Help! Cooking with gas

ibarelycare

I moved into a new house recently with a gas cooker. It's my first time cooking with gas and I'm really struggling

1. Last week I cooked chilli in a big cast iron pot. When it got to the simmering process I moved it to the smallest hob with the gas on the lowest heat. Chilli at the bottom of the pot burnt and stuck to it.

2. Last night I made rice. Again cooked on smallest hob and simmered on lowest heat. Water evaporated way too quickly and rice wasn't cooked so had to keep adding more water. The final result was a mix of overcooked/sticky rice and undercooked/hard rice.

3. Tonight I'm cooking jambalaya in a cast iron pot. Same as above with simmering part. Have to keep scraping rice off the bottom as it's sticking and the stock and liquid is again evaporating really quickly so I'm having to add more water which is going to end up ruining the rice.




Can anyone tell me where I'm going wrong!!??



Edit: sorry I'm not sure if the pots are actually cast iron. They're heavy le creuset ones. Not entirely sure of the material!

nompere

A diffuser between the pot and the gas will help. This sort of thing:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Metaltex-Stainless-Steel-Diffuser-Simmer/dp/B003LXFGSY/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1430428487&sr=1-1&keywords=diffuser

I do find that modern gas cookers won't go as low as I would like. I rented a flat for a few years, and had a 10 year old gas cooker. On the smallest ring, at its lowest setting, I could leave a chicken carcass simmering all night. With my newer cooker, I can't leave anything. I'm told it's a safety measure, but to me it's a pita.

Tree

You could do the chilli in the oven, not sure about the jambayala, but you'd be able to leave it at a low bubbly temperature. With the rice you could do the boil in lots of water till soft and strain method, then cover and let sit for a few mins before fluffing.

It doesnt help with cooking with the gas, but at least you shouldnt get burnt stuff

ibarelycare

Tree wrote: »

You could do the chilli in the oven, not sure about the jambayala, but you'd be able to leave it at a low bubbly temperature. With the rice you could do the boil in lots of water till soft and strain method, then cover and let sit for a few mins before fluffing.

It doesnt help with cooking with the gas, but at least you shouldnt get burnt stuff

I don't want to have to change how I cook things though I just want to know how to get around it.

I managed to get a lower heat on the hob last night in between the highest flame and the off position. It was a bit fiddly and took a few goes. Rice in the dish still didn't turn out great but at least it was simmering better and not sticking. Hoping if I use this low flame from the start next time that I'll have better results.

the beer revolu

I think the diffuser mentioned above is a good bet.

looksee

I am a firm believer in gas hob cooking, but I agree that with my recently purchased cooker it is impossible to get the flame low enough to simmer.

pwurple

It's the main disadvantage with gas. Instant high heat, but can't do low simmers.

I got a steamer for rice, and do my slow cooks in the oven. Le creuset should be fine for the oven, better even.

Minder

What model of gas cooker is it? I take it that it has a variety of sized gas rings and you've used the smallest ring on the lowest setting?

ibarelycare

pwurple wrote: »

It's the main disadvantage with gas. Instant high heat, but can't do low simmers.

I got a steamer for rice, and do my slow cooks in the oven. Le creuset should be fine for the oven, better even.

Yeah I actually have a rice cooker back in my mam's so I'll have to go and get it!

ibarelycare

Minder wrote: »

What model of gas cooker is it? I take it that it has a variety of sized gas rings and you've used the smallest ring on the lowest setting?

Not sure of the model as I'm not at home right now but it's an old enough one. To the second question, yes and yes (said that in the OP )

Tilly

I've never cooked with gas but would it be the pot that doesn't agree with the gas? Or are you using diff ones?

ibarelycare

Tilly wrote: »

I've never cooked with gas but would it be the pot that doesn't agree with the gas? Or are you using diff ones?

Have used different ones of different materials, same thing keeps happening!




I'm going to try that diffuser anyway and until I get it I'll just try using that super low heat I found and hope for the best

DVD-Lots

On some models you can adjust the size of the flame, I got a new powerpoint one and I find it is a lot more powerfull but can live with it for now, the instructions are like this:-





Best to try and find an online manual for your own to see if it can be adjusted.

sdp

I was the same, love cooking with gas, but found that I could never get a really slow simmer, for ragu which I like to keep going for a couple for hours with lid off, so last year bought one of these,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HN5DF52?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00
its already paid for its self , but will try DVD-lots idea

C.K Dexter Haven

Hi OP. I've been using gas for years and never had a problem cooking rice on it- in fact I hate cooking on electric hob. Could I ask how you cook your rice? I tend to rinse mine first under cold water, only add double the water to rice, once it comes to boiling point, I simmer for about 6-8 mins then turn off gas, leave lid on for an additional 5 mins- works for me, and that's with gas.

ibarelycare

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Hi OP. I've been using gas for years and never had a problem cooking rice on it- in fact I hate cooking on electric hob. Could I ask how you cook your rice? I tend to rinse mine first under cold water, only add double the water to rice, once it comes to boiling point, I simmer for about 6-8 mins then turn off gas, leave lid on for an additional 5 mins- works for me, and that's with gas.

That's the same way I cook it pretty much. I like cooking rice with just enough water so that the rice absorbs it all and cooks perfectly. I've never had that problem on electric. Now while I'm waiting for my diffuser, I put way more water than needed in the pot and boil it and drain off the excess water at the end. It comes out fine in fairness, but you have to keep a very close eye on it cos it will easily overcook that way.

C.K Dexter Haven

ibarelycare wrote: »

That's the same way I cook it pretty much. I like cooking rice with just enough water so that the rice absorbs it all and cooks perfectly. I've never had that problem on electric. Now while I'm waiting for my diffuser, I put way more water than needed in the pot and boil it and drain off the excess water at the end. It comes out fine in fairness, but you have to keep a very close eye on it cos it will easily overcook that way.

Maybe then it's just your gas hob isn't that good- they do vary in quality. Only other suggestion is use the LARGEST hob, not smallest, but keep the heat down low and carefully position the pot evenly /centrally on the hob for an even heat distribution.