Which would be cheaper?

[MenachemMendel]

1) Leaving on a fire on the stove (about medium heat) for the whole Shabbos.
2) Leaving on an electric hot plate (110V-60Hz -400W), Shabbos "plateh" for the whole Shabbos.

[Dan]

Is your stove electric or gas?
Personally we get free gas and have a gas oven/stove so not much of a question for us

[MisterHock]

why dont you just put the hot plate on a timer?

[SuperFlyer]

If you connect to your neighbors electricity, its the cheapest.

Gas also, but it might do BOOOOM.

[AsherO]

why dont you just put the hot plate on a timer?

If it's for Shabbos day meal during the winter, then the timer would only take off a few hours.

[Dan]

Bear in mind that although R' Moshe permitted timers on lights, using one for cooking/reheating is an entirely different shailah that isn't simple at all.

[steve2]

Bear in mind that although R' Moshe permitted timers on lights, using one for cooking/reheating is an entirely different shailah that isn't simple at all.

 I havent thought into it as of yet

but off the cuff, what should present a problem with say putting the food eve Shabbos onto the hot plate that has a timer attached to it and the Timer is set to shut off at say Noon and not go back on and was put on befoer Shabbos started

 usually a person will set a lamp to go off late Fri night and to go back on Shabbos late afternoon, with the hot plate usually theres no need or desire for it to go back on once its been turned off as no one will be cooking or heating anything to eat Shabbos afternoon, so it shouldnt be a problem at 1st glance using a timer to accomplish this

 now if aperson wants to use it to cok or reheat food and has it set to go on say at 8am and plans to put the food on it at 7:55 that seems to be very problematic

[txtmax4]

C'mon guys... Judging from his username he is "probably" a Lubavitcher, which means that he might need to keep the cholent on till very close to the end of shabbos... if you know what I mean
Bear in mind that Lubavs eat much later than everyine else.

In response to the question: personally my gas bill is like a third of the electric (20% in the summer), so I would say go with gas, but I don't really understand voltages so I wouldn't say for sure.

[Dan]

C'mon guys... Judging from his username he is "probably" a Lubavitcher, which means that he might need to keep the cholent on till very close to the end of shabbos... if you know what I mean
Bear in mind that Lubavs eat much later than everyine else.

Speak for yourself!
I'm home eating shabbos lunch at 12:15-12:30.

[Chaikel]

Bear in mind that although R' Moshe permitted timers on lights, using one for cooking/reheating is an entirely different shailah that isn't simple at all.

Cooking and reheating are 2 very different shailos. I'm not aware of anyone that assurs reheating. Cooking on shabbos is assur whether it's on a timer, you started before shabbos, or any shtick you can think of

[MenachemMendel]

I appreciatte everyone's pilpulim regarding the Halachic status of cooking and reheating etc. but, can anyone answer my question?
Thanks.

[MenachemMendel]

Speak for yourself!
I'm home eating shabbos lunch at 12:15-12:30.

My cholent gets served around 4:00-4:30 pm...

[Dan]

I appreciatte everyone's pilpulim regarding the Halachic status of cooking and reheating etc. but, can anyone answer my question?
Thanks.

How do you expect an answer if you never even answered what I asked you in reply #1?

[Dan]

Cooking and reheating are 2 very different shailos. I'm not aware of anyone that assurs reheating. Cooking on shabbos is assur whether it's on a timer, you started before shabbos, or any shtick you can think of

   1. It is prohibited to place food on Friday to cook on a hot plate that will be activated on Shabbos by a time-clock. This is the case even if the hot plate is covered by a blech.[8]

   2. Even if the food placed on the hot plate before Shabbos is fully cooked and is no longer subject to the rules of Bishul, e.g., a dry cooked food, it is preferable not to use a hot plate set on a time-clock to reheat the food on Shabbos. However there are variant opinions about this matter amongst the Poskim, and in case of need, a Rav should be consulted.[9]

   3. On Shabbos itself, most Poskim are of the opinion that it would be prohibited to place a food, even if fully cooked (and in which case no Bishul applies), on a hot plate that is not presently activated but would be turned on later by a time-clock.[10]

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/the-laws-of-cooking-on-shabbos/10.htm#n7

[Chaikel]

   1. It is prohibited to place food on Friday to cook on a hot plate that will be activated on Shabbos by a time-clock. This is the case even if the hot plate is covered by a blech.[8]

   2. Even if the food placed on the hot plate before Shabbos is fully cooked and is no longer subject to the rules of Bishul, e.g., a dry cooked food, it is preferable not to use a hot plate set on a time-clock to reheat the food on Shabbos. However there are variant opinions about this matter amongst the Poskim, and in case of need, a Rav should be consulted.[9]

   3. On Shabbos itself, most Poskim are of the opinion that it would be prohibited to place a food, even if fully cooked (and in which case no Bishul applies), on a hot plate that is not presently activated but would be turned on later by a time-clock.[10]

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/the-laws-of-cooking-on-shabbos/10.htm#n7

I will research, but I'm pretty sure that non-chabadniks are maikel on 2.

[MenachemMendel]

How do you expect an answer if you never even answered what I asked you in reply #1?

You're right, sorry.
I have a gas stove.
Thanks.

[Dan]

You're right, sorry.
I have a gas stove.
Thanks.

AFAIK, gas is much cheaper than electricity.

[Armadillo]

Having gone through Hilchos Bishul, we came out with: the Chazon Ish is mashma that as long as it's grufa u'ktuma (blech/heat controls covered) it's not a problem to have it go on on Shabbos while the cold food is on it. Rav Moshe Feinstein and the Minchas Yitzchok pasken not to do it. The Minchas Yitzchok says b'shaas hadchak (gadol?) you can. My personal impression was that this all applies when you put the food on and later on it will turn on. If the timer turns it on and then you put the food down, it may be different. AYLOR

[Chaikel]

Although I've heard a bit to much of "What R' Moshe meant", and haven't seen the tshuva inside, I believe it is said that R' Moshe assured because it wasn't Nofutz, but bizman haaze it is

[A3]

Shouldn't this have the same status as a coffee maker on a timer, whom rav Schwartz from the crc of Chicago pasjens like the tzitz eliezer (2:6) that is forbidden?