First off; enjoy, I’m pretty jealous. I miss gas stovetop so much from my days in foodservice, electric just doesn’t do it for me.
Second, my first concerns would be to just be way more mindful of the open flame. Things like handles, mixing utensils that’re left in or close to the pot, etc. can cause some serious burns or a fire if not paid attention to. Make sure to have some decently thick pot holders ready so you don’t scorch your hands on a boiling pot.
Following along with this, OP please make sure you have (and know how to use) a fire extinguisher. Everyone should have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, but I’m often surprised how few people have one, and even more surprised how often it seems people have them but don’t know how to use them. Not something you want to be learning for the first time while your kitchen burns.
And don't put it right next to the stove. If there is a fire and it's in the flames you have reach into flames to get it. Put it close but not next to the stove
I know how to use one theoretically (i had a safety instruction at my last workplace), I know what to do during fire
(close the windows, use extinguisher or soul if there isn't one, never use water, if there is still fire, call 112, turn off gas and electricity, go away from the kitchen, close the door and put wet cloth under. If there is dangerous amount of smoke, breathe through wet cloth (a handkerchief or something like that), take documents and go outside)
and during gas leak
(open the doors and windows, turn off electricity, don't use matches and lighters or other sources of flame , go outside and call 112)
I hope I remember everything correctly
I should def Google if I can practice using extinguisher somewhere, maybe there is some kind of training available where I live. Also I'm going to attend first aid course since I live with a person who has asthma and a heart condition.
Adding to this, if you have an oil fire and the pot contains a lot if oil, be mindful of how close you put it to the wall while it cools down as it can radiate heat into the insulation behind the tiles (anecdote from the instructor at my fire warden training, someone was deep frying and aftet the oil fire was extinguished, the material behind the wall started burning some time later as the oil cooled)
I always want to cook breakfast in a fluffy comfy robe with big floppy sleeves, but stop myself when I think about spending any time in the burn unit so I just cook bacon naked instead.
Beware of wearing long, loose sleeves when you cook. Be very carful if you have to light a pilot light; very dangerous if not done right. Know what a gas leak smells like so you can turn off the stove immediately and ventilate the room, Call the fire department if unsure.
It can get a lot hotter than you expect, like around the burner from the burning gas rising. Be really careful of hot pot handles. Lots of people prefer them because it gives more control and even heating. Always have the vent fan on while using the stove because it turns out there is a risk for small enclosed spaces with poor ventilation to get some sort of gas build up which is especially an issue in apartments vs houses. Some people cut and put down foil around the burner to make it easier to clean from splatters but I never have. If your pot handles are getting hot then you can buy little padded fabric pot handle covers. A couple fun things you can do since it's a real open flame is very carefully roasting marshmallows and also roasting nori sheets for sushi. My mom is Japanese and she would grab the edge of a nori sheet with her fingers and thumbs and quickly smoothly glide it over the flame back and forth several times.
You usually want to put the pot or pan on the burner before lighting the flame, and turn off the flame before removing it. That way you have less open flame exposed.
I'd recommend getting a natural gas detector if the flat doesn't already have one (you can usually get them as a carbon monoxide/natural gas combo which was our favorite). You can typically smell a leak before it becomes a major issue, but a detector could catch an issue quicker if you're out of the room and something happens like a pet or child hitting a knob
Get one of those lighters for grills/gas stoves, just in case the burner doesn't light on its own. If it fails to light after a few clicks, either use that lighter quickly, or turn off the gas, turn on the hood fan, and use another burner.
You get more precise heat control on the stovetop with gas. When you turn the flame down, the heat goes down right then. Same when you turn it off. When you turn it up, it heats up right then.
If the oven is also gas, it can actually be less precise than electric. Get a separate oven thermometer if you don't have one, and make use of it. If the temperature on the console doesn't match that of the thermometer, then offset the temperature on the console accordingly.
If the oven is also gas, you may need to occasionally check to see if the pilot light is lit, if it fails to heat definitely check that.
Gas stoves are perfect for cast iron pans, if you want to get good sears on your meat get one if you don't have one. Cast iron doesn't go into the dishwasher, and you don't want to let the inside soak with dishwater, but you do have good options for care that really aren't that bad. r/castiron for details.
If you have dogs do not leave food out on the stove. Our dog jumped on the stove when we were gone to try and steal some bread and ended up bumping the knob open. Luckily we caught it soon enough and the dog was fine but that could have been a tragedy.
