Types of Cookware for Glass Top Stoves

Ceramic top ranges seemed to answer the problem of cleaning food and grease out of burner wells when they entered the home market in the 1970s. Glass tops were introduced a few years later, allowing cooks to "see" when the burner was on. Some cooks may consider them inferior cooking surfaces, but many enjoy using them.

Identification

Glass top ranges use hardened glass to cover electric coil burners, providing a perfectly flat top. Most major appliance manufacturers offer them, including some high-end makers that promise professional-type performance. Users find them convenient and easy to clean, although the cook tops do have some special requirements, particularly in the type of cookware to be used on them. New glass top ranges come with manuals containing specific recommendations for cookware.

Shape

Any type pot or pan can be used on a glass top stove, provided that its bottom is perfectly flat. If the bottom is warped or rounded, the pan will take a long time to heat properly, cook unevenly and waste energy. Flat bottoms utilize heat efficiently through the glass barrier. File any manufacturing burrs or imperfections on metal cookware bottoms to avoid scratching the glass surface. Ridged bottoms like those on grills and some cookware should not be used; the uneven surface reflects heat back on the glass unevenly and could possibly lead to breakage, either to the glass or the cookware.

Size

Bottoms of pans should be a slightly smaller diameter than the burner on which they are placed. When cookware covers the burner, heat reflected back to the burner's control may trip the thermocouple, turning off the current before the element actually heats up to the set temperature. The dissipation of heat around the cookware allows the element to keep heating until it reaches the level at which it was set. Don't give up on big stew pots; just offset them on the largest burners to allow elements to keep heating.

Materials

Enameled and ceramic-coated metals are recommended for use on glass top cookware. Flat steel pans work well, provided they don't cover the burner element. Glass and cast iron pans may also be used provided they are handled properly. When using glass or ceramic cookware, always make sure that it is marked clearly for range-top use; only cookware specifically tempered for high range top temperatures will survive.

Handling

Cast iron and anodized materials should always be pre-heated. Glass cookware should not be allowed to "burn dry" because super-heated glass may melt and fuse to the surface. Never move or shake frying pans and saute pans, especially uncoated cast iron or steel while cooking---it will scrape or mark the glass top. As with any electric range, turn the burner off before removing the pan.

Insight

Range top elements get extremely hot---as hot as an oven element during the cleaning cycle. Cast iron and anodized cookware should be used only on medium to medium-high heat to avoid uneven cooking and "boil-overs". Learn the right settings for each of your pots on your glass top range---they'll heat up faster than a conventional electric range. Test pans by boiling an inch of water; if bubbles don't form evenly around the bottom, replace the pan.

References

• Electric Smoothtop Easy Touch Control 500 Amana Range Use and Care Guide; 2003

Resources

• Cooking forums
• Chowhound