Taking a break - I've run a hose to set up a sprinkler in a place I'm going to try to start digging. Though I have cleaned a little more in the kitchen I have mostly been doing yard work.

Let me ask a question - my next door neighbor and I were talking about the glass top stoves - I've long hated my kitchen stove with the old spiral eyes and the smoking when stuff gets down on the elements or in the collection pan - the glass top stoves have come down in price. It might be a reasonable goal once I've settled some of the debt that must come first. This came with the house and it works, but that's the best I can say about it. My friend Dean (canning guru) and I spoke about these - there are apparently a few of the glasstop stoves that CAN be used for canning, but it isn't the best option for most of them. They don't stay hot enough or the pans are so big they cause problems for the stove surface. The old spiral eyes of my current stove do work for canning.

What kinds of stoves are each of you using, and how large is the largest pan you use? I just picked up a 12 quart "multicooker" with a deep colander and a shallow colander (great for steaming, and the deep one can hold several quart and smaller jars for water bath canning). It has a wafer bottom, flat, so it could be used on a glass top, but I think it is way too big diameter-wise. I'm planning ahead. If I did get a good new stovetop, I might end up having to get one of those turkey fryer stands with a propane tank for my canning pots. The good side of that is that the heat would stay outside in July and August.

We don't have gas plumbed to this house, or I wouldn't be having this problem.

SRS