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rockies
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# Posted: 4 Mar 2017 06:52pm
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The Premier gas range (can be converted to propane) was mentioned on this site as being the only gas oven made in North America that doesn't use "glow plugs".
http://solarhomestead.com/choosing-a-gas-range/
Glow plugs are essentially electric heating elements that glow red-hot to light the oven. They typically consume between 400 and 800 watts each and some ovens even have two of them (one per burner).
The glow plugs consume a lot more power than most homesteaders realize. Imagine baking for 5 hours at 800 watts. The result would be 4000 watt hours (4 kWh) consumed just to bake a turkey.
The other downside of these glow plugs is the oven cannot be lit manually in the event of a power outage (from low battery voltage or lightning), making the oven useless.
http://www.premierrange.com/index.php
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deercula
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# Posted: 5 Mar 2017 08:48am
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I have this model.
http://www.premierrange.com/gasranges20open.php
also bought the attached storage shelf for it......Sweet.
http://www.premierrange.com/accessories-microwave-top-shelf.php
For off grid use, it is the cat's behind. I had to convert it from natural gas to propane. The range comes with all the needed parts installed. You just follow the instructions in the manual. Use an open end wrench, and a small screwdriver. Took about an hour. You also adjust the flame and pilot. This model has a battery for ignition of the burners and oven. If the battery is dead you can light it manually. The oven has a pilot that can be turned on or off. No clock, no lights, no frills. But it keeps me full of hot food and drink! Run it off a #20 tank with no problems.
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rockies
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# Posted: 5 Mar 2017 06:35pm
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I like finding stuff like this. Most people when they go into a store to buy a stove and they say "I want this for off grid. It has to be propane" would never think about the electricity needed to run a glow bar in the oven (I'll bet a lot of salemen wouldn't mention it either even if they knew about it).
Then the homeowner goes home and calculates the number of solar panels he needs to run the stove and shrugs thinking "Well, that's the best I can do. Every other stove is just like this one". Imagine finding out that you could of had a stove that uses much less power to do the same job.
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Atlincabin
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# Posted: 6 Mar 2017 11:19am
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We use this Camp Chef:
https://www.campchef.com/deluxe-outdoor-oven.html
at our cabin. Much smaller than a conventional oven, runs on propane, no electricity, and considerably cheaper than the peerless or similar. Has two burners on top and small oven, both of which are sufficient for our needs. It has been running for a couple of summers (we're there all summer) on a single 20-lb tank. Oven takes a bit of getting used to but otherwise a nice unit.
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Asher
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# Posted: 6 Mar 2017 11:51am
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I use to pick up from PeerLess in Belleville IL, daily until I switched positions a couple months ago... Great people and a really neat place, the ovens are shipped out of a VERY old building that is really neat..
I don't know anything about this oven but I know how glow plugs work on everything I have ever touched (water heaters, furnace, stove).. The glow plugs don't stay on and draw power continuously, they only come on long enough to light the fire then after the temp sensor gets heated enough to verify ignition the glow plug then shuts off.. They usually don't run for more then 30 seconds at a time.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 7 Mar 2017 08:12am
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I have the same. Bought it at Menards. Love it, great little unit. Baked a birthday cake for Mrs Fishie last summer. She was quite impressed.
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1967seniorsgt
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# Posted: 8 Mar 2017 07:16am
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check lowes I bought a maytag it has igniters operated by d cell batteries the oven igniter lites a pilot lite, pilot will stay lite till you turn it off think mine was around 370$
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 9 Mar 2017 07:37pm
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There are a couple of models in each size of Peerless stoves that have battery ignition as well.
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mary
Member
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# Posted: 19 Mar 2026 08:29am
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Recommendations; Peerless premier battery start 30" stove or the Unique battery start 30" gas range.
For off grid house. Do they use the same amount of energy to start.
