When it comes to cooking, every chef has their own way of doing things and their own preferences. Cooking with gas is no different. Although some people love cooking with the cost efficient fuel, others prefer electric cooking appliances. In the U.S., 60 million people use propane or filtered propane to some degree. Of the 8 million homes that use propane, 4.6% use the gas as their main heating source. For those who are considering gas for more than just heating your home with propane, here are four things you should know about gas ovens.

Rotate your trays while cooking.
Like most gas products, gas ovens are known to have hot spots. For this reason, it is highly recommended you rotate your trays at least once or twice while cooking. The number of times you need to rotate is dependent on the length of time needed to cook whatever you have prepared. Doing this ensure that everything is baked evenly.

Foods like cakes, quick breads, or trays of muffins need to be rotated 90 degrees at the halfway point of cooking. If you are using multiple trays in one oven, switch the top and bottom trays in addition to rotating them. Dishes like casseroles greatly benefit from rotation.

A pizza stone is your secret weapon.
A pizza stone is great for retaining heat in addition to its ability to force the the heat out at an even, steady rate. It can also be used for more than just making pizza. Place the pizza stone on the floor of your oven when you are not using it and remember to cook your foods on another rack right above the stone but not directly on it. Doing so may cause some foods to burn on the bottom.

It is suggested that when purchasing a pizza stone, you buy a rectangular one. This is because it will better compliment the shape of your oven and ensure heat is evenly dispursed.

Place trays higher for brown tops.
Cooking with gas ovens can sometimes result in foods taking a little longer than usual to brown at the top. This is because of the moisture that gas ovens tend to have. To further the process, switch the tray to the top rack or place another tray above the food. Another option is to simply place the food in the broiler section of the oven. If you decide this option, be sure to keep an eye on the food because it can easily burn in the broiler.

Stay away from dark, metal cookware.
Since the heat from the main burner tends to be very hot, the bottoms of foods can sometimes burn or cook much faster than the top or middle. Dark colored bakeware that is also metal can absorb heat and cook much faster than lighter colored bakeware. Glass, silicone, and light-colored dishes are better recommended for cooking.

Now that you have some insight as to how to cook using a gas oven and the difference with cooking with gas, you are in a better position to make an educated decision on the fate of your kitchen. You don’t have to be one of the 6.3 million mobile homes using propane as the main heating fuel, cook w