Using a kitchen stoves

An essential part of any kitchen, a stove can be nothing more than a single-coil hot plate or an elaborate 6-burner professional range. When involving a kitchen stove, the main decision to make purchasing a stove is whether to buy gas or electric. Most cooks prefer gas because the heat can be adjusted more quickly. With Gas, you can take the heat from its very highest setting down to a low simmer in seconds simply by turning the knob.

Electric coils, on the other hand, retain heat and take longer to cool down. Gas stoves are also preferred because they have the ability to cook foods faster than electric stoves. Gas heat is measured in BTU, or British thermal units. Gas stoves with higher BTU will deliver more heat, thereby boiling water faster and searing meat more quickly.

Whichever stove you choose, make sure that the burners are far enough apart to accommodate your largest pans. Measure the distance between the centers of the burners. A distance of 12" will allow you to cook with several big pans at any one time.