News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Microgrids Are Giving Power to the People by bluGill on Thursday August 10, 2023 @03:18PM (#37080527)
Indication stoves are claimed to be as good as gas. However the cheapest induction stove in the US is 3x the price of the cheapest gas or electric. And if you go stove shopping you with find lots of options for gas or regular electric, but often only one induction model - if you want some combination of features and are willing to pay - you often still can't get it with induction. (dual ovens, number of burners, burner configuration, non-standard widths - there are lots of options that are at least interesting to someone who is cooking)
Re:Microgrids Are Giving Power to the People by mrDmrTmrJ on Thursday August 10, 2023 @03:38PM (#37080740)
Respectfully - all of these "issues" get solved when you go from ~1%->100% market share.

100x increases in manufacturing volumes will do amazing things for final cost. Expanded market share to 100% will lead to every features imaginable being offered to the market.

Ending gas stoves, and gas distribution in general, is a huge win. Just as phasing out incandescent light bulbs was a huge win. Each "infrastructure grid" that we run to every building (Electricity, Water/Sewer, Roads, IT, natural gas) is overwhelmingly expensive to build and maintain. And if you don't maintain it - you blow up San Bruno[1]. It would be great to delete one!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bruno_pipeline_explosion

Re:Microgrids Are Giving Power to the People by bluGill on Thursday August 10, 2023 @03:47PM (#37080826)
The problem is we are not at a high market share (in the US), and it will be a while before they gain.

I hate my current stove, but no way am I paying the cost for a new one. I also have vacations and other things I want. (As a programmer my income is well above average, so I have to assume the costs are only more prohibitive for most people)

Re:Microgrids Are Giving Power to the People by maccard on Thursday August 10, 2023 @07:57PM (#37083324)
Agreed. I was shocked at the cost of an induction stove top in the US when I looked recently. £350 buys you a great induction stove top in the UK (I paid less for a neff nN50 just before COVID). $1000 only just buys you an entry level one on the US.
Re:Microgrids Are Giving Power to the People by Gibbon1 on Thursday August 10, 2023 @03:45PM (#37080811)
Won't happen but a bit of communism would help. Government specs and purchases induction stoves and sends a trucks around and replaces all the crap electric stoves one neighborhood at a time. Basic idea better to just do it as a coordinated project than piecemeal.

Other thought about decommissioning gas lines. When doing infrastructure projects that require digging moving gas utilities is a big big hassle and expense. Getting rid of natural gas lines would make that stuff easier.

Re:Microgrids Are Giving Power to the People by burkaman on Thursday August 10, 2023 @03:49PM (#37080852)
I claim that ordinary electric coil stoves are as good as gas for nearly every non-commercial use case, and the moderate popularity of gas stoves was almost entirely manufactured by the gas industry. I understand that some things are harder, like using a wok, but there are easy workarounds, and most Americans never try to do these things anyway.

Electric stoves are also strictly better at a lot of things - very high heat, very low heat, cleaning, repairing, not polluting the air, etc.

Re:Microgrids Are Giving Power to the People by nuancebydefault on Thursday August 10, 2023 @06:06PM (#37082383)
And then the step up to induction is even more so a no brainer. That way, just the benefits of gas (fast hot, fast cool) are added on top of electric. Without the cleaning hassles.
Re:Microgrids Are Giving Power to the People by manicorganic on Friday August 11, 2023 @12:26AM (#37085102)
People act like home cooks are too braindead to remove a pan from a hot coil for 45 seconds while it cools down so the food doesn't burn. As though this is a good reason to burn fossil fuels and pollute your home.
Re:Microgrids Are Giving Power to the People by nuancebydefault on Thursday August 10, 2023 @06:02PM (#37082350)
Induction stoves are really not expensive,fast and easier to clean. Also the pans are easier to clean (less chance of burnt grease inside and outside). The shift from gas to electric is a tiny step compared to combustion to EV. I guess it is more a hard-to-shift cultural thing?
Re:Microgrids Are Giving Power to the People by ericd on Thursday August 10, 2023 @07:57PM (#37083314)