sixty feet and too many joints later (pipe joints. what did you think i meant?) of plumbing black steel gas pipe from where the propane supply feeds the gas log in the fireplace, across the outside wall of the living room under the rather nice ariel window, up into the attic (slab floor, no crawl space. a mixed blessing) and then back down behind the refrigerator and across behind a cabinet and along the laboriously chiseled channels in the brick to the stove space, we are cooking with gas. i am embarrassed to admit that there were leaks. plural. it's been a while since i did this stuff. for myself or professionally. many soap suds and undoing and refitting later the thing held 30 psi for a whole day. good enough for plumbing that will carry gas at 1/2 psi.
in style decor news; the new stove is white. tres retro!
an all black glass top electric stove came with the house. we "overcooked" several dishes, not quite getting the sloooow response of the electric "burners." Robin sez, "Cooking on electric stoves is just not real cooking (apologies to electric stove afficionados). I wrote our good friend Tara and said that electric cooking is sissy cooking. You can't bang your pots and pans around. No shaking or tossing with heavy cast iron. Come on. That's not cooking, that's polite pretension about food. And that black glass and stainless steel... don't get me started!"
in weather news: spring is faltering a bit in our part of the sierra foothills. we had heavy rain, sleet, and a bit of snow today. temps down to 36 F. good thing we didn't rush to set out the flowers and tomato and pepper starts that we bought saturday.
in social news; robin's mom and sis arrive tuesday for a visit. so. no uptick in blog posts yet.
Great to know things are moving along -- one way or another! I'm just so happy that you have found the perfect place!! That doesn't happen often. Hope you both have a wonderful week! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
The "joints" I thought of were the knee and hip variety, as though the installation of the pipe was hell on the lower joints.
ReplyDeleteGreat job and I love that brick back ground.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree about cooking with gas. The only way.
Like Pablo, I was thinking hip and knee.
Enjoy your company.
I would love to have a gas range top. I love the look of my ceramic top, but I HATE the difficulty in regulating the temperatures. Yeah for visitors! Have a great time.
ReplyDeleteNot having had one in a lonnnng while, yes, I was thinking of exactly that kind of joint! :)
ReplyDeleteI hate cleaning the glass tops as much as cooking on them. I am excruciatingly careful about spills and on them like a hawk, but there are still areas where some insignificant drip has become an instant artifact.
SIX GAS BURNERS!!!
ReplyDeleteHeaven!
yay! glad you're settling in! i really dislike electric stoves. hope you have a great visit!
ReplyDeletei wear kneepads.
ReplyDeleteMake your home more of a home and now visitors also. :)
ReplyDeletei did not think of knees or hips. but then, i bet you knew that!
ReplyDeleteWhen our lights are out and I can still cook by lighting a burner with a match I'm forever grateful for gas!
ReplyDeleteFor when I don't want to strap on knee pads, I have a "Craftsman" kneeling pad that works wonders! (Also nice for padding my old creeper seat for other parts!)
Nothing more wonderful than a job well done; this one surely is!
Pass along a hug to Mom for me?
alan
good job! love that stove!
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy to take your cast off stove!
ReplyDeletebravo! You are such a handy fella to have around. Gas is, in my view, so much better. Or at least it is what I am used to and prefer.
ReplyDeleteHave a good visit with mom!
Looks great and it's nice to have things set up the way you like! I guess I'll have to run against the current and say I loved my ceramic top range - left behind when I moved - but I like cooking on or with damned near anything - I must confess that a stainless steel electric wok is one of my favourites for cooking stir fries and indian, but I'm at home with a gas campstove too (remember, I'm the nut who bakes baklava inside foil trys by flipping them on a campstove). (-:
ReplyDeleteI have cooked on both electric (old-style coil burners) and gas, and gas wins hands-down. Where gas loses bigtime is stench. I HATE HATE HATE the smell of gas. Hate it. It's mostly below the radar, but sometimes I'll come inside after a day in the fresh air and wow! I wonder why I don't notice it all the time.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm torn about the future house. Gas plus stench, or electric plus inferior cooking experience? I think if I determine that a wood stove backup makes sense, I'll go with electric.
Forgive my ignorance, but why can't you bang iron cookware? Is the glasstop wimpy and prone to breakage? If so, can you get electric stoves that don't have glass tops?
I am having stove envy!
ReplyDeleteI do have a gas stove, but not with those great big grates. And it's a bear to clean because of an easy to stain white enamel and some impossible to get to crannies.
Can you swap that middle grate for a griddle? I saw one like that in a stored and suffered even greater lust.
I much prefer gas stoves--yours looks wonderful!--but alas I have electric at my current house.
ReplyDeleteI congratulate you on a job well done! impressive!
Cooking with gas? Two steps behind you...our propane tank is being installed tomorrow, mechanicals inspection on Friday. Our 6 burner dual fuel range is in the storage pod on the driveway apron, waiting. Actually, I'm waiting, while jealously admiring your 6 burner beauty and your lovely cooking alcove. SWEET!
ReplyDeleteLookin' good! I have never used anything but an coil electric but the consensus seems to be that gas is the chef's choice. However, I like to bake and I think electric or convection is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteSo I vote for either dual fuel or separate gas cooktop/ electric oven. I have an innate ability to like the spendy option! :-)
Have fun with the relatives!
i just never could get the hang of electric rangetop cooking. and i once started a small kitchen fire by putting something on an electric burner that i thought was off. on the other hand, i'm just generally talented when it comes to cooking accidents...
ReplyDeleteMay you soon both experience the joy of cooking despite the newfangled stove. Exciting to have a family visit!
ReplyDeleteWe are looking for a new range top (all electric presently) and gas is very tempting.
ReplyDeleteGreat kitchen!!
Gas is so good for cooking. I have never smelled it in our kitchen, unless the burner didn't ignite.
ReplyDeleteHope the family visit is fun!
from where the propane supply feeds the gas log in the fireplace, across the outside wall of the living room under the rather nice ariel window, up into the attic (slab floor, no crawl space. a mixed blessing) and then back down behind the refrigerator and across behind a cabinet and along the laboriously chiseled channels in the brick to the stove space"
ReplyDeleteI think this is exactly how the fireworks guys lay their fuses for the grand finale...
What a lot of work you had to do with the gas, but if that's the type of cooking you like, it was worth it! Your kitchen space looks beautiful.
ReplyDelete