Buying an Economy Gas Range, Toronto, Canada

Cooking with gas on a gas range is HOT!

With a sharp pop the stove went, those of us in the kitchen grew wary as the strange smell of something burnt but uncommon wafted in the air. Our electric stove, boiling water in a kettle on a small burner, had hurt itself. The burner was dead, the kettle had a hole burnt through it, with water now flooding the overflow pan under the burner. After some electrical diagnostic work we found it best to look for a new range, range being a stove-top and an oven underneath. Gas ranges are new to us, so there was the usual searching for info, visiting stores and eventually the purchase. Here are some hints and tips on buying an economy gas range in Toronto, Canada.

After the pop there was no getting the small burner to work, only cold and dead. Out came the tools and the multimeter, and searching on the web for diagnostic pages. Electric stoves are very simple, ours have no on-board computer or such fancy options. Our GE Model number KF535RG-2 electric range came up with nothing on a Google search, an indicator of its age. Calling around appliance parts stores, it became apparent why the search came up empty: The stove was over 40 years old.

Still, I do not discount any product solely due to age, unless it is a computer. Opening the back and looking at the electrical schematic on the rear it was clear this stove was well built and relatively simple. There were a few charred wire connectors, but for a 40 year old stove it was in great condition. The electric stove-top has only 3 main components: the infinite surface switch (turn the burner on/off), the burner plug connector, and the round and coiled element. All are easily tested with a multimeter and help from ApplianceAid.

Long story short, the infinite switches were bad and needed replacement. I could find 2 of the 4 replacements, but really, all needed replacing. Amre, recommended by my Uncle, had none. At ~$50 each or $200, if I could find another 2, this would get us back to the performance of a rusty 40 year old range. The oven worked well, though a little small, but for how much longer? With a dearth of spare parts and a rusty stove-top pan, it was time to look for options.

Considering Natural Gas: After our recent 15 hour blackout, where we cooked on a grill in our fireplace, where some of our family and friends were without electricity for 7-9 days, we decided to consider a natural gas stove. We have never had one, but those that used them thought they were great. In a blackout the stove-top burners can be turned on and manually lit with a flame, so you can cook in a blackout. Enbridge Gas claims that we spend $156CAD/yr on electricity for the range and we would spend $56CAD/yr if we used natural gas. The payback for a gas range totaling $1,000CAD would be 10 years. This is not a major cost savings.

The main advantages of a gas stove-top are that the heat is instant on, is much more controllable than electric. There is no waiting for the burner to heat up, as in electric. The heat is much more intense and therefore hotter, but controllable, resulting in fewer pot boil-overs, hopefully. I find no major advantage nor disadvantage to a gas oven. There are foodies on web forums that will argue to eternity on the advantages of one or the other. I am not so picky.

I cannot conclude that gas ranges are more reliable nor easier or cheaper to repair than an electric range. My Uncle, a retired appliance repairman, told me that on average ranges and other appliances last 3.5 years. Troubling is that most repairs are switching out control circuit boards and not issues with mechanical devices. These repairs are expensive to do because they simply replace the circuit board at a high cost to the consumer. He said to consider buying the 4 switches to keep my electrical stove running. It would be reliable and has no computer to burn out.

My research would start on what to consider for a gas stove. While there are great reviews on the internet, almost all of them were US based for models unavailable here in Canada. I have gas piped right to the range area, so installation will be easy.

A new economy gas stove would cost us ~$1,000 after tax and installation. The stove costs $700CAD, tax would be $105CAD. delivery $65CAD, and installation by a certified gas fitter ~$75, for a grand total of ~$950CAD. Would the cheapest gas stove be Ok, and what do you get if you go up in price a little? What other considerations should I know about?

