Electric Stoves

One of the technological marvels of the twentieth century was the invention of the electric stove. From its humble beginnings in 1906, Lloyd Copeman took his idea of the “flameless cooker" into production in 1912. By 1917, he cashed in on his ideas and sold his company and invention to Westinghouse Electric Company. The electric cooking stove got off to a slow start but as communities across the land began developing electrical power grids in the 1930's, the electric stove became one of the most sought after appliances for the home. Because of its greater safety, the electric stove soon beat out even gas ranges as the number one cooking fixture in the United States.

The simple design of the first electric cooking stoves changed little and the heating coils of today's electric ranges are still very similar to the antique stoves of yesteryear.
New technologies have come into being to challenge these heating coil style cooking stoves. Glass/ceramic cooktops were introduced in the 1970's. These new styles of cooking surfaces used infrared radiation from heating coils or halogen lamps to heat the cooking surface in a more specific area. The primary advantages were that the cooking area heated more quickly and cooled faster and the surrounding surfaces of the cooking stovetop did not heat up like the old coil using stove tops. A new technology using electromagnetic induction is beginning to hit the market as these devices are more energy efficient than all the others and have the added advantage of not throwing heat off into the room.

You can study the consumer reviews on electric cooking stoves to compare the differences in brands such as General Electric, Kenwood, Monarch and Whirlpool. All these major manufacturers provide a wide range of electric stoves and parts for servicing their products. Electric stoves are made from materials ranging from cast iron to stainless steel cooking stoves. Some are manufactured to give that universal antique stove look. While you can fix most problems in an electric stove yourself, it is cautioned that using a trained service technician to repair your electric stove will more likely prevent injury or replacement.

The electric stove is not limited to the kitchen. There are electric powered fireplaces used as a heater for your home. Some of these electric fireplaces are constructed with cooking areas built into them as well for the double duty of heat and food preparation.