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FishHog
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2026 06:21am
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Quoting: mary Recommendations; Peerless premier battery start 30" stove or the Unique battery start 30" gas range. For off grid house. Do they use the same amount of energy to start.
I have the premier. Batteries last years, its just sparking like a BBQ lighter. That wouldn't be my concern at all.
The Unique is a nicer unit by far, but also much more money. I'd like a Unique, but at the time I was buying I went the cheaper route. 11 years later the unit is still working just fine. My buddy has the unique, I'm jealous every time I use it.
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travellerw
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2026 11:31am
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Quoting: rockies Glow plugs are essentially electric heating elements that glow red-hot to light the oven. They typically consume between 400 and 800 watts each and some ovens even have two of them (one per burner). The glow plugs consume a lot more power than most homesteaders realize. Imagine baking for 5 hours at 800 watts. The result would be 4000 watt hours (4 kWh) consumed just to bake a turkey.
Wait.. This isn't true.. Glow plugs or hot surface ignition is common and utilized not just in stoves but in furnaces as well.
The glow plugs do not remained powered the whole time. They glow, gas is introduced, a thermocouple verifies ignition, then they are de-energized until the next ignition is required.
At most they are energized for 1 min during the ignition process. They would run for maybe 1m every 15m (and that is being generous). So for a 5 hour baking process they might be on for 20 min of that. 250 watt hours, not 4000. LOL, if the glow plugs were on full time at 800W you wouldn't even need the gas. Many air fryers have 750W modes.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2026 01:37pm - Edited by: gcrank1
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I had originally planned on getting an apartment size lp range for the new cabin, Im prepped for the gas line but never found a used one. Truth is that in all our decades of cabineering we have only used an oven very occasionally, it mostly became a storage for pots and pans. The cooktop, and at that only 2 burners, has been what we used most.
Since the new cabin (May1 of '24) we have used a sgl burner lp (a repurposed 'side burner' from a junked grill) a small crock pot and a small student size nuker (and it with the gen running for the short time load). All is convenient countertop cooking and have not missed a real range.
We also can cook outside on the charcoal grill or the big repurposed turkey fryer burner, though not often.
I also have a spare charcoal 'bullet' smoker/grill, maybe I'll take that up this season.
Works fine for the two (usually) of us, ymmv.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2026 12:32pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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Quoting: travellerw The glow plugs do not remained powered the whole time. They glow, gas is introduced, a thermocouple verifies ignition, then they are de-energized until the next ignition is required.
I believe this is dependant on the make and model of gas range, or perhaps the age of the range. I know that some gas ranges do require a constant source of power. I have two off grid friends who bought ranges whose ovens will not function without 120 VAC power present. And the power supply must be constant. I do not recall if they ever mentioned how much power. I believe they both now have Unique or Premier ranges.
As for the de-energization of the glow plug after ignition I believe that may be true to a point. The burner does not need to remain on constantly. It will cycle on and off to maintain the set temperature. So the glowbar or plug will have to cycle on and off. I believe that could be a reason a range may need a constant supply of 120 VAC. That is a bit of a guess as we only have an old style pilot light range at the cabin and a fully electric range at home.
Older ranges with pilot light ovens are often awkward to light the pilot.
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 22 Mar 2026 10:47am
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Quoting: MtnDon ranges whose ovens will not function without 120 VAC power present.
Same here. We bought a used gas range not realizing that this particular oven required the glow bar to remain on or the gas solenoid that supplies the oven would shut off. This one drew 400w the whole time the oven was on. We now have a Unique.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2026 06:07am
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I looked for the perfect stove for many months on marketplace. Then one day I found it. A 1950s-60s apartment sized gas stove with 4 burners. There's not even a plug on the thing. Paid $50 for it in 2019.
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paulz
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2026 08:28am
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Nice Bret. NG or LP?
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2026 08:39am
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Even I would have a hard time turning that down!
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Brettny
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2026 10:22am
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Sorry i forgot these forums like vertical pictures only. It's propane.
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