What’s happening with your all-clad?

You say you don’t like CI due to weight, but are you ok dealing with seasoning? Some here like carbon steel. I like the one I’ve got and just ordered a couple more at

https://www.dartointernational.com/

There’s a thread about darto. Mine’s in the mail so I can’t review yet.

Nothing is wrong with the all clad. We ordered it and just before it arrived customer support told us not to use it. That it wasn’t tested or meant for propane and therefor isn’t safe to use. So it will be going back. I’ll definitely look into that brand. I’ve never used carbon steel but my understanding is it’s what chefs use?

I sense you’re getting bad info. Propane burns negligibly hotter than NG, but the real difference is that it’s denser so by cubic foot there’s more energy in propane. But the stove is adjusted for that. In practice most propane stoves put out less BTUs than NG, some the same, but I’ve not come across more. What’s your stove and whats the BTU rating of the hottest burner?

I should add that I did have some minor warping of AC on a past electric cooktop, but I experienced that with ALL my cookware (even CI) and it’s not an issue on gas grates that don’t require perfect flatness.

I wonder if they think you mean something like a turkey fryer when you say propane, not a propane kitchen range.

I am using Cuisinart French chef pans on propane burners with good results. Each of my burners is calibrated to a different max BTU. I can leave something on the lowest of simmers. My pans have tolerated the maximum heat in a rapid boil type of setting with no damage.

I had that thought, too, Rose. It just doesn’t make sense to exclude propane cooktops. As I’ve been thinking about it more, I wouldn’t risk using my AC to sear a steak on a glowing hot pan, but for all regular uses it should be just fine.

Trina, I cooked exclusively on a propane stove for 20 years in our last house. I didn't use any pots or pans that are different than what I use now.... or even before that last house. I think someone has either given you bad inforamtion - or - your stove doesn't have the right valves for propane and need to be changed.

or - your stove doesn't have the right valves for propane and need to be changed.

Yes: although you mean wrong gas regulator or wrong orifices for propane. I would guess, (and wouldn't want to experiment although I kept the NG orifices) that flames would be torches and take your arms off.

chas, I happily stand corrected. Thank you.

I’ve had propane stoves for over 30 years and always used the same pots and pans, including cheap supermarket non-stick and my late mother’s revere ware. If your stove is producing 500 degrees, something is terribly wrong.

Our stove is a kitchen aid standalone cooktops. The valves and such were all swapped to their propane ones. So yes, we did that. It just cooks hot. I rarely use the double burner. Simmer on the other three is iffy and I often move it to the melt burner which has the lowest heat setting of all. It ruined pots that worked fine on a natural gas stove for 8 years. We replaced them and the new ones lasted about 2 years before failing.

This is our model KCGS556ESS

We replaced them and the new ones lasted about 2 years before failing.

Failing. Are you talking about nonstick? If so, I’d move away from that, with the exception of a couple skillets from the restaurant supply. And yes, use them for lower heat cooking.

Yes. The nonstick failed, which I understand happens at 500 degrees. We're inspecting our stove now to see if the installer may have not calibrated it correctly. It sounds like it's probably cooking hotter than it should. I looked up the burners and with they're rated at 20K, 10K, 10K, 6K, and 7K, which seems normal. I'm fine moving to metal pans but would prefer stainless or aluminum over carbon because I'm not sure I trust myself to do seasoning reliably.

I’m another one who used propane cooktop for years and didn’t change my cookware at all, with no ill effects.

Trina, I would suggest that there is something wrong with your stove,it shouldn't be cooking that hot. I've had several propane stoves in that 30 years, cheap and standard and more expensive European models, and none of them had the issues you speak of. Propane is our only option here besides electric, and I really dislike electric.

You can get cast iron heat diffusers to put over your gas burners to facilitate a simmer. I cook on propane, but I have the opposite problem than you. Mine was converted from NG because we don't have that utility in our street and the propane is kind of wimpy - takes an incredibly long time to boil a pot of water for pasta and about 15 minutes for the oven to come up to temperature. A carbon steel wok and a carbon steel grill pan heat the best on my cooktop for high heat cooking. Enameled cast iron (Le Creuset) are best for braises and long cooking. We do have several heavy commercial non-stick skillets but never use them anywhere near max heat.

I don't understand why you should need different pans. In Europe, we use propane when the gas is stored outside, and butane when the bottles are stored indoors. Natural gas is when it's from the town grid. I've never ever heard of anyone needing to change their pans. I hope you find what works for you.

I feel like manufacturers here are targeting low-heat cooking. At least, that's what several of them said. I do wonder if European pans are more usable for all kinds of cooking. My husband and I were talking about that last night because everything here is switching to NG wherever possible le, or electric. It sounds like our stove is too hot, though. My husband ordered a special tool to adjust the valves. We doubt our installer did it.

To anyone else having this issue, we watched some YouTube videos and found that our burner flames were too high on low. We bought some long screwdrivers and adjusted the knobs. Our medium temperature now looks like how our low used to look. So, it was cooking way too hot because the burners were turned up so high. Our double burner that didn't like to light, it turns out it was because it was set so high that the flame was above the ignitor. This was our hottest burner, of course, and would cook exceedingly hot. So much so that we rarely used it. I think the lesson is, don't trust your installer.

I'm glad to hear that you found a fix. We use All Clad and Cuisinart pans on our burners. It uses natural gas but is a Blue Star range top with very powerful burners and we haven't had any problem with the pans.

Trina - I’m glad you figured out the adjustment. I didn’t want to say it but I saw one online review saying the low setting was way too high to simmer, and were told that it was factory set and not adjustable. Sounds like that person needs to take your advice and not believe what they’re told by the technician!

Absolutely! Ours are turned all the way down on most of them, but the flame just barely flickers over the cap, like it's supposed to and is nice and blue.

So glad to hear that you pursued the idea that something wasn't right with the valves, and that adjusting them worked.