Posted on 01/19/2026 12:03:53 PM PST by knarf
I'm forced to live in an all electric mobile home and electricity is through the roof.
I'm looking for ideas (don't suggest gas . . .SHE'S afraid) and compare / contrasts
i won’t suggest gas,but will point out that professional and serious home cooks prefer gas ...
I should have added, ours is Bosch. For a large burner, just press a button that combines neighboring burners for a size one and a half. We use that feature a lot. Also the special pans have non-ferrous handles so they stay cool enough to touch even when frying. It’s a good idea to check for this feature because it’s easy to forget while in use.
Induction cooktops are the best
Induction is better than gas, no kidding. We used gas stoves in two of our homes for years and took them out to replace them with induction. Didn’t have to but did it because they are way better. Heats up faster, cools down immediately.
Induction cooktops are the best
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I bet few here know how induction has revolutionized the field of mechanics. You can heat ferrous metal to white hot in a minute or two without setting fire to combustible material around the target. I use it to free frozen nuts and bolts and to bend iron rod. Not a replacement for the old acetylene torch set up, but induction is my ‘go to’ tool for cheaply and quickly heating anything that’s round, that I can get the wire coil around.
I live in NH. I just paid my $507 a month electric bill. I have a wonderful gas stove and a wood cook stove. I can attribute most of it to Christmas lights and Eversource raising rates in January. We’ll see.
Per the building code, gas ranges don't need hoods or have to exhaust to the outside.
This doesn't make the operation of them without exterior venting safe. The requirements for gas ranges are less stringent than water heaters and furnace. (intermittent operation and dilution)
Love mu induction cooktop range. It cooks so much better (precise temps) and I never have to worry about leaving the stove on and burning the place down.
Didnt know they had induction technology for stoves 40 years ago
I actually put a wood stove in a mobile home I rented. Owner was happy as hell. I did an all brick hearth and wall behind the stove, chimney through the brick anc a modified through wall for the chimney. Worked great and this was in the late 70s up in Maine. Didn’t take much to heat up a 14 x70.
Consider an A O Smith Hybrid electric water heater. It uses a heat pump to heat the water in normal mode. There is an electric backup.
As a side benefit, the heatpump removes heat from the garage space. Very useful in hot climates. Not so much in cold climates.
https://www.aosmithatlowes.com/products/water-heaters/hybrid-electric-heat-pumps/
I had a Sears cooktop. It was primitive compared to modern ones and not as powerful but still better than the electric cooktop it replaced. The modern models are very reliable and powerful.
Many of the induction designs us ‘touch’ controls and have them poorly located on the control surface so that a spill can be an issue.
I could not find one I liked, so I got a 1 burner unit that I used until we got the new oven in.
Something like this for $70. When I am done with it, I can put it away.
https://www.amazon.com/duxTop-FBA_8100MC-Induction-Cooktop-1311-52-5/dp/B0045QEPYM?th=1
Buying an induction range is expensive and is not a good way to save money. I do like that idea of buying an individual induction heat plate. Iron skillets also work well on induction. Best thing you can do right away is to turn your heat down to low 60s and buy a space heater and move it to the room you’re in at the time.
Your mobile home probably has central heat that uses heat strips. Think of two dryers running at the same time and it’s about the same amount of electricity.
If you are in there long term start doing a search for a heat pump to replace your existing unit. You may also be able to have an HVAC guy cut down on the number of heat strips in your unit to use less electricity. Not sure how good of an idea this is so make sure you ask your HVAC guy for an opinion.
Also, a poorly insulated mobile will be/feel COLDER than the outside temp. It’s like an ice box. Try to keep windows facing the sun uncovered by awnings or drapes in the winter time.
I have one. They work very well.
Thats ridiculous and makes no sense. How could water in the SAME pot be boiling in the middle but not on the outside?
Major health organizations and expert reviews conclude:
The amount of aluminum that leaches from pans into food is minimal and contributes negligibly to overall intake compared to natural sources (e.g., food, water). Modern anodized aluminum cookware further reduces any leaching.
While some studies explore aluminum's potential role in neurodegeneration at very high levels, there is no convincing evidence that cooking with aluminum pans increases risk for Alzheimer's or dementia in the general population.
Induction is absolutely amazing! You can boil a pot of water for coffee in 30 seconds. Fry an egg in 30 seconds..
Or you can simply soften butter or make sauces in one pot that used to require a double boiler.
Oh ya, I forgot about electric blankets!!
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