The Danger in using a Glass Gas Table Top Cooker

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• Author: Muyiwa Ige(LPG Stakeholder and Consultant)

The excellent functionality and aesthetics of the glass gas table cooker can never be downplayed, but the danger it poses to its users is equally not something that can be brushed aside.

Several people have had dreadful experiences of the glass gas table cookers shattering while cooking, or sometimes, even when the glass cooker was not in use.

Some of these people were not so lucky and got hit by shards of glass in their eyes and other sensitive parts of their bodies, leaving them with traumatic and sometimes, irreversible injuries.

We have heard reports in Nigeria of these glass table top cookers shattering after only a few months of use, which raises serious questions on the quality of the glass gas table cookers being sold in the country.

What makes a glass gas cooker to shatter/explode?

Quality Issues

A brand new fake/substandard glass gas cooker will shatter in a short period of time because the glass material has low yield strength.

During the cooking process, the glass material experiences thermal expansion, which induces stress between the two sides of the glass.

This stress will quickly lead to what is known as thermal shock when it reaches and exceeds the yield strength of the glass material.

The inevitable result is the shattering/explosion of the glass gas table top cooker.

Expiry

A glass gas cooker that has expired is essentially equivalent to a fake/substandard one.

This is because the ionic bond between the materials of the glass would have weakened substantially, reducing its yield strength.

The low yield strength of the glass material means the continuous application of heat will quickly trigger thermal shock, culminating in the shattering of the glass within a short period of time.

Is it safe at all to use glass gas table cooker?

In Nigeria, you must be very careful when you want to purchase glass table top cookers.

You should only purchase a glass gas table cooker if and only if, you are 100% certain you are buying a good quality one.

Scanfrost glass gas table top cooker is one of the very few top quality cookers we have around.

Also, ensure that you verify the expiry date of the gas cooker and discard it, on or before the date elapses.

Make sure you get a superior quality replacement for your expired glass top, if at all you must refurbish your glass gas cooker.

Tips to mitigate against the cracking/shattering of your glass gas cooker

·         Proper ventilation of your cooking area minimizes the risk of heat accumulation that can aid the process that leads to the shattering of your glass gas table cooker. Therefore, ensure your kitchen/cooking area is properly ventilated.

·         Avoid hitting any object on the glass part of your cooker while cooking or immediately after cooking. Avoid hitting any object on the glass part of your gas cooker altogether.