Getting the most from my stove

Gloomendoom

A._Badger wrote: »

That's amazing! When you say 'hob' do you mean a hob only? I'm getting through a 47kg canister of propane (cost currently about £56 here) every five months, using a conventional four burner stove including oven.

Yes, it a big six burner range cooker jobby. The ovens are electric. Obviously it depends on how much you actually cook on the hob. My wife's hobby is cooking but most of it is centred around the ovens (she was brought up to cook on an AGA) or the slow cooker which is pennies to run.

We bought it in 2009 and are only on our third bottle of gas since then.

highrisklowreturn

I buy tesco pasta, about 40p a packet, and their cheapest sauce, about 31p, they last two days, which I cook on top of a 5kw stove. I put a sheet of tin foil on top to stop any dust or whatever getting into the pot. It takes maybe an hour to boil off the water, and most of it goes into the pasta, unlike in the hob, where I would just get endless pillars of steam. The pasta turns about 4 times the size as dry, and tastes great, much better than an electric hob. I just wish I could cook, to exploit this more.

My electric bill has also declined sharply since I started doing this.

A._Badger

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Yes, it a big six burner range cooker jobby. The ovens are electric. Obviously it depends on how much you actually cook on the hob. My wife's hobby is cooking but most of it is centred around the ovens (she was brought up to cook on an AGA) or the slow cooker which is pennies to run.

We bought it in 2009 and are only on our third bottle of gas since then.

Ah, as I suspected, the ovens are electric. That accounts for the (huge) difference in running costs.

SEE

highrisklowreturn wrote: »

I buy tesco pasta, about 40p a packet, and their cheapest sauce, about 31p, they last two days, which I cook on top of a 5kw stove. I put a sheet of tin foil on top to stop any dust or whatever getting into the pot. It takes maybe an hour to boil off the water, and most of it goes into the pasta, unlike in the hob, where I would just get endless pillars of steam. The pasta turns about 4 times the size as dry, and tastes great, much better than an electric hob. I just wish I could cook, to exploit this more.

My electric bill has also declined sharply since I started doing this.

If you eat meat, I highly recommend a bacon hock from the butcher at around 70p and slow cooked with butter beans, celery and carrots. I soak my butter beans overnight before adding to the pot.

highrisklowreturn

What are butter beans and bacon hock for that matter? And what would the cooking instructions be? Could I do stew in a normal pot - and how actually do you cook stew, is it just mashed potato with brown sauce?

Gloomendoom

highrisklowreturn wrote: »

What are butter beans and bacon hock for that matter? And what would the cooking instructions be? Could I do stew in a normal pot - and how actually do you cook stew, is it just mashed potato with brown sauce?

suki1964

highrisklowreturn wrote: »

What are butter beans and bacon hock for that matter? And what would the cooking instructions be? Could I do stew in a normal pot - and how actually do you cook stew, is it just mashed potato with brown sauce?

Ok , you in wind up mode ATM or being serious? Serious and I can help you with stove cooking as could a good few of us on here

highrisklowreturn

No I'm serious. I don't know why you'd think I'm not?

suki1964

highrisklowreturn wrote: »

No I'm serious. I don't know why you'd think I'm not?

Oh don't sound so innocent

Ok a bacon hock is a really cheap cut from the lower leg of a pig, cured as in bacon. Also known as a ham shank.

Over here ( ni ) still cheap as chips with enough meat yo feed 4 if padded out a bit with veggies

In this case butter beans

Big flat white beans sold in tins or dried. They take on the flavours of what they are being cooked along. Once again cheap as chips and they both ingredients really go like long slow cooking

Soak the shank/ hock over night to remove excess salt before sticking in the pot with the beans and veggies like onions celery and carrots. Cook till meat is falling from the bone and serve with the broth and veggies


I'd dice the veg and add halfway through the cooking time so they don't over cook

Can be quite fatty so you may like to let it cool and spoon off the set fat. Always tastes better the following day

SEE

suki1964 wrote: »

Oh don't sound so innocent

Ok a bacon hock is a really cheap cut from the lower leg of a pig, cured as in bacon. Also known as a ham shank.

Over here ( ni ) still cheap as chips with enough meat yo feed 4 if padded out a bit with veggies

In this case butter beans

Big flat white beans sold in tins or dried. They take on the flavours of what they are being cooked along. Once again cheap as chips and they both ingredients really go like long slow cooking

Soak the shank/ hock over night to remove excess salt before sticking in the pot with the beans and veggies like onions celery and carrots. Cook till meat is falling from the bone and serve with the broth and veggies


I'd dice the veg and add halfway through the cooking time so they don't over cook

Can be quite fatty so you may like to let it cool and spoon off the set fat. Always tastes better the following day

Thank you Suki:D