If you’ve been looking at gas cookers recently, you may have noticed that some gas hobs have glass lids and others don’t. You’re likely wondering why. Does the glass lid on a gas cooker offer additional safety? Or does it just offer some more counter space?
Should you buy a gas cooker with a lid or without one? Well, today, we’re looking at whether a gas cooker needs a lid and throwing our two cents in as to whether you should buy one with a lid or without.
What Is the Lid on a Gas Cooker For?
The lid on a gas cooker is a very clever safety device. Firstly, when you close the glass lid, young kids can’t access the hob.
Gas hobs do get very warm, so you can protect their hands from the heat. The glass lid also has a safety valve attached to the mechanism. So, when you close the lid of a gas cooker, the gas turns off.
This means that inquisitive hands can turn the knobs of the hob, and the gas won’t turn on.
Of course, the glass lid on a gas hob also offers some extra counter space when it is down. And when the glass lid is up, it acts as a backsplash, so the wall behind your cooker doesn’t get covered in pasta sauce.
The lid on a gas cooker, then, is a very cleverly designed safety feature that has practical uses as well. But does a gas cooker require a lid?
Do Gas Cookers Need a Lid?
In short, no, gas cookers don’t need a lid. The only requirement for a gas cooker is that it can be used safely.
This doesn’t prevent the gas from being turned on when you don’t want it to be, though. For example, if small hands start fiddling with the knobs on the cooker, they could turn the gas on.
There are many cooker brands that have included safety features for their gas cookers to ensure this can’t happen, though. There are automatic gas shut-off values that work on a timer.
You can set the timer to allow you to use the gas cooker when you want it, but after the pre-set time, the gas will be switched off.
There are also other gas cookers that use motion sensors that detect when you’re using the stove. When you aren’t, it will switch the cooker’s gas supply off.
Other cookers have a Flame Safety Device (FSD). This automatically shuts off the gas if the flame goes out. It also prevents an unsafe build-up of unburnt gas. So, if someone turns the gas on by accident, the FSD senses this and turns the supply of gas off.
So, gas cookers do not need a lid, and most come with additional safety features to ensure the gas can’t be turned on by accident. Most of these gas safety features are not on show like the lid is, but they are present.
Should You Buy a Gas Cooker Without a Lid?
If safety is the biggest concern to you, then having a gas cooker with a lid gives you a visual indication of when the gas is turned off. Plus, the glass lid has practical uses as well and does come in handy a lot of the time.
Some people just can’t get on board with this style of gas cooker, though. If you really don’t like the look of the glass lid on gas cookers, you can buy one without and know that there are built-in safety features to protect you and your family.
If you do intend to buy a gas cooker without a lid, though, it is worth researching what safety features the gas cooker has first. Cookers from Rangemaster, Leisure, Belling and Stove, for example, don’t have lids, but all come with some form of a safety feature.
To find out more about gas cookers in the UK, please take a look at our list of the best gas cookers. We’ve picked out the top gas cookers on the market to help you choose the best cooker for your kitchen.
Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.
