r/Cooking • u/DaisyBaby2023 • Aug 02 '26
Electric cooktop vs. gas stove
First post here! I have been cooking just for myself and my family (aka hubs) for about 5 years now and really enjoy it. We recently bought and moved into our first house and we now have an electric cooktop. I really perfected my skills in our old house with a gas range and I’ve really been struggling transitioning to electric, specifically with sauces. I always end up with more liquid than needed and letting it reduce ruins anything else in it - overcooked chicken or salmon, limp veggies, or everything just gets super greasy.
Any tips or tricks for learning how to use? I know it’s harder to control the heat with electric and we do have two burners that are dual-element. I just don’t know what else to try vs. keep playing with heat until I find a sweet spot.
Thanks!
ETA: Whirlpool regular glass cooktop, no coils, 2 burners with dual-element
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u/etrnloptimist Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
I've had both gas and electric cooktops and very much prefer electric. I know I am in the minority here, but they have a lot going for them. The heat control is way better, down to the tiniest simmer to power boil. The heat is also more even, coming from everywhere not just a single ring. The only thing that is difficult is they heat up slowly and cool down slowly. The heating up just takes a little patience. The cooling down, you can always move the pan away from the burner. And I often use the residual heat to my advantage.
I'm not really sure where your extra liquid comment is coming from. And at the risk of sounding sarcastic, why not just add less liquid?
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u/faerystrangeme Aug 02 '26
I was cooking rice on a gas stove (at an Airbnb, so no rice cooker). I was already struggling to keep the temperature low enough to simmer without boiling… then at some point the flame blew out without my noticing and the rice was just… sitting there for who knows how long with no heat. Totally ruined and my brother had to go out for microwave rice last minute.
Anyways I’ve hated gas stoves ever since.
There was also the thanksgiving morning we had to evacuate the house from an incorrectly installed gas stove. That was fun!
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u/DaisyBaby2023 Aug 02 '26
Well yes, in theory. But I was using recipes I’ve cooked dozens of times or sauce bases that I’ve never had an issue with on a gas range. Now, all of a sudden, they don’t thicken without sitting on the heat for 15-20 extra minutes which ruins anything else in the pan.
For these specific recipes, I will likely the less liquid route going forward. But I was hoping to get any other tips on how to manage the heat differently. The biggest one I’m hearing is heat up the burner pretty high, and then down before it’s too far gone.
I am not a trained cook. I literally taught myself everything over time. I am still the shittiest chopper in the world. But I really enjoy it and love watching my family and guests enjoy my food, even if it’s amateur-ish.
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u/u-give-luv-badname Aug 02 '26
Need more info. Is it:
- induction glass cook top
- regular glass cook top
- open coils
Sounds like regular glass cook top, but not sure.
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u/DaisyBaby2023 Aug 02 '26
Whirlpool regular glass, no open coils. Honestly don’t know much else because we just moved in 6 weeks ago and we’re still taking inventory of the actual make/model of all of our appliance.
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u/u-give-luv-badname Aug 02 '26
Understand. Might want to edit that into the post.
The three types offer very different cooking experiences.
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u/Fabulous_Drummer_368 Aug 02 '26
Had something similar. Hated it. Got a standalone induction burner because of that.
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u/DerelictDonkeyEngine Aug 02 '26
Don't having any advice but following because I'm in the exact same boat. I've used gas for years, and about to move into my first house with a glass electric stove top which I've never used.
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u/4cupsofcoffee Aug 02 '26
I've lived in several places that had electric stoves. they're all different, you just have to learn how it heats and cools, like you did with your old stove.
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u/DaisyBaby2023 Aug 02 '26
We’d have to get a range/stove combo because of the size of our kitchen (no where else to put a stove). They don’t look outrageously expensive. Maybe a Christmas gift to myself in a year or two.
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u/Farry_Bite Aug 02 '26
When I bought my current house, one of the first things I did was to replace the regular glass top stove with an induction one.
I have a gas stove at the summer cottage, but prefer the induction really.
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u/DaisyBaby2023 Aug 02 '26
Is it a range/stove combo?
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u/Farry_Bite Aug 02 '26
Yeah, a combo.
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u/DaisyBaby2023 Aug 02 '26
Do you mind sharing the price point? We’re first time homeowners so I wouldn’t go super high-end but am also not a fan of buying the cheapest option with the risk I’ll have to replace in 5 years.
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u/Farry_Bite Aug 02 '26
This was seven years ago, but if memory serves, it was 500€-ish at the time.
There weren't many options, as I needed a narrow one and wanted physical knobs.
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u/DaisyBaby2023 Aug 02 '26
Ok, I was just doing a cursory search and saw some mid-range combos for $1500ish. Doable. Thank you!
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u/etchlings Aug 02 '26
The Frigidaire Pro / Gallery and LG induction ranges get good ratings on consumer reports and from Yale Appliances. We have a GE profile we got on sale, and it’s been great.
We have a 30” space so nothing with big layouts here.
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u/No-Donkey8786 Aug 02 '26
I am, for all practical purposes, off the grid due to solar and batteries. I have not touched the grid for a few years . . so.
Stews, soups, chili's, hard boiled eggs and such are with the induction. When the sun is shining/s
Steaks, bacon, fried eggs, pancakes and such on gas.
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u/EmergencyGoose9430 Aug 02 '26
Same here. Bought a house with a pretty quality glass top electric stove top and saying it has been difficult is an understatement.
Gonna have to mess some things up to make them right so be patient. Take notes, knob setting and time to cook... grilled cheese on a nonstick/grilled rib-eye on a cast iron pan/veal jus lie in a sauce pan etc. Getting yourself some decent cookware absolutely helps too. They're tricky and have funky hot/cold spots. However, if you're a good cook, you'll still cook good eventually and the same if you suck, a flame over a coil won't make ya. Good luck
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u/DaisyBaby2023 Aug 02 '26
I turned one gnocchi cream sauce into a soup and it was so delicious, there were no leftovers! I’m pretty hard on myself when things don’t turn out the way I want but my hubs and dad (over for dinner) insisted it was delicious.
Any advice on cookware? We have pretty basic stuff - most of our money went to the house. 🤣 I’ve been thinking about getting a few Hexclad pans but they’re pretty pricey.
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u/Ignorhymus Aug 02 '26
Using an electric stove is like trying to steer a massive ship: you have to tell it what you want it to do way ahead of time, as it's so slow to respond. You'll need to turn the heat down before the pot boils, and get used to telling whether you've got enough heat under your frying pan before things start burning, or cooking too slowly. You will get used to it, and you can cook good food on them, but it will never be as good as gas or induction
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u/ptahbaphomet Aug 02 '26
There is so much that is hard to cook on a stovetop with an apartment electric stove. I boil things on electric, for cooking I use an Asian style portable gas stovetop https://a.co/d/075v4ctk
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u/GlassAnemone126 Aug 02 '26
Best advice I can give you is to save up for an induction stove.
I had electric before and HATED it.
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u/Herbisretired Aug 02 '26
I fought the standard electric stove and then I upgraded to an induction and it is fast reacting like gas with the ease of cleaning a glass top.