Almost electrocuted myself tonight.

[pnwmom]

One of the electric burners exploded when I was leaning over the range, turning on the fan.

Big sound -- big light -- according to my husband. But I'm vague on the details because I was too busy shutting my eyes and jumping backwards.

He's got the circuit breaker off now, and he's taken the range apart, but hasn't figured out what happened yet. The burner is toast, and the copper bottomed pan has a hole in it.

Maybe it's time to get a new gas range?

[CreekDog]

1. So your stove explodes

and you want to switch to gas because it's safer? :crazy:

[pnwmom]

3. I always thought electric was safer.

Now I'm thinking, six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Maybe you'd have to have been there. If I had lingered a split second longer after turning on the fan (at the back of the range), I might have looked like the melted burner.

[seemunkee]

10. because electric sucks for cooking

I've had it for years and hate it.

[TommyO]

12. Traditional electric coils do, but induction offers the control and power of gas

in a much safer package than gas or other electric cooking surfaces.

[seemunkee]

14. I don't see any slide in induction ranges

And the cooktops are just a wee bit pricey.
Wouldn't mind trying one sometime to see if they are worth the price.

[TommyO]

17. That's the problem, they're only available as a cooktop right now

If I were doing a kitchen remodel, which I'm not, I would definitely go induction. I have a small single-hob portable unit that works incredibly well, I used it in my old place when I had several burners not working on my range there. By brother and SIL are going to be remodeling their kitchen this year, and I'll be pushing them towards induction, they don't have gas service to the house, and they are doing an island cooktop, so it's going to be a perfect fit for them. Also, since the surface doesn't get nearly as hot as a traditional cooktop, it will be safer with the kids around.

If anybody comes out with a free-standing induction range here in the U.S., I'll be first in line to get one.

[pnwmom]

22. Do you mean that it comes in drop-in models? And can you get it

with down vents? Because that's what we'd need.

I'm wondering about re-sale, too, since we might not be in this house more than a couple years. Will people be unhappy about a cooktop that required new pots and pans?

[TommyO]

33. Unfortunately there are no drop-ins or freestanding ranges available

Cooktops and separate wall ovens (even if mounted under the cooktop) are the only way to go right now.

edited to add: Well, it looks like there is a drop-in range coming, from Diva de Provence, meaning Diva de Dolare$. No date or pricing right now.

http://www.homeportfolio.com/catalog/Product.jhtml?superCatId=2&catId=6&avId=21584&prodId=196849

[pnwmom]

21. I've thought about that. But what's the deal with the special cookware?

Is the cookware itself safe?

[TommyO]

32. The "special" cookware needs to be stainless steel or some other ferrous metal

If a magnet sticks to it, it will work. On my little 1200 watt cooktop I have successfully prepared an incredible steak au poive, macaroni and cheese, and just about everything in between. We have used it at my mom's house as an extra burner while the rest of the prep was done on her ceramic top electric stove. I love the control that induction offers, and can't wait for a freestanding range.

[CreekDog]

31. now that I understand

:hi:

[kath]

36. It really does suck for cooking. When we were house-hunting, we wouldn't consider anything that

didn't have a gas line to the kitchen, or that couldn't have one installed. For this house, we paid $500 to have the gas line extended out to the kitchen so that we wouldn't have to cook on a sucky electric stove. I think pretty much any even semi-serious cook prefers gas.

[Wabbajack_]

2. YIKES!

If that happened to me I would never go near a stove again, seriously. Sandwiches for life.

Hope yer ok. :hi:

[pnwmom]

4. Thanks. I'm fine except for a little case of PTSD.

I'm not sure I'll ever feel confidant turning on THIS stove -- even if it's supposedly fixed. Might be time for a new one.

I AM thankful that it wasn't one of my kids and that I wasn't alone when it happened.


Welcome to DU, Wabbajack!

[Wabbajack_]

7. Thanks

actually I was here a couple years ago, came back/forgot password/rejoined.

[jmowreader]

5. I've figured out what happened yet

Electric range burners explode after they've been cracked. If you put a new one on, you'll be back in business.

[pnwmom]

6. What makes them crack? Is it just age? n/t

[tainted_chimp]

9. the fact that they crack

....is enough reason to switch over to gas.

glad you're ok!!

[pnwmom]

18. Thank you. It WAS quite a shock,

so to speak.

:)

[jmowreader]

35. Among other things, age makes them crack

Also banging pans against them.

Now, my wife is the champion of cracking range burners, with a total of six to her credit. Her strategy is to turn the burner on with no pan on it, wait till it turns red and then stick a pan full of cold water on it. And...after a few times, ol' Jim's gotta drive back to the store to buy another fucking burner because the one we had cracked in half.

[Longhorn]

8. Wow, that must have been scary!

I can't stand the least little zzzzip, let alone a near miss like that! I'm glad you're okay! :hug:

[pnwmom]

24. The ZAP went about a couple of feet into the air, fanning out

like a cone, I think. Although my eyes shut so fast, it was hard to tell. And there was a huge POP at the same time.

It must have been impressive from a distance.

[seemunkee]

11. Ours did that recently

I dealt with only 3 burners for a while. Then another burner popped. I replaced the controls and they popped as soon as I turned them on. Ended up getting a new range, still electric though.

[pnwmom]

26. That's what I was afraid of. If it was due to age, which I'm assuming,

then all the burners are probably ready to go. And I wouldn't want this to happen to anyone else.

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. I just ordered a 5 burner gas range, myself. (Replacing another gas one. Had electric int the past &

hated them) Neat thing about the new stove is the entire top is like a grid so it's all one flat surface. Ours is black, but the top is pretty much the same.

[pnwmom]

27. That does look nice. In our first house,

the first thing we did was replace the electric range with a gas one, but we've been waiting in this house. We kept thinking we'd do it as part of a bigger remodel, which never happened.

[pokerfan]

15. "Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance."

You took it up to 11, didn't you? Never take it up to 11.

[pnwmom]

28. Yeah, right. No, I had it set to about a 9.

But where did you get the picture of my repairman?

:hi:

[DS1]

16. Oh no. The kettle killed itself

[pnwmom]

19. And it was a really good one, too. Had belonged to my grandmother!

Nothing had ever stopped that pot until now.

[MANative]

20. That's pretty darn scary. Glad to read you're okay!

:hi:

[pnwmom]

23. Thank you, MANative.

It gave me quite a jolt. And, for someone who doesn't much like to cook in the first place, a good excuse for some time . . . .

I'm glad my husband was there to see the whole thing, because I don't think he could have imagined what transpired.

[MANative]

25. Sounds like a good excuse to find another really great

take-out place or neighborhood diner! Adopt the motto "Cook? Who, me?!?" for the very real safety implications. ;)

[pnwmom]

29. It WOULD be, and a fine excuse, if I were a normal person.

Unfortunately, I have a gluten intolerance (celiac disease), which means mostly home cooking for me. I feel a thousand times better with the special diet, but all the explaining when we eat out is kind of a drag. And then they'll still do something like throw croutons in the salad. Thankfully, my husband enjoys experiments in home chemistry, so that's good.

[gbate]

30. That happened to our electric range a few months ago.

Scared the shit out of me, but I was secretly glad because I really wanted a new one. ;)

[pnwmom]

34. I'd never heard of this before, but it must not be all that uncommon.

Based on other comments here.

And, yeah, this is probably the excuse I needed for doing something we were going to do eventually anyway.

[Iris]

37. That's scary! Glad you're ok!

[fortyfeetunder]

38. Glad you are OK!

That makes my electric range living on borrowed time!...just got the gas plumbing in for the new one..I won't wait for long now!