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Gas stoves vrs electric stoves in Magna

Yahoo Message Number: 11250
We are ordering a new Magna and strongly considering an all electric stove because I wife does not like the gas stoves used in motorhomes.
She has always cooked on an electric stove "at home" and now that we're planning to be full-timers, she feels she wants an electric stove in the motorhome. Motorhome gas stoves, according to her, are impossible to simmer on and she has problems making rice, spaghetti sauce, and other items which require low heat for extended cooking periods. She has tried so called "simmer plates" with minimal results.
I'm hesitant to go all electric. I love the flexiblity of propane for cooktop and water heater and don't want to fire up the generator everytime she wants to cook when dry camping.
We'd really appreciate comments from the group on this. What do those who have all electric coaches think of the them? How are the electric cook tops in all electric coaches such as the new Magna (we've heard they are 120 V and not 220 V like a home cook top and therefore not as efficient. Does having an all electric coach require the generator even when hooked up to 30 amp service.

Help please. Our 05 Magna order is placed and we want to change it if necessary.
Tom

Currently 36' Intrigue
soon to be 45' Magna

Re: Gas stoves vrs electric stoves in Magna

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11253
Tom, unless you want to run the genset when using it, it has the potential of sucking up the power from a large inverter and diminishing your batteries.
Remind you wife, if you can, that gas stoves were 80% of the homes up until around 1960 or so. The flame is easily managed for simmering and has been for many decades. The flame will be hotter than electric simply because propane is a very efficient gas.
She probably scared of gas because she hasn't had to use it or rely on it. My wife was the same way. Turning a burner for a second before using the igniter just wasn't in her "stove use procedural action plan".... never. She saw a home that blew up in Tulsa when she was young and that sealed her feelings about it.
It took her a while to get used to it. I had to light it for her many times the first couple years. She knew she had no choice when we bought the MH. She hasn't said a word in the last year. We have a deal that if the burner doesn't light in at least two click she calls me.
But, if it makes her happy and you don't mind the high current draw on you shore or electrical system... go for it.

Skip

=========

We are ordering a new Magna and strongly considering an all electric stove because I wife does not like the gas stoves used in motorhomes.
She has always cooked on an electric stove "at home" and now that we're planning to be full-timers, she feels she wants an electric stove in the motorhome. Motorhome gas stoves, according to her, are impossible to simmer on and she has problems making rice, spaghetti sauce, and other items which require low heat for extended cooking periods. She has tried so called "simmer plates" with minimal results.
I'm hesitant to go all electric. I love the flexiblity of propane for cooktop and water heater and don't want to fire up the generator everytime she wants to cook when dry camping.
We'd really appreciate comments from the group on this. What do those who have all electric coaches think of the them? How are the electric cook tops in all electric coaches such as the new Magna (we've heard they are 120 V and not 220 V like a home cook top and therefore not as efficient. Does having an all electric coach require the generator even when hooked up to 30 amp service.

Help please. Our 05 Magna order is placed and we want to change it if necessary.
Tom

Re: Gas stoves vrs electric stoves in Magna

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11255
Thank you very much, Skip, for the very personal, honest and helpful reply. We will take your comments into consideration.
You last comment is especially helpful - whatever makes her the most happy. She's coming with me on this great fulltiming adventure, and isn't making her happy the major goal in the first place....

Tom

Re: Gas stoves vrs electric stoves in Magna

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11256
Hi David and Karen

Karen, this questions is specifically for you. HOW do you "simmer" on your propane stove? Every time my wife attempts to make sauces and things like rice, which require very low heat for a long time, the item burns. She turns the gas to the absolute lowest point and has even tried something called a simmer plate she purchased at a hardware store. She uses high quality pots and pans.
This is a real concern to us. Any and all suggestions are very welcomed.

Thanks so much.

Tom and Pat

Re: Gas stoves vrs electric stoves in Magna

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11257
From: "Thomas Sims" tsims@...>

(snip) > She's coming with me on this great fulltiming adventure, and isn't making her > happy the major goal in the first place....
Nope. Making BOTH of you happy should be the goal. After all, neither she nor you will be happy if your batteries are dead ... or you're constantly replacing 'em.

Dick (& Geri) Campagna
36' Country Coach Intrigue

Re: Gas stoves vrs electric stoves in Magna

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11261
Tom, I don't know about the electric stovetops in coaches (we have propane), but I do know about trying to get by on 30 amp service and it would not work out great. Yes, I agree that the way a 110 electric stove works compared with a 220 will be apples and oranges, probably. When we're even in some 50 amp sites, we've had "dirty power" where our voltage (especially in the summer with everyone running AC) is very marginal. In one campground we had to use our generator to get enough electric for a few days during a heatwave.

