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skmom

propane cooktop question

skmom
3 years ago

Hello, we will be moving soon and building what we hope will be our forever home on a little plot of land in the PNW. We already have family out there, and while visiting with them I was able to do some cooking on my sister in law’s propane gas range. It took forever to boil a pot of water! Is that how propane is, or does she just have a crappy range? Natural gas is not an option out there, and I’m used to having dual fuel ranges with natural gas cooktop and electric ovens. I’m very happy with that arrangement but I’ve never used propane except for our outdoor gas grill. I cook a lot of high heat dishes, and I’ve considered switching to induction in the new house, but I’ve already tested all of my cookware and most of it is not induction compatible. Sigh. I’m not really keen on buying all new cookware, and neither am I keen on changing my cooking habits... I’ve been a pan shaker for decades now. The only thing that appeals to me about induction is the ease of cleaning and I’m told it gets to a very high heat. So, if I choose propane am I doomed to long wait times for boiling water? I’m willing to go with high end appliances, I have high end appliances in my current home. My sister in law’s range is an all gas (propane) JennAir and I was NOT impressed with it in the least. (I do know I don’t want a gas oven, I’ve had one before and it’s not my thing, so I’d do dual fuel if I choose propane.) We will have a propane tank on our property because that’s how hubby wants to heat our water and hook up our grill to... I just don’t know if I want to use it for my indoor range or not. Help, it’s a tough decision!

Comments (30)

  • vinmarks
    3 years ago

    We have a Bluestar propane range. I don't think it takes any longer to boil water on the propane range than it did on our natural gas Wolf range. We have a buried propane tank which we use for our tankless water heater and range.

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  • lyfia
    3 years ago

    I have induction and love it. Even my husband who was all for gas has been converted. Yes I had to replace some cookware, but now I have some nice stuff that is even better than the nice stuff I had as these also go in the dishwasher and really enjoying less heat and better air quality in my kitchen too. I shake my pans all the time, of course I have to lift them a little to do so, but I did that on gas too. The ease of cleaning is a huge one for me. So easy to clean-up so less time spent on that and the ability to use it for extra counter space is a plus in my small kitchen.

  • skmom
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    @juneknow, thank you, that was very helpful! After visiting with my sister in law, my initial reaction was “oh heck no, I don’t want propane in my kitchen!” But I also wanted to make sure it wasn’t just her range that I disliked. Well, I’ve always wanted an outdoor kitchen with a grill, and maybe a stand for a wok where I could do some really high heat stuff... perhaps I will just go with my initial gut feeling and get new cookware and go with induction indoors. The area we will be living can get very closed off in certain weather situations, and I’m told we need to plan ahead for that and we might lose power more often than I’m used to... so I was hesitant to have a kitchen that relied solely on electricity... but if I have propane running to my grill then I don’t need to worry I guess. (I know I could use a generator to power the electric stuff too...)

  • rrah
    3 years ago

    I've had a gas cook top (I think it was a Jennair or KitchenAid) and have a propane cook top now. I never really noticed a difference.

    I selected a Dacor cook top because at the time we built, it was the only cook top that could be specifically manufactured for propane. Most, like Jennair, require a conversion kit. I don't know if that makes a difference, but as I said, I never noticed a difference. If you look at their site, search for propane. It will be easier to see the possibilities.

  • functionthenlook
    3 years ago

    We have a propane stove at our camp. I haven't cooked on gas for 6 years since our current home has electric. I haven't really noticed a difference between gas and propane. But as I said it has been 6 years. I was really apprehensive about cooking on an electric range, but I love it . The glass top is easy to clean and it boils water faster than any gas range i have owned. I like having the freedom to use any type of pot or pan i want. I was hoping that camp would have a 220 line behind the stove so i could get an electric range, but it doesn't. Bummer.

  • John Williams
    3 years ago

    I have a propane open burner Bluestar RCS (I'm also in the PNW). There is no down rating in BTU output for propane compared to natural gas. It uses different gas regulator setting and valve orifices to match the type of gas. Boils water with ease. Fantastic burners!

  • aziline
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    JuneKnow is correct that on most ranges the BTUs are less when switching to propane. But there is a lower price option. Bertazzoni's are not down-rated since they actually switch out parts instead of just adding a converter (pretty sure that's what the others do). I've had a 36" rangetop for 3 years and am very happy with it. There are mixed reviews on their ranges though. If you can do a rangetop I'd suggest getting a Berta.

    Edit to add - With propane the bigger burners actually have higher BTUs than NG. Page 9.

    https://assets.ajmadison.com/ajmadison/itemdocs/CB36_0.pdf

  • jalarse
    3 years ago

    I live in the PNW, Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. I have been cooking on a Wolf all propane stove for over 18 years. I do not have to wait for water to boil on the stove. I was told on the Wolf the btu differences between natural gas and propane were about 18000 on natural gas to about 17000 on propane. I have cooked many times at relatives who have natural gas and I could not tell the difference. Being in this neck of the woods power outages are frequent especially in the fall/winter months. We just had wind gusts yesterday of 35 to 50 mph. Here propane is the only way to go.

