How to Cook in Glazed Ceramics on Top of the Stove

Use glazed ceramic pots to cook fabulous meals on the stove.

Many people think of glazed ceramic cookware as a material for baking food in the oven, but ceramic cookware is far more durable than glassware. Glazed ceramics have a better nonstick surface than glassware, cook food more evenly and can be used in the oven or on the stove. It's great for cooking any type of food. Cleanup is easy, and its surface is more durable than nonstick pans. The best part is the coating never peels off like nonstick pots and pans.

Things You'll Need

• Heat diffuser

Instructions

1. Wash new glazed ceramic cookware with a soft, nonabrasive plastic scrubber in liquid detergent. Rinse thoroughly with warm water to make sure no residue is left on the cookware from the kiln or factory.

2. Put a heat diffuser on the eye before placing the glazed ceramic cookware on the stove. The diffuser is a heavy metal plate that spreads the heat across the pan evenly and keeps your glazed ceramic cookware from cracking.

3. Make pasta by filling the pot two-thirds full with water. Heat the water on high. When the water boils, add your favorite pasta and cook until tender. Remove cookware from heat and pour the pasta into a strainer. If you don't strain the pasta immediately, the hot cookware will continue cooking the food.

4. Create a delicious cake by greasing and flouring a 4-qt. glazed ceramic pot. Mix up half of a basic cake recipe, add 1/8 cup of extra liquid and pour into the pot. Cover the pot with the lid and cook on medium-low for 25 to 35 minutes. Poke a toothpick into the cake, and if the toothpick comes back clean, the cake is done. Remove the pot from the heat, let cool for 10 minutes with the lid off, then remove the cake from the pot.

5. Make stews. When cooking stews with meat and vegetables, cook meat first with stock or broth until the meat reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, then add vegetables. Cook the vegetables until tender and serve.

Tips & Warnings

• Take food to parties and potlucks in glazed ceramic cookware because the food stays warm for hours if the lid is on the cookware.

• Never scrape out dried or burned-on foods with sharp instruments. Even though glazed ceramic cookware is durable, using metal scrubbers can damage the surface over time. Use plastic scrub pads for cleaning or soak in hot water before scrubbing with a plastic scouring pad.

• Never cook in glazed ceramic pots produced before 1985, as older ceramic glazes contain lead and are hazardous to your health.

• Never quickly cool down glazed ceramic cookware with cold water or ice, which can cause it to crack or shatter.

References

• Cooking With Shirley: Cooking in Clay Pots

Resources

• Amazon: Norpro Tin Heat Diffuser
• Lehman's: Heat Diffuser for Stove Burners