Cooktop Comparison - GE P385 Use And Care & Installation Manual

HOW DOES THIS COOKTOP COMPARE
Your new modular cooktop may have several types of
cooking surface units. You will notice some differences
when you use each one.
The best types of cookware to use, plus heat-up and
cool-down times, depend upon the type of burner or
surface unit you are using.
Type of Cooktop Description
Radiant Electric coils
(Glass Ceramic) under a glass-
Cooktop ceramic cooktop.
Induction High frequency
induction coils
under a glass
surface.
Electric Coil Flattened metal
tubing containing
electric resistance
wire suspended
over a drip pan.
Solid Disk Solid cast iron
disk sealed to the
cooktop surface.
Gas Burners Regular or sealed
gas burners use
either LP gas
or natural gas.
Care of the Modules
Some of the modules must be cured or
preconditioned before using them for the first time.
Modules and accessories should be cleaned after
each use. The longer a soil remains, the harder it is to
clean. See each module section in this guide for specific
instructions. Never immerse any module in water.
Using the Electric Surface Unit Modules
You must consider heat up and cool down times for
the electric surface units when determining
cooking times. Heat up and cool down times depend
on initial temperature settings, the type of cookware
used and the amount of food being cooked.
8
TO YOUR OLD ONE?
How it Works
Heat travels to the glass surface and then to the cookware, so pans must be flat on
the bottom for good cooking results. The glass cooktop stays hot enough to
continue cooking after it is turned off. Remove the pan from the surface unit if
you want cooking to stop.
Pans must be made of ferrous metals (metal that attracts a magnet). Heat is
produced by a magnetic circuit between the coil and the pan. Heats up right away
and changes heat settings right away, like a gas cooktop. After turning the control
off, the glass cooktop is hot from the heat of the pan, but cooking stops right away.
Heats by direct contact with the pan and by heating the air under the pan. For best
cooking results, use good quality pans. Electric coils are more forgiving of
warped pans than radiant or solid disks. Heats up quickly but does not change
heat settings as quickly as gas or induction. Electric coils stay hot enough to
continue cooking for a short time after they are turned off.
Heats by direct contact with the pan, so pans must be flat on the bottom for good
cooking results. Heats up and cools down more slowly than electric coils. The
disk stays hot enough to continue cooking after it is turned off. Remove the pan
from the solid disk if you want the cooking to stop.
Flames heat the pans directly. Pan flatness is not critical to cooking results, but
pans should be well balanced. Gas burners heat the pan right away and change
heat settings right away. When you turn the control off, cooking stops right away.
The following chart will help you to understand the
differences among the various cooking surface units
and how they differ from others you may have used
in the past.
When not in the cooktop, modules and
accessories should be stored in a clean, dry place.
Always be careful not to drop the modules or they
could be damaged.
Start cooking at a higher setting to heat the surface
unit faster, then turn to a lower setting to finish
cooking. Remember, cooking continues after the
surface unit is turned off.