A gas stove may look simple from the outside, but it is made up of several important parts that work together to help you cook safely and efficiently. From the burners on top to the control knobs and oven section, each component has a specific role. Understanding the parts of a gas stove not only helps you use it properly but also makes cleaning, maintenance, and troubleshooting much easier. In this article, weโll walk through the labeled diagram and explain the function of each part clearly.
Gas cooktops and gas ranges share the burner parts, and only a range has the oven parts.
Related: Parts of an Oven
Parts of a Gas Stove Labeled Diagram
The numbered table lists 29 parts of a gas stove from the cooktop surface to the adjustable feet. A reader finds the location and the function of each part in its row, and the full description in the entry after the table. The burner parts and the oven parts make up most of the parts of a gas stove.
| No. | Part | Location | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cooktop surface | The top of the range | Holds the burners and grates and takes spills |
| 2 | Burner base | On the cooktop under each burner head | Receives the gas and air mixture and supports the head |
| 3 | Burner head | On the burner base | Releases the gas through flame ports and forms the flame |
| 4 | Burner cap | On top of the burner head | Spreads the flame outward and keeps spills out of the ports |
| 5 | Spark electrode | Beside each burner head | Makes the spark that lights the gas |
| 6 | Pan support | Over each burner | Holds the pot above the flame |
| 7 | Drip pan | Under the burner on some models | Catches drips and lifts out for cleaning |
| 8 | Control knobs | On the front or the backguard | Turn the gas valves and set the flame size |
| 9 | Control panel | On the backguard or the front of the range | Mounts the knobs, the clock and the oven controls |
| 10 | Surface burner valve | Behind each knob | Meters the gas flow to its burner |
| 11 | Spark switch | On the valve stem | Triggers the spark when the knob reaches Lite |
| 12 | Spark module | Behind the control panel | Sends high voltage to the electrodes |
| 13 | Gas manifold | Behind the control panel | Distributes gas to the valves |
| 14 | Pressure regulator | At the gas inlet on the back of the range | Keeps the gas pressure steady |
| 15 | Gas inlet | On the back near the bottom | Connects the range to the gas supply line |
Rows 16 to 29 cover the oven and the frame, the lower half of the parts of a gas stove.
| No. | Part | Location | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Oven cavity | Inside the range below the cooktop | Forms the insulated cooking chamber |
| 17 | Oven racks | On the side walls of the cavity | Hold pans at set heights |
| 18 | Bake burner | Under the oven floor | Heats the cavity from below |
| 19 | Broil burner | At the top of the cavity | Browns food with direct heat from above |
| 20 | Oven igniter | Beside the bake burner | Glows white hot to light the oven gas |
| 21 | Oven safety valve | On the oven gas line | Opens the oven gas once the igniter is hot |
| 22 | Oven temperature sensor | At the top back of the cavity | Reports the oven temperature to the control |
| 23 | Oven door | On the front of the oven | Closes the cavity and holds in the heat |
| 24 | Oven door glass | In the front of the oven door | Shows the food and shields the cook from heat |
| 25 | Oven door handle | Along the top of the door | Opens and closes the door |
| 26 | Oven door hinges | At the bottom corners of the door | Swing the door open and hold it at an angle |
| 27 | Storage drawer | Below the oven door | Stores pans or warms food |
| 28 | Backguard | Along the back edge of the cooktop | Mounts the controls and shields the wall |
| 29 | Adjustable feet | At the four corners of the base | Level the range on the floor |
The entries below are in the order the gas travels, from the burner to the frame, and they name every one of the parts of a gas stove.
Parts of a Gas Stove Burner
A gas burner is three stacked pieces. The base receives the gas, the head releases it and the cap spreads the flame. A cook who lifts the cap and the head off the base sees how the parts of a gas stove burner fit together.
Burner base
The burner base is the stamped or cast body fixed to the cooktop under each burner. A short tube inside it mixes gas with air, and the burner head seats on top of it.
Venturi tube
The venturi tube is the narrow passage inside the burner base where gas pulls in air before it reaches the head. A correct mix of gas and air burns blue, and a poor mix burns yellow.
Burner head
Among the parts of a gas stove, the burner head is the ring on the base that has a row of small slots called flame ports. It is brass or aluminum, and the gas and air mixture burns as it leaves the ports.
Flame ports
Flame ports are the small slots cut around the edge of the burner head. Food residue in the ports blocks the flame, which is why the head comes off for cleaning.
Burner cap
The burner cap is the flat round lid that covers the burner head. It spreads the flame outward in an even ring and keeps boiled-over liquid out of the ports.
Sealed and open burners
A sealed burner is bolted to the cooktop with no gap around its base, so spills stay on the surface. An open burner stands above a drip pan, heats faster and is the style used in commercial kitchens.
