Becoming a great chef is about so much more than just learning how to put a bunch of recipes together. There are many other aspects to master, and that includes being comfortable in the kitchen. You might think this isn’t something to worry about, but the kitchen can actually be a very dangerous place if you don’t treat it with reverence and care. One particular act, in fact, is a lot more dangerous than people realize—turning on the stove.
All stoves are built differently. Some are electrical, some use gas, and some were built 50 years ago, but NONE of them should be taken lightly. When turning on a gas stove, pay close attention to what’s happening.
Most stoves usually make a clicking sound when the gas is being “lit”. What’s supposed to happen next, as you might imagine, is that the flame comes out. When that happens, you’re good. The problem is that some stoves can be finicky, and a flame doesn’t always come right when you turn the dial.
This is problematic become although the flame isn’t coming, that “clicking sound” is still going, indicating that more gas is being injected. Many don’t realize this, and continue to hold the dial until the flame comes—only for the flame to be a lot larger than anticipated once it shows up.
This is a lot more dangerous than people realize. If you don’t see a flame coming up, that’s your cue to turn off the dial and try again in a minute. Don’t just keep going until it works—because that gas is still running.
