Simmering: The Underrated Hero of Cooking
Let’s be real: boiling gets all the glory in the kitchen. It bubbles, it roars, it screams “Look at me, I’m cooking!” But simmering? Oh, simmering is the quiet, sophisticated sibling. It’s the subtle art of cooking liquids gently just below boiling point, coaxing flavors out without that aggressive boil-off drama.
So, what number is simmer on a gas stove? Buckle up, because this is where kitchen science meets a pinch of kitchen wizardry.
What Exactly Is Simmer?
Simmering means heating a liquid just enough so it’s hot and active with little bubbles gently rising to the surface—but not quite boiling. Think of it as a warm, steady bubble party instead of a wild boiling rave. The temperature sweet spot is usually between 180°F and 205°F (82°C to 96°C).
Why simmer? Because certain dishes (soups, sauces, stews) need slow, tender loving heat to develop complex flavors without burning or overcooking. It’s your patience-paying-off stage.
So, What Number Is Simmer on a Gas Stove?
Here’s the quick answer. Gas stove knobs usually have numbers from 1 to 6 or 1 to 9. Your simmer setting falls low — but not always the lowest.
- Stoves with a 1–9 scale: Simmer usually happens around 4 or 5. Why not 1 or 2? Because the lowest setting can be too faint to maintain a consistent simmer, causing your pot to cool off too much or the flame to fluctuate.
- Stoves with a 1–6 scale: Simmer is often around 3. A medium-low heat where bubbles gently rise but don’t roar.
- Stoves without numbers: Aim for a knob position just above the lowest setting or near the middle between low and medium.
Remember: flames should be low and stable. Expect small bubbles calmly rising to the surface instead of furious rolling boils. You want noticeable heat, but not chaos.
Why Is Simmering Temperature So Tricky?
Because not all flames are created equal. Different gas stoves vary wildly in their BTU output and burner designs. Some intense burners struggle to maintain a low, gentle simmer. Others hover just above boiling at their lowest setting. According to what some experienced cooks shared on Houzz, a good simmer usually needs a burner output of around 1,000 to 3,500 BTUs, forcing many to adjust the knob multiple times to find their sweet spot.
Bottom line? You’ll need to experiment a bit with your particular stove and cookware until you learn where that simmer number lives.
Tips for Mastering Simmer on Your Gas Stove
- Watch the bubbles: The surest sign isn’t the number, but the bubbles. Gentle, steady bubbles mean you’re simmering. Big, rolling bubbles mean you’re boiling.
- Use heavier-bottomed pots: They help distribute heat evenly, reducing hotspots that can break your simmer.
- Adjust flame size, not just the numbers: Sometimes you have to turn your knob down a notch and adjust the flame manually—tiny blue flickers are your friends here.
- Don’t cover the pot fully: Covering traps heat and can push simmering liquids into boiling territory.
Simmering is an art, not a rigid science. Your intuition combined with observing your cookware will win the day.
How Simmering Differs from Boiling
If you’ve ever confused simmering with boiling, you’re not alone. The quick-and-dirty difference: boiling is vigorous agitation of your liquid at 212°F (100°C) with lots of big bubbles; simmering is gentle heat just below that, producing gentle bubbles.
According to a handy Surlatable guide, simmering temperatures typically range from 180°F to 200°F, which is perfect for delicate cooking tasks where too much heat would spell disaster.
Simmering Practice Makes Perfect
The moral of the story? Your gas stove’s numbers are helpful but not gospel. Knowing your burner’s quirks and trusting your eyes to spot those “just right” bubbles will make all the difference.
If you want to upgrade to a gas stove that excels at just this kind of low-and-slow cooking, check these top-rated options that combine precise control with stable simmer settings.
Extra Cooking Wisdom: Related Reads
While you’re perfecting your simmer game, you might also want to know how to tackle other gas stove mysteries. Like how to fix when your gas stove keeps clicking annoyingly, or why sometimes your flames turn orange instead of blue — both of which can affect cooking quality. Dive into these tips for gas stoves that keep clicking, or learn what those orange flames mean. Also, get savvy on what a pilot light really does right here.