Stoves with glass tops are very appealing. Because of the beautiful sheet of glass on the top, your kitchen has a contemporary beauty that oozes class and elegance. However, when you break that glass with a hefty pan, particularly cast-iron equipment, all of that beauty is thrown out the window. It goes without saying that you should safeguard your glass top stove, especially if you are using cast iron on the glass.
What might be the best prevention against breaking your glass stovetop? Read further below to get the best potential protection for your dearly kitchen equipment.
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How does a Glass top stove works?
Electric cooktops provide steady heat flow and energy efficiency of up to 70%, making them ideal for professional chefs. Because of the limited thermal conductivity of glass, heat is more effectively and efficiently constricted to pots and pans on the cooking boundaries, allowing the heat to remain focused in the cooking zone and the rest of the cooktop to remain cooler. The way it works is as follows:
- An electrical current travel through a special metal coil that is located beneath the glass-ceramic surface. As a result of the heating of the electrical resistance, a hot glowing metal coil is produced, which distributes its heat through the glass-ceramic via infrared energy and back to the glass-ceramic via convection.
- Heat is constricted in zones due to the limited thermal expansion of glass-ceramic, as well as its infrared transmission and emission properties. The pot base in contact with the glass surface is evenly warmed by the energy inducted through glass-ceramic to the cookware.
- The transfer of heat from the cookware causes the food to be cooked. The surrounding surface of the glass-ceramic is kept at a comfortable temperature.
- When the electricity is turned off, the glass-ceramic cooktop continues to emit heat, which can be used to cook or reheat food while the electricity is turned back on. If the cooking zones are still hot from the cooking method, electric light on the stove indicates that they are still hot.
What is a heat diffuser for electric stove?
A heat diffuser is a cooking device that is used on the stovetop to ensure that heat is dispersed evenly across the bottom of a pan. This is essential for foods that must be simmered for an extended period of time on low heat, and it can help to avoid the usual problem of food that is scorched or cooked unevenly. These devices, which in some parts of the world are referred to as flame tamers, are available for purchase at a variety of kitchen supply stores.
The material that is used to construct a heat diffuser is often substantial and solid in appearance. In order to create a flat plate, steel can be treated with various specialized coatings. Alternatively, porcelain-coated cast iron can be used to create a diffuser. The end result is a flat disc that can be used to steady a pan while simultaneously regulating and distributing the heat from the burner. In certain circumstances, a heat diffuser may be equipped with a handle that allows it to be moved around on the stovetop, while other variants are designed to seem like basic dishes.
Can You Use a Heat Diffuser on a Glass Top Stove?
Yes, without a doubt. These diffusers do precisely what they say on the package. They aid in the equal distribution of heat and the provision of a safety net to ensure that your range of pots and pans does not suffer damage. Naturally, there are certain disadvantages to using these gadgets, but the basic line is that they are effective in their intended purpose.
More crucially, however, they are ridiculously inexpensive. You can acquire a rather nice heat diffuser for less than the cost of a great lunch out on the town. If you house a glass top stove in your kitchen, you should definitely consider purchasing a heat diffuser and putting it to use. It is only a few dollars if you end up disliking it after trying it out.
Heat diffusers will not entirely your stove from damages, but they will make accidents less prone for those appliances. Considering using a heat diffuser will be best with your glass top stove.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Glass Top Stove?
There are several exclusive advantages to using glass stovetops. Namely, these are Aesthetics, Heat dissipation, Automatic Features, and Comfortability.
Aesthetics
This is an unassailable fact. When you choose a gas stove with a glass top, you get a more contemporary appearance. The stove’s sleek and attractive appearance is enhanced by the use of high-quality glass on the top. You should absolutely choose the glass top if you have a modern kitchen because it will look great in your space and will compliment your kitchen perfectly. The matte finish glass top stove, in particular, adds a pleasing aesthetic appeal to your kitchen as well as the rest of the house.
Heat dissipation
Gas stoves with glass tops perform significantly better than other varieties when it comes to heat distribution. They contain a sealed chamber, which allows them to disperse heat and cold more effectively. Because the top glass layer is also heat resistant, it serves as an excellent safety element as well. If you are the type of person who has difficulty with high temperatures, it is recommended that you use glass top gas stoves.
Automatic features
Electricity powers glass stovetops, and anything connected to such a power source is readily developed. A newer feature instantly ignites the stove when the knob is turned on. Innovative features such an automatic timer, child safety features, flame failure prevention, and other features are more common on glass top gas stoves than traditional ranges. These features make your stove safer and more convenient to operate.
Durability
Glass is more prone to cracking than stainless steel, however most stove glass is toughened, so it doesn’t break easily. Their design withstands heavy usage by big items like pots and pans. Glass top gas stoves are not only durable but also corrosion-resistant. Because glass is resistant to corrosion, your stove will seem like new for as long as you use it. Also, the glass material is less prone to scratches than steel. Glass top gas stoves have a long service life due to their robustness and corrosion resistance.
Related Question(FAQ)
Taking on a glass stovetop could be very enticing, but you might want to proceed with better precautions before getting along with these appliances.
Whilst using a heat diffuser for your stove, these are the precautions you might want to take note—or at least some other owners did:
What size heat diffuser do I need?
A smaller pan will always work above a wider Heat Diffuser, but a wider pan base might overlap on a smaller Heat Diffuser area, which would forfeit the use of the diffuser.
With this, you can determine the bottom of the widest pan you will be using and select the Heat Diffuser that will fit.
Are heat diffusers worth it?
Heat diffusers operate as a buffer to separate your cookware and the glass top of your stove, keeping the heat in and the heat out.
Heat diffusers serve as glass cooktop guards by acting as a physical barrier between the cooktop and the rest of the kitchen. In this sense, along with its basic function of dissipating heat evenly, it’s definitely worth it.
Can I use a frying pan as a heat diffuser?
Though frying pans are not designed to be heat diffusers, you might be surprised that they can actually do the job.
However, you might find that it’s not as effective as actual heat diffusers since some pans do not have a plain or flat inner surface. With this, you might be better off with an actual diffuser since it is relatively cheap.
Conclusion
Heat diffusers aren’t a foolproof permanent solution for an incompatible glass stovetop. It is true that they are excellent temporary adequate replacements that will allow you to occasionally use a rough-bottomed pot or an enameled pan, but they are not ideal.
There’s no excuse not to pick up a heat diffuser and give it a shot for yourself, especially considering how inexpensive they are. Your favorite old cookware will work perfectly well with your brand new stove, and nothing will be damaged in the process.
