How to Get the Most out of Your Propane Stove/Cooktop

Summer is over, tree leaves are providing us with colorful displays and some folks are already thinking ahead to the holiday season. If they plan to host family and friends for a big dinner this year, they want to do everything they can to make the day go smoothly.

If they rely on a propane gas stove/cooktop, they have a better chance of doing that—as opposed to their neighbors who do their cooking on an electric stove. Compared to propane, electric stoves take longer to respond to temperature changes, particularly when you’re adjusting the temperature down or turning the heat off. An added benefit is that a gas stove will continue to work during a power outage.

However, you can get even better performance from your propane gas range and save money on your propane costs with just a little investment of time and effort. Try these seven simple tips and tricks for your propane stove/cooktop and you’ll avoid using more propane than necessary.

1. Watch the burner’s flame color. If the flame on your propane range burns yellow rather than blue, it is wasting energy and needs maintenance or a repair.
2. Check the seal on your oven door. Gaps or tears in the seal let heat escape, wasting heat.
3. Keep your oven window clean. Opening the propane range door to check on your food wastes heat and money.
4. Keep the burner flame as low as possible. A higher flame on your propane range won’t necessarily cook your food faster, but it will definitely use more propane. Modern cookware is extremely conductive and holds heat very well – most of the time you don’t need as much flame as you think.
5. Use the right-sized burner for your pot. Putting a small pot on a large burner can waste 40 percent of the burner’s heat. Match the burner to the job and you’ll save every time you cook.
6. Cook in batches. Use all the space in your oven once you turn it on – you can always freeze portions for later.
7. Use glass or ceramic dishes. Glass and ceramic dishes are the most efficient materials to use in the oven, so you don’t need as high a cooking temperature to cook your meal.

To learn more about propane stoves/cooktops–and the many other ways you can take full advantage of propane inside and outside your home, please contact your propane company and they’ll be glad to help.