Can You Cook Food On A Gas Fireplace?

No! It’s a valid question though. Normally, we cook food on hot surfaces, therefore, a gas fireplace should be no different. There are people who roast marshmallows over scented candles or hot dogs over a plastic-based flame. The thing is, we shouldn’t be cooking those marshmallows or those hot dogs. You certainly should not be cooking over a gas-burning fireplace.

And here’s why! For one thing, nothing should cook in a gas fireplace because it is chemically toxic so you’re consuming those toxins.  Also, any grease produced from your food will fall onto your logs. This grease will cause them to crack and deteriorate very easily because they shouldn’t be washed.  It’s possible that you’ll have venting problem because there will be a layer of grease all over your fireplace and on things close to it.

You may love the cozy feel of your gas fireplace. You want to make the experience more authentic. You’re thinking, maybe s’mores? After all, the heat of your fireplace should operate the same as an oven or a stove when cooking, right? Roasting’s mores over your fireplace with your family sounds like a great substitute for when you can’t create a bonfire outdoors, but it’s not a good practice in reality.

In terms of your safety, the answer to “Can I cook on a gas fireplace?” is a solid no. Your fireplace s’mores will have to wait until bonfire night, unfortunately. Let’s explore the reasons why cooking on your gas fireplace might not be as dreamy as you’ve been led to believe:

1. It’s Toxic

One of the drawbacks of having a gas fireplace is its high level of emissions. A gas fireplace is also considered chemically toxic, although it does operate within standardized safety protocols. However, this property of a gas fireplace renders any food cooked on top of it toxic and otherwise unsafe to eat. You certainly don’t want to be sharing toxic food from your gas fireplace with your friends and family.

2. It Can Cause Fireplace Venting Issues

Let’s face it: your food contains grease. Image this grease dripping into your gas fireplace. Gross, right? Well, since you cannot wash the inside of your gas fireplace, you would have to live with that grease. Not only will this deteriorate the quality of your fireplace, but you will start having ventilation issues due to the amount of grease build-up. These venting issues, of course, poses an immediate threat to your safety and endangers your health.

3. Cooking is Not Its Purpose

A gas fireplace’s sole purpose is to add an additional source of heat to your home. Its high heating efficiency (up to 99%!) makes this perfect as a home heating system as its primary purpose. There is no need to cook food with this rate of efficiency, especially when normal stoves and ovens operate at less than a third of that efficiency and still get the job done without substantial risk. Instead, by using your gas fireplace as it was intended, you can increase its lifespan and support future usability.

4. Your Fireplace Could Explode

No, really. We know we sound facetious. However, by putting anything into a fireplace, including wood, you risk damaging the system to the extent of an explosion due to the sensitive gas line. Additionally, your grease buildup, as noted earlier, can cause venting issues that could also lead to a severe explosion. The damage to your fireplace, home, yourself, and potentially others is just not worth the risk of cooking food on your gas fireplace.

So, when thinking about cooking for your friends and family, consider starting a bonfire or using the traditional stove or oven. Cooking on a gas fireplace is simply not worth the risks, especially when it can negatively impact your health. Instead, let the gas fireplace continue to work its magic as a heating system for your home.

In conclusion, it is not a very idea to cook food over a gas fireplace because it is dangerous not only for the safety of your home and fireplace but on your own.  So, if cooking with your fireplace is a deciding factor between buying a wood or gas fireplace, you should probably go with wood.