Dee,

Recently there was a discussion here where you said that you had difficulty
bringing the pasta pot back to boil after adding the pasta. Suggestions
were made to use larger pot with more water and then someone (maybe Sheldon)
said you needed to increase BTU's as well. Tonight as I was boiling pasta,
it occurred to me to ask you if you had ever replaced the burner coils on
your cook stove? I'm assuming that you have electric?

The electric coils do 'wear out.' You pull the coil in question from the
cook stove (or both sizes if you suspect that both large and small coils may
not be heating the way they should) and take the coils in to an appliance
repair store. They should be able to sell or order replacement coils for
you. Either call ahead or check the yellow pages listing to see if the
store sells to the public. The coils should cost about $30-$35. You will
also need to supply the store with the brand name of your stove. Ask (phone
call here) them if they need any other information before you go. If you
need the model number, you may be able to find it on a metal plate that is
located under the cooking surface--you should be able to see it if you pull
out all the coils.

Over time the burner coils can gradually produce less and less heat and we
just don't notice it. I've replaced one or more coils several times in the
last 20 years. If you do canning or use the large burner a lot for big
pots, consider getting what may be called a canning coil. The coil is the
same size as the large coil you already have on your stove, it's just raised
a little higher to allow for better air circulation underneath to promote
longer life in the coil.

Janet

On Tue 27 Sep 2005 05:55:17p, Janet Bostwick wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Dee,
>
> Recently there was a discussion here where you said that you had
> difficulty bringing the pasta pot back to boil after adding the pasta.
> Suggestions were made to use larger pot with more water and then someone
> (maybe Sheldon) said you needed to increase BTU's as well. Tonight as I
> was boiling pasta, it occurred to me to ask you if you had ever replaced
> the burner coils on your cook stove? I'm assuming that you have
> electric?
>
> The electric coils do 'wear out.' You pull the coil in question from
> the cook stove (or both sizes if you suspect that both large and small
> coils may not be heating the way they should) and take the coils in to
> an appliance repair store. They should be able to sell or order
> replacement coils for you. Either call ahead or check the yellow pages
> listing to see if the store sells to the public. The coils should cost
> about $30-$35. You will also need to supply the store with the brand
> name of your stove. Ask (phone call here) them if they need any other
> information before you go. If you need the model number, you may be
> able to find it on a metal plate that is located under the cooking
> surface--you should be able to see it if you pull out all the coils.
>
> Over time the burner coils can gradually produce less and less heat and
> we just don't notice it. I've replaced one or more coils several times
> in the last 20 years. If you do canning or use the large burner a lot
> for big pots, consider getting what may be called a canning coil. The
> coil is the same size as the large coil you already have on your stove,
> it's just raised a little higher to allow for better air circulation
> underneath to promote longer life in the coil.
>
> Janet

You're right on the money with this, Janet. But it leaves me wondering
what one does about an electric smoothtop range, and whether they suffer
the same problem.

My smoothtop isn't very old, and I get very rapid sustained boils. I guess
that could change.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________

http://tinypic.com/dzijap.jpg

Popie-In-The-Bowl

"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue 27 Sep 2005 05:55:17p, Janet Bostwick wrote in rec.food.cooking:
snip
> You're right on the money with this, Janet. But it leaves me wondering
> what one does about an electric smoothtop range, and whether they suffer
> the same problem.
>
> My smoothtop isn't very old, and I get very rapid sustained boils. I
> guess
> that could change.
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright *¿*
I've never heard. But I bet you need to have the repairman come to you and
do it.
Janet

Janet Bostwick wrote:
> Dee,
>
> Recently there was a discussion here where you said that you had difficulty
> bringing the pasta pot back to boil after adding the pasta. Suggestions
> were made to use larger pot with more water and then someone (maybe Sheldon)
> said you needed to increase BTU's as well. Tonight as I was boiling pasta,
> it occurred to me to ask you if you had ever replaced the burner coils on
> your cook stove? I'm assuming that you have electric?
>
> The electric coils do 'wear out.' You pull the coil in question from the
> cook stove (or both sizes if you suspect that both large and small coils may
> not be heating the way they should) and take the coils in to an appliance
> repair store. They should be able to sell or order replacement coils for
> you. Either call ahead or check the yellow pages listing to see if the
> store sells to the public. The coils should cost about $30-$35. You will
> also need to supply the store with the brand name of your stove. Ask (phone
> call here) them if they need any other information before you go. If you
> need the model number, you may be able to find it on a metal plate that is
> located under the cooking surface--you should be able to see it if you pull
> out all the coils.
>
> Over time the burner coils can gradually produce less and less heat and we
> just don't notice it. I've replaced one or more coils several times in the
> last 20 years. If you do canning or use the large burner a lot for big
> pots, consider getting what may be called a canning coil. The coil is the
> same size as the large coil you already have on your stove, it's just raised
> a little higher to allow for better air circulation underneath to promote
> longer life in the coil.

The electric element does indeed 'wear', with use it loses electrons,
over time it actually gets smaller, but so insignificantly that any
loss of heating capability from 'wear' is all in ones imagination. But
what does occur is over time electric elements warp, then they no
longer make good contact with pot bottoms and so appear to have become
'worn'. With electric cooktops it's very important that pot bottoms
are flat, and just as important that the electric elements are flat as
well. Gas stoves don't care what shape your bottom is in.

That's about the only positive thing about flat top electrics, they
don't warp.

Sheldon

"Sheldon" > wrote in message
ups.com...
snip
> The electric element does indeed 'wear', with use it loses electrons,
> over time it actually gets smaller, but so insignificantly that any
> loss of heating capability from 'wear' is all in ones imagination.
snip
> Sheldon
Is this the only possibility? Initially what spurred me into investigating
a new large coil was the fact that when I turned the coil temp. to high, I
could hold my hand over the burner and it didn't get very hot at all
compared to another large burner on the stove. Could the prong contacts
have become damaged in some way?
Janet