On a wild guess, you looked up your favorite meal recipe and it just requires you to cook on medium-low heat.
You inspected your stove in search of the mentioned setting and you came out zilch. Quickly, you rushed to your browser and punched in “what is medium-low heat on a stovetop?”
Frustratingly enough, this isn’t the answer that you are seeking, as there are no versatile standards when it comes to stovetops.
All stoves operate differently, whether electric or gas propelled, and the only sure way to become temperature-proficient is through continuous use, observation and learning.
So, to ease your frustrations and partly answer your question, medium low heat, just like medium high heat, is not a “real” temperature setting.
Sounds confusing? I know, but the reason why I refer to them as unreal settings is that they both entirely rely on a consistent trial and error concept. You have to guess until you are finally able to master it.
Before we delve too deep into the nitty-gritty though, it’s important to know what numbers on a stove mean.
What Do Numbers On a Stove Mean?
On a stove, numbers are premade switches or buttons that can be used to adjust the cooking temperature.
They represent different temperature modes in a manner that allows one to regulate the heat to their preferred setting.
However, the inconsistency in every stove brand can make it tough for one to determine what number to use for low or high temperature- one constant fact however is- the higher the number the higher the temperature.
Numbers can range from 1-6 or 1-9, depending on the make of the stove. In either case, number one(1) always stands for the lowest temperature while the last or the big number represents the highest temperature, could be 6 or 9, again, depending on the make and model of the stove.
Mid range numbers, that is numbers 3 and in some cases, 4 on a six-labeled stove; and 5 and 6 on a nine labeled stove represents the medium or average temperatures.
Most stoves are accompanied by user manual guide books. These can be a huge advantage to you as they will give you further information on how to best use your stove numbers when cooking different types of dishes.
What is medium low heat on a stovetop?
Medium-low heat is a temperature setting that falls in between the low heat setting and the mid heat setting.
On a nine(9) numbered stovetop, medium heat can be anything above the one(1) mark setting and below the five(5) mark setting. 3 and 4 to be precise.
However, if your stove has six dials, then the medium-low heat is indicated by the two(2) and three(3) marks.
On a thermostat, Medium low heat is the temperature between 250 and 324 degrees Fahrenheit.
What Stove Setting Is Medium Heat?
Basically, medium refers to the middle, and you can have an idea of what the medium heat setting is on your stove, by just identifying the middle of the high and low heat levels.
If your kind of stove has dials ranging from numbers one(1) to nine(9), then number five(5) falls in between the lowest and the highest heat settings, making it the medium heat setting.
However, if the numbers on your stove range from one(1) to six(6), then the number in between is three(3), thus the dial for a medium heat setting.
Be advised though, when cooking using this kind of setting, you will be mandated to make continuous adjustments.
Occasionally, you will be required to raise or lower the temperature beyond your mid mark in order to meet the demands of the recipe.
What Stove Setting is Medium High Heat?
The setting that falls between the medium heat and the high heat settings is what is considered as the medium high heat.
Basically, if the set of numbers on the top of your stove range from 1-9, the medium-high heat is most likely to fall on either number 7 and 8 whereas a six-numbered stove top will have 4 and 5 as the medium-high heat.
However, as mentioned earlier, medium high and medium low are not typical temperature settings.
So for you to meet your recipes’ needs, you need to occasionally adjust your heat temperature to avoid either undercooking or burning your food.
What Is Considered Low Heat on a Stove?
Generally, low in other terms means little or small. If your recipe calls for you to cook using low heat, all that needs to be done is to adjust the knob to the lowest number.
Low heat is not only the lowest heat setting of the stove but also one of the easiest to spot because it is clearly indicated irrespective of the make and model of the stove.
On any given stove, low heat is indicated by numbers 1 and 2 in some instances. It is commonly used for slow cooking like simmering.
If you opt to cook on low heat, for some of your dishes to come out as initially anticipated, you will be forced to set your stove to medium heat until your food starts to boil then adjust the settings back to low heat.
Final Word
Stove temperature settings can a tad difficult to master, especially when you’re just starting out or if you’ve just bought a new stove. However, with patience and a lot of trial and error, you’ll eventually get there.
As you get there though, you might want to keep your eyes fixed on whatever you could be cooking, especially dishes that require to be cooked at certain temperatures as they could require you to constantly turn your knob a number higher or lower.
With time, you’ll be able to tell the temperatures just by looking at the intensity of the flame on the burners or the color of the coil elements, so take heart and be patient, and yes, remember to keep your eyes away from TikTok for a few minutes while you prepare delicate meals.
Here’s a toast to wonderful meals.
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