Cast Iron VS smooth top ranges
14 years ago
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Cleaning Wolf Cast Iron Range top grates
Comments (4)I used something called Perforce grease cleaner from Sam's Club on my American Range cast iron grates. I just followed the directions on the bottle. I have also used Dawn Power Dissolver. You have to be careful to avoid getting the degreaser on any stainless steel parts as it will permanently streak them....See MoreInduction vs. smooth top electric range
Comments (46)If the OP is asking regular electric vs. induction I vote for induction. Since getting my induction cooktop I have gotten rid of my slow cooker, egg steamer, rice cooker, plug in teapot, and many other no-longer-needed compensatory items that I was using because my electric cooktop was so pitifully slow. I put any non-magnetic pots into the "first apartment boxes" for my kids, and I only needed to buy 3 pieces of cookware. I don't even use my microwave anymore bc my induction cooktop is faster. As far as the paper towel discussion goes. I have cooked greasy stuff on top of paper towels, but not left them lingering. The clean up is easy. If I've got something on the stove that the little kids have to serve themselves when I'm not home yet, I leave it on low with a dishtowel underneath. That way if they spill, clean up will be easier later. The other day I made a small portion of mini bowtie pasta for my little niece. Granted, it was a small amount of water, but it was at a full boil in 23 seconds. I think that's amazing....See MoreBEST?: Anodized vs. Stainless vs. Tri-ply vs. Cast iron
Comments (14)Ease of cleanup has absolutely no relationship the whether or not the pan will perform the cooking job better. I buy my pans based on how well they cook, not how easy they are to clean. Always buy high quality cookware suited to the task and buy for life. I've found properly seasoned cast iron to be superior for frying, deep frying, hearth cooking, searing meat, cooking cornbread, eggs and a number of other foods. Nothing sears better than cast iron. Cast iron's limitations are few but include reacting with highly acidic foods like tomato bases and lemons and accelerating the oxidative degradation of cooking oils at high temperature. This is remedied by using high quality enameled cast iron. Seasoned cast iron cookware gets better with time, unlike chemical non-stick coatings. For precise temperature control required in sauce making, candy making etc, stainless-lined solid copper cookware such as Falk Culinare is superior. Very few companies produce copper cookware worth buying - Falk is in my opinion the best and their bimetal process is actually used by the other major manufactures of quality copper cookware. Stoneware for baking is wonderful material and should be used more often. Same goes for clay cookery. It is always more important to have a wonderful, healthy meal than it is to save a few extra minutes doing dishes. Sleepyhollow...See MoreCan you use cast iron on glass top range?
Comments (9)I think the two most important things to consider when purchasing cookware for a glass top range is to make certain that the size of the pot or pan fits the burner, and that the bottom is perfectly flat and true. It needs to sit tightly on the glass top. If it is warped or there are voids, not only will it not heat properly, but it can actually cause the top to crack. Also you don't want the pan to be larger than the burner. You can check the bottoms using a straight edge. According to our our owners manual (KA), aluminum and copper bottoms can leave a residue and should not be used on a smooth top range. Cast iron works, but it might scratch. They recomend a stainless steel bottom. Unfortunately stainless by itself is not a good heat conducter. You can however purchase any number of brands that make an aluminum or copper core that is clad in stainless. That way you get the heat properties of the core with the glass top compatability of the stainless. There has been several discussions about these issues on the cookware forum. Here is a link that might be useful: Cookware...See More- 14 years ago
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