[Uptown Girl]

In daydreaming of our future home in TV, I realized that I'll most likely be using an electric stovetop there. I've used gas all my cooking life and find the thought of cooking on electric a little intimidating!

Can I ask opinions please, from others who adapted to this change?
How different is it? Anything you gave up trying to cook?
Did you change your type of pots & pans?
Will I need to develop different cooking methods?
(Am I making a big deal out of nothing?) Yikes. And Thanks!

[JAV0108]

I tried, I really really did and just could not do it. I grew up on using gas stoves and have always used them until I moved to The Villages. Oh know, I said when I walked into my dream home. Thank goodness I said when I pulled the stove out and there was a gas line there. I tried and tried but after burning many, many meals I bought a brand spanking new gas stove and am now in heaven in my kitchen. So, in answer to your question, if you have had gas stoves all of your cooking life you will probably, I said "probably" dislike the electric. No offense to electric lovers............................

[l2ridehd]

No you're not making a big deal about it. I have always cooked with gas and will not change. Buy a resale and you can have gas cooking. Everything built up until about two years ago had both options. So many homes had gas heat, cooking and cloths drying. My home in Sunset Pointe has those plus gas fireplace, natural gas grill and gas pool heater. I personally wouldn't move to an all electric home. A personal choice I know, but as long as your willing to buy a resale, you can still have it.

[another Linda]

I too have used gas all my life but didn't have that hard a time. We have a smooth top and it is so much easier to keep clean. Granted we are snowflakes so I don't tend to cook the way I do up north.

[redwitch]

I LOVE gas, but have cooked on both before I moved to TV. I will say that when I had the choice, I would switch out the electric range for a gas in a heartbeat. Here, you can't pay me to have gas anything -- not with the gas lines in the attic and all of the lightning storms we get. It just scares me to death.

The biggest adjustment for me was being able to turn the gas down for simmering. What I've found works is to put on a back burner on low about 2 minutes before I need to simmer something and then switch burners. It just takes too long for an electric burner to cool off. And I really, really, really HATE the glass top. I find them harder to clean and they take twice as long to cool and are always too hot. (Now, remember, this is my opinion -- you may have much better luck with the stupid glass.)

[jdsl1998]

gotta agree with Red Witch....I'd switch to gas in a moment, if I could and if the gas lines went someplace else. BUT, the electric is OK. I'm getting used to it. I received new pans, calphalon, and THEY are great, just the ticket. My sister in law lives in Toledo, where the outlet is located, she sent them as a house warming present.....lucky me!

[natickdan]

It all boils down to whether gas or electric is a preference versus a must have. I enjoy cooking and prefer gas over electric. My wife, however, prefers electric. In our 33+ years of marriage, we've had and enjoyed both.

During our visit to TV, we looked at quite a number of pre-owned and new properties and fell in love with a new home in Buttonwood. We bought it without considering if it had gas or electric. Yes, it's electric and when I want to cook something with gas, I'll use my Weber gas grille. Problem solved - for us anyway.

Whatever your choice, happy cooking!

[Uptown Girl]

Thanks everyone, (especially Red and Dan!) for the very good tips. As usual, I got exactly what I was seeking.... your helpful experience! Believe it or not, I know no one here who's ever used electric!
One more question... does the residual heat (after you shut it off) overheat the kitchen in warm weather? I don't think a CYV has exhaust to the outside, does it?
Only asking because I once owned a downsized Viking (albeit, gas) that gave off so much heat I couldn't cook on it in the summer, even with an industrial exhaust system. That sucker made my air conditioning rev into high gear long after it was shut off, and winter wasn't much better. Then, my furnace wouldn't kick on... it was stupid. Beautiful, but stupid.
I know I'm comparing apples to watermelons here... it just crossed my mind.

[gsmchugh]

When we had our house built, we looked into the situation and came up with we could still have our gas but propane. We got an ok with the Architectural Review Committee, submitted drawings got an approval and we have propane gas! You don't have to give up cooking on gas. You should be happy with your cooking choice as this is probably your last big decision. I know that I am quite happy here in TV and would never leave!!

[redwitch]

If you stand over the stove, you're going to be hot in the summer. If you use the oven, it will heat up the kitchen, especially if you leave the oven door open. Not so bad that it's unbearable and it certainly won't rev up the AC unless you have it set to 65. In uddah woids, you'll be fine cooking in any season (but bbqing is the best way to cook in the summer -- especially if you invite me over [I make a mean bbq sauce]).

[Mikitv]

I had gas in last home too and my son who use to cook professionally said gas only way to go. Well house we have here is all electric so no choice but we did do research on type of pans to use and bought new set. We are pleased with the pans and the stove. This electric is different form the old style coil burner electrics we use to have. You can always have a propane line put in if you still want gas an it's not in your village.

[Uptown Girl]

TANKS Red.... I may just take you up on that! And with all the helpful info on the "Best BBQ Grill to Purchase" thread, I'll be off to get my baby Weber before my packing boxes get kicked to the curb!

[jebartle]

Be careful, you may regret it...We have the same as ridehd and we bought a
resale and soooo glad, love that GAS!

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

No you're not making a big deal about it. I have always cooked with gas and will not change. Buy a resale and you can have gas cooking. Everything built up until about two years ago had both options. So many homes had gas heat, cooking and cloths drying. My home in Sunset Pointe has those plus gas fireplace, natural gas grill and gas pool heater. I personally wouldn't move to an all electric home. A personal choice I know, but as long as your willing to buy a resale, you can still have it.

[laryb]

We always had gas, and when we moved to the "country" 25 years ago, we had to use electric. While I still prefer gas, I learned how to use electric. You can adjust the heat on electric too, it's just that you have to rely on the dials, not a visual flame. What I don't like is the cool down time. I did find that the hard anodized aluminum pans that I use now do an excellent job, because they conduct heat more evenly than steel, similar to cast iron, imho. You can lower the heat and simmer in them as well as gas, but you have to get use to them. You can get them really hot too, for searing. With all that being said, I haven't even turned on the stove at my TV home. From the looks of it though, I'm probably going to want to get on with a convection oven at the minimum, when we're down full time.

[damily]

I used gas my whole life - until TV. It took about a year - but I dont think twice about it now. Any stove will heat up the kitchen - I do my summer baking in the morning when it's not quite so hot. I havent noticed any residual heat from the burners - of course you wouldnt want to put your hand on it - but it has no effect on the room temp.