Does cooking create smoke or am I doing something wrong?
I can't seem to cook a meal without setting off the smoke alarm. Yes, I use the hood fan, but still, even a hot dog on the stove gets that thing wailing. I disconnected the one in my old apartment, but I've recently moved and can't figure out how to disable the one in my new place.
Recommended by Food52
9 Comments
Get a nice comfortable 'bar chair' for the kitchen and maybe an extra flat screen TV to mount to a wall to watch while your cooking.
This is a big issue here as my SO will turn on a pot of soup and walk away for hours which usually results in having to clean off crusty bits bonded to the pan.
Also, think about what you are cooking. If you are frying a hot dog, for example, use a combination of butter and vegetable, canola, olive or peanut oil to raise the smoking point of the butter. If you are cooking a sauce, it does not have to be at a rolling boil to cook. Make sure you have spatter guards or pot lids to prevent food from landing on burner you are using as well as other burners.
Also, a question to you-are you cooking on a gas or electric range? If you are moving from one to the other, it does take a bit of adjusting to get the hang of it. For example, cooking on a gas stove offers instant gratification in temperature reduction. However, reducing the temperature of the burners on an electric stove takes time and is definitely NOT instaneous.
A final thought, make sure the drip pans under the burners are clean. If you cook and stuff boils over, that bakes onto the drip pan and can smoke. If you can't get the drip pans clean, buy new ones; the cost is minimal.
BTW-NOT a good idea to disconnect fire/smoke alarm; you never know when it will come in handy. Just a thought! :-)