Parts of a Gas Stove Cooktop
The cooktop is the part of a gas stove a cook touches most. Of all the parts of a gas stove, the surface, the grates and the drip pans take the spills, so they are the parts that come off for cleaning.
Cooktop surface
The cooktop surface is the flat sheet across the top of the range that carries the burners. Most surfaces are porcelain-coated steel or stainless steel, and the burner bases bolt through holes cut in the sheet.
Pan support
The pan support, also called the grate, is the metal frame that holds a pot above each burner. Of the parts of a gas stove, the pan support takes the most weight, so gas stoves use cast iron or coated steel that holds a full stockpot above the flame.
Drip pan
The drip pan is the shallow pan under an open burner. It catches drips and lifts out for washing.
Cooktop lid
The cooktop lid is the hinged glass or metal cover that folds down over the burners on some ranges. It makes extra counter space when the burners are off.
Control Knobs and Control Panel
The controls are where the cook meets the gas. A turn of the knob opens a valve, and the valve sets how much gas reaches the burner.
Control knobs
Control knobs are the round dials on the front of the range or on the backguard. Each one is marked from Off through Lite to the largest flame, and each one turns the valve of one burner.
Control panel
The control panel is the panel that mounts the knobs, the clock and the oven controls. It is on the backguard of a freestanding range and on the front edge of a slide-in range.
Oven control knob
The oven control knob sets the oven temperature. It connects to the oven thermostat or to the electronic control, depending on the age of the range.
Parts of a Gas Stove Ignition System
Ignition is the group of parts of a gas stove that lights the gas. A modern stove lights each burner with a spark, and an older stove keeps a pilot flame burning.
Spark electrode
The spark electrode is a small insulated rod beside each burner head. It makes the ticking spark that lights the gas when the knob reaches Lite.
Spark switch
The spark switch is the switch on the stem of each burner valve. It closes when the knob turns to Lite and sends voltage toward the electrode.
Spark module
The spark module is the small box behind the control panel that receives the signal from the spark switches. It sends high voltage to the electrodes, and a failed module stops every burner from sparking.
Pilot light
The pilot light is a small flame that burns all the time on an older gas stove and lights the burners when a knob turns. A thermocouple beside the pilot detects the flame and keeps the gas valve open.
Oven igniter
The oven igniter is a glow bar beside the bake burner. It heats until it is white hot, and the heat opens the oven safety valve and lights the oven gas.
Gas Supply Parts of a Gas Stove
Gas reaches the burners through a fixed route among the parts of a gas stove. It enters at the back of the range, passes the regulator, spreads along the manifold and stops at a valve for each burner.
Gas inlet
The gas inlet is the pipe connection on the back of the range near the bottom. A flexible gas line joins it to the shutoff valve on the wall.
Pressure regulator
The pressure regulator is a small valve at the gas inlet that keeps the gas pressure steady. Natural gas and propane use different regulator settings.
Gas manifold
The gas manifold is the pipe that runs behind the control panel. It carries the gas from the regulator to the valve of each burner.
Surface burner valve
The surface burner valve is the valve behind each knob that meters the gas to its burner. Turning the knob opens it further and makes a larger flame.
Orifice
The orifice is the small brass fitting at the outlet of each valve with a precisely sized hole. The hole meters the gas into the venturi tube, and a propane conversion replaces the orifices with smaller ones.
Oven safety valve
The oven safety valve is the valve on the oven gas line. It stays closed until the igniter is hot, which stops gas from entering the oven before the igniter is ready to light it.
Parts of a Gas Stove Oven
The oven is below the cooktop and has its own burners, its own igniter and its own sensor. Of the parts of a gas stove, the oven group is the largest, and it includes the cavity, the racks, the burners, the sensor and the door.
Oven cavity
The oven cavity is the insulated steel box where food cooks. Its walls are coated with porcelain enamel, and its side walls carry the rack guides.
Oven racks
Oven racks are the removable wire shelves that slide into guides on the side walls. They hold pans at set heights and keep food away from the burners.
Rack guides
Rack guides are the embossed ridges or wire ledges on the side walls of the cavity. Each pair sets one rack height, and the notches stop the rack from sliding out when it is pulled halfway.
Oven bottom panel
The oven bottom panel is the thin steel sheet that covers the oven floor above the bake burner. It spreads the heat evenly and keeps spilled food off the burner.
Bake burner
The bake burner is the gas burner under the oven floor. It heats the cavity from below, and a metal panel on the floor shields the pans from the flame.
Broil burner
The broil burner is the gas burner at the top of the cavity on most modern ranges. It browns food with direct heat from above, and older ranges have it in a drawer below the oven.
Broiler pan
The broiler pan is the two-piece pan that goes on a rack under the broil burner. The slotted top lets fat drain into the lower pan, so the fat stays away from the flame.