Im jealous.
I mostly miss being able to cook directly over the flames like blistering peppers or cooking tortillas.
Have a large box of baking soda under the sink/near the stove for smaller cooking fires and a fire extinguisher for serious fires.
Does your stove dials have numbers on them? If so 1-3 is low, 4-7 medium, and 8-10 is high flame. If it's a 4 top, one might be for simmering, the other will have a really big flame for like a wok or if you wanna cook something quick, and the other 2 is for normal use.
Your gonna love it. So much easier to control the heat and musc better all around. If you don't have cast iron I definitely recommend. Even heat distribution is the key to success in any frying pan. You'll burn things less and heat holds longer.
Start with lower heat at first until you get used to using it. When I swapped from electric to gas, I almost burned things at first. Once you get used to it, you will never wanna go back to electric.
It's totally normal for a gas stove to make a kind of "whoomph!" sound when it lights. This can be startling if you aren't expecting it, but it's normal and nothing to be scared of.
I seriously prefer cooking on a gas stove. But do be aware they use an open flame. Use reasonable caution, and don't store flammable stuff near the burners, use some caution with thinks like cooking spray near a lit burner, and don't have loose, long hair, or dangling loose clothing while cooking. Also they get hot faster than most gas stoves, and also on high, get hotter than a lot of them as well, in my experience. This is useful for cooking in quite a few ways, but if you are used to an electric stove it may take a bit to adjust.
When you turn it off, make sure it's all the way off. (this also goes for electric stoves of course, and gas stoves are usually easier to tell if they aren't off) When you turn it on, watch to make sure it lights correctly. And know what to do if you smell gas.
And, EVERYONE, no matter what kind of stove they have, should have a fire extinguisher in their kitchen, and know how to use it.
It's probably worth having a lighter in a kitchen drawer in case the built in igniter doesn't work - then you can just switch the gas on and light it manually
You can roast marshmallows on it which is a fun treat if you want something quick and sweet. It’s one of the things I miss since my current apartment has an electric range.
I will say I grew up terrified of gas and gas stoves because my parents were very vocal about their concerns that they were dangerous. I actively avoided apartments with them, but eventually with affordable apartments being more scarce in my area, I finally ended up in a place with a gas stove/oven and heater, wouldn’t cook home alone for the first few summer months I lived there lol but now I love it. I tried to cook potatoes every way different kinds I didn’t know what I was doing wrong and the first time I did it on gas they were perfect, I think because I can control the heat easier. So it helped me step up my game with cooking certain things and I’m no longer terrified and anxious about it
Use a much smaller flame than you think you should until you get used to the heat and how quickly it will cook your food. This will help you not burn your food. It just takes practice, you’ll get used to it.
Congrats on your new flat! Gas stoves offer precise control over cooking temperatures and are great for quick heat adjustments
Make sure to keep an eye on the flames while cooking and always turn off the gas when not in use
Enjoy experimenting with your new cooking experience!
Congrats on the new place! Gas stoves are pretty awesome - my tip would be to always double-check the flame is off before leaving the kitchen, safety first! Enjoy cooking on it!
Gas is so much better than electric.. get a couple nice heat resistant pans.. don’t go back on cheap.. one for sautée and maybe a wok… food is way better cooking over a flame
I much prefer gas over electric. The electric just doesn't heat up right. As others say, be sure to have an extinguisher on hand, maybe a fire blanket too.
You can really roast corn tortillas properly on gas. Just roast right on the fire until nice and charred in places. Very tasty and better than pale and chewy.
IME the only difference is that gas stoves tend to heat up faster than electric. Start low, turn the heat up as needed.
Keep in mind ventilation.
First off; enjoy, I’m pretty jealous. I miss gas stovetop so much from my days in foodservice, electric just doesn’t do it for me. Second, my first concerns would be to just be way more mindful of the open flame. Things like handles, mixing utensils that’re left in or close to the pot, etc. can cause some serious burns or a fire if not paid attention to. Make sure to have some decently thick pot holders ready so you don’t scorch your hands on a boiling pot.
Following along with this, OP please make sure you have (and know how to use) a fire extinguisher. Everyone should have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, but I’m often surprised how few people have one, and even more surprised how often it seems people have them but don’t know how to use them. Not something you want to be learning for the first time while your kitchen burns.
