A home cook baffled by their inability to cook the "perfect" rice on their gas stove turned to Reddit's r/Cooking community for advice, and the internet delivered.
"What am I missing here?" the home cook asked, adding that their rice annoyingly sticks to the bottom of the pot. "The only solution I can think of is to add more water to account for the heat of the gas, or perhaps I need to skip the boil and go to a simmer instead, before turning low?"
Other Redditors chimed in with their tips, with one person sharing that "killing the heat entirely and letting it steam with the lid on" after boiling the rice for a few minutes did the trick.
"You can get a simmer ring/heat diffuser for your stove if you can't get the burner low enough to cook rice," another person suggested.
Another commenter affirmed that gas stoves don't heat as precisely as electric stoves, generally making them much less energy-efficient — a quality that can result in higher utility bills.
Moreover, studies have linked gas stoves to childhood asthma. In an interview with The Cool Down, climate tech pro DR Richardson of Elephant Energy compared gas stoves to "having a tailpipe from a car directly piped into your house."
Watch now: Could your lawn be tanking your home's resale value?
Eco- and health-conscious families — or home cooks frustrated by uneven cooking — may also want to consider upgrading to an induction stovetop. In addition to being easier to clean, induction ranges are safer for children (posing less of a burn risk), heat up quickly (reducing cooking time), and "cook more precisely and evenly," according to Consumer Reports.
"That means no more simmering sauces that break into a splattering boil or chicken thighs that emerge from the pan scorched," the nonprofit organization explained.
Meanwhile, another Redditor suggested that the original poster should "use a smaller burner." While the commenter may have been referring to a gas burner, they nonetheless highlighted how portable induction burners make the more convenient technology available at a lower price point.
Do you think gas stoves should be banned nationwide? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
"Thank you," the OP replied to much of the Redditors' advice.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.