Oven – Is it Safe to Leave a Gas Oven On Unattended?

dutch-ovengaskitchen-safetyoven

Is it safe to leave a gas oven on unattended the whole day (with a closed dutch oven inside it braising beef etc.), similar to crock pot cooking? It is a gas oven with pilot lights on the stove, so I am assuming the oven also has pilot lights.

Best Answer

The US Fire Administration clearly recommends not leaving cooking appliances unattended when no one is home:

Based on 2006-2010 annual averages:

  • Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in home cooking fires. [...]
  • Ranges accounted for the largest share (58%) of home cooking fire incidents. Ovens accounted for 16%.

At the time this related answer was written, the Fire Administration said (they have since updated the page):

The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.

  • Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
  • If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you're cooking.
  • Stay alert! To prevent cooking fires, you have to be alert. You won't be if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.