Oven temperature sensor
Of the oven parts of a gas stove, the oven temperature sensor is a thin metal probe at the top back of the cavity. Its electrical resistance changes with heat, and the oven control reads that change as the temperature.
Oven thermostat
The oven thermostat is the older way to control the oven temperature. A copper tube runs from the oven to the gas valve, and the valve opens or closes as the tube senses heat.
Oven light
The oven light is the lamp behind a glass cover in the back wall of the cavity. A plunger switch on the door frame turns it off when the door closes.
Oven Door Glass and Hinges
Among the parts of a gas stove oven, the door is the one the cook faces, so it carries the glass, the handle and the hinges.
Oven door
The oven door is the insulated panel that closes the front of the cavity. It swings down on hinges at the bottom edge, and a woven seal around the opening holds the heat in.
Oven door glass
The oven door glass is the heat-resistant glass in the front of the door. It lets the cook see the food, and the layered panes keep the outer surface cool.
Oven door handle
The oven door handle is the metal bar along the top of the door. A cook pulls it to lower the door and pushes it to close.
Oven door hinges
Oven door hinges are the two spring-loaded hinges at the bottom corners of the door. They control how fast the door drops and hold it open at an angle, and they come as a matched pair.
Oven door lock
The oven door lock is the latch on a self-cleaning oven that closes the door during the cleaning cycle. It unlocks when the cavity cools.
Gas Stove Body and Base Parts
The frame holds the other parts of a gas stove at working height. It shields the wall and levels the whole range.
Side panels
Side panels are the enameled steel sheets that close the two sides of a freestanding range. They cover the oven insulation and the gas line, and a slide-in range fits between cabinets with its side panels out of sight.
Backguard
The backguard is the raised panel along the back edge of the cooktop on a freestanding range. It mounts the control panel and shields the wall from heat and splatter.
Storage drawer
The storage drawer is the pull-out drawer below the oven door. It stores pans, and a warming drawer on some ranges keeps cooked food hot.
Adjustable feet
Adjustable feet are the threaded legs at the four corners of the base. Turning them levels the range so pans and batter lie flat.
Gas Stove Part Names
The names of the parts of a gas stove change between the US and the UK, and between brands. The table lists the other names a cook meets in manuals, parts catalogs and everyday speech.
| Part | Other names |
|---|---|
| Gas stove | Gas range, gas cooker (UK) |
| Cooktop | Stovetop, hob (UK) |
| Burner | Surface burner, ring (UK) |
| Burner base | Burner body |
| Burner cap | Burner lid |
| Pan support | Grate, pot support |
| Control knobs | Dials, burner knobs |
| Spark electrode | Igniter, spark igniter |
| Oven igniter | Glow bar |
| Pressure regulator | Gas regulator |
| Broil burner | Broiler, grill (UK) |
| Oven door glass | Oven window |
| Backguard | Backsplash panel, riser |
FAQs
Q1. What are the parts of a gas stove called?
The main parts of a gas stove are the cooktop surface, burner bases, heads and caps, pan supports, control knobs, gas valves, igniters, the oven cavity, racks, burners and door, and the frame.
Q2. What is the top of a gas stove called?
The top of a gas stove is called the cooktop, or the stovetop. It is the flat surface that carries the burners, the pan supports and the drip pans.
Q3. What is the metal part of a gas stove called?
The metal frame that holds pots over the flames is called the pan support, or the grate. It is made of cast iron or coated steel and lifts off the cooktop for cleaning.
Q4. What are the parts of a gas stove burner?
The parts of a gas stove burner are the base, the head with its flame ports, the cap and the spark electrode. A gas valve and an orifice feed each burner from below.
Q5. What is on top of a gas stove called?
The pieces on top of a gas stove are the burner caps and heads, the pan supports and the drip pans. The knobs are on the front or on the backguard.
Q6. What does the igniter on a gas stove do?
The igniter lights the gas. A spark electrode lights each surface burner, and a glow bar lights the oven burner.
Q7. What are the parts of a gas stove oven?
The parts of a gas stove oven are the cavity, the racks, the bake burner, the broil burner, the igniter, the safety valve, the temperature sensor, the light and the door.
Q8. What is the pilot light on a gas stove?
The pilot light is a small flame that burns all the time on an older gas stove. It lights the burner gas, and a thermocouple beside it shuts the gas off if the flame goes out.
Q9. What does a gas valve on a gas stove do?
A gas valve meters the gas that flows to a burner. Turning the knob opens the valve further and makes the flame larger.
Q10. What are the parts of a gas stove called in the UK?
A British gas stove is called a gas cooker, and its cooktop is called a hob. The burners are rings, and the broiler is the grill.
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