  • JJ
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    PNW here. I have a Bosch 800 dual fuel range. I have noticed a small adjustment. If I have a big pot of water I use the 5th burner. Yes, power was out for a bit last night. We didnt need it but we had a way to cook if the lights didnt come back on for a while.

  • Hillside House
    3 years ago

    My Bertazzoni range top is LP and we have never had issues. I suspect that her regulator is faulty, and she’s not getting the correct pressure.

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    3 years ago

    I just want to mention another factor which no one else has mentioned--altitude. You might see a big difference if you live at a low altitude and your sister-in-law lives in a mountainous area. I lived in western Colorado at ap 4600' above sea level, and that is enough to affect the time it takes to boil water.

  • mtnfever (9b AZ/HZ 11)
    3 years ago

    I put in a GE Monogram propane cooktop at my previous house and loved it.

    This house's location had a triple whammy: too far in the sticks for natural gas so propane was the only gas option, high altitude of 8300' so lots of BTU loss right there, lots of electrical outages (see aforementioned "far in the sticks" lol).

    The Monogram was like several others mentioned here where I could select it at purchase to be set for propane. On top of that, I could get a different set of orifices (jets for those motorbike readers lol) for my even higher high altitude. The downside was that the special simmer setting (dual flames), which I had really looked forward to, was useless as simmer needed a higher flame at my altitude to get the right temperature, bummer. Mama goose, as usual, has a really good point about high altitude!

    Find about what causes your area's power outages and what time of year they occur. Are you really going to want to use your outside kitchen when it's windy/rainy/snowy because that's why your power went out? Though I guess the PNW doesn't get very cold, so you maybe *could cook outside all year; I've never lived there.

    We had a small generator (thank goodness a Honda EU that was super quiet) leftover from an RV that we used for our fridge and freezer during outages that were long enough. If you get a generator for the induction range, it might be pricey to get one that can handle 240V. We also had a fireplace (a fireplace insert, actually, that was far more efficient) so unless the power outage went on

    Anyway, food for thought for your new neighborhood.

  • athomeeileen
    3 years ago

    I’ve had a Wolf dual fuel range and a Wolf cook top both on propane and never had any trouble with heat. I’ve never noticed any difference from natural gas. I’d much rather have propane than electric.

  • cpartist
    3 years ago

    skmom, I second everything that lyfia said. I've now had induction for 2 years and would only choose gas if it was my only choice or a choice between electric and gas. I do have natural gas for my hot water and my grill outside, but inside my house, after a brief learning curve, it's induction all the way. (But then again I'm not in the PNW.)

    Induction is more precise, and cleanup is 1000x easier. Water for pasta heats up in around 2 minutes. (I'll measure tomorrow night). I can go from a full boil to a low simmer in 1 second just by turning down the dial. Great for cooking things like rice and oatmeal. I can melt chocolate without using a double boiler. Plus on my Bosch, each hob has its own timer so if I set the timer for 10 minutes, the hob turns off after 10 minutes and lets me know.

    The glass top is easy to clean and it boils water faster than any gas range i have owned. I like having the freedom to use any type of pot or pan i want.

    I would NEVER willingly do electric again. If the hob is hot, then whatever spills over burns onto the surface requiring the special cooktop cleaner and/or a razor blade to get it off. While a good quality electric top will heat up quickly, it takes forever to cool down so if you're making something like rice, you actually need to switch hobs to have your rice go from boil to simmer. And you can't clean the cooktop until it all cools down. By the time it cools down, I'm done with dinner and done with cleaning the kitchen!

    Compare that to induction where the hob never gets hot and if it gets warm, it cools down fairly quickly. And if I'm cooking something that spatters, I can put paper towels down on the surface (even under the pot) to make cleanup even easier. Not that I need to since windex and a paper towel cleans up the cooktop completely since nothing ever bakes on!


  • skmom
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Great points made by everyone!! Altitude won’t be a problem, our homesite is only 100ft high at its highest point and my sister in law already lives on the same road and probably only about 20-30 feet higher in altitude than we would be because they’re on the other side of the winding hillside street. We are only “JUST” out of tsunami zone, LOL! (Cross our backyard property line and you’re in tsunami zone) That’s a very good point about power outages, I think wind is the main cause, and our future neighbor who lives on the same side of the road as we will be has already told us that we should not invest in a huge deck off the back of our house for the views because the wind is too strong most of the year to properly enjoy. She suggested we make an enclosed, indoor kind of “porch” for the views. She told us she has to grill in her front yard to block the wind. So yeah, I might not have as much success with an outdoor kitchen as I originally imagined. I was thinking of maybe putting my outdoor kitchen off to one of the sides of the house... but I’m not sure that will shelter the wind enough, I’m worried now about it whipping around the sides of the house, though we might be able to get creative with some sort of a decorative fencing to help slow the wind down.

