Why 4 burners?

[nuisance26]

~After spending a ton of time this year reading about tiny homes I've realized what a waste of space and energy standard kitchen appliances are.
Why do all stoves have 4 or more burners? I have never made a meal where I needed all 4 at the same time. I only use 3 at a time a few times a year. The third burner function could easily be replaced with a slow cooker or electric frypan and a little planning. So the 4 burners must exist because the oven size below is larger than the space of 2 burners. Again, why so big?
I cook and bake a lot. But I feel wasteful if I don't fill up the oven so I make large batches. That stuff needs to be kept fresh until we need it so I have a big freezer. Between that and our 14 cubic foot fridge, we have way to much food stored simply because the freezer is big enough to store it. Our fridge is only full on the one or two days a month that I do my big shop.
I'd love my next home to have smaller appliances. I really think we'd save money on energy and food waste.
It is very strange to me that it costs more to get smaller appliances. That's insane. It all seems like some kind of American Dream conspiracy. Instead of examining what I truly need, I go buy what is cheap and fits in the space the kitchen planner carved out. The kitchen planner doesn't know what I need but I trust them anyway. And to fit those larger appliances in, I give up 20-30 linear inches of under counter storage. That may not seem like much but in my small house, it would allow me to get rid of a stand up pantry in another part of the room. It's just that one little thing I may "want" leads to a chain of wasteful events.
So, after all that, I'm just wondering if the majority of us actually could use and actually like smaller appliance. Do you use all 4 burners?~

[freebs]

I have used all 4 burners at once more than once..lol. I wouldnt have mine any other way. I just wished they gave more bells and whistles on the electric stoves like they do gas stoves. I want a griddle in the middle..lol. My big grip is why is there 2 large burners and why is one in the back?? My large skillets wont fit on it they hit the back panel of the stove!

[Libby]

I often wonder the same thing nuisance though I do admit, I use the other two burners to 'cool' something freshly cooked/baked but not ready to be served/plated - I don't have the counter space. I have on occasion used three burners at once but four, no. You do have a point. Is your stove the apartment size stove? Those are tiny compared to what they keep pushing out as the 'new norm' as in latest and greatest costing $1K more then one needs.

As for the larger burners a the back...maybe the manufacturers think one may want it to boil something big - large pot of water for pasta or simmer soup/stew ie slow cooking thus huge pot sitting at front of stove occupying prime real estate preventing you from cooking something else? Not everyone uses a crockpot which could be more ideal.

We used to and still do heavy cooking - try using a wok while boiling water on two burners that are side by side w/o the lil gap in the middle of the stove or back to front. Talk about hazard!

[monkeywrangler71]

I have a small oven and hate it. I can't put more than one thing in at a time. I hate that I can't put a sidedish in the oven with a roast, or cook fish sticks and fries at the same time.

I could do with a smaller fridge though.

I've used three burners at a time on many occasions.

[Lora88]

I have a 5 burner stove and have used all 5 frequently I use 4 just about every night as for the oven I would love to have a bigger one the one I do have is big enough for daily use but when entertaining I really could use additional space.

[Darlene]

I hear you Constance and wish we could all have exactly what we want.
I often use 3 burners and I like a big oven. I also am pretty good at filling a fridge since I like having a variety of condiments going at the same time. After living here for almost 4 months I'm convinced every house should have a pantry, how nice it is to just walk in and have everything in one place & easily organized.

[Libby]

Added thought - North American appliances ARE larger then the European ones...imagine how they cope? I guess its all a matter of getting accustomed to using what you have right?

[nuisance26]

~I suspected as much Libby! Bigger is the American way but it isn't always better. Obviously many people use a large stove to the full often enough for it to be a great choice for them. But the rest of us don't even get a choice. Those 30 inch gaps are already waiting for us in our built-in, stock cabinet kitchen.
I read on a small house site that most people only use 1/3 of their house and it's comforts. The other 2/3 is space and added convenience and function for guests. That's assuming the average American home size of 2200 sq. ft. I just think that concept is built into everything standard in homes right down to the furniture.
You and your SO may prefer something like two Laz-e-boys in the living area but you "have" to get a couch too for the few hours a week you have visitors. More floor space "needed" as well as more heating and cooling costs. Instead of the company parlors of old, now your entire home must be roomy and with enough accommodations to handle your hoards of visitors.
That's the way some people live and they love company. Based on my life and observations of the habits of my 8 immediate neighbors, I'd say most people don't live that way. But their houses are ready for it.
There's just all this subtle pressure to have more than you need, even taking into account having guests and how often. And I don't think people are really taking into account how they really live in their homes.~

[Darlene]

We are definitely thinking smaller is better for our new home, mainly because we want to keep heating/cooling costs down. Less to clean and maintain too.

Dream home would have big kitchen with eating area, pantry, NO dining room , 2 small bedrooms, bathroom and a reasonable sized living room. Porch or deck and some privacy outdoors would be nice too. We are kitchen and outdoor people for sure, no McMansion or supersize anything for me thank you.

[imagine]

I could use less burners with good planning sometimes we do have all four going at once.

We do fill up the big oven too but my favorite oven set up in all of our houses was one with the double oven built into the wall.

Two ovens smaller than typically ovens ( might have been the 1940 size oven ?) but I could cook two things at two different temps at the same time. If I wanted to cook on thing I didn't not have to heat up a huge oven. They were built one of top of another so they didn't take up much room. It was at tiny kitchen but was one of the easiest kitchen I have owned to work in.

[FrabjousDay]

I use all four burners on a regular basis, and sometimes find myself wishing for a fifth, it just depends on how you cook. We have a compact oven and dishwasher due to the appliances being fitted into a retro kitchen. The smaller sized dishwasher is never an issue, but the oven can be a pain when we entertain.

[nuisance26]

~Just thought of another wasted space due to too large appliances, my baking dishes. I have 2+ of everything. 2 9x13 casseroles, 4 bread pans, 4 pie pans, multiple muffin pans, over-sized cookie sheets and cake pans. I have to have enough pans to cook multiple items at the same temperature. I have to store the pans when I'm not using them. There's another large cabinet of space I could get back. I did not realize how many space consuming decisions I was making while trying to save energy, money and time.
And I'm just really curious what kind of meals some of you are making to have 4 burners going at once? What am I missing out on? ~

[Contrary Housewife]

I often use 3 burners at once to make dinner and have to rearrange stuff to fit both the cast iron pan and the teapot, too. I'd love to have an even larger stove with 5 or 6 burners.

As for the oven, it has to be large enough to circulate all that hot air in order to bake something. Mine is just large enough to fit two smaller baking sheets, which means that I could do two pans at once, but in reality the air does not circulate enough around them and stuff won't bake right. I wish my oven was about a foot wider. I really want double ovens. Oh, the luxury of having dinner in one and dessert or bread at a different temperature in the other.

If you really want smaller appliances, why not make it reality?

[Contrary Housewife]

And I'm just really curious what kind of meals some of you are making to have 4 burners going at once? What am I missing out on? ~

Last night I had pasta going in one pan, onion, bacon and tomato for the sauce in another, and soup in a 3rd. I really should have had the bacon in a 4th, but it was a new recipe and I was following exactly, being the first time. And I made garlic toast in the oven.

[imagine]

I really want double ovens. Oh, the luxury of having dinner in one and dessert or bread at a different temperature in the other.

Oh it was heavenly having double ovens. I miss them.