Your Stove Flame Is Probably Uneven: How To Fix It For Better Cooking

Modern-day stoves are easy enough to use, and there are a number of options, from electric to gas and induction. That said, gas dstoves can sometimes come with their share of troubleshooting. If you've ever turned on a stove flame and noticed it's uneven — meaning one side of the flame is higher and more powerful than the other — you don't have to run and call a handyman. It's probably just a matter of cleaning out the individual holes where the flames come out.

As we cook, different food elements like oil and crumbs might make their way out of the pan and onto the stove. They can end up anywhere on the stove top, including inside the holes that are meant for flame to escape. To clean this area, make sure the stove is completely off and cooled. Then, remove the gas grates, and remove the cap that sits on top of the gas element on each burner. Underneath, you'll find a metal piece that helps evenly distribute the flame. Take a small but sturdy object, such as a metal straw cleaner, and carefully clean out each of these individual crevices or holes. From there, just place the metal element back onto the stove, then the gas cap and grates, and test it out for yourself. The best way to avoid this is to regularly clean and care for the stove, including cleaning the gas grates and stovetop.

If those crevices are clean and that isn't the problem, it also could be something as minimal as an improperly-placed lid. Make sure the gas lid is even around the metal element; a lopsided lid could cause part of the flame to be blocked and show up more harshly on the other side of the burner.

If the flame is weaker than usual, or even just weaker on one side, and you've cleaned it and readjusted the cap, you might have to clean the actual igniter, which is responsible for creating the flame in the first place. This is one of those oven spots you probably forget to clean.

The igniter has a small hole in the center that could get filled with gunk, so the easiest way to do this is to take a thin object, such as one part of a paperclip (make sure the stove is cooled and turned off), then insert it into that igniter area and move it around. This will help remove and dislodge any gunk that's stuck in there, which could be leading to a weaker flame. If you've tried all of the above and still aren't seeing an even, strong flame, then it might be time to call a repairman.