Cooking with gas vs. electric vs induction

[Cil]

Beach Runner's tangent on the Shakira Obsession thread inspired this topic.
One of the big adjustments for me when we moved out here was the fact that electric stoves seem to dominate here in the South. (Correct me if I am wrong, that's just the impression I get.)
Electric ovens are fine, but I can't stand the lack of heat control on electric stoves; I much prefer gas. Gas now seems to be catching on with some folks here; new construction is at least allowing for the option.

HOWEVER
There is a new kid on the block:

Induction Cooktop

What is Induction?

We are so far from the stage of choosing a stove that I have not brought this induction thing up with my husband, but those cooktops look awesome to me. Maybe we could at least get one of the smaller models.
If you don't want to bother opening the links, basically an induction cooktop is electric, yet works through magnetism and is much more efficient than gas or regular electric. It does not work with just any cookware, though.

What do y'all cook on? Anyone have induction?
Katie Blue, I'd never mock anybody's rotisserie, it's a fabulous way to cook.
In Denver we also had our gas grill hooked up to the gas line and used its rotisserie all the time--it made the best rosemary chicken.

From Beach Runner:

So, should we change out our electric smooth-top electric cooktop for our rental guests in FL? Or do you think they'd blow our house up out of gas ignorance (as I was a year ago)? We had the contractor make the connections for an easy conversion to gas when we decided to stop renting. But with taxes and insurance escalating, you know what I'm sayin' ...

Tough choice. Guess the average renter might not be doing lots and lots of cooking, but if they do, they might be used to electric(?).

 

[Kurt]

Anything but gas is only good for heating stuff up, boiling, or frying.

 

[Allifunn]

I have always prefered gas. Atlanta (although in the south) provides gas for most homes (gas fire places...:roll: ) I have used gas for 15 years and love it. When I moved to Columbia I had a gas range installed. I am now in a samller home and I have electric. I do not do much cooking right now so all I use the stove for is, as Kurt said...heating and boiling. I get my gas fix at work where I have a 6 eye gas burning viking!

I am not sure about the induction...looks like a glass top to me...and the expense..890$ for a 2 burner???? It is too modern looking for me...I love the look of the gas range. If you get one...report back on how you like it!

 

[TooFarTampa]

Here's where you go for information on all stoves and cooktops. They have lots of good info on induction cooktops, and anything else that seems obscure. (They've been talking about induction for at least two or three years.) I wouldn't make a big purchase without spending some time on this forum:

Gardenweb appliances forum

 

[Mermaid]

I've always preferred gas stoves and convection ovens. Better cooking all around, though I will say I burned a fair share of baked goods before I got the hang of using convection!

I was thinking about Allifunn's comment about $890 for a two-burner induction cooktop. We paid more than twice that for our gas range and yet in all the years I've been cooking on it, I've only ever used MORE than two burners once or twice...so I guess that works out to $890 for two burners on an every day basis, doesn't it? It might be all anyone needs, in reality.:funn:

 

[Cil]

heh
ToofarTampa
Gardenweb is great, I have learned some of the most obscure (but helpful!) facts from that site in the past. That site has really grown too--I remember when all it really was was gardening. Gardenweb would be excellent to refer to when we are finally ready to figure out appliances and stuff.

I had heard of induction before, but only as this mysterious cooking method imported from Europe. Sears makes an induction cooktop now, and the thing is, as expensive as the cooktop is upfront, over the years it should pay for itself with cheaper energy costs.
HOWEVER
Maybe I'm too set in my ways to get into induction. In another year, we'll be empty nesters, not being eaten out of house and home, and presumably not cooking *quite* as much.

Mermaid, I never had trouble burning anything with my convection oven, but I mostly just used it for meats and poultry--the convection could be turned off or on.
OTOH
I have burned *plenty* of stuff on the various electric stoves we've had since moving here! It's been brutal!
Weekend breakfasts are still kind of a crapshoot, but I'm learning.

