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U sing and Caring for Your Cooktop
Cookware tips
The pan material affects how fast heat transfers from the surface cooking area through the pan
material and how evenly heat spreads over the pan bottom. Choose pans that provide the
best cooking results.
Aluminum
• Heats quickly and evenly.
• Use for all types of cooking.
• Medium or heavy thickness is best for most cooking.
• Used as a core or base in cookware to provide even heating.
Cast iron
• Heats slowly and evenly.
• Good for browning and frying.
• Maintains heat for slow cooking.
• Can be coated with porcelain enamel.
Ceramic or
ceramic glass
• Heats slowly and unevenly.
• Use on low to medium settings.
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions.
Copper
• Heats very quickly and evenly.
• Used as a core or base in cookware to provide even heating.
Earthenware
• Can be used for cooktop cooking if recommended by the
manufacturer.
• Use on low settings.
Porcelain enamel-on-steel
or enamel-on-cast iron
• See cast iron and stainless steel.
Stainless steel
• Heats quickly but unevenly.
• A core or base of aluminum or copper on the cookware
provides even heating.
• Can be coated with porcelain enamel.
•
Select a pan that is about the same size
as the surface cooking area. Cookware
should not extend more than 1 inch
(2.5 cm) outside the area.
• For best results and greater energy
efficiency, use only flat-bottomed
cookware that makes good contact with
the surface cooking area. Cookware with
rounded, warped, ribbed (such as some
porcelain enamelware), or dented bottoms
could cause uneven heating and poor
cooking results.
• Cookware designed with slightly indented
bottoms or small expansion channels can
be used.
• Cookware with non-stick finish has
heating characteristics of the base material.
• Check for rough spots on the bottom of
metal or glass cookware which will scratch
the ceramic glass surface.
• Use flat bottom cookware for best heat
conduction from the surface cooking area
to the cookware. Determine flatness with
the ruler test. Place the edge of a ruler
across the bottom of the cookware. Hold it
up to the light. No light should be visible
under the ruler. Rotate the ruler in all
directions and look for any light.
• Do not leave empty cookware, or
cookware that has boiled dry, on a hot
surface cooking area. The cookware
could overheat, causing damage to the
cookware or the surface cooking area.
Characteristics of cookware materials
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