10
U sing and Caring for Your Cooktop
Cookware tips
• Select a pan that is about the same size
as the surface unit.
• NOTE: For best results and greater
energy efficiency, use only flat-bottomed
cookware that makes good contact with
the surface units. Cookware with rounded,
warped, ribbed (such as some porcelain
enamelware), or dented bottoms could
cause severe overheating, which damages
the cookware and/or surface unit.
You can, however, use the newer
cookware available with slightly indented
bottoms or very small expansion channels.
This cookware is specially designed to
provide the good contact needed for best
cooking results.
Also, woks, canners, and teakettles with
flat bottoms suitable for use on your
cooktop are now available in most stores
that sell housewares.
• The pan should have straight sides and a
tight-fitting lid.
• Choose medium to heavy gauge (thick-
ness) pans that are fairly lightweight.
• The pan material (metal or glass) affects
how fast heat transfers from the surface
unit through the pan material and how
evenly heat spreads over the pan bottom.
Choose pans that provide the best cooking
results.
• Handles should be made of sturdy, heat-
resistant material and be securely attached
to the pan.
NOTE: Do not leave empty cookware, or
cookware which has boiled dry, on a hot
surface unit. The cookware could overheat
and damage the cookware or surface unit.
Home canning information
• Use the largest surface unit for best
results. Also, use a canner/pan which can
be centered over the surface unit. Large
diameter canners/pans, if not properly
centered, trap heat and can cause damage
to the cooktop.
• Start with hot water. This reduces the
time the control is set on high. Reduce
heat setting to lowest position needed to
keep water boiling.
• Keep reflector bowls clean for best
heat reflection.
• Refer to your canner manual for specific
instructions.
Optional canning kit
The large diameter of most water-bath or
pressure canners combined with high heat
settings for long periods of time can shorten
the life of regular surface units and cause
damage to the cooktop.
If you plan to use the cooktop for canning,
we recommend the installation of a Canning
Kit. Order the kit (Part No. 242905) from your
KitchenAid dealer, or call 1-800-422-1230
and follow the instructions and telephone
prompts you hear.
Center over
surface unit
Pan
Surface unit