GE ZGW124EN User Manual page 13

Cookware Tips for Solid Disk Elementi
The use of appropriate cookware
is very important for cooking on
solid disk elements.
Use medium- or heavy-weight
cookware.
Aluminum cookware conducts
heat faster than other metals.
Cast-iron and coated cast-iron
containers are slow to absorb heat,
but generally cook evenly at
settings 4 through 8. Steel pans
may cook unevenly if the steel is
not combined with other metals.
Glass cookware should be used
only as the manufacturer describes.
Do not use a wire trivet or any
other kind of heat-retarding pad
between the cookware and the
element.
To conserve the most cooking
energy, pans should be flat on the
bottom, have straight sides and
tight-fitting lids. Match the size of
the saucepan to the size of the
cooking element. A pan that
extends more than 1 inch beyond
the edge of the trim ring traps heat,
causing discoloration of the trim
rings ranging from blue to dark
gray.
Good pans have a thick, flat
bottom which absorbs the heat
from the cooking element. The
thick, flat bottom provides good
heat distribution from the element
to the food. Cooking with this type
of pan requires little water, fat or
electricity.
unsuitable. Pans with thin or
uneven bottoms do not adequately
utilize the heat coming from the
cooking element. The food to be
cooked may burn and require more
time and electricity. You would
also have to add more fat or water.
When deep fat frying, do not
overfill kettle with fat that may spill
over when adding food. Frosty
foods bubble vigorously. Watch
foods frying at high temperatures,
and keep cooktop and vent system
clean of accumulated grease.
Don't use pans with rounded
bottoms. They don't have enough
contact with the cooking element
to cook properly.
Use pans of the correct diameter
only. They should be slightly
larger than the element so
element. A damp cloth is sufficient
to remove the spill. Pans should
not overhang more than 1 inch
beyond the surface of an element.
To optimize cooking time and
energy usage, you should use a pan
that is the correct size for the
cooking process, with a well-fitted
lid to avoid evaporation loss, and
cook with as little water or fat as
possible. If the pan is too small,
energy is wasted and spillage can
flow onto the element.
To check how a pan will perform on a solid disk element:
1. 1 inch of water into the pan.
2. Bring water to a boil and
observe the pattern of the bubbles
as the water comes to a boil.
3. A uniform pattern of bubbles
across the bottom of the pan
Place only dry pans on the
element. Do not place lids on the
element, particularly wet lids.
Some special cooking procedures
require specific cookware such as
pressure cookers, deep-fat fryers,
etc. All cookware must have flat
bottoms and be the correct size. The
cookware should dso be covered, if
applicable to the cooking process.
Except in pressure cooking with
water and water-bath canning,
canning pots should not extend
more than 1 inch beyond the
surface of an element and should
have flat bottoms. When canning
pots do not meet this description,
the use of the maximum heat
setting causes excessive heat
buildup and may result in damage
to the cooktop. See "Home
Canning Tips" on page 12 for
-
further ;nfo~mation.
confirms a good heat transfer
and a good pan.
4. Bubbles localized in only a
portion of the bottom indicate
uneven contact of the pan to the
element, uneven heat transfer or
an unsuitable pan.
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