Using the cooktop
Make certain that there is a minimum distance of 5/8" (15 mm) between the pan and the control panel.
Never place a pan on the control panel.
The outer part of the gas flame is much hotter than the center. Therefore the tips of the flame should be in contact with the base of the pan and not spread out to the sides. Flames which spread out to the sides of the pan merely warm up the air in the room.
Thick pan bases lessen the risk of food overheating, as better heat dis- tribution is possible.
Size of pans
Using a small pan on the large burner does not make cooking faster, but sim- ply results in wasteful gas consump- tion. The correct procedure is to cook with small pans on the normal burner and large ones on the large burner.
small pans = small burners large pans = large burners
Suitable pans
Material
Most pans can be used for cooking on gas.
Pan base
Pan bases do not need to be even for gas cooking, in contrast to those used on electric burners. Through the spreading action of the flame, heat reaches all parts of the base.
Thin pans conduct heat to the food in- side more quickly than thick ones. Since heat is never evenly distributed over the pan base, there is a danger that food may overheat in places. Therefore, when using saucepans with thin bases, stir the food more often.
Wide, flat pans are more suitable than narrow, tall ones, since they heat up more quickly.
Lids |
Less heat is lost by cooking in a covered pot.
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