Uses for a warm stove top?

April 4, 2010 12:04 PM

Uses for a permanently warm stove top?

How can I make use of a permanently warm stove top? I'm renting and my small stove has two pilot lights. A pot of water left on the stove top for a few hours reaches and remains at 100 F / 38 C.
It seems a waste not to use it for something. What plants, foods or other process could benefit from being that warm all the time? (It's fairly dark so it's not ideal for plants unless they can cope without much light -- mushrooms?)

posted by fries to home & garden (17 answers total)

Make Yogurt.
posted by Science! at 12:07 PM on April 4, 2010 [1 favorite]

Set an unlit scented candle there. The warmth from the stove will release the candle's aroma (and it will last much longer than burning it).
posted by amyms at 12:11 PM on April 4, 2010 [1 favorite]

Bread dough.

Alternately, lift the stove top and turn the gas to the pilots off with a small screwdriver (don't mess with the one in the oven, though), and use one of those squeezy flint fire starters from the hardware store to light the burners.
posted by zippy at 12:11 PM on April 4, 2010 [2 favorites]

Melt butter. Put a pot of water on it to humidify the air. Set a dish of loose potpourri over it to release the scent.
posted by DrGail at 12:25 PM on April 4, 2010

Your chocolate chip cookies will always be waiting for you warm.
posted by thejoshu at 12:34 PM on April 4, 2010

Yeah, I came in to recommend yogurt. 100 degrees is just the perfect temp for that.
posted by devinemissk at 12:51 PM on April 4, 2010

I love having a warm pot of water with cinnamon sticks, orange peels and cloves in it. Makes everything smell wonderful! There are lots of different things that will smell good - experiment!
posted by stoneweaver at 12:56 PM on April 4, 2010 [1 favorite]

Keep jars of honey (GLASS ONLY) on the back of the stove, which will keep the honey liquid instead of crystalizing.
posted by mollymayhem at 1:11 PM on April 4, 2010

Another smell suggestion: You could leave potpourri or small plates of essential oils on the stovetop; I assume the heat would help release the scents.
posted by sentient at 1:52 PM on April 4, 2010

Thaw meat.
posted by ish__ at 2:03 PM on April 4, 2010

Get a cat. Never were my cats happier than when I had a crummy apt with a tiny 'betty crocker' gas stove with said pilot light. It was impossible to keep them off.
posted by East Siberian patchbelly wrangler at 2:35 PM on April 4, 2010

Ooohh...and methinks the thawing meat thing is a no-go. If memory serves, the deck of the stove stays quite warm (as the OP mentions) and is perfect for breeding all kinds of narsty little beasties.
posted by East Siberian patchbelly wrangler at 2:38 PM on April 4, 2010

I'm not suggesting you put your raw meat directly on the stove top. On top of a plate would be fine. Or if you break up larger packages of meat into meal-sized ziplocs, keep it in the ziploc while it thaws.
posted by ish__ at 3:47 PM on April 4, 2010

A ginger beer bug would develop well on a warm stove top Like this one ...
posted by chairish at 3:52 PM on April 4, 2010

It's perfect for softening sticks of butter (In a mixing bowl) to use in cookies, and for letting dough rise.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 4:24 PM on April 4, 2010

Keep your coffee/tea mugs pre-heated and ready to go.
posted by bizwank at 8:16 PM on April 4, 2010

This set-up would be perfect for proofing bread dough.
posted by primer_dimer at 2:47 AM on April 5, 2010