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Recently moved to a house with an electric ceramic/glass cooktop (not radiant).
We moved cross-country and I didn't bring my old cookware, so I'm ready to shop for a new set.
What do you find is the best brand and/or material for this sort of cooktop (which is new to me)?
I'm not sure what the best would be, but I do know cast iron is not recommended. I would think any pan that has a heavy base to distribute heat evenly.
I use all types including Cast Iron. I think the reason it is not recommended is because you can easily scratch the surface. I found the surface to be more durable than one would think. So I use aluminum non-stick, stainless steel and cast iron. Just make sure to pick up the pan when moving it instead of dragging it. Also, before heating up the stove to cook make sure the surface is clean.
I prefer stainless steel with a heavy flat bottom. I do have some old Revere Ware with copper bottom, and also a heavy enameled cast iron skillet. If you are careful you can use most anything, but it MUSt have a smooth, even heavy bottom to it.
As I research, I'm finding out that stainless is likely the best outside finish....they say the 'painted' or colored cookware can melt (too bad because I really like some of the snazzy colors on some sets).
I had a lot of really nice old cast iron pans, but the bottoms were 'rimmed' and not flat enough for the glass cooktop. Much of my other stuff was a mish-mash over 40+ years of marriage, and some of it wasn't exactly spotless on the bottoms; I was told that any residual baked-on grease on pan bottoms could cause problems on the glass cooktop.
A few years back, I threw out all my old mismatched stuff and bought a set of Circulon Espree at Macy's to use on our glass cooktop. It wasn't particularly expensive. (Wait for one of those 40% off kitchenware sales.)
I have been very happy with it. It has the smooth flat bottom that works best with the glass top. One of the cautions in the instructions is not to heat it above medium heat, or it might warp. Well, medium heat means a pot of water takes forever to boil. So after a year or so, I started ignoring that, and I've been much happier with it. No warping and everything cooks at the speed you'd expect.
Do avoid the cookware that has those small concentric rings in the base of the pans. Those little engraved rings have razor-sharp edges and they will scratch your cooktop surface much too easily!
My main reason for posting was to get brand names as I generally shop on line. Now I'm thinking I should probably to to Macy's, Bed Bath Beyond, etc. and look at the bottoms myself, rather than risk having to return a set if I order online without seeing them in person first. I can always shop online after I see a few brands in person that have smooth, flat and heavy bottoms. Guess I'll be going to the mall afterall (I hate shopping!).
My main reason for posting was to get brand names as I generally shop on line. Now I'm thinking I should probably to to Macy's, Bed Bath Beyond, etc. and look at the bottoms myself, rather than risk having to return a set if I order online without seeing them in person first. I can always shop online after I see a few brands in person that have smooth, flat and heavy bottoms. Guess I'll be going to the mall afterall (I hate shopping!).
Gulfporter,
I am SO with you on hating to shop. I would guess about 80% of our total purchases these days are made online.
But for the exact reason you cite, I schlepped to the mall so I could examine the bottoms myself. Unfortunately, info on the bottom finish is not often available in even the most-detailed online descriptions.
I suppose the other way to approach it would be to find something you think you'd like on Amazon, and then use the Q&A feature to ask about the surface of the bottoms.
Hope you find a set you're happy with, without too much energy expended!
> Recently moved to a house with an electric ceramic/glass cooktop
I've got one of these and I am looking to change it to gas just as soon as I can.
I would buy cookware based on the type of stove you are going to change to.
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