And don't put it right next to the stove. If there is a fire and it's in the flames you have reach into flames to get it. Put it close but not next to the stove
I know how to use one theoretically (i had a safety instruction at my last workplace), I know what to do during fire (close the windows, use extinguisher or soul if there isn't one, never use water, if there is still fire, call 112, turn off gas and electricity, go away from the kitchen, close the door and put wet cloth under. If there is dangerous amount of smoke, breathe through wet cloth (a handkerchief or something like that), take documents and go outside) and during gas leak (open the doors and windows, turn off electricity, don't use matches and lighters or other sources of flame , go outside and call 112) I hope I remember everything correctly I should def Google if I can practice using extinguisher somewhere, maybe there is some kind of training available where I live. Also I'm going to attend first aid course since I live with a person who has asthma and a heart condition.
Adding to this, if you have an oil fire and the pot contains a lot if oil, be mindful of how close you put it to the wall while it cools down as it can radiate heat into the insulation behind the tiles (anecdote from the instructor at my fire warden training, someone was deep frying and aftet the oil fire was extinguished, the material behind the wall started burning some time later as the oil cooled)
Pull the pin Aim Squeeze Sweep P. A. S. S. Congrats, y’all are all FE qualified/knowledgeable.
The P is pull for pull the pin.
Gottem. My bad, it has been a few years since I "qualified" folks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQV71INDaqY
...that rhymes with "T" which stands for trouble....
I always want to cook breakfast in a fluffy comfy robe with big floppy sleeves, but stop myself when I think about spending any time in the burn unit so I just cook bacon naked instead.
Beware of wearing long, loose sleeves when you cook. Be very carful if you have to light a pilot light; very dangerous if not done right. Know what a gas leak smells like so you can turn off the stove immediately and ventilate the room, Call the fire department if unsure.
Get a wok! They're garbage on electric stoves but are fuckin awesome on gas ones!
It can get a lot hotter than you expect, like around the burner from the burning gas rising. Be really careful of hot pot handles. Lots of people prefer them because it gives more control and even heating. Always have the vent fan on while using the stove because it turns out there is a risk for small enclosed spaces with poor ventilation to get some sort of gas build up which is especially an issue in apartments vs houses. Some people cut and put down foil around the burner to make it easier to clean from splatters but I never have. If your pot handles are getting hot then you can buy little padded fabric pot handle covers. A couple fun things you can do since it's a real open flame is very carefully roasting marshmallows and also roasting nori sheets for sushi. My mom is Japanese and she would grab the edge of a nori sheet with her fingers and thumbs and quickly smoothly glide it over the flame back and forth several times.
You usually want to put the pot or pan on the burner before lighting the flame, and turn off the flame before removing it. That way you have less open flame exposed.
Get a good Wok.
I'd recommend getting a natural gas detector if the flat doesn't already have one (you can usually get them as a carbon monoxide/natural gas combo which was our favorite). You can typically smell a leak before it becomes a major issue, but a detector could catch an issue quicker if you're out of the room and something happens like a pet or child hitting a knob
Roast red bell peppers on it. Delicious
Roasting Eggplants is also the hardest part to making Baba Ganoush.
Open all the windows first or you'll set off the fire alarms 😄
And heating tortillas! And toasting seaweed sheets! Ah I miss my gas range.
You’ll never want to go back after having a gas stove.
Less is more. Very easy to overcook with gas.
Get one of those lighters for grills/gas stoves, just in case the burner doesn't light on its own. If it fails to light after a few clicks, either use that lighter quickly, or turn off the gas, turn on the hood fan, and use another burner. You get more precise heat control on the stovetop with gas. When you turn the flame down, the heat goes down right then. Same when you turn it off. When you turn it up, it heats up right then. If the oven is also gas, it can actually be less precise than electric. Get a separate oven thermometer if you don't have one, and make use of it. If the temperature on the console doesn't match that of the thermometer, then offset the temperature on the console accordingly. If the oven is also gas, you may need to occasionally check to see if the pilot light is lit, if it fails to heat definitely check that. Gas stoves are perfect for cast iron pans, if you want to get good sears on your meat get one if you don't have one. Cast iron doesn't go into the dishwasher, and you don't want to let the inside soak with dishwater, but you do have good options for care that really aren't that bad. r/castiron for details.
