Propane versus electric
 

I'll be replacing my stupid Jenn-Air range this winter. I'm thinking of going with a propane range, but I have been told they don't get as hot as an electric stove. Does anyone have experience with both types and how did they compare?
Thanks,

I deal with a lot of stoves in my line of work, mostly electric because those are the ones needing fairly constant service.

In my experience, folks with gas stoves, whether propane or natural gas are much happier with their units than are those with electric stoves. Folks with gas seem to prefer them for the heat control and consistency over electrics they have used. I have never had anyone complain about the a gas range not being hot enough.

All I know, is that I have lots more service calls regarding electric stoves or ovens than I have with gas...on the order of 10 to 1. I have to fill one whole shelf in my van with parts for electric ranges, but almost nothing for gas. If I do have a service call for a gas range, I can usually fix the problem with a bit of cleaning.

I had a gas range years ago, and I wish I still had it. We have an electric range, the one with the sealed top. My husband wanted to get it when our old electric one died. He thought it'd be easier to keep clean. I think he's right on some level, but I really, really wish I had stuck to my guns and gotten a gas one. Gas is superior in my mind for many reasons, one of the most important being that you can always cook during a power outage. :)

gas vs. electric stove
 

I've had both and I much prefer gas. I've found that gas can get much hotter than electric but also you have much more control as it respoonds instantly. I will never go back to electric. I also like that I can cook on gas even if the power is out. My oven won't work without power but the burners on top will. Last power outtage both my mother and mother-in-law came to my house to cook their dinners!

Christine

another vote for gas

I love my gas stove--wouldn't have electric.

Regardless, whether gas or electric, if you live in the country and your range has an electronic circuit board, make sure that the range is plugged into a surge protected outlet! Power surges are a fact of life for many rural grid systems. Without a surge protector you're gonna be replacing that circuit board, at a cost of several hundred dollars, every now and then.

Gas...

and now for my VENT on this subject...

I live in texas.. i am surrounded by oil wells.... EVERYWHERE.. infact they are drilling 3 new ones just about a mile away from me... there are storage tanks everywhere.. one right around the corner... and you know what they do with the NATURAL GAS from these oil wells...THEY BURN IT. Its too costly (according to the oil companies) for them to filter it for use.

I just paid 189 dollars for 100 gallons of propane...

Everything is Electric in Texas... for 8 yrs in houston i had electric stoves and I hated them.. you couldnt control the heat.. it seemed to take forever to cook anything.. and as far as roasting and baking somethings didnt even seem to have the same taste to me.

But.. with the cost of oil at an all time high of $51 a barrel... i see a lot more electric stoves being sold.

Lynn in Texas

Also, a gas oven is always a little warm. I use it for ripening yogurt and home-made beer.

I love cooking on an electric stove and prefer it to a gas. I'm one of the few, I know. Most all of the gas stoves I looked at still had an electric oven, so the savings would not be much unless you don't bake. I have a convection oven. Oh, my, what a wonderful thing that is!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't think I would use it or like it that much, but I wouldn't go back to a regular oven for anything. Was worth every penny.

Another vote for gas ...

Only if you've got an old school or cheapo one with a pilot light, not that that's a bad thing--great for raising bread, too. Most ranges have electronic ignition now.

Another vote for gas, and buy the one with the most BTUs per burner that you can afford.

Do you want to be dependant on the electric company? I know I certainly dont. Get one with a pilot light if you can find it.

A vote for gas.

I have used both wseveral times and prefer gas. It is nice to have when the power goes out. It gives instant heat instead of waiting, and when you turn it off it is done, unlike electric which stays warm for quite a while.

gas

what is wrong with a pilot light? other than using about a half a gallon a month i see no issues with them. as far as electronic ignition is concerned i had an aunt that did without a stove for a week until i informed her she could light it manually lolol.

KISS-keep it simple stupid. Best advice I was ever given.

the house i recently sold had a three thousand dollar gas stove that had the grill etc. i still cooked about ninety percent of the time on my outside grill and in my fish cooker.

