Hellobee Boards

@looch: I only had that issue in our old apartment. It was originally my DH's bachelor pad and the appliances were terrible. My parents have electric and I've never had an issue with their appliances. Are the appliances outdated?

I've had a lot of electric stovetops and one or two gas stoves. The pans I like the best are cast iron and ones with copper bottoms or cores, because they distribute the heat evenly. I've been slowly replacing my old stuff with more expensive pots and pans--All Clad, Kitchenaid and Staub, all of which I like--but I like to cook, so I chalk the (massive sale) prices up to hobby expenses. All of my electric tops have been raised coils.

Maybe the issue is that since you're used to gas, you turn it up high to start? I seem to cook a lot of things on medium, or just below. I was a bit more aggressive on the heat when I had gas, because it's so quick to change it.

I just moved to a house with a smooth top elecric and I am having the SAME problem, ugh! Also came from gas for several years so it's taking a lot of getting used to.
I found that I get better results if I turn the burner way down after heating it up on a higher setting. I'm just too impatient for it to heat up so I put it on high and then forget. The pans and cooktop keep so much more residual heat than I am used to and I have had to adjust to keep that in mind. Things are getting better (and more edible).
I use cuisinart anodized nonstick stuff - which I have loved and was expensive so there's no way I'm buying replacements.
Glad you started this, it's given me some good tips!

I think we have emeril pans and they're fine. I wonder though if maybe the temperature gauge in your oven is off? If things are burned outside and not cooked inside it means that the temp is too high. You can get a thermometer thing to check the temp of the oven to make sure that its not really heating to 400 when you set it to 350, for example.

@looch: ohhh you mean the stovetop. Yea with electric you just need to go a little lower on temp than you think and be a bit patient.

@looch: I have a green pan and LOVE it onto electric stove. I think the problem is you are cooking everything too high. I never use anything above medium anymore. We got pans from Macy's for our wedding and they specifically say medium or lower.

We have the dreaded glass top electric stove (ugh rental kitchen). I hate cooking on it but after 10 months I have figured out that 7 is what I use most. Anything below 4 is just for keeping stuff warm. If I start water boiling at 9, I definitely turn it down to 7 or 8 otherwise it will boil over.

I use All Clad stainless steel, I have one Mauviel nonstick which doesn't burn the food whereas our cheaper nonsticks do and I also use Le Creuset/Staub Dutch ovens, which heat more uniformly but I tend to use them at lower settings anyways.