Ceramic top or coil-type stove???? Help me pick a stove!!!! HELP!!!!

I vote for ceramic. I hate hate hate cleaning those stupid coils. I just wipe the ceramic top real quick after I use it and yes the barkeeper's stuff helps too. They are a lot tougher than you might think. I have moved several times and had that thing in the back of a uhaul and went from coast to coast with a sleeping bag folded on top and boxes on top of that. Still works like it was new. I have had it since the year 2000. It is a Kenmore. I am going to put in an island and probably get a few gas burners put in that for extra cooking space but I do love my ceramic for everyday use.

I have only ever had gas. I have used electric, but I don't like it very much -- I cook, bake and can (seasonally) a lot. I have a gas Bosch stove/oven right now -- I am sure that they make electric, too. I am very, very happy with my Bosch. One thing that really cleans my stove top is Easy Off oven cleaner. I leave it on the stove top for a couple of minutes and then wipe off. I usally go over it after that with a glass cleaner. I had a Frigidaire at my old house -- seemed to be decent. Although, I wasn't as happy with the Frigidaire fridge or dishwasher.

Good luck in your search!

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I do have a convection oven and don't use that part of it that much. I do switch my cookie sheets when baking. Mine don't really burn, but I do think that they cook faster on top (if I left it on the bottom it would take longer) when I have a few things in the oven. I think what kind of cookie sheets you use also make a big difference -- or any pans. I've only use Airbake cookie sheets when baking cookies. It looks like Farberware has come out with a cookie sheet that is similar. It seems the heavier duty or good quality, the better.

If you used gas before you will HATE any electric stove! I never had a glass top, but I used to use a coil and hated it. With gas, when it is on , it is on. When it is off it is off, no warming up or cooling down.

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If the electric goes out all you need is a match to light the burner

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If the electric goes out all you need is a match to light the burner

where we live i would say half the time getting the dinner ready the power goes out so the Electronic Ignition on the stove would not be useful .

Thanks everybody for the feedback. It has helped greatly. I'm letting the poll run a bit longer if anyone wishes to cast a vote.

Thanks again!
Ed

It has been almost six years since my last post and I never posted back with what we ended up buying.

We ended up going with a Frigidaire Gallery glass-top convection oven. Our house was built back around 1950 and was originally built with a 220v outlet for an electric stove. When we moved in back in the early 90's we switched over to propane. Upon looking at the plug and wiring I decided to install new wiring and plug. That was an epic journey in itself, but I got it done thankfully with no major surgery done to the house nor myself.<g>

The stove has worked wonderfully since we installed it, with only learning-curve hiccups along the way, no equipment issues at all. My wife loves the stove and it is indeed much easier to clean than coil-type electric or open-burner gas stoves. Though, with burned on food it still takes some elbow grease to remove it. There is no removing coils, grates, or pans nor lifting of stove top for cleaning...any boil over or spills are contained on the top of the stove. But, again, it does sometime require elbow grease to clean. Overall, very satisfied with the cleaning aspect of it.

One thing that I don't particularly care for, and I figured I wouldn't, is the retained heat within the stove top once the burner is turned off. If you need to turn the heat off to a pan/pot of food then you probably should remove that vessel from that stove eye as it will continue to cook for a minute or so more....and stay hot for longer than that. Naturally with gas that burner would cooled down much quicker...even a coil-type electric will/should cool down much quicker than the glass top. I figured on this before we bought it...but, I still don't like that issue. Overall, though, we are very pleased with the stove. The oven works great!

After six years the glass top does have some scratches and a few "stains" (looks like watermarks) here and there. The scratches are probably from using pots and pans not designed specifically for glass-topped stoves. We've never specifically bought pans for this stove. (I know, we were supposed to have already done that! ). So, we're at the stage where we need to buy three or four pots and pans. We are on a limited budget, maybe not a ramen noddle budget, but nowhere close to a Russian caviar budget, so we need something decent but not piggy-bank busting priced. Anybody got some suggestions for flat-bottomed (non-stick is good! ) pots and pans that will leave us some money to buy food to cook in them?

Anyhow, I just wanted to update the thread with what we ended up with and pose a question about some affordable cookware.
Thanks for all the feedback! (even if I'm six years late in saying so!!!! )
Ed

A follow-up to my update.

I've since pressured canned some beef and chicken on the glasstop stove. Everything worked out ok. I'm using a Presto 16qt canner. The canner instructions says that it can be used on a glasstop stove. Also, the stove's instructions state that a pressure canner can be used on it though the instructions elaborate very little about it.

Ed

i didn't have a choice in S Florida.....has to be electric.....i love it!