Best oven type: Gas, electric or induction?

[WoodChuckDad]

As a safety note on induction. It heats the pan really fast. When I first got it we would time it to see how fast we could boil water. One pot brought cool tap water to a rolling boil in just over 2 minutes. That was a steel pot. I still have a steel kettle and will put it on high right away for coffee in the morning. But you do not want to do that with cast iron ( that includes enamel coated cast iron). I put those on medium. If you put it on high you risk thermal shock. You can warp or break the pan. Just like if you overheat cast iron on any other heat source. The difference is that the pan heats up so fast it can fail dramatically. I put an empty frying pan on the stove and absentmindedly hit pulse and started talking to my son. Soon thereafter there was a very loud noise and the pan exploded. Blew into 3 major pie shaped pieces. Scared the heck out of us and ruined a pan that dated to just before the depression.

 

[teejk]

I think the primary disadvantage of gas ovens is that water vapor is a by-product of combustion. Would be great for roasting (I cook turkeys only on the gas grill), probably takes a little patience for baking. I'm not an expert so correct me if I'm wrong. In our new house we have electric oven and gas cook-top. Took some time to get used to gas but I love the control (other than our unit requires "simmer plates"...hard to regulate heat down).

 

[Sawyer Rob]

we have induction, real nice. Faster than a microwave. Down side is all your pots/pans must be magnetic

And, that leaves out my pressure canners!

I grow and can my own food and LOVE my canners, so....

SR

 

[4570Man]

And, that leaves out my pressure canners!

I grow and can my own food and LOVE my canners, so....

SR

What would happen if you put a piece of steel under the canners?

 

[polo1665]

And, that leaves out my pressure canners!

I grow and can my own food and LOVE my canners, so....

SR

I can see where induction would work well, but I'm with you. I have too many different pots and pans that I like to use, so for me it's a gas cook top all the way. I do prefer convection oven for indoor cooking, and run a wood fired bake oven for outdoor cooking.

 

[polo1665]

What would happen if you put a piece of steel under the canners?

You would lose that quick response time that the induction cook top users like so much.

 

[KennyG]

I think the primary disadvantage of gas ovens is that water vapor is a by-product of combustion. Would be great for roasting (I cook turkeys only on the gas grill), probably takes a little patience for baking. I'm not an expert so correct me if I'm wrong. In our new house we have electric oven and gas cook-top. Took some time to get used to gas but I love the control (other than our unit requires "simmer plates"...hard to regulate heat down).

In the past, when we had gas appliances, I never noticed any specific impact of the water vapor. As noted above, we have an induction range which gives you all the advantages of gas and electric at the same time, and more. For an oven we have a double oven with a convection microwave and an electric steam oven. I'm no cooking expert, but the steam oven let's you customize the moisture while baking/roasting and it actually does work (when you know as much as my wife does about cooking.)

 

[polo1665]

In the past, when we had gas appliances, I never noticed any specific impact of the water vapor. As noted above, we have an induction range which gives you all the advantages of gas and electric at the same time, and more. For an oven we have a double oven with a convection microwave and an electric steam oven. I'm no cooking expert, but the steam oven let's you customize the moisture while baking/roasting and it actually does work (when you know as much as my wife does about cooking.)

Steam is essential to bread baking. If I ever buy another oven it will have steam injection. When I bake in my wood fired oven I use a small steam generator with a hose hooked to the door.

 

[dmccarty]

What would happen if you put a piece of steel under the canners?

You would lose that quick response time that the induction cook top users like so much.

For canning, I don't think a quick response time is all that important.

Later,
Dan

 

[joefromga]

They make canners that work with induction cook tops.

They also have induction adapter plates for the purpose of using older pots. It does lose the benefits but still works.

I'm surprised everyone on this site complaining about modern stuff aren't all still using 8n tractors. Or steam tractors.