  • skmom
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    The views from our little plot of land! I’m so excited to be moving there and have a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean! (Our plot is pretty small, about a quarter of an acre, but plenty big for us)

  • vinmarks
    3 years ago

    Gorgeous!

  • skmom
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I’ve been following the other current induction thread, and people on there have mentioned emf sensitivity with induction. I think I’ll have to go to the fancy appliance store or something in our area and try out a cooking class and see how I react to induction and how I like cooking on it. I know that sensitivity to stuff like that is quite uncommon, but I have weirdo autoimmune issues and fibromyalgia, and if it would happen to anybody, it’s likely that I’d be in that small minority. Oh the joys of being a canary in a coal mine. LOL! I think y’all have convinced me that if I go with gas, I need to go with one designed for propane from the beginning. I’m not so sure I could convince my hubby to buy me a dual fuel range AND an induction cooktop... but I could try! LOL!!! He’ll be like “what the heck!? We are trying to downsize!!!” I really appreciate everyone’s comments and sharing their knowledge and experiences, thank you so much! I’ll try to come back and let you all know what I eventually decide. We still have to sell this house before we can really afford to start the building process on the next house, but I want to get this decision finalized before we reach that point.

  • ulisdone
    3 years ago

    Remember to get a huge exhaust fan for a propane range - lots of bad fumes produced, and they can make autoimmune health worse.

  • jalarse
    3 years ago

    From a fellow PNW. Since your building from scratch now would be a good time to consider a standby propane generator. When your in the building process the installation is much less. Since most of our home is propane (water heater, stove, furnace, two propane and one wood burning fireplaces) we only needed a 17KW generator. We do have a heat pump, a well and septic pump. So a 17KW worked out great. Your property is gorgeous. Best of luck to you.

  • functionthenlook
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Cpartist, different people like cooking on different types of stoves. As I said before I was appreciative about cooking on electric when we moved into our present house since I had only used natural gas before. I guess I'm not a sloppy cook and rarely use a razor on my cooktop. And no special cleaner. I just wipe it off with soapy water when washing the pots. I love the residual heat from the burners. I use it for example to melt butter after draining noodles. For remaining food that is in a pan that if left till after dinner will be a PIA to clean such as frying bacon, etc. I put the pan back on the burner and add water from the pot filler and the residual heat loosens all the cooked on food. Yes, you do have to move the rice, but that usually isn't a problem for me with 5 burners. Sorry, but even a quick dinner is a minimum of 20 minutes to consume. We like to eat and chat, not wolf down our food. Plenty of time for the burners to be cold for wipe up.

  • skmom
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    @jalarse, thank you for suggesting a standby propane generator, I’ve never heard of one before!

  • cpartist
    3 years ago

    I know that sensitivity to stuff like that is quite uncommon, but I have weirdo autoimmune issues and fibromyalgia, and if it would happen to anybody, it’s likely that I’d be in that small minority. Oh the joys of being a canary in a coal mine. LOL! I think y’all have convinced me that if I go with gas, I need to go with one designed for propane from the beginning.

    Honestly your health would be more impacted by propane than it ever would be by Induction. Think of the fumes, etc from gas. All that stuff has been disproven and there is a whole website that explains it but I don't have the link anymore.

  • cpartist
    3 years ago

    I found the site about EMF safety. BTW: I read the site about the person who said they were EMF sensitive. If they truly are, then they shouldn't be in front of a TV, Computer or even a Microwave. All emit EMF's.

    https://therationalkitchen.com/induction-cooking-safe/

  • skmom
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thank you Cpartist, that was helpful information. In the back of my mind, I’m wary about the slim possibility that my mother could eventually need to move in with us one day and she has a gastric pacemaker. That would definitely be a consideration against an induction stovetop... although she’s at a point in life that she’s not supposed to be cooking for herself really anymore for neurological reasons.

  • cpartist
    3 years ago

    Simon, my DH has a cardiac pacemaker. What i did was call the pacemaker company listed on DHs card and ask them about the safety of his using an induction cooktop. They looked up his number and let me know that as long as his pacemaker was a minimum of 6” from the surface when turned on, he was fine.

  • cpartist
    3 years ago

    Damn spell check. That should have been skmom

  • skmom
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    LOL! Cpartist... that’s not the first time someone has responded to me and it has autocorrected to Simon. :D I knew who you were talking to, LOL!

  • TBL from CT
    3 years ago

    For your new build you have the opportunity to have the appropriate sized vent hood (often 6" wider than the cooktop and deep and at the proper height), with great power, and proper make up air to compensate for the air being drawn out of the home with ventilation. There are many informative discussions here regarding make up air (MUA). It's a health and safety consideration that most salespeople and many HVAC people gloss over. It's an engineering balance that should be taken seriously and budgeted for from the beginning. A newly built home will be very tight so it's even more important to not draw air from combustible things in the home.