On Mon 24 Jan 2005 11:57:26a, Dee Randall wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> "Rodney Myrvaagnes" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 23:19:41 GMT, Priscilla Ballou
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>In article >, zxcvbob
> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Priscilla Ballou wrote:
>>>> > In article >, zxcvbob
>>>> > > wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >>Louis Cohen wrote:
>>>> >>
>>>> >>>Which one is more energy-efficient?
>>>> >>
>>>> >>In the winter, it doesn't make any difference because the "wasted"
>>>> >>energy helps heat your house -- probably more efficiently than your
>>>> >>furnace.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > You must have a much more poorly insulated oven than I do. I don't
>>>> > lose much heat when it's on and its door is shut.
>>>
>>>> The point is whatever inefficiency you have using the oven instead of
>>>> the stovetop is made up by your furnace running less.
>>>
>>>But my furnace *doesn't* run less. There is little heat benefit from a
>>>closed oven. Or at least my well-insulated oven.
>>>
>>>> In the summer, the oven insulation makes a big difference in energy
>>>> efficiency. In the winter, it doesn't.
>>>
>>>I don't think you follow. Your point was that the extra fuel burned by
>>>cooking in the oven would have a secondary effect of heating the house.
>>>My point was that my oven is well insulated and most heat doesn't get
>>>out of it to heat the house, so it's wasted.
>>>
>> No way, Priscilla. The heat can't disappear from the universe. Better
>> insulation will slow the transfer, but it doesn't prevent it forever.
>> Otherwise the oven would never cool. When it does cool, the heat is in
>> the house. It either relieves the furnace or burdens the AC, depending
>> on circumstances.
>>
>>
> I thought ovens were vented to the outside, so the heat could go
> OUTSIDE; am I wrong?
> Dee

Some built-in ovens are vented outside, especially gas-fired ovens, but
others are vented through the front of the housing into the room. Very few
free-standing ranges with ovens are vented outside. The AGA and some
others are, but they are in the minority.

Wayne