Is it safe to leave a broth simmering overnight on an electric stove?
I am trying to cook bone broth in a pot on an electric stove like this one 
and it needs to simmer for at least a day (so the stove is set to a low temperature). Is it safe to leave the stove unattended like this overnight? Assuming, of course, that there is enough water in the broth such that it won't all evaporate overnight. I know that a crock pot would be ideal for this but I don't have one (or the means to get one right now) and at this point the broth has already been simmering for a few hours.
Best Answer
Is it safe? That depends on a lot of factors. Generally, no. It isn't. A blog post from the Healthy Home Economist has the opinion of a firefighter:
One gal mentioned that her husband was a firefighter and that leaving a stockpot simmering overnight or while they were out of the house was completely out of the question.
The NFPA says the same, as this informational PDF sheet illustrates.
Since you cannot get a crock pot my only other suggestion is to simmer your bone broth in the oven. If your pot is oven safe and you trust your oven's ability to keep a steady low temperature, then try it in there.
If you plan on making bone broth more often, a crock pot is a great investment and if you check out your local Goodwill or Salvation Army store you might find an older but still perfectly usable model for an excellent price. It would also allow you to slow cook your broth overnight safely (and uses less electricity to do it).
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Can you leave broth on stove overnight?
According the expert McGee consulted, soup or stock left to cool overnight, then reboiled for 10 minutes and properly refrigerated in the morning is still safe to eat because it isn't cool long enough for the bacteria to germinate and reproduce up to dangerous levels.Can you simmer stock on the stove overnight?
Fill with water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest simmer my stove burner will maintain, and leave it to simmer all night long. In the morning, I'll strain the stock and let it cool, and toss all the used bits in the trash.Can I leave the electric stove on low overnight?
The truth is that leaving an electric stovetop burner on does not, in and of itself cause damage. The problem is if there is something on the burner or near the burner that could catch on fire.Is it safe to leave something simmering on the stove?
It's amazing how many people think it's OK to leave food unattended on the stove, especially when cooking on a low-heat setting. But, according to Prevent Fire, you should never leave your stove unattended while in use. Think of your stove as an active cooking device.Is Cooking Sous Vide with Plastic Bags Safe? | Joe Rogan
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Answer 2
In the opposite direction from "scary stove fire stories" - If your electric stove is sufficiently "modern" it may turn off after a few hours, leaving you with un-refrigerated un-heated bacterial growth medium.
My new stove happily decided to pull this trick while I was in the kitchen and able to turn it back on in a few minutes (I was simmering fruit butter for canning, if memory serves.)
In the fire story direction, the previous stove blew an oven element, resulting in an arc, but not tripping the breaker (it's a big breaker, the arc was not so big, but still alarming.) Evidently this sort of end happens with surface elements as well from time to time, complete with blowing holes in pans.
Answer 3
I've done this on my electric stove overnight before. My stove burners run cold, and I woke up every two hours to check the broth. A slow cooker produces less broth, but can be left and forgotten about safely.
Answer 4
I would never, ever trust an electric stove. I put a side of corned beef in a large stock pot to cook it slow and then went to bed. When I woke the next morning I was chocking on smoke. The house was so thick with smoke I could't see two feet in front of me. After getting my daughters out of the house I took a deep breath and ran in to turn off the stove. The electric coil was glowing red hot as though I had the dial set to high. I will never, ever trust an electric stove again.
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