GE P385 Use And Care & Installation Manual page 13

Types of Cookware
The following information will help you choose
cookware which will give good performance.
Stainless Steel: highly recommended
Especially good with a sandwich clad bottom. The
sandwich bottom combines the benefits of stainless
steel (appearance, durability and stability) with the
advantages of aluminum or copper (heat conduction,
even heat distribution).
Aluminum: heavy weight recommended
Good conductivity. Aluminum residues sometimes
appear as scratches on the cooktop, but can be
removed if cleaned immediately. Because of its
low melting point, thin weight aluminum should not
be used.
Copper Bottom: heavy weight recommended
Good performance, but copper may leave residues
which can appear as scratches. The residues can be
removed, as long as the cooktop is cleaned immediately.
Porcelain/enamel:
Good performance only with a thick, flat, smooth
bottom. Avoid boiling dry, as porcelain can melt and
fuse to the surface.
How to Check Pan Performance
Use of correct cookware can affect the cooking
performance and cleaning of your cooktop. The
correct cookware reduces the temperature of the
cooktop surface and minimizes the chance of
spillovers burning onto the cooktop.
You must use pans with perfectly flat bottoms.
Some pans may have curved or rounded bottoms or
may be warped. If you are unsure of the flatness of
your pans you may do this quick test.
Turn your pan upside
down on the countertop,
place a ruler flat against
the pan surface. The
bottom of the pan and the
straight edge of the ruler
should fit flush against each other all the way across.
Turn the ruler a full 360 degrees, checking for any
space between the ruler and the bottom of the pan.
Glass-ceramic: usable, but not recommended
Poor performance. May scratch surface.
Stoneware: usable, but not recommended
Poor performance. May scratch surface.
Cast Iron: usable, but not recommended
Poor performance. May scratch surface.
• We recommend that you
use only a flat-bottomed wok.
They are available at your
local retail store. The bottom
of the wok should have the
same diameter as the surface
unit to insure proper contact.
• Do not use woks that have
support rings. This type of
wok will not heat on radiant
surfaces.
• 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 also be covered,
if applicable to the cooking process.
Pans with rounded, curved, ridged or warped
bottoms are not recommended.
Another simple test to determine even heat
distribution across the cookware bottom is to put one
inch of water in the pan. Bring the water to a boil and
observe the location of bubbles as the water starts to
boil. Good flat cookware will have an even distribution
of bubbles over the bottom surface area of the pan.
Bubbles localized in only a portion of the bottom
indicate uneven contact of the pan to the surface unit,
uneven heat transfer or an unsuitable pan.
Use pans that match the diameter of the surface
unit. Cooking performance will not be as good if
the cookware is either smaller or larger than the
surface unit.
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