This burner never has a mixer for premixing part of the air as is required in the Bunsen blue-flame burner described in the preceding section. It can be used only for room-heating purposes and then only in positions where the flames do not impinge on each other or on any surface.


 
That cooking operations require relatively low temperatures is not generally appreciated; that is, in all boiling operations the temperature is never above 212º F. and in all baking roasting, and broiling operations it is always below 500º F.

The total amount of heat required to cook the food is very small and the heat that does useful work must not be merely delivered into the cooking vessel but must actually penetrate and get into the food. The big problem is, therefore, in directness and efficiency in getting the heat into the food and efficacy in insulation or holding it in.



a. The gas must be properly burned; that is, it must be properly mixed with air so as to burn with a pale blue nonluminous flame. A luminous flame will be wasteful and will deposit soot on the cooking vessel.

b. The flame must be properly directed; that is, the tip of the flame must come close to the cooking vessel. If the flame is too short to reach the cooking vessel, or is blown to one side by a strong draft of air gas will be wasted, a longer time will be required, and if the flame tip is too far away it may be impossible to cook, although the short, improperly directed flames may be kept burning a long time.

c.  In top-burner operations the heat generated by the burning gas must be delivered through the cooking-vessel walls and through the food. Grid or open-stop stoves are desirable for good service so as to get the most direct path for the heat from the flame into the food. The heating of a baker is merely heating the inside of a small room and it should be fitted with a flue connection.

d. The use of insulated ovens so as to cut down the radiation losses will usually halve the gas consumption for a given gas operation as compared with the uninsulated oven. Thermostat control for gas consumption will result in better oven service, less gas consumption, ans a saving in burned food; that is, it takes the “guess” out of cooking and insures duplication of results.

 



Back | Forward