they’re useless.
The advantage and disadvantage of induction is that the cookware is the heating element. It makes them very efficient, but they are terrible at spreading heat. I love boiling water in mine because it’s super fast and efficient. But I can only heat 1 pancake, steak, or tortilla at a time on them because if the food isn’t centered over the coils it doesn’t cook evenly at all.
Try induction. It’s so much better than standard electric, and in my opinion, also better than gas.
I’m currently in an Airbnb with a gas range, and fuck do I miss this shit. I have an electric range at home, and it’s just shit. I feel like gandalf or some shit just turning down the heat and having it actually happen instantly is some next level shit.
Get an induction at home. Gas sucks compared to it
I’ve heard good things. I rent tho, so I’m not going to buy my landlord a range. I will consider it if I ever actually buy a home.
You could try a plug in single pot one. Though idk how strong they get if you live in 120V land
No way, I have far too many kitchen appliances as it is 😂
I just keep a double induction hotplate on top of my stove. In the rare cases where I need the non-induction burners, I move the hotplate out of the way. Made dolsot bibimbap just this week and was using the non-induction burner for the stone dolsot bowl and the two induction ones for cooking the toppings seperately.
Though I am considering just replacing the whole range because the ovens also suck and I’d definitely call this a developer special stove/oven.
Gas with cast iron and stainless is top tier. I do my best to stay healthy but sometimes I make choices for quality of life over quantity. Gas stoves is one I’ll make when given the chance I love them. I’ve admittedly only tried induction a couple times. For electric they’re awesome but it doesn’t seem like you can maneuver the pans as well especially for something like a wok it doesn’t compete. Plus aside from anything practical playing with fire is just more fun, it’s satisfying
I think woks are an issue in general but one reason is rounded bottoms which don’t give enough surface to heat
I don’t do much wok cooking so never have reason to maneuver the pans
I find induction much better than gas, in addition to not polluting my inside air
I’ve got a wok that I use with my induction burner. It’s pretty thin, so heats up pretty quickly, and that heat will travel up the sides. The induction burner will beep at me sometimes if I stir by moving the wok rather than with a wooden paddle, but it’s no big deal, stops complaining when the wok is close enough again. Would be nice if it had a silent mode.
FYI you are choosing to be exposed to benzene then which is the equivalent of a smoker at your kitchen table from a carcinogen perspective.
I get that cooking on a gas stove is viscerally rewarding, and a link back to one of the first technologies ever invented: controlling fire.
I like sitting around a camp fire or bonfire too. It makes me happy. But i know the smoke is bad for me. There’s no reason for me to say it is “junk science” to be concerned about the smoke.
I’m still going to sit around the campfire but I’ll be respecting it and trying to minimize harm.
Agreed. My balance is to put a little more effort into inside air that I have to breathe constantly. Induction is a nice cooking improvement and investment into cleaner inside air, and I cook outside when I want a flame
This is me 100%. Risk reward assessment.
Gas is better to cook with, and the science behind health effects is pure junk epidemiology and somehow ignores that gas ranges all have exhaust fans.
Having a gas stove is the equivalent of having a smoker at your kitchen table from a benzene (carcinogen) perspective. Measuring benzene is not junk science. And benzene is a well known carcinogen that was found even when not using the stove. Is your assumption that everyone runs their exhaust 100% of the time?
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10324305/
Mine literally does not because the house was built in the 80s in the soviet union. I mean I don’t even have a hob. If I want to ventilate the gas out, I need to open a window. Which does more to work against my heat pump than to actually ventilate the kitchen.