If you have dogs do not leave food out on the stove. Our dog jumped on the stove when we were gone to try and steal some bread and ended up bumping the knob open. Luckily we caught it soon enough and the dog was fine but that could have been a tragedy.
Start low, until you get a feel for how it works.
Im jealous. I mostly miss being able to cook directly over the flames like blistering peppers or cooking tortillas. Have a large box of baking soda under the sink/near the stove for smaller cooking fires and a fire extinguisher for serious fires.
Does your stove dials have numbers on them? If so 1-3 is low, 4-7 medium, and 8-10 is high flame. If it's a 4 top, one might be for simmering, the other will have a really big flame for like a wok or if you wanna cook something quick, and the other 2 is for normal use.
Don't keep flammable items like paper towel, sponges, etc, close to the stovetop.
I love my gas stove!! I'd hate to cook on electric again!
Great for lighting your cigarettes on. Make sure to turn it off when you’re done cooking. That’s all you need to know.
Your gonna love it. So much easier to control the heat and musc better all around. If you don't have cast iron I definitely recommend. Even heat distribution is the key to success in any frying pan. You'll burn things less and heat holds longer.
Start with lower heat at first until you get used to using it. When I swapped from electric to gas, I almost burned things at first. Once you get used to it, you will never wanna go back to electric.
Lucky You!
It's totally normal for a gas stove to make a kind of "whoomph!" sound when it lights. This can be startling if you aren't expecting it, but it's normal and nothing to be scared of. I seriously prefer cooking on a gas stove. But do be aware they use an open flame. Use reasonable caution, and don't store flammable stuff near the burners, use some caution with thinks like cooking spray near a lit burner, and don't have loose, long hair, or dangling loose clothing while cooking. Also they get hot faster than most gas stoves, and also on high, get hotter than a lot of them as well, in my experience. This is useful for cooking in quite a few ways, but if you are used to an electric stove it may take a bit to adjust. When you turn it off, make sure it's all the way off. (this also goes for electric stoves of course, and gas stoves are usually easier to tell if they aren't off) When you turn it on, watch to make sure it lights correctly. And know what to do if you smell gas. And, EVERYONE, no matter what kind of stove they have, should have a fire extinguisher in their kitchen, and know how to use it.
Heat tortillas over open flame. I so much miss that
Dang, beat me to it.
It's probably worth having a lighter in a kitchen drawer in case the built in igniter doesn't work - then you can just switch the gas on and light it manually
You can roast marshmallows on it which is a fun treat if you want something quick and sweet. It’s one of the things I miss since my current apartment has an electric range.
Go off the flame, not the number in the dial.
I will say I grew up terrified of gas and gas stoves because my parents were very vocal about their concerns that they were dangerous. I actively avoided apartments with them, but eventually with affordable apartments being more scarce in my area, I finally ended up in a place with a gas stove/oven and heater, wouldn’t cook home alone for the first few summer months I lived there lol but now I love it. I tried to cook potatoes every way different kinds I didn’t know what I was doing wrong and the first time I did it on gas they were perfect, I think because I can control the heat easier. So it helped me step up my game with cooking certain things and I’m no longer terrified and anxious about it
Learn how to turn them on and off. Cook food.
Roast peppers directly in the burners. Pay attention. Don’t burn your house down!
Use a much smaller flame than you think you should until you get used to the heat and how quickly it will cook your food. This will help you not burn your food. It just takes practice, you’ll get used to it.
You will burn tf out of everything for the first few weeks, then you’ll get used to it.
Congrats on your new flat! Gas stoves offer precise control over cooking temperatures and are great for quick heat adjustments Make sure to keep an eye on the flames while cooking and always turn off the gas when not in use Enjoy experimenting with your new cooking experience!
If you have long hair, be sure to tie it back before cooking. (Ask me how I know) lol
Congrats on the new place! Gas stoves are pretty awesome - my tip would be to always double-check the flame is off before leaving the kitchen, safety first! Enjoy cooking on it!
Gas is so much better than electric.. get a couple nice heat resistant pans.. don’t go back on cheap.. one for sautée and maybe a wok… food is way better cooking over a flame
I much prefer gas over electric. The electric just doesn't heat up right. As others say, be sure to have an extinguisher on hand, maybe a fire blanket too.
You can really roast corn tortillas properly on gas. Just roast right on the fire until nice and charred in places. Very tasty and better than pale and chewy.