Taming the Heat on Your Electric Stovetop
Controlling the heat on an electric stove can be challenging and tough to manage. We have a simple method that will save you and your food.
As anyone who's cooked on an electric stove will tell you, its burners are slow to respond to the cook's commands, which makes overcooked food and messy boil-over situations more likely. This happens because the element itself holds on to some of the heat even after you adjust the dial, and it holds that heat directly against the bottom of the pot (unlike on a gas stove, where the grate elevates the pot above the heat source, allowing energy to dissipate more rapidly). Here are two work-arounds.
Method 1:
As food threatens to overcook or boil over, turn second burner to low. Transfer pot or skillet to second burner, where liquids will quickly fall to simmer and food will immediately cook more gently.
Method 2:
When lower temerature is needed, transfer pot or skillet to cool burner. Turn original burner to low; when heat dissipates, return pot or skillet to burner.
