FoodBanter.com - View Single Post - "Variable heat" electric range available anywhere?

Peter A

In article >,
says...
> In article >, Peter A > writes:
> > In article >,
> > says...
> >> Does anyone manufacture a "variable heat" electric range, where when you
> >> select the heat setting, it would have a constant heat at a certain
> >> temperature? (Like you can do with a gas range...)
> >>
> > Why do you want this? The on/off technique works just fine in my
> > experience. The thermal mass of the burner and the pan even things out.
> > For example, when I am simmering a soup on low, the soup simmers at an
> > even, constant rate even though the element is on for 2 seconds then off
> > for 10 (more or less).
>
> I'm with the OP. I was just commenting that this kind of thing would
> be nice to my husband yesterday as I was making our week's dinners. We have a
> ****-poor glass-topped electric stove. We think it's crappy because it might
> be low-watt, but don't know for sure. It can't boil a gallon of water unless
> it's tightly lidded, and even then it takes over a half an hour.
> Last weekend, I was making a roux, and I really noticed how poor it is
> there too. I had trouble getting the correct temp to cook the roux - it cooked
> fine while the burner was on, but all cooking stopped when the burner cycled
> off. We HATE the thing.
>

Sounds awful, but it has nothing to do with it being electric. A decent
electric stove will boil water faster than a gas stove and is usually
superior at low-heat cooking. Time for a replacement maybe?