In our kitchen we have a dual fuel range cooker, which is now under consideration for renewal. But our ventures into alternative cooking methods have caused us to wonder if a standard, built-in cooker is now worthwhile.
Using a combination of microwave, halogen oven, portable induction hotplate and George Foreman dual grill/griddle, we have found that the only appliance needed to make our range cooker obsolete would be a small portable oven.
I suggested to she-who-must-be-obeyed that we could replace the range cooker with a stainless steel surface and shelves beneath, where these portable appliances could be stored between usage, and a double-ring electric induction hotplate standing on the st/st surface.
Heating large-capacity ovens is less economical, so fuel consumption would be reduced, as would be the case with the halogen oven and the induction hotplate, because nearly all the heating goes into the food - not the kitchen airspace. Laborious cleaning of a conventional oven would also be a thing of the past.
Has anyone else gone, or thought of going, down this road? Are there any pitfalls I may have missed? There are only the two of us in the house, and we rarely cook for more than a further two visitors at any one time.
To take the plunge or not? - that is the question!
Using a combination of microwave, halogen oven, portable induction hotplate and George Foreman dual grill/griddle, we have found that the only appliance needed to make our range cooker obsolete would be a small portable oven.
I suggested to she-who-must-be-obeyed that we could replace the range cooker with a stainless steel surface and shelves beneath, where these portable appliances could be stored between usage, and a double-ring electric induction hotplate standing on the st/st surface.
Heating large-capacity ovens is less economical, so fuel consumption would be reduced, as would be the case with the halogen oven and the induction hotplate, because nearly all the heating goes into the food - not the kitchen airspace. Laborious cleaning of a conventional oven would also be a thing of the past.
Has anyone else gone, or thought of going, down this road? Are there any pitfalls I may have missed? There are only the two of us in the house, and we rarely cook for more than a further two visitors at any one time.
To take the plunge or not? - that is the question!