Mamta's Kitchen - A Family Cookbook





Cooking on Gas

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On 19/05/2010 07:05am, AskCy wrote:

I'd never given this a thought before, but while on holiday I've been cooking on gas (self catering making breakfasts and some lunches)...

It doesn't seem as controlable as using electric which I much prefer ! I know chefs/cooks all seem to prefer gas stating the exact opposite but this was my finding.

Gas comes on and gives a lot of heat almost instantly and goes off just as fast but you can't turn it down low enough to do really gentle cooking. e.g. making creamy soft scrambled eggs without it keep sticking on the bottom of the pan no matter how much you stir (was a stainless steel pan).

I noticed the same when at my parents caravan where turning it down low would let it go out but I put this down to being run off a bottle and being hotter burning gas. The oven in the self catering room would turn down to barely a flicker but was still too hot for the very gentle cooking I sometimes require...

any thoughts ?

Steve

On 19/05/2010 09:05am, Winton wrote:

Good question! So often cookery book go into miniscule detail of all sorts of unnecessary gadgetry for your kitchen and fail to mention the most important equipment: your oven and hobs.

I think most people prefer what they are used to. Chefs prefer gas as that is what most commercial kitchens are kitted out with, and they would need the 'instant' heat? I wonder what percentage of people actually change fuel supply on renewing their cooker? Probably increasing a little though as people are more likely to take fuel efficiency into account.

I grew up on a coal fired Age (literally as it was the only warm place in the house!) then various gas cookers and now electric. I've found gas hobs good for control - often I find on electric I can't get a simmer on no.2 setting but only a boil on no.3 and the time for electric hobs to heat up is a bore. However I love the electric oven, if you put something in at 180C you know that is exactly what you are going to get.

Perhaps you have just had bad experiences using bottled gas and 'holiday accommodation' gas cookers? I'd love to have a gas hob and electric oven but can't put my money where my mouth is as I don't have any gas supply (can't even get the dual fuel discounts.)

Just shows however it really is worth doing a lot of research if buying a new cooker, with all the new fancy different electric hobs, checking your current pans are suitable and that cooker in the showroom on special offer in the show room might look nice but cost much more if not fuel efficient in the long term.

Winton

On 19/05/2010 11:05am, AskCy wrote:

Winton I think you are very correct about being used to one type...

I'm used to turning things down knowing it will take a short while to reduce the heat so do it before its needed etc...

Steve

On 19/05/2010 12:05pm, Winton wrote:

Yes Steve, perhaps ovens are like banks - however bad they are we get used to their particular quirks so the majority of people never change through inertia and what seems a huge palaver.

My electric hobs have a massive heat retention even if turned off five minutes before finishing cooking. At least if I then put the pans back on the hobs with water and a squeeze of washing up liquid I have pretty much 'self-cleaning' pans!

On 19/05/2010 12:05pm, Mamta wrote:

This is interesting. I 'have to cook' on an electric cooker at the moment and I find it very difficult. There is not instant control. Things get burnt or take too long to come to boil initially. I have always found it difficult to cook on electric hob, but have always insisted on an electric oven. Chapatties are particularly difficult. I have to put a wire 'rack' above the hob to get a little distance between the hob and the chapatti! I think that most Indians prefer gas cooking, as far as a hob is concerned. Oven is better electric, gives more even heat.

On 20/05/2010 02:05pm, Danbob wrote:

Completly agree with the scrambled egg over-cooking scenario on some gas cookers and this might be the only area where good electic/ceramic hobs may have a constant low-heat advantage, especially for long, slow-cooked, hob-cooked dishes like tagines (cooked in a traditional tagine). However since switching to induction (as have many of the chefs that I know), I really can't recommend this method enough. Instant on-off heat, hardly any residual hob heat when turned down/off and energy-efficient. Downsides...a bit more costly to buy and you may need many new pans. I fitted an additional ceramic domino hob, just to have the pleasure of using some of my favourite pans (eg soup tureen etc)that weren't suitable for induction.

On 22/05/2010 08:05am, Atlaya wrote:

I am trying to cook on an electric stove at the moment and if things carry on like this I am going to open the back door and physically throw it in the garden.

At the beginning of the week I burned a number of dishes by not being able to instantly turn down the heat and as far as pressure cooking - forget it. Comes up to pressure and then turn it down - no way not on this stupid stove.

Why people buy these stoves amazes me - electric oven fine but not the stove top.

On 22/05/2010 02:05pm, Mamta wrote:

This is how I am coping here with my SIL's electric cooker;

I switch another ring to a lower temperature, before I need to simmer down things. Then I transfer the pan on to the new lower hob, with instant results. I admit though that it is frustrating and doesn't always run smoothly!

