New Electric Range Shopping

[jonp]

Put in a propane stove. I removed electric stove and water heater when I bought the house and piped it myself with the yellow gas pipe. Bought online with all the fittings from a place in Florida. I also removed the central furnace and put wall gas heaters in rooms saved a ton. Yes, you can put a smaller one in a bedroom as long as the air flow volume through the room is sufficient and it has an auto off low O2, tip over on it and put a CO2 alarm in the room
My cabin up north has a gas stove and fridge. Can't recommend strongly enough to go that route. Up north I use both smaller size tanks and they run good with the large RV tanks especially easy to move around. Use an automatic switch over and you will be good

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I prefer gas over electric for cooking, especially for cast Iron.

As to buying a stove, unless you want/need to buy new, I would suggest searching out used stoves. Facebook Marketplace is full of used stoves, many are Free...replaced because of remodeling. Facebook isn't like craigslist where people are trying to sell as a side gig, Facebook is full of people trying to get rid of stuff and many are willing to give stuff away. Two years ago, I decided to upgrade, I found a real nice nat gas stove, looked like new, the guy was doing a total kitchen remodel and had all Kitchen appliances listed for $500. When I called, he said someone already took bought the frig for the $500 price (it must have been a nice frig?) and I could have the stove for free. Just three weeks ago, a friend's electric stove went out, He was gonna buy new, I told him to wait a few days, I'd try to fine him one. He wanted a flat glass top, I found one, price was free, again it looked like new, he was very happy. ....As I type this, I realize your area of Montana may not have these listed so commonly as they are listed in my area (50 miles outside of Minneapolis).

[bangerjim]

We have a high end glass top stove. Only use the oven! We use an induction counter-top "hotplate" to cook everything! Actually have 2 of them. Can boil water in a quart pot in 3 minutes. Very fast and ultra accurate. I can control the cook temp within 5°F with the digital controls. Amazing to watch a boiling pot stop by just decreasing the temp by 5!

The cost around $100 and plug into a standard outlet. You need to have "induction-rated" cooking pots & pans, as they will not work with aluminum or you standard cookware.

They have easy to use temp ranges that you can increase or decrease with just the touch of a button. Max temp is "SEAR" which is above the 425°F standard setting. It is REALLY HOT & FAST!.

My choice below induction would be natural gas.........pro chefs only use gas and it is so easy to control. We don't have nat gas in our neighborhood and propane is way too costly and a pain to change out bottles. But in a remote cabin it would probably be OK.

[Mal Paso]

I had an induction cook top. It lasted just past the warranty and Pifted. It was cool but $50/year is too much for a cook top.

[Three44s]

Well we are “cookin’ with gas now”!

Who ever coined that phrase knew what they were talking about!

Three44s

[elmacgyver0]

Watch some of the cooking shows on TV.
You will never see them using an electric cook top.
Real chefs would get caught dead using electric.
There is a reason for that.

[Finster101]

I have a propane Premier Stove, made in the USA, with Battery powered Electric Spark ignition. It's been 3 years now on the same 8 AAs. There is no power cord so it works the same when the power's out, even the oven. Simmer doesn't go as low as I would like but that is my only complaint. $400 for the 30" one I got with no window

You should be able to adjust the simmer setting. On my stove I had to pull the knobs off and use a slim screwdriver to adjust the simmer setting. Make sure you don't get it so low a ceiling fan or AC vent will blow it out. You may have to search for your particular stove but I bet it's there.

[Handloader109]

we've used propane for decades. in previous house, propane stove, 4 burner and oven would go 2 months plus on a 20 lb gas grill size tank. current house is all electric but we changed out the range top to propane. easy to change jets. 5 minutes each, easy. it uses a 100 lb tank full in roughly 13 months. I've got on of these and a couple of rv 30 lb tanks for backup. love the gas

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[Land Owner]

Don't know Montana. Here, we've got the "Scratch and Dent" Appliance Wearhouse. Takes about 40% off of the Big Box store price by comparison. Availability was better than we thought. Outfitted a remodeled home with all new kitchen appliances (minor dings and nicks notwithstanding) for under $1.5K, and could have gone lower, but wanted to keep the overall appearance and sale price of the home higher.

[bangerjim]

I had an induction cook top. It lasted just past the warranty and Pifted. It was cool but $50/year is too much for a cook top.

Sorry to hear that. We have had our induction units for over 2.5 years and use multiple times a day. Never a problem. Well.....just one..............getting my wife to cook, now that I have so much fun doing it!!!!! HA.....ha!

banger

[MT Gianni]

You should be able to adjust the simmer setting. On my stove I had to pull the knobs off and use a slim screwdriver to adjust the simmer setting. Make sure you don't get it so low a ceiling fan or AC vent will blow it out. You may have to search for your particular stove but I bet it's there.

With todays new and improved stoves all the adjustment is gone out of them. Fixed orifices with no minimum adjustment in the valves. In an old range the orifice is a twist adjust with a 9/16 wrench and minimum flame just as you said. Turn it all the way in for LP.

