Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome

I only once in my life ever used an electric oven and I destroyed sugar cookies. My new house is oil heat and electric everything. We will convert to gas in the spring but in the meantime I still have to cook. Any tips on how to best use electric appliances and how to adjust recipes, time or temp when you are used to gas cooking? The cookies I made that time came out burned on the edges and raw in the middle, someone told me that outcome is typical on electric appliances. Stove I think is fridgidaire, not sure what brand the ovens are, can check if the engineer report if it makes a difference.

TIA

Re: Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome

It's been a while since I had an electric range and oven but I found that electric was very hot compared to gas.

I cook at higher temps with gas.

Maybe adjust the temp and where your racks are? If your racks are too high near the coils you will have uneven cooking.

I'm sure more folks will respond to you as well with better info.

Re: Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome

I could use this info as well. Using electric for thre first time in my new home soon.

Re: Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome

Re: Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome

I cut the time suggested. I find everything cooks quicker. I never just put something in the oven and walk away....I check back constantly.

Yesterday I made pumpkin oat bread and the cookign time was 40-45 mins.....it was done in 30.

Rice that is supposed to take 22 mins....takes 15.


you will slowly learn how long things take but the first time you cook something just watch it.

Re: Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome

I am just learning too...so far I have found:
1. Things in the oven cook a little quicker, but actually better. Just keep an eye on things until you get the feel.

2. The burners get real hot once they are hot, if you see something is starting to get too hot you can't just turn down the heat, you actually have to move it over for a second or two becasue sometimes your things will burn before it get a chance to cool down.

3. Clean it (esp if it is a flat one) when it is still warm, it is a lot harder to wipe down once it has cooled.

Message edited 10/31/2010 1:59:04 PM.

Re: Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome

Re: Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome

Electric ovens (had in my former apartments and hated them) have pockets of cooler air, so they tend to not cook as evenly when compared to gas. The best thing I can tell you to do is use a meat thermometer and watch everything. One time took ridiculous amount of time to cook a turkey through.

Re: Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome

OMG. I'm glad I asked this. Sounds like a big pita. The gas line stops right in front of the house so asap we will convert, but I've been heavily advised to wait till we no longer need heat since we'll be without during the conversion. With two little kids watching food cook is going to be frustrating. Thank you all for these tips, the more the merrier.

Message edited 11/1/2010 3:41:46 PM.

Re: Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome

I've always cooked with a gas stove, but when we moved into our new house converting to gas was not an option. We really enjoy cooking. I really didn't find that i need to adjust any recipes. the only thing i do occasionally different is if i want to turn down the heat i take the pan off the burner for a minute turn down the heat and then put the pan back. But as far as the oven, we haven't changed anything. It is a convection oven and i find that it cooks just as evenly as a gas oven, but faster.

Re: Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome

Hrm.. honestly I've used both and altho i LOVE gas (and can't have it here) electric has never given me that many issues.

As someone once said.. its hot.. and stays hot longer so you can't just shut it off and think your stuff wont keep cooking at full on heat if you leave it there.

Full contact with the surface or coils gives the best results

Oven: Ok, this is always hit and miss for me with or without gas. I LIVE Off of my oven thermometer. It hangs on the last rack.
#1, you can actually ADJUST the temp of your oven's base heat (how depends on the model) We uped ours by the max (30 degrees) only to find out later that our oven is just slow so we put it back to 0.
#2, the thermometer tells me for sure what the temp is in there. So for us it takes longer than the 'preheat' time the oven does itself (like 6min) .. takes us about 10min but then the oven is truly at the temp I need. Only then do I bake.
Otherwise, bake time and temp has never needed to be changed for me.

For me GAS has always been wrong in the oven and super annoying. I wish I could have a Gas stove top and electric stove sometimes!

Message edited 11/1/2010 12:07:17 AM.

Re: Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome

We've learned things cook faster with electric. Our problem is the house fills with smoke almost every time we use the stove-top. DH made grilled cheese and the entire house filled with smoke. He put the smoke alarm on the toilet in the bathroom!

Re: Temporarily dealing with electric cooking... Tips welcome