Singing the electric stovetop blues
I’m warning you in advance: this is going to be a whiney post.
I love my new apartment to pieces. It has great space, great windows, great views, a great location… but the kitchen? Not so great. Not only is it tiny and cramped and short on counter space (all of which I can handle), but the stove is electric. Four flat, round burners which take years to heat up and decades to cool down, making such feats as reducing a boil to a simmer well beyond my grasp. How does anyone cook on these things?
I thoroughly miss the gas burners in my last apartment - the heat regulation was superb, and I took it for granted. OK, whiney post over. Does anyone have any tips for cooking with an electric stovetop?
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9 opinions for Singing the electric stovetop blues
WishBoNe
Jan 28, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I found this about energy.
And this tip: Cooking Tips 11- Be aware of what type of stove top you are using. Gas stoves heat instantly, but electric stoves take time to warm up. When using an electric stove allow about a minute for the range to heat up before cooking. When using gas, be aware that things will cook faster. Also, for safety purposes remember that electric stove tops will remain hot for a while after you turn them off, so don’t touch them or place anything that can melt on them until they are cool. Source
Unfortunately, other than waiting for the stove to heat up, there’s nothing much you can do.
Jul
Jan 28, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Thanks for the links, WishBoNe. That first page taught me that I’m probably paying extra for the privilege of using electric over gas, to boot. Fabulous. :)
I’m not sure how long it takes my stove to heat up, but it’s definitely more than a minute. Maybe I’ll try timing it…
céline
Jan 29, 2008 at 12:05 am
Patience. ;-)
Dana
Jan 29, 2008 at 5:34 pm
I feel for you. I lived in two apartments with electric stoves over 4 years and while I quit boiling everything all over the place, I never really did get the hang of it. I know some people who prefer the electric so there must be a trick but I never figured that out!
Tim
Jan 29, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Move the pan off the element when you need to reduce the heat. Then you can turn down the element and wait for it to cool and put the pan back on… seems to be about the only way to manage the slow response of electric.
Jul
Jan 30, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Thanks for the suggestions. Hopefully I’ll get better with time and practice (and more patience!).
Chew
Feb 2, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Oh I feel for you! I had one in my old place and I burnt every pot in the house.
What I used to do was turn one hob to high heat and another to low at the same time. Then you can place the pot onto the low one when you want to simmer.
Good luck!
Emmie
Feb 9, 2008 at 10:09 pm
All I can say is you’ll get used to it. I’ve been on electric all my life (it’s standard in Sweden) and it works well for me. You just have to remember that it responds slowly, so you’ll want to turn the heat on for simmer BEFORE it actually starts boiling, but not too long before. I prefer gas though and will try to get a gas hob when I have my own house.
Jul
Feb 10, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Thanks for your suggestions (and sympathy!), Chew and Emmie.
I’ve lived in places with electric stovetops before, but at the time I wasn’t very elaborate with my cooking so I guess I didn’t mind as much. Hopefully I’ll get the hang of it one of these days. :)
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