Getting Used to a Gas Range?

[Elmorton]

Hi all - I know gas is typically what cooks prefer, so when we bought our house, DH and I didn''t bother to have the hook-ups switched to electric and just bought a new gas range. ...but I''m so nervous using gas, and every time I use it, I think "is this normal?"

First, it makes my kitchen really hot. I can feel a fan somewhere breathing out hot air. Is that normal? What on earth do I do in the summer?

Second, when I use my oven, I hear something make a little pop (in the broiler?) like when pans pop their shape. Is that normal?

We read online/in the owner''s manual that when you first use it, it smells like burning plastic a little bit. This is true of our unit. When will that go away?

Anything else I should know about when using a gas range?

 

[neatfreak]

Yes, yes, and yes.

Trust me, you''ll love it with time. Nothing else you really need to know...just make sure that you are aware of how high the flame is when you cook, you don''t want it so high that the flames are whipping around the outside of the pan or pot.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I was the same way, exactly when we moved into our house. I''ve always used electric, and much preferred it. In some aspects, I still do.

The pro is that it heats up so much faster with gas. I think it is more efficient because of this.

The con is that I don''t like that initial gas smell you get when you first start a burner or turn on the oven. It''s sick to me and I''ve called three different people to come check it, and it''s normal, apparently. I have a very strong sense of smell and it still bothers me a lot sometimes.

Other than that, the popping is normal, and that''s the blower thingy pushing out more heat or whatever it is that it does (technical explanation, I know).

We moved in May and it doesn''t heat the house up any more than cooking with electricity does. I''ve found that turning on the above oven fan sucks up a lot of the initial gas smell and the heat, to a degree.

You do have to be careful of the pans getting the actual flame on them. I sometimes was letting a pan get to the side of the burner, and now I have discoloration on some of them because of this.

Good luck getting used to using them. It really does cook things differently. Almost like it''s faster than electricity, even after both units would be warmed up, it seems to me like it takes a lot less time to cook most things.

I burned eggs when I was making my husband breakfast for the first time in this house. Fun times. Nothing like scraping burned eggs off a pan!

I really like the oven, though. Things cook so evenly in this oven, so unlike the oven at our apartment. I love that part!

Enjoy your new house and I hope you adjust well to the new stove (I saw it in your other thread, it''s a beauty!!).

 

[movie zombie]

a gas range is perfect for those of us that are control freaks....its sort of like prefering a manual over an automatic car.

yes, i can cook on an electric range but I CAN COOK on a gas range. electric = boring; gas = creative.

sometimes i also think its what you grew up with. while i didn''t cook much at home, my mother always had a gas range.

movie zombie

ps yes, you will get used to it, yes you will love it, yes your pan was adjusting to temperature.

 

[JulieN]

if you have your burner on and it makes clicky noises like it is supposed to light, but it is not in the light position, you probably have the little black disc in the middle of the burner placed incorrectly.

 

[swingirl]

You need a good exhaust fan above a gas range. It should exhaust to the outdoors, not just filter and recirculate the air. There are fumes from gas burners. You''ll definitely want a good fan in the summer to get rid of excess heat.

Like neatfreak said, don''t use more gas than you need. Don''t have the flame climbing up the sides of a pan, use only enough heat to cover the bottom of the pan.

Keep your potholders and cookbook far enough away from the flame. I have used gas forever and I still, now and then, catch a potholder on fire.

 

[pennquaker09]

I had to learn to turn down the heat. And I have a professional cooktop, that get''s really hot, really fast.

 

[Lorelei]

I have used both and now have had gas for years, I love it. My cooker has a fan which kicks in, it is a double oven and it automatically comes on when I have both on. As for the clicking as J mentions you probably have the top of the burner placed incorrectly. You will get used to it and really like it most likely.

 

[Elmorton]

Thanks all for the info - I love that everyone has basically posted that I''ll love it eventually - it really makes me feel better. Thanks also for the good tips - I do think I need to check one of my burners!
I''ve got yet another ? for you helpful folks In our kitchen, the stove sits up against the window ( link with pics here ) so there is no hood above. This is freaking me out a little... anyone installed a fan or hood in the ceiling before?

 

[EricaR]

Yes, you WILL love it! I absolutely love mine more than I can say. As someone else said you may have to turn down the heat a bit as compared to an electric range. Just play with it a bit.

 

[Rhea]

I''m so glad you asked. Our new place has gas and I''m nervous to use it. DH makes fun of me because he''s used to gas and thinks my questions are silly, but I''m really nervous.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I don''t know anything about putting a fan in, but I wonder how it would fit with a window there. Hmm..

Maybe you could open the window a little to let out some of the initial gas smell.

Not sure about that, and I don''t have a clue how to find out about that one, Elmorton.

So, have you cooked much on it lately? How''s it working for you?

 

[partgypsy]

That''s funny. I feel much more comfortable cooking on a gas range. It was what my family had, and in college hated cooking on an electric range. I feel you get much more visual feedback what the heat is, especially for delicate simmering.
You will get used to it, I''m sure. And if you have a professional cook range you definitely don''t need it all the way on high except rarely. I only use high when I am getting water started boiling then turn it down, even searing something I have it more on medium high.

 

[Elmorton]

Fisher, my week has been kinda busy, so last night was a crock pot night and tonight was at our favorite Mexican place (I am sooo lazy during the week!)...but on Monday, I overcooked the heck out of some chicken and boiled artichokes. The chicken issue wasn''t the oven''s fault but the cook''s (it was a stuffed breast and when I cut it open, it looked pink, so I put it back in when I should have just used the meat thermometer). I am finding that I like the stove top a lot because when the burner is off, it''s really off - stuff that is sitting on the burner isn''t continuing to cook. And, it is weird, I think my new "high heat" is a 4 - the flame on 6 seems super high and I can''t imagine ever using it.

I have been cooking with the window open - I''m sure that''s all sorts of horrible for the environment, but I kinda think it might be the best fix... Our home inspector said we could put a vent above the stove, but I''ve just never seen a stove without a hood.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Elmorton,

I was *so* excited to make a first meal at the house for Paul. Yeah, it was burned and stinky and gross.

I''m come a long way since then. You will, too!

The HIGH heat is nice for getting water boiling fast, by the way!

I hope you''re both loving your new house!!