Electric Stove Questions

Haven · #1 12/07/12, 05:30 PM

I have always used gas stoves, but the current place has electric. The stove is 12 years old.

I may be imagining things because I don't bake often and I know baking cakes and cookies requires precision temps and timing for things to come out right. Anyways, it seems like it is taking forever to boil water on top, and meals are taking extra long in the oven.

Are there issues with electric stoves that make them loose power? What is the average lifespan of an elec. stove? Is there any way to tell for sure if it isn't heating 100%?

ETA: Forgot to mention it is a glass top stove, built into an island.

okiemomof3 · #2 12/07/12, 05:42 PM

first, i would get an oven thermometer. most electric stoves take anywhere between 10 to 15 minutes to come up to 350.

as with all things, model and make play a part...it could be that an element in the oven is going out...get an oven thermometer and test it that way first.

Robotron · #3 12/07/12, 06:02 PM

Check your stove plug and make sure you have 220 vac. There should be 4 wires going to the plug. 2 x 110 vac, 1 x neutral, 1 x ground. Between the two 110 vac legs you will read 220 vac on your meter. When you go between one 110 vac leg and neutral the meter will read 110 vac. Heating elements operate on different voltages between low and high. You might have lost one of the legs. Could be the female plug, male plug, or other connections. Also the circuit breaker could be bad. If you are not comfortable working with voltage or the meter get help from somebody that does.

plowjockey · #4 12/07/12, 08:19 PM

Glass top stoves are the best for cleaning, but the worst for cooking, IME.

Gas stove burners heat instantly and the ovens seems to heat much faster than electric, for any electric range, I have ever used.

12 years does not seem that old for and electric oven to poop out, but I'd make sure the elements are working and not burned on the ends.

The cooking top, sadly you are on your own.

If I owned the house, a gas range would replace the electric ASAP.

Haven · #5 12/08/12, 08:38 AM

Thanks for the info. There is no gas run to the house. It's all geothermal and electric.

I agree that nothing beats gas for cooking. The electric constantly surges on and off as the burners on top turn red, then off again. It's like trying to cook with zero control of your heat.

Rocktown Gal · #6 12/08/12, 09:03 AM

I wanted to add that I have a glass top stove and I hate it. The burners heat goes up and down and it takes forever to heat anything. Not sure why it does that...also the oven does take longer to cook things.

I have used electric for many years and never had the problem I have had with glass top stoves. Hubby and I was talking about this just this morning (many times in past) and I'm going to get a new stove as soon as I can and no glass top.

plowjockey · #7 12/08/12, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haven

Thanks for the info. There is no gas run to the house. It's all geothermal and electric.

I agree that nothing beats gas for cooking. The electric constantly surges on and off as the burners on top turn red, then off again. It's like trying to cook with zero control of your heat.

It's not a real big deal, to run a gas line to a #100 purchased LP tank.

oregon woodsmok · #8 12/08/12, 01:34 PM

Electric ovens take a long time to get up to temperature. Mine dings when the temperature is reached, so I don't put food in until it dings. You need an oven thermometer. It could be that the only problem is that the thermostat is off kilter and needs to be calibrated. Other than that, electric ovens are usually pretty good.

On the cook top, the different burners will heat differently. Most electric stoves have a "simmer" burner that will never get hot but it will keep things perfectly warm. So test the response times of each burner. It's a lot different cooking with electric and you will have to get used to it. It's never going to be as good as cooking with gas, but they will cook once you learn their quirks.

For one thing, you can't turn the heat up to get things started and then turn the heat down. You need to set the temperature at what you want the final burner heat to be and just leave it at that.

I hate glass top, and it is not because they don't cook well. It's because every little drop of anything that drops onto the stove gets welded on nearly immediately. So I hate cleaning them. It's like constantly scraping off ceramic glaze.