How Hot are the Burners? The lowest price gas stoves also do not have high powered burners. Burners are rated in British Thermal Units or BTU. At the low end you get 3 x 9,000 BTU and 1 x 5,000 BTU burner. Higher priced ranges have much hotter burners, some burners going to 18,000 BTU. I really have no idea how hot the burners do we need. I can only assume that the higher BTU burners are a better feature. More expensive ranges come with a wide variety of BTU burners, ranging from 1 x 5,000 BTU for simmering, 2 x 9,000 BTU normal, and a 1 x 14,000 BTU fast cook. This range of burners gives you more flexibility, as the larger burners may not simmer very well. Recommendation: get a wide variety of BTU burners, the higher BTU the better. Some expensive ranges have an 18,500 BTU “turbo burner”. You can always turn down the setting for lower heat and cheaper gas consumption but have the ability to go really hot if needed.

How Large is the Oven? The standard range is 30″ wide, and 26″ deep. Within this standard are ovens that are between 4 cubic feet and 5 cubic feet. A larger oven gives you more room to bake. The 5 cubic foot oven is 24.25″ wide and will accommodate a standard 24″ wide baking tray. Recommendation: Get a 5 cubic foot oven

Stove-top Grills: These black cast iron grills cover the stove-top burners, allowing you to put your pot on top of but not in direct contact with the gas burner unit. The standard economy gas ranges have 4 burners and either 4 individual grills for each burner, or 2 grills, one for each pair. The grill for a pair will be twice as heavy but simpler to remove and wash if you need to clean both burners. The individual grills are lighter and you could clean only the burners you soiled. I would personally go for the individual grills, but you may not have a choice.

Bluestar grill removes to give you a round hole, perfect for a cast iron wok that is closer to the flame but still not in contact with the gas burner. This give you a hotter wok, great for searing. Great design, and seeming exclusive to Bluestar.

An interesting grill design by BlueStar allows you to remove the grill and still use a round wok on the burner but preventing the wok from touching the gas burner unit. This allows the bottom of the wok to be closer to the burner than with the grill installed, resulting in a hotter wok. Other manufacturers do not have this feature.

Desirable is the ability to slide your hot pot off the burner, into the middle of the stove-top, instead of lifting your pot to move it. This is ergonomically better and allows you to cook something else on the burner. On economy gas ranges there are 2 sets of grills, one for each side, with no grill in the middle. Some brands sell an optional middle grill, allowing a continuous and therefore flat stove-top, so sliding your pot into the middle is relatively easy. All commercial ovens and those on cooking shows all have continuous grills. Some stoves have a middle burner, which also has a grill, resulting in a continuous grill across the stove-top. These 5 burner gas ranges may be more economical than buying a 4 burner and the optional middle grill.

Whirlpool’s gas cooktop offers a continuous grilling surface. This allows you to slide your pots to a different area of the grill, instead of lifting them. Good design for ease of cooking.

Recommendation: Two or 4 grills, you may not have a choice. Either are workable and are not deal breakers. Get a grill for the middle of your stove-top so you can slide your pots instead of lifting them. The addition of a 5th middle burner might be cheaper because it will include a middle grill.

Stainless Steel or White/Black? Gas ranges under $2,000 do not have a stainless steel cooking surface. Irregardless of Stainless steel or white/black, all economy and middle range ovens are steel with a baked on porcelain top. Porcelain is easy to clean and relatively inexpensive but can chip. Stainless steel is also easy to clean, does not chip but does dent. Stainless steel has the commercial kitchen look. The additional $100 for stainless steel for an economy range only gets you stainless steel panels for the oven door and the top control panel, where the clock and oven controls reside, but the same steel and porcelain cooking surface. Recommendation: This feature is aesthetic only, so you decide.

Self-cleaning vs manual clean? We do not use our oven so much. With the use of cookie trays the oven is kept clean with a quick wipe or scrape for the odd overflow. I did not think the self-cleaning feature was so important, but there are implications beyond oven cleaning.