I always take the huge pot that comes with propane fish fryers, the ones for deep frying turkeys. Well I fill it with all the ingredients to make homemade soup. It takes a while to cook but then i have enough homemade soup to feed an army to put in ziplock bags and canning jars. I think the last time it made somewhere on the order of 15 gallons.

we also have gas and a electric ignition, and it won't light manually. tried it when we were with out elec for 36 hour.

I've had both and much prefer gas. Wish I had it now. We are thinking about at the least getting a propane cooktop. I have the counter space to put one. Course if we get desperate we do have a gas grill with a burner. We're lucky here in that we are on a small power company that rarely looses power. During the last bad ice storm the major company (which covers people on the other side of town) they were without power for a couple weeks while ours was only out a day.

I'm tossing my 3 yr old Whirlpool mid-line electric for a gas stove. Reason? power outages and reliability. The Jenn air model we're getting is a lower range for Jenn Air about $1300. Our generator in case of any other power outages will be propane powered as well. If I ever replace the fridge or water heater it will be gas.

I have been around several electronic ignition stoves during power outtages. Most require you to depress the dial to ignite. You have to depress and manually light. You just cant turn the knob. All it really is is another igniter like on a gas grill.

My ex husband is a chef and designed me a beautifull kitchen, down to the gas range, flat top and barred indoor grill, oven and convection oven. Ours had an electric ignition for the ovens, but we could light them manualy by disabling some little dodad.
The thing about gas is that it is very responsive, unlike an electrical element.
When you have reached the right temprature to add parmesean cheese to an alfredo sauce, you turn down the heat and add the cheese. With the electric, that element cools very slowly, risking your chance of scorching the sauce or being too hot so that the oils seperate from the cheese and you have a mess. The gas, when you turn it down, reduces the flame and therefore the heat, allowing the sauce to come to a temperature that will not allow the cheese to seperate but to become part of the sauce. I LOVE GAS!!!!! (Thank you DXH).

Another happy gas user here! Nevermind that my grandmother's electric range was a particularly noxious shade of avacado... it was awful to cook with. Once you've used gas, you'll never use anything else... except maybe a wood cookstove!

And I'm with everyone else who lives with power failures. I can cook on my woodstoves, but it is very convenient to be able to boil a pot of water for tea on the gas stove in moments rather than waiting for it to come to temperature on the woodstove.

I like gas also and wouldn't have an electric stove.

We have a propane stove. They do not put out the heating power as natural gas models but we don't have much option to switch as we're not on a gas line. Our model has two regular burners, a simmer burner and a power burner. The simmer burner is great for soups and stews while the power burner is used the most - browning meat, boiling potatoes, etc. We do can quite a bit and have never had trouble with enough heat. Doubtful if we would ever switch to an electric model.

Keep in mind that prices for all forms of power (nat. gas, propane, electricity, gasoline, etc.) are going to continue to rise over the years to come. They may bobble up and down a little, but the long-term trend is going to be up. Given a choice between electric and gas or propane to cook on I'll take gas/propane any day even though I never feel safe with gas in the house. It is just so much better for cooking on. But, my first choice, given a supply of wood, is a wood cook stove. Preferably a very efficient one. And a solar cooker or two for hot weather.

Kathleen in Oregon

We have an Amana gas with sealed burners. I love it. I had an electric once and it was a pain.

i am with you dripping springs! my stove has standing pilots, my fridge has a standing pilot as does my hot water heater and my dryer! all are propane, though propane did go up like 30 cents a gal this year it is still way way cheaper than making that much electricity!

Thanks everyone for your responces. I had a great gas range when we lived in town. The gas company has no plans to bring gas out our way, even though the pipeline that brings gas down from Canada is only a few miles away!
Anyway, it seems there is not too much differance between gas and propane, so I'll be going propane. Our electricity comes from a public utility district which used to have the lowest rates in the country until Enron pulled its shenanigans. We are hoping that someday that will be set right, but it doesn't look like it will happen under the Bush administration. The PUD has spent about $250K to get transcripts made from tapes that the government has but can't be bothered to listen too. Just incredible, our rates have doubled and they just sit there collecting their salaries. End of rant.
Thanks again for all the input.