Buying a new Range...Thoughts?

[shavefan]

I think gas is a good call. Have you ever cooked with a convection oven before? There is a temperature/time difference between regular radiant ovens and convection that you'll need to adjust for especially if using conventional recipes. There's a convection oven at Mom's...I don't care for it but you may like one.

Better Cooking with Convection Ovens

https://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/healthy-living/convection-oven-vs-regular-oven/

Our current range is convection, I dont think I've ever used that function. I dont do a lot of baking...

 

[shavefan]

There are a lot of things you could do to me. Some will hurt, and many will just roll off my back. If really you want to break my heart and spirit, then replace my gas range with any manner of electric one.

Looking forward to having nat gas back!

 

[shavefan]

The secret is......

Don't buy the cheapest and don't buy the most expensive.

Get a middle of the line model.

Things like convection and high output wok burners are a personal preference.

.

Shopping around there seems to be an aweful lot in the $1k range and $4-5k range, some in between. I'd love a commercial unit but they are out of our budget.

 

[simon1]

Our current range is convection, I dont think I've ever used that function. I dont do a lot of baking...

I just looked at the specs. on the Samsung and it does have the option to turn the oven fan off. I don't think Mom's electric one has that option...I'll have to look next time I'm there.

 

[davent]

... to replace a breaker and one outlet?!?!?!?!?
When i'll grow up i wanna be an electrician

Any kind of service call around here i've had to use, maybe $90 to get some one to take a look then a minimum labour/time charge, then parts if it's worth fixing.

dave

 

[shavefan]

I just looked at the specs. on the Samsung and it does have the option to turn the oven fan off. I don't think Mom's electric one has that option...I'll have to look next time I'm there.

On our's there's two buttons for baking..."BAKE" & "CONVECTION BAKE". Then there's the "CONVECTION ROAST" button which I have no idea what that means and I've never used that function either...

 

[shavefan]

Any kind of service call around here i've had to use, maybe $90 to get some one to take a look then a minimum labour/time charge, then parts if it's worth fixing.

dave

Around here they wont get out of bed for less than $150...

 

[simon1]

On our's there's two buttons for baking..."BAKE" & "CONVECTION BAKE". Then there's the "CONVECTION ROAST" button which I have no idea what that means and I've never used that function either...

I don't have much experience on convection...the only one we had here was a "portable" one that wasn't much bigger than a microwave, and it's gone now. It didn't have a fan off option. I have no idea where the manual is on Mom's that came with the house 20 years ago and she's been gone now for over a year. I can look it up online but I have the model number of the oven written down up there so that doesn't do me much good right now. I don't know that Mom even knew that was an option, if her's has it. The only thing I saw her do with the oven was just put stuff in it to bake.

Even on Mom's microwave you have to jump through 15 hoops to even set the power level. On mine you just hit the power level number you want, hit the power level button, then the time you want to microwave and hit Start.

It's kinda like now you have to have a degree to work on cars since they are all computerized now. One time I took my Camaro, which has the old school 4 barrel carb., high rise manifold, high compression heads, etc. in to a mechanic I've used for years. He told me that he'd work on it himself as "None of my guys have even seen the inside of a carburetor."

Any kind of service call around here i've had to use, maybe $90 to get some one to take a look then a minimum labour/time charge, then parts if it's worth fixing.

dave

I hear ya on that. I live about 20 miles out of town...from the edge of town...and besides the initial service call fee and then labor and parts they also charge mileage. I try to fix what I can, but an electrician or gas line plumber I'm not.

 

[Mick]

You're looking for 120vac for spark,clock, and oven, right?

2 ifs here.

If.... you have a stove outlet like this (which is the most common type)

AND (BIG and here).....

If you are comfortable with dyi home repair.​

You can throw the stove breaker (if you don't know which it is, throw the main).

Remove the existing plugbox and replace it with a handybox. Wirenut and tape one leg of the 240vac feed. Wire in a 120 vac 20a single plug to the other leg of the 240vac feed. You're going to need to get a single plug that can take a 6 or 8 gauge solid wire.

This may not be kosher with your local building code but if you own the property and you do the work yourself you should be fine

1st thing to do is drag the stove out and see what you have.

 

[EB Newfarm]

I can't complain loudly enough or often enough about the poor customer service and poor quality of my Frigidiaire oven and refrigerator. They were expensive, defective, and frigidaire won't return calls or provide any service. My local store refuses to send anyone out. Please save yourself a lot of frustration and avoid that brand.

 

[shavefan]

You're looking for 120vac for spark,clock, and oven, right?

2 ifs here.

If.... you have a stove outlet like this (which is the most common type)

AND (BIG and here).....

If you are comfortable with dyi home repair.​

You can throw the stove breaker (if you don't know which it is, throw the main).

Remove the existing plugbox and replace it with a handybox. Wirenut and tape one leg of the 240vac feed. Wire in a 120 vac 20a single plug to the other leg of the 240vac feed. You're going to need to get a single plug that can take a 6 or 8 gauge solid wire.

