7 Cooking Ingredients That Should Not Be Stored Near The Stove

Illustration of cooking (Photo: Freepik/Pressphoto)

Storing ingredients near the stove is practical, but it's not the best choice. In addition to risking the danger of fire, heat and steam from the stove can damage the taste, texture to the quality of food ingredients.

Some ingredients such as kitchen salt, flaky salt for sprinkles, or whole pepper in agrinder are still safe if placed near a stove, especially if it is only small and often refilled. However, there are many other ingredients that should be far from the stove area for safety and quality.

"Hot from stoves, steam from cooking, and light can accelerate the decline in taste quality and the aroma of fresh spices," explained Alex Wilkens, Vice President of Products at The Spice House, quoted from the Real Simple page.

"Hot and steam make the taste disappear quickly and the shelf life is shorter," he continued.

The following is a list of ingredients that we often put near stoves, but should be moved to other places.

1. Spice Seasoning

According to Alyse Baca, Culinary Director on Spicewalla, there are no standard rules regarding where to store spices.

"But if you want the spices to stay fresh, you should keep them away from heat and moisture. Heat, light, and steam can damage natural oil in spices, making it taste quickly fade," he said.

"Save in a cool, dark, and dry place like a cupboard or drawer away from the stove so that it lasts longer and doesn't clot," he continued.

2. Cooking Oil

In addition to being dangerous if placed near a fire, oil is also easily damaged when exposed to heat.

"Avoid storing oil, vinegar, nuts, flour, or hot-sensitive materials above or near the stove," said Willkens.

The oil that is exposed to heat will be faster and the taste will decrease.

3. Cuka

Bottles of vinegar should also be kept away from stoves. Heat can damage the natural acid taste. Keep it in a cool, dark place, or if you want it to be safer, in the refrigerator.

4. Coffee

If the coffee angle in the kitchen is near the stove, you should reconsider. Coffee is very sensitive to temperature and humidity, plus it is easy to absorb the surrounding aroma.

Jangan sampai kopi pagi terasa seperti makanan. Simpan biji atau kopi dalam kopukung tertutup di moduli yang cool dan dark.

5. Fruit and Vegetables

Some fruit is usually placed on the kitchen table, but don't put it near the stove. Heat and steam can make it soft and rotten quickly. Materials such as onions and potatoes are safer to store in cool, dark, and dry places.

6. Easy Ingredients

We often remove milk, eggs, or other fresh ingredients from the refrigerator while cooking. But don't leave it too long near the stove. This material requires cold temperatures. If you get hot for too long, then food ingredients are stale. It's better to remove it as needed when it will be used.

7. Crude Meat and Seafood

Letting raw meat or seafood take too long at the kitchen table is already risky, especially near the stove. Warm temperatures can trigger harmful bacteria. Don't let this material be exposed to heat before cooking because it can increase the risk of food poisoning.