Your old stove has taken a dive, it’s time to buy a new one. This go around, do yourself a favor and spring for a ceramic glass cooktop. They’re a pretty popular option and for good reason.
You’ll no longer have to deal with annoying metal grates. To clean a glass stovetop, all you need is a sponge and a little bit of water. They heat up faster so you can get done with dinner and start enjoying your evening sooner.
With all these benefits come a few downsides. You have to be careful to avoid scratches and cooking on them is quite different than preparing meals on a traditional stove. Check out this quick user guide before you begin.
What is a Ceramic Glass Cooktop?
Before we get cooking, it might be important for you to know what a ceramic cooktop is so it’s a good choice to read a user guide. They can be classified as any smooth stovetop that’s made using ceramic or tempered glass. When heading to the sales floor to pick one out, it’s important to know that there are four different types that you’ll have to choose from
First, there is radiant. Radiant cooktops heat up food by using metal coils that are located below the ceramic surface. They are the opposite of halogen stovetops that use bulbs. Semi-halogen uses a mixture of both metal coils and bulbs.
The last type is induction. Induction stovetops use magnets that interact with your metal cookware to heat things up. The first three on this list all pretty much work the same with a few minor differences.
Induction stovetops offer up a bit of a challenge. They stay cool until you put a pan on them. Once you do that, your food will heat up super fast so you need to keep an eye on it.
Why Use One?
The better question here is why not use one? Again, they’re easy to clean. All you need to do is run a damp cloth over the surface and you’re done. They cook food faster than traditional stoves so you can prepare all your meals quicker and they look good in pretty much any kitchen.
They’re also safer than traditional stoves. They have a bright red indicator that tells you if the surface of the cooktop is still hot and again, induction stoves don’t even get hot until you place your cookware on it.
Knowing the Elements
Now that you know a little bit more about what a ceramic stove is, it’s time to learn how to cook with one. To begin, we’re going to go over the elements. Like most stovetops, you’ll have four to work with.
Two of the elements are dual elements that you turn on using the dials. There are different settings that you can set the dials to depending on what you’re trying to cook.
For example, you’ll turn the dial to one or two if you only want to warm something up. Numbers 3-6 are for standard cooking and 7-12 is for frying and roasting.
You may have to play around with these settings a little to find the one that matches up to your needs. The good news is that the elements will turn on and off to keep up with the setting that you put it on.
Cookware 101
So, What is the Best Cookware To Use On A Ceramic Glass Cooktop? The answer is anything but glass, ceramic, or cast iron cookware. All three have the tendency to scratch up a glass top stove.
Cast iron heats up pretty fast so if you’re using high heat to cook something, it may trigger the temperature limiters in the stove and cause the element to shut off. You can use legend cookware pots and pans they are long-lasting and never disappoint you.
You want to use pans that have a flat bottom. They won’t scratch up your stove and they allow for even heat distribution so you don’t have to worry about overcooking or undercooking your meal.
You can use cookware that has aluminum or copper bottoms but they do tend to leave behind a residue. Be sure to clean it up as soon as you notice it. If you let it sit on the stove for a long while, it will be harder to wipe up later.
If you put more than 50 pounds worth of weight on your stove, you may end up cracking the surface of it. So, be careful about using heavy pots.
Cleaning When Cooking is Done
Once cooking is done, it’s time to clean up your mess. Don’t use abrasive cleaners or metal scrubbing pads to wipe up spills. Doing so will scratch up the surface of your glass top stove.
Use a cloth with a little bit of water and a cleaner that’s made with ceramic stoves in mind. You can use a sponge too as long as it’s soft.
Sometimes you can’t help it if something you’re cooking boils over. It’s fine but you need to make sure that you clean it up right away. Spills from sauces and sugary substances can leave stains if allowed to stick around for very long.
If you don’t notice the stuck-on food right away and it becomes hard to remove, spray a little vinegar on it to soften it up and go at it with a scraping tool. Make sure that you don’t use the very corner of the tool or you’ll scratch the stove.
Make the Most of Your Glass Top Stove
Having a ceramic glass cooktop can be a lot of work. There are tons of rules that you have to follow in order to keep them in good condition and learning how to cook on one can be a challenge.
All of this is worth it in the end for the number of benefits you’ll receive. You’ll never want to go back to a traditional stovetop!
Need some great recipes that you can prepare on that nice glass top stove? Check out our blog daily for all the latest dish ideas.ceramic glass cooktop
