Gas Stove Primer: All You Need to Know About Gas Stoves

If you know you want a gas range, you likely have a professional Thor gas range or a range by ILVE or ZLINE on your radar. However, if this is your first foray into gas ranges or you haven’t used a gas range in a while, you might need a quick rundown of their details. So this post breaks down how they work and how seamlessly they can fit into your lifestyle and home.

The Efficiency of Gas Stoves

When considering a gas stove, such as a professional Thor gas range, efficiency is key in today’s fast-paced lifestyle. But a gas stove can fit into even the most hectic of schedules with its efficient cooking capabilities detailed below:

• Immediate heat: Gas stoves provide instant heat as soon as you turn on the burner. There is no need to preheat the stove, which saves time and energy.
• Precise control: Gas stoves offer excellent temperature control. The flame can be easily adjusted to provide high heat for boiling or low heat for simmering. This precision allows for more accurate cooking and reduces the risk of overcooking or burning food.
• Even heat distribution: Gas burners distribute heat evenly across the bottom of the cookware, which helps to cook food more uniformly. This can be particularly advantageous for dishes that require consistent heat.
• Direct heat source: Gas stoves produce a flame that directly heats the cookware. This direct heat transfer results in minimal heat loss and efficient energy utilization.

The Performance of Gas Stoves

If you want a high-performance appliance that keeps up with your cooking needs, gas stoves should be where you look. They’re widely favored for their performance in the kitchen, and here are some of the highlights of cooking with gas:

• Responsiveness: Gas stoves offer quick response times. When you adjust the flame, the heat level changes almost instantly. This responsiveness allows for precise and immediate control during cooking.
• Versatility: Gas stoves accommodate a wide range of cookware materials and sizes. They work well with everything from small saucepans to large stockpots, making them suitable for various cooking techniques.
• Cooking power: Gas stoves often provide high heat output, allowing for rapid boiling and searing. This can be advantageous when you need to bring water to a boil quickly or achieve a good sear on meats.

How Gas Stoves Work

Gas stoves use natural gas or propane as a fuel source. So you’ll need a gas supply line, either from natural gas or a propane tank. You may already have a gas line in your kitchen, but if you don’t, you can have a professional install one for you if you have your heart set on a professional gas range.

Gas ranges don’t work much differently from electric ranges except for their use of gas. Unlike electric ranges, gas stoves typically need an ignition system, which can be either a pilot light or an electric ignition. A pilot light continuously burns to provide a flame that ignites the gas when you turn on a burner. Electric ignitions use a spark or electric current to ignite the gas when the burner is turned on.

The ignition occurs at the gas burner. Each burner has small holes or openings called ports, through which the gas is released and mixed with air. The flame produced provides the heat for cooking. Keeping your stovetop clean helps keep you from burning food left behind on or near the ports or burners and allows for even cooking.

Once a burner has been ignited, control knobs on the front of the stove allow you to adjust the flame intensity. By turning the knobs, you can increase or decrease the gas flow to the burners to control the level of heat.

Required Ventilation for Gas Ranges

Because of the gas used to power your range as well as other particles that are expelled while cooking, proper ventilation is crucial. When using a gas stove, you must ensure the safe removal of combustion byproducts, such as carbon monoxide, as well as odors, smoke, and excess heat.

Follow local building codes and regulations related to ventilation requirements for gas stoves. These regulations may specify the minimum airflow capacity, the distance between the stove and ventilation outlets, and other safety considerations. You can ask an HVAC specialist installing your gas line, a professional contractor, or your local county government office to inquire about what standards you should follow.

At the very least, you should use a range hood that vents to the outside of your home. Installing a range hood above your gas stove is one of the most common and effective ventilation methods. Range hoods typically have a fan or blower that exhausts air to the outside, removing cooking fumes, heat, and potentially harmful gases. Choose a range hood with sufficient airflow capacity to match the output of your stove and then ensure it meets local codes.

Ensure that your ventilation system is properly connected to ventilation ducts that lead outside your home. These ducts should be in good condition, free of obstructions, and vented away from living areas, windows, or vents that could draw the exhaust back indoors. If your ventilation system is simply recirculating the air within your home, you’re recirculating the particles, exhaust, and fumes from cooking, which diminishes your indoor air quality.

If you want extra ventilation, you can add a ventilation fan in addition to the hood. Place the fan near the stove to help pull and expel air from the cooking area. However, standalone fans may not be as effective as range hoods in capturing all the fumes and gases, so this should not solely rely on a ventilation fan when cooking with gas.

If you don’t have a ventilation fan, you can open windows, allowing fresh air to enter the kitchen and circulate, while letting out cooking odors and gases. This method is best used in combination with your range hood for optimal results.

Because ventilation is crucial to your indoor air quality, regularly inspect and clean your ventilation system to ensure proper functioning. Keeping your gas stove area well-maintained and clean can help as well. Additionally, install a carbon monoxide detector near your gas stove.

When you purchase a gas stove, such as a professional Thor gas range, you may feel daunted about using a new type of range that uses a different type of fuel, but this guide allows you to get started cooking right away safely and efficiently so you can expand your cooking experience.