How to save gas when cooking: simple tips for homes and eateries

Gas is a regular expense for every household and an even bigger one for eateries and restaurants. Most wasted gas comes down to cooking habits; by adjusting just a few small things, you can save gas considerably while your food stays just as good and your kitchen becomes safer too. Below are practical tips you can start using straight away.

Match the flame to the base of the pot

A flame that spreads beyond the base of the pot only heats the surrounding air and the handles, and wastes gas. Adjust the flame so that its tips stay within the base of the pot. Once water is boiling, turn the flame down just enough to keep a gentle boil — a harder boil does not cook food any faster, it only evaporates more water.

A correct flame should be blue and steady. If the flame is yellow, red or burns unevenly, the stove is burning inefficiently — find out the causes in weak or red gas stove flame.

Use a lid and make the most of a pressure cooker

• Put the lid on when heating, boiling or stewing: this keeps the heat in the pot, water boils faster and you can use a lower flame.
• Use a pressure cooker for bone broths, beans and rice porridge: cooking time is much shorter than in an ordinary pot. Always use it according to the pot manufacturer’s instructions.
• Use just enough water: heating extra water means burning extra gas.

Prepare thoroughly before lighting the stove

• Finish preparing before lighting the flame: wash, chop, marinate and mix sauces first, then put the pot on the stove, so the stove is not burning with nothing on it while you look for things.
• Thaw food in advance by moving it to the fridge the day before, instead of using the flame to thaw and cook at the same time.

Choose the right size of pots and pans

A pot that is too small on a large burner lets the flame wrap around the outside; a pot that is too large on a small burner takes a long time to boil. Choose pots with flat bases that sit well on the pan support and match the size of the burner.

Keep the stove clean and the system leak-free

• Clean the burners regularly: spills and grease block the flame ports so the gas does not burn completely.
• Check for leaks at the valve, hose and connections with soapy water, and never test with a flame — follow how to check for gas leaks at home. A leak is both dangerous and wasteful.
• Close the cylinder valve when the stove will not be used for a long time.

Avoid draughts and make use of residual heat

• Shield from wind sensibly: draughts push the flame sideways and lose heat. The kitchen needs good ventilation, but the stove should not be placed directly in the path of a fan or a strong draught — see where to place a gas cylinder at home.
• Cook in batches, one dish after another: cook several dishes in a row while the stove and pots are still hot; boil vegetables and eggs in the same pot of water where possible.
• Turn the stove off a little early for braised and stewed dishes, rice and boiled foods: keep the lid tightly on and the residual heat will finish the cooking.

Saving gas in eateries and restaurants

In commercial kitchens gas use is high, so equipment and layout matter more:

• Choose stoves of the right output for each dish; see restaurant wok burners.
• Use 45kg cylinders or a cylinder manifold when several stoves run at once, so the gas vaporises fast enough and the flame stays steady, reducing the problem of cold cylinders and weak flames that lengthen cooking time.
• Have the layout and installation done properly by a qualified provider — see restaurant gas cylinder installation.

If you are opening a grill restaurant and torn between the two fuels, our article on gas or charcoal for a grill restaurant compares flavour, running costs, smoke and ventilation, as well as the safety risks of each option.

Frequently asked questions

Written by the VietnhatGas technical and sales team — a batch manufacturer of LPG cylinders. This content is for reference; regulations and standards may change, so please check the current texts.