US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new homes with gas appliances

Re:US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new hom... by thsksbd on Thursday December 21, 2023 @01:35PM (#38724668)

I grew up on electric, and Im looking to switch from my current gas to induction. Mostly for safety reasons - I don't like open flames. So Im about as biased against gas as possible.

Electric heating elements suck. They take an appreciable time to warm up, they stay warm long after forcing the cook to adjust accordingly. Also, only gas can really work with woks, but I don't use woks so that's a non issue.

If the power is out (which happens a lit in my corner of the USA) electric is MIA. Every electric heating element (except induction) is annoying to clean.

Finally, people like gas. Who made us better that we are to tell them that they've been brainwashed by evil corporations? I imagine people have at one point used electric, Americans do move a lot, and they just done like it!

(Induction rocks though)

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Re:US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new hom... by Kirby64 on Thursday December 21, 2023 @02:09PM (#38725214)

Glass topped electric (induction or not) beats gas in cleaning every time imo. You take a razor blade and some scrubbing solution and you can actually clean it fully. Gas stovetops have nooks and crannies that get gross and are much more difficult to fully clean. I dread cleaning my gas stovetop.

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Re:US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new hom... by thsksbd on Sunday December 24, 2023 @10:47AM (#38754248)

I find the scrapping sound jarring. Also, I'm not convinced of the (material) toughness of glass top. A heavy laden iron skillet is shatter poison for glass top.

That being said, I'll accept glass top to get induction. Arrest i won't have to scrape.

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Re:US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new hom... by fatbird on Thursday December 21, 2023 @01:48PM (#38724907)

We replaced our electric with induction instead of gas, which my wife much prefers to cook on. One of my best arguments against gas was that every gas stovetop available has a heavy iron framework over the flame to hold pots, and it's a pain to clean under them.

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Re:US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new hom... by legitster on Thursday December 21, 2023 @01:58PM (#38725082)

I really like the heavy grates though. Some of my recipes require me to really go to town on heavy cast iron pots and pans. Busting a glass top is a real bummer. In such cases it's almost better to have the old-school electric burners (there's a reason apartments almost never have a "nice" glass range).

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Re:US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new hom... by Kirby64 on Thursday December 21, 2023 @02:11PM (#38725244)

Are you… dropping cast iron cookware on the stove? I don’t know any recipe that would require some movement that would damage a glass cooktop. Cast iron cookware seems to scratch glass tops over time, but that doesn’t seem to crack or damage them (unless you drop something on it, of course).

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Re:US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new hom... by legitster on Thursday December 21, 2023 @02:24PM (#38725446)

I've got a large 15lb enamel dutch oven. If I am doing any sort of speedy operation where I have to scrape off crusted ingredients, I might do some real clattering about. I have some real good chicken curry recipes where I do this.

It's also worth noting that certain things like home canning might actually void the warranty of your glass cooktop. The extreme weight put on them during the process can actually put more pressure on the layers than they can handle. Older canning equipment might not even be compatible with the flat surface.

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Re:US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new hom... by Kirby64 on Friday December 22, 2023 @09:34AM (#38734470)

I can't speak to home canning, but again unless you're dropping cookware I don't see how rocking cookware violently back and forth is going to damage a glass top. Scratch it, sure, but not destroy it.

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Re:US utility firms offer builders cash/trips to fit new hom... by c0pium on Thursday December 21, 2023 @05:58PM (#38728298)

Every apartment I ever lived in that had electric had a glass range. If you’re even a little careful it’s perfectly fine. It sounds like you enjoy performative clattering, and if that’s your preference then more power to you, but that’s highly abnormal.

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