 

[Mermaid]

heh
HOWEVER
Maybe I'm too set in my ways to get into induction. In another year, we'll be empty nesters, not being eaten out of house and home, and presumably not cooking *quite* as much.

Cil, that's what we thought, since we're in the same boat as you. No kids to feed = less cooking. But it doesn't seem like it's going to be that way. I'm finding out that since our kids do their own cooking--usually on the run, since they're both working now--I cook more, but it's food that I want to cook, as opposed to recipes that will please everyone in the house (old faves like spaghetti, burgers, mac and cheese, etc. etc., oh give me a BREAK from the boredom of it all!!). I'm having a really nice time trying out recipes for my husband and me, dishes that most self-respecting teens would turn their noses up at. So my stove gets a pretty good work-out these days, as do my Bon Appetit and Cooking Light magazines. :clap_1:

 

[TooFarTampa]

Cil, that's what we thought, since we're in the same boat as you. No kids to feed = less cooking. But it doesn't seem like it's going to be that way. I'm finding out that since our kids do their own cooking--usually on the run, since they're both working now--I cook more, but it's food that I want to cook, as opposed to recipes that will please everyone in the house (old faves like spaghetti, burgers, mac and cheese, etc. etc., oh give me a BREAK from the boredom of it all!!). I'm having a really nice time trying out recipes for my husband and me, dishes that most self-respecting teens would turn their noses up at. So my stove gets a pretty good work-out these days, as do my Bon Appetit and Cooking Light magazines. :clap_1:

I think that's a great point. You may be doing some more delicate and adventurous cooking and decide you do want a gas top.

I hope you will be able to do a separate electric true convection oven (or two) -- that's the best of both worlds!

I prefer gas. For our latest remodel (it's our fourth house) I ended up with a Dacor electric range with wonderful true convection; we had no room to do separate oven/cooktop and no gas line. It looks kickin', is very nice and the smoothtop is more responsive than your average smoothtop by far, but I still wish I had gas.

Induction is intriguing however. Just spend what you need to for what you want, within reason of course.

 

[Cil]

Interesting to read your input, ladies. TooFar, it sounds like you are very experienced with this sort of thing. And Mermaid, how nice to not feel so limited in menu choices! Two ovens--hah, that'll be the day that I own my dream house. I guess I can dream, though.

In our Denver house, I had a Dacor gas cooktop and Dacor convection oven.
They never let me down.
I loved them both dearly.
::heavy sigh::

While he likes mac and cheese as much as the next guy, my kid actually likes "good" food and is a pleasure to cook for--I just think that the amount of food production would be reduced when he goes off to college.
But who knows. I will never be a fabulous cook, but I do have fun with it.

Anyway, I have a ways to go until I actually deal with this decision, but I like hearing other folks' opinions.

 

[Beach Runner]

Beach Runner's tangent on the Shakira Obsession thread inspired this topic.

OOPS! Sorry about the tangent.

I haven't heard of induction. I'll have to look into that for the beach.

We remodeled our kitchen last summer and put in a Wolf gas cooktop. My mother had always used electric, and I had always used electric, so I was scared to death the first few times I used the cooktop. Now I can't imagine how I ever cooked a gourmet meal without it. Just the way things caramelize with gas makes everything taste better.

BTW we chose Wolf over the more popular Viking because you can simmer on all 5 burners. I use that feature a lot. We liked the looks of the Dacor, but some friends of ours had a lot of trouble with theirs, both at their house here in GA and their house at Seaside.

I wish we had two ovens at the beach like we do at our GA home. One oven makes cooking Thanksgiving dinner a challenge, although thankfully my sister's beach house is a few hundred yards from ours, so I use her oven when I need more than one. She doesn't have a double oven at her beach house, yet she has one of those refrigerated under-counter wine cellars there. Guess she figured she'd be drinking more than cooking at the beach!

Thanks for the info!