I would not want any coach that was only electric. The propane gives us ability to vary our power source as needed, something that an all electric coach just couldn't do. there are many times we've switched the refrig and water heater onto propane to conserve electric for the m'wave, AC, etc.

Yes, I can't simmer the same way I did on my JennAir, but, hey, this is RVing and there's a LOT I CAN do that I can't in a stick house!

Jan McNeill, Fulltimer
2001 Intrigue 11320

Re: Gas stoves vrs electric stoves in Magna

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11267
David & Karen

2000 Intrigue 11062
40 ft Single slide. PT
2002 Odyssey TOAD

HI TOM AND PAT: sorry to hear you are having trouble with the gas stove. i use gas all the time and love it. if you are having trouble with the simmer you may want to add more water than it calls for if you are cooking at high altitude. other wise you may need to have your gas settings adjusted. i have never had that problem in the motor home but have had to adjust them in our stove in our Oregon kitchen. Also make sure you are using the smallest burner for simmer. hope this helps
Karen

Re: Gas stoves vrs electric stoves in Magna

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11268
Quote from: janmcneill
Tom, I don't know about the electric stovetops in coaches (we have > propane), but I do know about trying to get by on 30 amp service

and

Quote
it would not work out great. Yes, I agree that the way a 110 > electric stove works compared with a 220 will be apples and > oranges, probably. When we're even in some 50 amp sites, we've > had "dirty power" where our voltage (especially in the summer with > everyone running AC) is very marginal. In one campground we had to > use our generator to get enough electric for a few days during a > heatwave.

I would not want any coach that was only electric. The propane

gives

Quote
us ability to vary our power source as needed, something that an

all

Quote
electric coach just couldn't do. there are many times we've

switched

Quote
the refrig and water heater onto propane to conserve electric for > the m'wave, AC, etc.

Yes, I can't simmer the same way I did on my JennAir, but, hey,

this

Quote
is RVing and there's a LOT I CAN do that I can't in a stick house! >

Jan McNeill, Fulltimer
2001 Intrigue 11320
I have found that anything that needs to simmer for some time-- spagetti and other sauces, stews--can be done in an electric frypan.
For everything else, a gas burner is by far the best.
Dede Loop

Intrigue 11240

Re: Gas stoves vrs electric stoves in Magna

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11270
Tom & Pat,

We had the same problem, burned the rice no matter what. Also we had no place to set the french press to keep the coffee warm. Those four little legs found no landing place on the stove top grates.
The solution was simple and works great. While in a kitchen store at an outlet mall I spied an aluminum trivet about 8" or 9" square. It has four little riser legs on the bottom that fit nicely on the stove grate and keep it in place. The key is that it is about 2" larger than the cooking pot so it dissipates excess heat into the air rather than into the pot. Perfect rice every time! And warm coffee too!!
At home on the Viking gas stove top I use one of those "miracle thaw" aluminum plates for the coffee. Best use I could find for that thing!

Just be SURE to let it COOL down before you pick it up!

Good Luck,
Dave

2000 Allure 36'

#30444 Blt. Sept. '99

Thomas Sims wrote:

Re: Gas stoves vrs electric stoves in Magna

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11271
Quote

The solution was simple and works great. While in a kitchen store

at an

Quote
outlet mall I spied an aluminum trivet about 8" or 9" square. It

has

Quote
four little riser legs on the bottom that fit nicely on the stove

grate

Quote
and keep it in place. The key is that it is about 2" larger than

the

Quote
cooking pot so it dissipates excess heat into the air rather than

into

Quote
the pot. Perfect rice every time! And warm coffee too!! >

Good Luck,

Dave

2000 Allure 36'

#30444 Blt. Sept. '99
GREAT IDEA, Dave! I'm going to go get one of those trivets this week! (I know I've seen them, too...) This is why this forum is so neat...always someone with a solution! Jan McNeill, Fulltimer
2001 Intrigue 11320
Currently in Bend, OR

Quote
>

Thomas Sims wrote:

> Hi David and Karen
>

> Karen, this questions is specifically for you. HOW do
you "simmer" on

Quote
your propane stove? Every time my wife attempts to make sauces

and

Quote
things like rice, which require very low heat for a long time,

the

Quote
item burns. She turns the gas to the absolute lowest point and

has

Quote
even tried something called a simmer plate she purchased at a

hardware

Quote
store. She uses high quality pots and pans.
>

> This is a real concern to us. Any and all suggestions are very

welcomed.

Re: Gas stoves vrs electric stoves in Magna

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 11299
Go with all electric, we did and we love it. The batteries can handle a fan and frig all night without the generator kicking in. but if you use the electric range you will need the generator. 30 amp is no problem if you manage your power properly but my wife does not use the electric range much. She is retired to.

Bill G. 2005 Magna #6425