On 22/05/2010 03:05pm, Askcy wrote:

It does seem to be what you are used to .. !

I'm used to watching something boiling/bubbling etc and knowing that I need to turn it down now so it won't go too far.... Maybe I'm the opposite way around when on gas where I'm not used to it being as instantly hot so I leave things longer than I should ?

Steve

On 23/05/2010 10:05am, Winton wrote:

Having no gas supply I have just had to learn to with electric hobs. With use you just learn to outwit them! Inability to get a steady simmer seems to be the most quoted problem.

Tips I've picked up are:

Bring food up to the boil slowly - it will take longer but then you should rarely need to use the hottest settings. Experiment with different saucepans; you get very different results with solid based vs lighter pans. I often put an empty pan on the hob while it's heating (with a little water) then you have a hot hob and saucepan when you start cooking.

Make sure you use a pan that fits the hob as closely as possible. No wasted heat or cold areas then. Be meticulous about using lids, food will heat up quicker and you can then 'let off steam' as necessary.

Keep a spare hob stone cold. It is very good for drawing heat out of the pan if you are approaching burning territory.

Use the residual heat for the next dish and remember which hobs you have used. i am sure we have all melted that pot of yogurt by accident.

Good luck - you will never be saying 'I can't imagine why I ever cooked on gas,' but there must be some advantages (cleaning?) but they do seem pretty few and far between!

Winton

On 23/05/2010 03:05pm, Mamta wrote:

"Tips I've picked up are:"

Or, move to somewhere there is Gas, LOL!!

On 25/05/2010 05:05am, Atlaya wrote:

Thanks for all the tips. Only one more week of the dreaded electric hob them I am back home to my gas cooker. (staying with relatives)

I actually went out and bought a one ringed Induction hob and a couple of pans as I couldn't stand the electric stove any more as well as the thought of coming back here to it in September was giving me nightmares!!!

There is gas in the house but my Mother in Law prefers electric but the stove is almost new and virtually unused - the microwave seems to be her machine of choice.

I did try using 2 rings on different heat settings and moving the pressure cooker over but gave up and bought tins of chickpeas and lentils but they are not the same as soaking and cooking your own.

On 27/05/2010 09:05am, Mamta wrote:

Hello Atlaya

If you think, many people do not have a choice, there is no piped gas where they live. Cooking on gas cylinders is not easy here. In India, the gas man comes and delivers the heavy gas cylinders to your kitchen. You have people to lift and change them for you. In the western countries, is not easy/possible to do this. You can get used to cooking on electric, if you make up your mind. They do take some practice, if you are not used to them. I managed okay in the end in Miami. My SIL had a wire rack, something like this; http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/277774472/bbq_roasting_rack.html, which worked beautifully for blowing up chapatties/roasting papads on top of electric hob. Rest, you just have to find ways and get used to. What is it they say? Necessity is the mother of invention!

It reminds me of one old story; when Kavey was 6 months old, we went to Sweden for a month (her dad used to do locums there in his holidays, to make some extra cash). They did not have a rolling pin in the furnished flat they gave us and it was too far to walk to the shops. After a little head scratching, I decided that an empty wine bottle will work well as a rolling pin to make chapatties and it did. I have picture of Kavey somewhere with a wine bottle to prove it, LOL!

Mamta

On 27/05/2010 06:05pm, Askcy wrote:

you know we want to see it now ! lol... Kaveys going to kill you... lol

Steve

On 27/05/2010 09:05pm, Mamta wrote:

"Kaveys going to kill you... "

So what is new, I have been killed so many times!!!

On 28/05/2010 06:05am, Winton wrote:

I remember the 'calor gas man' coming round when I was young though my Mum had a coal aga and neighbours would pop in with various pots to put in her oven when their calor gas had run out. Also recall the excitement when we were put on mains drainage!

As for improvisation I now leave many DIY tools in the kitchen drawers as they are used far more frequently in the kitchen. For instance an adjustable wrench (for difficult bottle tops,) garden secateurs (cheaper & better than poultry shears,) electrical pliers (for stubborn feathers and chicken tendons) a hacksaw (for bones) and various plastering implements (icing!) .........!

On 28/05/2010 11:05am, Atlaya wrote:

When I get home my gas man will be round on Tuesday morning - 10.30am without fail!!! (I live in Southern Spain)

Have used Calor gas for about 16 years now and used to have to carry the bottle up 4 flights of stairs - have arm muscles like Madonna.

Many years ago my mother always used a milk bottle to roll out pastry and only bought a wooden one when she dropped the bottle.

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