History

• The very first range debuted in 1892 and was powered by gas. In 1893, an electric range was introduced at the World's Fair. The technology behind it was not well understood, though, and many people were still getting use to the gas powered range. This made the product catch on slowly. In the1930s, electric technology was more accepted and was slimmed down to make it easy for the average person to understand. This is when the electric range began to overtake its gas-powered cousin.
  
  

Identification

• The electric range is easy to identify. There are those that look just like the gas range. The top of the range has four heating elements, two large and two small. They look like coiled metal and heat as electricity is pumped into them. While a gas range has flame coming from underneath, an electric range simply heats the coils, which turn bright red and orange as they get hotter. There are also ceramic glass electric ranges, which have no coils. These are flat surfaces with circles showing as the heating elements. They glow bright when heated from beneath the surface.
  
  

Types

• There are three types of electric ranges. The traditional range looks just like those that are gas-powered and use resistive heating balls in order to work. A glass-ceramic electric range is also available and it is a bit more expensive, but classier and offers certain advantages. Finally, there is the electric range that is mostly used in professional kitchens using an effective heating method called induction. The induction range is starting to find its way into home kitchens as well.
  
  

Function

• An electric range uses electricity as its source of power. However, what exactly heats the range depends on what type you are talking about. Traditional heating elements are simply tied in directly to the electricity line, using iron hotplates that heat up when turned on. The glass-ceramic range uses halogen heat bulbs under the surface of the range. An induction range heats the range through electromagnetic induction, the most modern way to heat ranges.
  
  

Benefits

• An electric range is easier to use and has a cheaper power source than a gas range. It is also much safer to use. A gas range can catch fire or release too much gas into a room if not used correctly, while an electric range simply heats up and cools down without the possibility of there being a fire. A glass-ceramic top is extremely beneficial because the heating element only heats a specific area of the range, which is marked off. Other ranges let the heat from their element spill out and therefore heat nearby surfaces. These particular electric ranges also cool down faster than any other range.