Safety Tips You Should Know

If you enter most modern kitchens today, you’ll notice that they are equipped with a gas cooker, along with some gas cooker safety tips. This is because they are considered more efficient during the cooking process. Little wonder they are preferred by the majority of chefs globally.

However, gas cookers may pose some major safety concerns and that is why some people are not convinced they should even be used in the household.

But we believe that knowing some safety tips guiding the usage of a gas cooker is sufficient enough for you to keep enjoying the cooker’s operations without a whiff of fear.

Here are some gas cooker safety tips you should know.

Gas Cooker Safety Tips

1. Flame Management

One of the reasons why gas cookers are preferred by chefs is that the flame can easily be controlled. All it takes is to turn the knob and change the heat intensity from low to high.

However, when using the gas cooker, try not to let the flame reach out from under the cookware. It can expose your hands to scorching heat from the burners.

In addition, be sure to keep the turned burners off when the cooker is not in use. This is because leaving the flame on or unattended while not cooking can cause fire hazards and accidents.

Also, whenever you turn on the knob control and the spark doesn’t light up, endeavor to turn it off for a few seconds before retrying.

If after retrying the knob control the flame still doesn’t light up, then it’s possible that the burner might be blocked. If this is the case, then it may need some cleaning to unblock it.

2. Gas Cooker Maintenance

Aside from making your gas cooker last for a long time, proper maintenance also ensures it doesn’t pose a potential hazard for your home or kitchen. Indeed, a lack of proper maintenance can cause major safety concerns.

That’s why you should clean your gas cooker routinely. Remove the burners and heavy grates and use soapy water to wash them clean. The burner’s holes can get clogged by food debris or other particles.

Get a toothpick or some other small sharp object to rid it of blockages. Also, ensure that the burners and grates aren’t removed for washing right after cooking. Allow some time for these components to cool down first.

3. Make Use of the Right Utensils

One of the ways of ensuring adequate safety while using gas cookers is by using the right utensils or cookware. Size matters when it comes to choosing utensils to use for your gas cooker.

It doesn’t matter if you own the best gas cooker, as long as your cookware doesn’t cover the flame from the burner when it’s turned on, you’ll be leaving yourself open to danger.

In essence, fire from the burners shouldn’t escape from the bottom to the sides of the cookware you place on the cooker.

Additionally, the components of the cookware should be anti-corrosive and non-inflammable. Utensils composed entirely of materials like plastic, melamine, or glass should not be used with your gas cooker.

Utensils and cookware should be cleaned and dried properly before putting them on the stove to cook.

4. Keep Carbon Monoxide in Check

One of the main disadvantages of using a gas cooker is that it emits harmful carbon monoxide. To make things worse, it is physically impossible to detect carbon monoxide emissions since they’re colorless and odorless.

You may only realize your exposure to carbon monoxide emission when you experience its effects – symptoms of which include headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. Thus, we encourage you to buy a carbon monoxide detector and have it installed in your kitchen.

This is the best way to monitor this harmful gas and stop it from negatively impacting your health.

5. Cook Carefully

Paying utmost attention to the little details when cooking can be a massive factor that determines how safely you are using your gas cooker.

When cooking, try to keep the handles of your cookware to the side. This prevents the handles from protruding dangerously beyond the countertop thus eliminating the risk of knocking over the utensils from the burner and spilling hot food all over the place.

Switching off the burners right after each use, keeping an eye on the flame, and not leaving the stove unattended while in use are some essential boxes to be ticked in your safety checklist for a proactive and careful cooking process.

6. Avoid Gas Leaks and Prevent Fire Hazards

To ensure your safety when using gas cookers, you should try to be aware of your surroundings and be observant of even the slightest signs of probable mishaps.

The highly flammable nature of gas is the biggest cause for concern when it comes to using gas cookers. This form of fuel has the potential for causing devastating fire hazards.

That’s why you should leave nothing to chance especially if you can perceive or smell the odor of gas leaking out. Quickly switch off the burners and do not turn them back on until the smell has dissipated.

If the smell persists, you should check the burners, pipe or hose connection, and gas cylinder. If, however, you fail to detect the leakage source, do not use the gas cooker until you call in some experts to have a look at it and resolve the problem.

7. Keep Inflammable Items a Good Distance Away

The heat coming from a gas cooker is so powerful that it can burn inflammable items within its proximity.

Thus, items like plastic utensils or jars, air-tight containers, and even objects like foil paper wrappings, must be kept a good distance away from the gas cooker when operational.

8. Emergency Equipment

All kitchens must have a fire extinguisher handy especially if there’s a gas cooker present. Traditionally, people believed that water should be used in putting out fires.

Of course, water is still relevant in fire fighting, however, in the case of a fire hazard in the kitchen, water may not be the best way to quench the inferno.

The best equipment for use in this scenario is a fire extinguisher. We recommend getting one for your kitchen and take time out to learn how to use it.

9. Personal Safety

When it comes to gas cooker safety, you’ll need to take some simple precautions to ensure mishaps don’t happen.

When cooking ensure you’re not wearing any loose garments or clothing made from highly flammable materials.

Ladies can tie their hair before cooking to keep themselves safe. Kids should be kept out of the kitchen during cooking.

Teenagers should not be allowed to cook without supervision by an adult. Although these tips aren’t enough to 100% guarantee safety, they’ll still help in preventing accidents that can leave you feeling silly and careless.

10. Set up a Smoke Alarm

Modern homes now come equipped with smoke alarms as well as built-in fire safety mechanisms. However, if your home doesn’t come with these, you can consider purchasing and installing them.

Typically, a smoke alarm helps prevent fire hazards that may occur at home, especially in the kitchen. Occasions may arise that leave you utilizing the gas cooker for longer than you normally would.

Once the food starts burning, the smoke will trigger the alarm. This can help you prevent a fire disaster in your kitchen and home as a whole.

You probably won’t have to use the alarm at all, however, it doesn’t change the fact that it adds an extra layer of defense against infernos.

11. Buying the Best Gas Cooker

Another safety tip you should consider lies in buying the best gas cooker for your kitchen. Acquiring cheap or faulty cookers poses a lot of danger for you and your household.

Thus, you should perform due diligence when purchasing a gas cooker. Indeed, the market is saturated with so many cooking ranges from different brands.