[Mal Paso]

Sorry to hear that. We have had our induction units for over 2.5 years and use multiple times a day. Never a problem. Well.....just one..............getting my wife to cook, now that I have so much fun doing it!!!!! HA.....ha!
banger

I bought it while looking for an off grid propane stove (we have had power out for weeks). It was very cool, a high tech burner but I had the 4 burner stove when the induction died. That space was quickly taken over with a stand mixer for bread and there's no getting it back.

With todays new and improved stoves all the adjustment is gone out of them. Fixed orifices with no minimum adjustment in the valves. In an old range the orifice is a twist adjust with a 9/16 wrench and minimum flame just as you said. Turn it all the way in for LP.

This is true. My stove even mentioned it in the ad that there was no low simmer. I just use a cast iron plate to waste some heat, no problem. It was a $400 stove with no frills. If you want that low simmer you need to find a stove with dual valves/burners, inner burner for low, outer burner for high. I noticed when I looked for the OP there were some $1500 and up battery operated, made in USA stoves. I'll bet one of those has simmer.

The stove I bought less than 3 years ago shipped as Natural Gas with tighten down jets for propane.

The battery operated spark ignition eliminates that 700 watt carbide igniter that comes on every time the oven relights during the bake cycle. This battery stove has a 2 stage oven burner that stays lit through the bake cycle.

[FLINTNFIRE]

I like gas for cooking , but house here has electric , I put in glass topped and prefer them over coil style as they are easier to clean , any boil over stays on top easy to wipe up , wipe after use you will not have the clean up problem , oh all I cook with is cast iron , and yes you can can on the stove top I have .

My stoves , yes I have 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs have been in use for last 15 years now , and still running strong and look like new .

[waksupi]

I bought it while looking for an off grid propane stove (we have had power out for weeks). It was very cool, a high tech burner but I had the 4 burner stove when the induction died. That space was quickly taken over with a stand mixer for bread and there's no getting it back.



This is true. My stove even mentioned it in the ad that there was no low simmer. I just use a cast iron plate to waste some heat, no problem. It was a $400 stove with no frills. If you want that low simmer you need to find a stove with dual valves/burners, inner burner for low, outer burner for high. I noticed when I looked for the OP there were some $1500 and up battery operated, made in USA stoves. I'll bet one of those has simmer.

The stove I bought less than 3 years ago shipped as Natural Gas with tighten down jets for propane.

The battery operated spark ignition eliminates that 700 watt carbide igniter that comes on every time the oven relights during the bake cycle. This battery stove has a 2 stage oven burner that stays lit through the bake cycle.

Could you explain the tightening down of the jets for propane? You don't need different orifices?

[Finster101]

With todays new and improved stoves all the adjustment is gone out of them. Fixed orifices with no minimum adjustment in the valves. In an old range the orifice is a twist adjust with a 9/16 wrench and minimum flame just as you said. Turn it all the way in for LP.

The range I did it on was a new Kitchen Aid we purchased 4 years ago.


The only time I have heard that you would need to change orifices is going from natural gas to propane or vise versa.

[yeahbub]

Propane always works IF the stove doesn't rely on power for ignition or oven thermometer operation..

If having power is a given, what about induction stoves? I'll need to replace the aging electric I have and will be looking for an induction replacement. No point in heating anything but the pot that's on the "burner". I like the idea of a cool stovetop. Just make sure you don't have a metal sliver stuck in your finger and wave it over the stove. Some people have said they'd like one, but they didn't want to buy a whole set of the "special cookware" needed for the stive to work. . . !??!?!?!??. Nonsense! If the container is metal, it'll heat just fine.

[MT Gianni]

For an older range the burner slides on the orifice with an air adjustment on it. There is a 9/16" or 1/2" orifice that tightens down on a tapered spud, somewhat like two ice cream cones fitting together. For natural gas the outer orifice will be turned out 4-5 flats, for LP you turn it until it feels snug. The air should be adjusted so there is no lifting of the flame and it should be sharp at the end with a minimal amount of yellow. It should not be a soft flame such as a candle. The most important is that the burner lights from the pilot. The pilot adjustments may be a small screw coming off the manifold or it may come off the oven valve. If it is off the valve there will be several places it may be located. You will need to remove the knob and turn a small screw from Nat to LP. Generally Nat is on the left straight up is off and 90 degrees right is LP.
PM me for a phone number if you get stuck.

[gon2shoot]

Check out Crosley brand stuff. I bought new no-frills stove and freezer, decent price and lifetime (or 10 year whichever comes first) warranty

[waksupi]

I've located a local used propane stove for $100. It's supposed to be in good condition. I'm taking a look on Saturday.

[Mal Paso]

Could you explain the tightening down of the jets for propane? You don't need different orifices?

There are actually 2 orifices, one inside the other. Turn the outer cap with the Natural Gas jet clockwise and tighten it against the inner propane jet to make it a propane stove. There were 5 jets to do along with flipping the spacer on the pressure regulator. Most stoves ship Natural Gas but can be converted. Instructions for propane will be with a new stove if it's convertible.

Used to be a second set of jets inside the stove and you would swap them. A few probably still do it that way.

Propane is heavier so is run at Higher pressure through Smaller orifices.