Recently there was a discussion here where you said that you had difficulty bringing the pasta pot back to boil after adding the pasta. Suggestions were made to use larger pot with more water and then someone (maybe Sheldon) said you needed to increase BTU's as well. Tonight as I was boiling pasta, it occurred to me to ask you if you had ever replaced the burner coils on your cook stove? I'm assuming that you have electric?
The electric coils do 'wear out.' You pull the coil in question from the cook stove (or both sizes if you suspect that both large and small coils may not be heating the way they should) and take the coils in to an appliance repair store. They should be able to sell or order replacement coils for you. Either call ahead or check the yellow pages listing to see if the store sells to the public. The coils should cost about $30-$35. You will also need to supply the store with the brand name of your stove. Ask (phone call here) them if they need any other information before you go. If you need the model number, you may be able to find it on a metal plate that is located under the cooking surface--you should be able to see it if you pull out all the coils.
Over time the burner coils can gradually produce less and less heat and we just don't notice it. I've replaced one or more coils several times in the last 20 years. If you do canning or use the large burner a lot for big pots, consider getting what may be called a canning coil. The coil is the same size as the large coil you already have on your stove, it's just raised a little higher to allow for better air circulation underneath to promote longer life in the coil.
On Tue 27 Sep 2005 05:55:17p, Janet Bostwick wrote in rec.food.cooking:
Quoted message said:
Dee,
Recently there was a discussion here where you said that you had difficulty bringing the pasta pot back to boil after adding the pasta. Suggestions were made to use larger pot with more water and then someone (maybe Sheldon) said you needed to increase BTU's as well. Tonight as I was boiling pasta, it occurred to me to ask you if you had ever replaced the burner coils on your cook stove? I'm assuming that you have electric?
The electric coils do 'wear out.' You pull the coil in question from the cook stove (or both sizes if you suspect that both large and small coils may not be heating the way they should) and take the coils in to an appliance repair store. They should be able to sell or order replacement coils for you. Either call ahead or check the yellow pages listing to see if the store sells to the public. The coils should cost about $30-$35. You will also need to supply the store with the brand name of your stove. Ask (phone call here) them if they need any other information before you go. If you need the model number, you may be able to find it on a metal plate that is located under the cooking surface--you should be able to see it if you pull out all the coils.
Over time the burner coils can gradually produce less and less heat and we just don't notice it. I've replaced one or more coils several times in the last 20 years. If you do canning or use the large burner a lot for big pots, consider getting what may be called a canning coil. The coil is the same size as the large coil you already have on your stove, it's just raised a little higher to allow for better air circulation underneath to promote longer life in the coil.
Janet
You're right on the money with this, Janet. But it leaves me wondering what one does about an electric smoothtop range, and whether they suffer the same problem.
My smoothtop isn't very old, and I get very rapid sustained boils. I guess that could change.
-- Wayne Boatwright *¿* _____________________________
"Wayne Boatwright" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
On Tue 27 Sep 2005 05:55:17p, Janet Bostwick wrote in rec.food.cooking:
snip
Quoted message said:
You're right on the money with this, Janet. But it leaves me wondering what one does about an electric smoothtop range, and whether they suffer the same problem.
My smoothtop isn't very old, and I get very rapid sustained boils. I guess that could change.
-- Wayne Boatwright *¿*
I've never heard. But I bet you need to have the repairman come to you and do it. Janet
Recently there was a discussion here where you said that you had difficulty bringing the pasta pot back to boil after adding the pasta. Suggestions were made to use larger pot with more water and then someone (maybe Sheldon) said you needed to increase BTU's as well. Tonight as I was boiling pasta, it occurred to me to ask you if you had ever replaced the burner coils on your cook stove? I'm assuming that you have electric?
The electric coils do 'wear out.' You pull the coil in question from the cook stove (or both sizes if you suspect that both large and small coils may not be heating the way they should) and take the coils in to an appliance repair store. They should be able to sell or order replacement coils for you. Either call ahead or check the yellow pages listing to see if the store sells to the public. The coils should cost about $30-$35. You will also need to supply the store with the brand name of your stove. Ask (phone call here) them if they need any other information before you go. If you need the model number, you may be able to find it on a metal plate that is located under the cooking surface--you should be able to see it if you pull out all the coils.
Over time the burner coils can gradually produce less and less heat and we just don't notice it. I've replaced one or more coils several times in the last 20 years. If you do canning or use the large burner a lot for big pots, consider getting what may be called a canning coil. The coil is the same size as the large coil you already have on your stove, it's just raised a little higher to allow for better air circulation underneath to promote longer life in the coil.
The electric element does indeed 'wear', with use it loses electrons, over time it actually gets smaller, but so insignificantly that any loss of heating capability from 'wear' is all in ones imagination. But what does occur is over time electric elements warp, then they no longer make good contact with pot bottoms and so appear to have become 'worn'. With electric cooktops it's very important that pot bottoms are flat, and just as important that the electric elements are flat as well. Gas stoves don't care what shape your bottom is in.
That's about the only positive thing about flat top electrics, they don't warp.
"Sheldon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... snip
Quoted message said:
The electric element does indeed 'wear', with use it loses electrons, over time it actually gets smaller, but so insignificantly that any loss of heating capability from 'wear' is all in ones imagination.
snip
Quoted message said:
Sheldon
Is this the only possibility? Initially what spurred me into investigating a new large coil was the fact that when I turned the coil temp. to high, I could hold my hand over the burner and it didn't get very hot at all compared to another large burner on the stove. Could the prong contacts have become damaged in some way? Janet
