What Is Medium Heat on a Stovetop? (All You Need to Know)
Finding a new recipe to try out is always exciting, but it can sometimes be difficult to understand the instructions fully, especially when they aren’t all that clear.
When following a recipe, you need to make sure that you cook the ingredients at the right heat, to achieve the desired results, and this is just as important as when cooking on the stovetop.
Many recipes call for food to be cooked on medium, but what is medium heat on a stovetop?
Medium heat on a stovetop can seem really vague, especially when stovetop heat is controlled differently depending on the make and the brand, but generally, medium heat refers to the heat range between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit (180 to 190 degrees Celsius).
To ensure you get the heat right when cooking on the stovetop next, read on for all the information you need to know for cooking on medium heat!
When Is Medium Heat Used?
Medium heat is probably the most common heat setting you will find in recipes, and most things are usually cooked at medium heat. It is a fairly easy setting to use because it isn’t too hot, it isn’t too low of a heat, and it is pretty foolproof.
Using medium heat is ideal for most cooking methods, and for cooking food such as vegetables, pasta, eggs, chicken, and many other foods. Cooking on low heat or higher heat can also take a little more skill, so it is easy to stick to medium heat if you are unsure.
What Temperature Is Medium Heat?
Medium heat refers to a temperature at which food should be cooked on the stovetop, and it is a way to make using the stovetop at a certain temperature a little easier, as most stovetops do not show a temperature reading.
However, when a recipe calls for something to be cooked at medium heat, then it usually means that the food should be cooked at between 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit on the stovetop (180 to 190 degrees Celsius)
It is important to note that this refers to the temperature that the stovetop should be set to, rather than the heat the food will get to, as the food might not get as hot if it is not cooked for long enough, or it might get slightly hotter if cooked for long.
So, if you had to use a thermometer to take a temperature reading of food cooked at medium heat on the stove, you will find the food will have a temperature reading of between 300 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit – which is quite a variance.
Medium Heat on a Stovetop – How to Set It
While medium heat on the stovetop refers to a certain temperature range, you cannot set most stovetops to a temperature setting, just like most stovetops don’t have a set ‘medium heat’ setting either.
Most stovetop heat settings are controlled by numbers, with the lower numbers being a lower heat, and the higher numbers being the higher heat. This does make it easier to have more universal terms such as ‘medium heat’ in recipes, but it is a little more complicated.
While most stovetops use numbers to indicate heat levels, the number ranges that the different stovetops use can vary.
Some stovetops have a temperature range option between 1-6, some have from 1-10 and some have from 1-5, so having a standard ‘medium heat’ isn’t all that easy.
However, you can use a little bit of common sense when working out what medium heat might be on your stovetop by finding what is in the middle of your temperature range.
For example, if your stovetop has a temperature range of 1-10, then settings 4 to 6 would be medium heat. If your stovetop has heat settings of between 1-5, then 3 would be a medium setting, and so on.
You do also need to use your intuition when doing this, and past experience cooking with your stovetop. Medium heat on a stovetop with temperature ranges from 1-5 might be 3, but if you find that food burns quickly at this heat, you can set it to 2 for medium heat, or if 3 is too low of a heat, then you can set it to 4.
What Is Medium-High Heat?
You would likely have come across medium-high heat in various recipes, and you might think it is pretty much the same as medium heat, but it is different and refers to a different temperature range.
Medium-high heat is higher than medium heat, and lower than high heat, so it sits somewhere just in the middle of medium and high heat.
This is a common temperature used to sear meat, to saute, and to pan-fry. It gives the outside of food a good sear and crisp, but it can be too hot for most ingredients that need to be cooked on medium heat.
To switch your stovetop onto medium-high heat, you would need to set it a level or two above medium heat and make sure that it is hot enough to give a good sear or fry to food, but ensure that it isn’t too hot that it burns food quickly.
Testing out your stovetop with different heat settings will definitely help you find the right temperature ranges so that your food is cooked perfectly every time.
Is Medium Heat the Same on a Gas Stove?
Whether you are using a gas stove, electric stove, or induction hob, medium heat will refer to the same temperature range for all of them.
The dials and the temperature settings might be different, and how you choose the heat between the different types of stovetops might vary, but the temperature range that medium heat refers to on the stovetop does not change.
No matter the type of stovetop you are using, if a recipe calls for medium heat, the burner you are using should reach between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is the temperature range that most food is cooked at, and if a recipe calls for something to be cooked at medium heat, then you should do your best to work out what setting achieves this temperature range on your stovetop.
What Is Low Heat on the Stovetop?
Low heat on a stovetop refers to the lowest heat, or one above the lowest heat, that your stovetop can cook at. This is obviously lower than medium heat and therefore is a cooler temperature.
Low heat is best for simmering soups or sauces, or for when you are trying to reduce the amount of liquid in a pan. It is also the best temperature setting for poaching eggs or fish.
Usually, low heat on a stovetop would refer to the first few numbers on the heat setting, and if your stovetop has heat settings from 1-10, then it would be numbered 1-3, but you would just have to test out which would be the right low heat setting for what you are cooking.
What Is High Heat Setting on the Stovetop?
High heat setting on a stovetop refers to the highest temperature range you can achieve, and it is not used as often as medium heat is used, but it is vital for some cooking purposes.
High heat would be the last few numbers on your temperature dial on the stovetop, above what medium and medium-high heat is.
This high heat setting is most commonly used for boiling water, such as water for cooking pasta, and for searing off meat. You do need to be careful with using high heat, as the top heat setting on a stovetop can be too high of heat, and you might need to take it one or two settings down.
It is better to start off with the lowest high-heat setting, such as heat setting 7 on a stovetop with settings from 1-10 and slowly set it to higher if needed.
What Is Medium Heat on the Stovetop?
Medium heat on a stovetop is fairly straightforward, it refers to the middle heat setting that your stovetop can be set to.
For example, if your stovetop dials range from 1-10, then 5 would be medium heat. If your stovetop ranges from 1-5, then 3 would be medium heat.
When it comes to the actual temperature, medium heat refers to the temperature range of 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, but this can be difficult to measure on your stovetop, so it is better to use the temperature dials that your stovetop has.
Related Questions
What Temperature Is Medium-High Heat?
Medium-high heat is hotter than medium heat and lower than high heat. The temperature range for medium-high heat is between 375 degrees and 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
What Temperature Is Gas Mark 4?
Gas mark 4 on a stove is 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or 180 degrees Celsius, which is considered to be medium heat in all cooking methods. Many different food items are cooked at gas mark 4 on the stove.