This may not be kosher with your local building code but if you own the property and you do the work yourself you should be fine

1st thing to do is drag the stove out and see what you have.

Yup, thats the 240v plug that's in there currently. I'm pretty comfortable about doing the work myself but it does need to be up to code. We are planning to be in out current house another 5-7 years before moving on so I don't want any issues when it comes time to sell.

 

[John Rose]

Gas will work when the power is off, unless there's some kind of electronic monitoring and control system that I'm not aware of.

Induction: Creates an electromagnetic field that agitates the food modules, heating them while leaving the pan and stove cold. Now the pan and stove will heat up but this is from contact with the hot food, not from the stove itself.

Um, I beg to differ. That's more true of microwaves, assuming the pot is microwave-safe, like Pyrex.

In an induction cooktop ("induction hob" or "induction stove"), a coil of copper wire is placed under the cooking pot and an alternating electric current is passed through it. The resulting oscillating magnetic field induces a magnetic flux which repeatedly magnetises the pot, treating it like the lossy magnetic core of a transformer. This produces large eddy currents in the pot, which because of the resistance of the pot, heats it.

For nearly all models of induction cooktops, a cooking vessel must be made of, or contain, a ferromagnetic metal such as cast iron or some stainless steels. However, copper, glass, non magnetic stainless steels, and aluminum vessels can be used if placed on a ferromagnetic disk which functions as a conventional hotplate.

 

[Mick]

Yup, thats the 240v plug that's in there currently. I'm pretty comfortable about doing the work myself but it does need to be up to code. We are planning to be in out current house another 5-7 years before moving on so I don't want any issues when it comes time to sell.

Just save the old plug (heck, screw it on the wall next to the new one).

Reverse the process when you sell

If you get a decent range, you'll be taking it with you when you move (we will be). Head down to habitat and pick up a used electric range when you list.

 

[Merle]

errr... I think there is a misunderstanding above, induction doesn't heat the food - directly - as you might with microwave heating the water and fat with in foods. Induction heats the metal in the pan, pot, or skillet; which then heats the food, causes the sear, boils the moisture. So, generally the magnetic coil in the ceramic or glass cook top and said cook top do not get hot; but, the metal container and then food within do.

In this house I started with a glass electric, installed a gas sealed unit, want an induction to have laterz... and am getting pretty good at cooking with induction and gas with the gear I own. I wouldn't mind having all three staged and ready to use at a whim! I still use a double boiler for gentles and smokin' hot for searing. If I had to, I don't, I could get within 5 degrees of control range for sous vide on the electric stoves too. The big thing, again, as said above, have your two lines of power for an electric or induction stove, have an Engineer's specification gas line (all the way back to your point of entry) to run the gas stove & any other gas load along that line at the same time. AND, design your under cooktop shelving or drawers so everything behind them fits and you can close the drawers completely! (Lessons learned!)

 

[Mick]

I only use induction to boil water and make coffee in a moka pot.

Though I own one I know little about them

I can find the on/off switch

 

[Alacrity59]

The big thing stopping me from getting gas is the clearance that is called for above the stove. Our cabinets are too low. Now. . . does this really matter? Would a fire know somehow not to be 9 inches higher?

 

[simon1]

Gas will work when the power is off, unless there's some kind of electronic monitoring and control system that I'm not aware of.

Try to use one that has the electric "bulb" pilot light to heat up the gas release device when power is off. A "safety device." I won't have anything that doesn't have a gas pilot light with a thermocoupling...but I think it's hard to find one that doesn't have that ignition system.

I haven't tried a lighter to heat up the gas release devise...may have to try that.

 

[Mick]

Try to use one that has the electric "bulb" pilot light to heat up the gas release device when power is off. A "safety device." I won't have anything that doesn't have a gas pilot light with a thermocoupling...but I think it's hard to find one that doesn't have that ignition system.

I haven't tried a lighter to heat up the gas release devise...may have to try that.

The oven ones and grill ones won't work without power (thermocouple).

Most burners will light with a piezo bbq lighter.

.

 

[simon1]

The oven ones and grill ones won't work without power (thermocouple).

Most burners will light with a piezo bbq lighter.

.

That seems to be exactly what my experience is. I can light burners with a Bic or a match.

I may shut off the power to the oven and see if a lighter will work on the gas release device thing...but I think I'll use a bbq lighter with a Looooong neck as the pilot bulb is at the back of the oven burner. I hate singed arm hairs.

My hot water heater and house heat all have gas pilot lights. The only thing I really need power for is the fridge, deep freezer, and well pump. The generator takes care of that.

 

[shavefan]

Meh. I have a charcoal grill and keep 40-60lbs of charcoal on hand at all times. I also have a small propane grill with two 5lb canisters ready to go. I'd run out of food before cooking fuel in an extended electrical outage. I should probably asses our food situation...

...New thread; "Thoughts on Chest Freezers for the Garage?"