jamesphw t1_je8mwwr wrote on March 30, 2023 at 5:22 AM

Reply to comment by sindark in Wondering if anyone could give me recommendations or point me in the right direction when looking at gas ranges? by OriginalKid

Gas really makes no sense for a stove, though op may have no choice. I think the air quality thing is overblown, but gas stoves are also:

Slower to heat than induction
Bad at low simmers compared to induction
A pain in the ass to clean (this should be the biggest factor for most people, I think)

The only legitimate reasons to have gas are slightly valid, but also stupid if you think about them for 5 seconds:

Wok cooking. But you can still get 95% of the way there with cast iron on most dishes....
Gas works during a power outage (but not natural disasters). But in the Northeast I haven't had an extended power outage since 2003...
Flame roasting. Yeah, you can do that with peppers on a gas stove. Oven and blow torch work too though.
Visual feedback. Probably the only thing I like better about gas, but I really don't find this hard even on crappy electric stoves.
Specialty cookware, like for candymaking (copper pots). Really, this does not apply to more than like 0.0001% of people.

Foreign-Cookie-2871 t1_je8vict wrote on March 30, 2023 at 7:12 AM

The air quality thingie also depends on how often you fully ventilate the house and how good are your burners. Even with good burners though, you get toxic molecules as a combustion byproduct. The quantity of those is higher if the burner is dirty, if food gets on the burner, or if you smother the flame in any way (like with flame roasting). Keeping the flame low can also cause more combustion buildups

NathanClayton t1_jeb0kry wrote on March 30, 2023 at 6:31 PM

If you have kids, it can be really bad. One in eight cases of asthma are caused by gas stoves.

jamesphw t1_jebgkvn wrote on March 30, 2023 at 8:12 PM

Headlines far oversimplified what we can actually conclude from that study.

Either way, there's no question bad things get in the air from gas stoves, and gas stoves are a stupid way to extend reliance on fossil fuels in individual homes.

glitteringgin t1_jecj1oc wrote on March 31, 2023 at 12:37 AM

Reply about your bullet points ^ Caveat: I have zero experience with induction.

Depends on your fuel. Propane produces a hotter flame than natural gas. I have used both.

Simmers, eh, I have a very old (32 years) Hardwick, and I use a heat diffuser when I need a low heat for simmering, depending on the cookware I'm using.

I agree with pita to clean, because my range does not have sealed burners! That option was available, but was above my budget when I bought it. I think they are pretty much standard nowadays, though. :)

I guess a comparison of costs of electricity vs natural gas/propane could be a factor in OP's decision. It was in mine.