A self-cleaning oven has a gas burner on top and on the bottom of the oven. This is necessary to heat the oven up sufficiently to self-clean. Double burners might mean more even cooking because heat comes from both the top and bottom, as is the case with an electric oven. I am unsure if you can actually control this independently, as it might be model dependent. One sales guy told me that the top burner of the self-clean ovens are only used during the cleaning cycle and at no other time. This did not make much sense to me. Your range instructions could answer this question.

A manual clean oven has a burner at the bottom of the oven. If you want food to top brown, called “broiling” they provide a small drawer section below the oven for this purpose. As I do not broil this would not be useful to me. What would be bad is that this broiler takes the place of the bottom drawer where I store baking pans and other cooking utensils. If you have a manual cleaning oven, you get a broiler but you give up the storage drawer at the bottom of the oven. If you have space elsewhere to store cookie trays, frying pans, etc, this may be Ok for you, but for me I need that bottom storage drawer.

Recommendation: Get a self-cleaning oven, not because it self cleans but because you get a storage area under your oven. The manual cleaning oven has a broiler under your oven, and it is not safe to store your pans in the broiler.

Dual Fuel Ranges: These have a gas stove-top but an electrical oven. An interesting idea, and popular with many foodies, but with the cost being over double an all gas range, I could not afford it. Recommendation: Go all gas or all electric, not dual fuel.

Convection Option: Both electric and gas ovens can come with a convection option, which is a fan that circulates the hot air within the oven. This circulation cooks food differently but usually faster. As I do not bake very much in the oven I opted to not get this option. Using a convection oven requires some learning as the circulation bakes the outside of food faster and can dry it out, but leaves the inside uncooked. Recipes would need to be tweaked.

Electrical Hookup: Gas ranges do not need a 220v outlet but with their electronic ignition of burners and computer control they do need a 100v outlet at the back of the range.

Gas Range Installation: Mandatory in Ontario you need a certified gas fitter to hook up your gas stove. If a certified gas fitter is not used you may invalidate your house insurance should a problem or incident, like blowing up your house or a house fire, occur.

Double your Manufacturer’s Warranty with a Gold or Platinum Credit Card: Most ranges have a one year warranty. Use a gold or platinum credit card that will double your manufacturer’s warranty, to 2 years.

Reading Reviews on the Internet: Everyone has an opinion and the internet offers up international publicity. It is hard to pick your way through usually conflicting opinions, putting those who switched from gas to electric vs those who have just gone the other way around. There is a lot of noise, as usual with reviews. For sure is the fact that a new range is better than an old range. Those that are used to their old range and get a new range are surprised at how well the new one works. This is irrespective of whether they buy gas or electric. There is a lot to read, but who to trust?

Gas Ranges and Income: Here in Toronto there are a lot of stores selling gas ranges. These ranges are usually in the upper price bracket far above $1,500CAD and as high as $6,000CAD, with very little offered in the economy range. It seems like those with higher incomes are offered high end gas or electric ranges, while those with lower incomes are offered only electric ranges. I found this to be true at Home Depot, Lowes, Desco, Quan’s, and many other specialty appliance stores. When I asked at Quan’s in Markham the sales guy said that economy gas stoves, especially in white, do not sell well, and that people prefer stainless steel and more expensive gas ranges. Many people in Scarborough come from Asia, where cooking with gas is the norm, while gas cooking for the Canadian society is much more rare.

Here in Toronto Sears has the best offerings, offering two gas range models in either white, black or stainless steel. One model is the least expensive 4 burner that offers medium BTU burners. The other model offers a 5 burner with BTUs ranging from 5,000 to 18,500 BTU. This 5 burner model has a middle burner, and also comes with a center grill.

My advice for gas range buying is to only buy the range that fits your needs and eschew the fluff and non-utility options. A range is a practical piece of equipment, not a show piece or a piece of art. What you do not need do not buy, and put the rest of your cash into another appliance instead. The lowest priced gas range has its shortcomings and may not be the best option for you. Shop around.