Glass top stoves are undoubtedly the most beautiful addition for your household kitchen. The smooth, shiny, and attractive surface of this particular stovetop is much more stylish than the traditional stove. However, the surface of this stovetop can be very tough to manage especially when you’re working with heavy cookware items like cast iron.
While cast iron works great for healthy recipes, still there’s a concern when you’re using it on your glass stove. In this article, I’d like to share some most efficient solutions on How to Protect Glass Top Stove from Cast Iron. Along with the solutions, you’ll get some more useful information related to the topic. Hopefully, all the following information will help you out to protect your loveable stove from any unexpected damage. So, keep scrolling to know more.
Glass Top Stove
A Glass top stove is a sort of electrical stovetop that comes with a flat cooking surface made of glass. It can lend a fresh, modern, and stylish look to your kitchen. With black or white appearances, glass cooktops pair well with trendy stainless steel piece of equipment and bare-brick walls.
Moreover, this type of stovetop is strong enough to handle extreme heat changes without any kind of breaking. However, a glass cooktop has also its disadvantages such as the limitation of your cooking abilities with some specific tools.
Pros of Glass Top Stove
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- Glass top stoves come with a smooth surface that helps to keep your kitchen looking sleek and modern.
- This sort of cooktop is easier and simpler to clean as they only required wipe cleaning from time to time.
- The flat surface of a glass stovetop can be a great way to add more counter space in a small kitchen.
- During the cooking time, the surrounding surface of the cooktop remains relatively cool to touch. [/su_list]
Cons of Glass Top Stove
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- Compared to basic electric stoves with uncovered burner coils, the Glass Stovetops are more expensive.
- You cannot use a normal cleanser to clean your Glass Stovetop as it can damage the glass surface of your burner.
- Beware with heavy pans, pots, skillets, and griddles on your Glass top stove surface. Because these heavy vessels can scratch, break or shatter the glass if you accidentally drop them on the glass cooktop.
- The replacement of the Glass Top Stove could be difficult and expensive as well. [/su_list]
Cast Iron Cookware
Cast iron pots and pans have been around for centuries and become popular day by day. They are solid, sturdy, conduct heat very well, and don’t have any harmful chemicals like any other non-stick coated cookware. You can use your cast iron cookware for browning, stovetop frying, searing, high-temperature searing, slow cooking, and oven baking.
Moreover, it’s pretty easy to build up a natural non-stick coating on the cast iron skillet with proper seasoning. However, cast iron cookware is slightly difficult to clean as they can’t be washed with soap or the dishwasher. But the proper seasoning will make it easier to clean your cast iron skillets or pans.
Coking with Cast Iron on the Glass Top Stove
One of the most common questions of this recent time is, can you use cast iron on glass top stove? And the short answer is yes. Using cast iron on a glass top stove is absolutely fine if you can use it with proper care. When using cast iron cookware on your glass stove, you’ll need to keep a few things in your mind.
For example, when heating cast iron pan on the glass top, begin with the heat at a lower temperature. After that, increase the heat slowly until the pan becomes warm and start cooking when it’s appropriately heated. In addition, it’s also important to remove the pan as soon as you finished your cooking. Leaving the hot cast iron pan on your glass stove can cause permanent damage to the surface.
The Reasons Why Can’t You Use Cast Iron on a Glass Top Stove
One of the major disadvantages of Glass cooktops is that the surface is scratched easily by cookware. So, it’s recommended to avoid using some type of cookware on your Glass Stovetop like stoneware, glass, and cast iron. There’re some more reasons why you cannot use cast iron cookware on your Glass top stove. Read on to know more.
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- Heavy Weight of the Cast Iron
The main danger of using cast iron pans or skillets on the glass stovetop is that it’s much heavier than any other modern cookware. Adding water, soup, or stews to the pot makes it even heavier to lift. Even though most glass cooktops are designed to handle the heavy load still it can be scratched, cracked, or shatter if pushed too far.
- Size of the Cast Iron Pans or Pots
Another most important reason why glass cooktop manufacturers recommend to avoid using cast iron cookware is its size. Because of its big size, the pan doesn’t distribute heat uniformly which increases cooking times. Moreover, a large cast iron pan traps heat under the cookware which shortens the element’s life or may damage the stovetop surface.
- Uneven and Wrapped Bottom of the Pan
Glass stovetops are designed for flat-bottomed cookware that allows them to heat evenly and properly. Cast iron skillets or pans have an uneven bottom that can scratch your cooktop surface. Over the lifetime of the cast iron pieces, sometimes the bottom can slightly wrap. While this is not a big issue with other stovetops it can ruin the cooking experience when used on glass-top.
- Rough Finish
Most cast iron cookware has a rough finish which can easily scratch the surface of your ceramic or glass cooktop. They’re actually unsafe to use on the glass stovetop and can damage it. However, enamel-coated cast iron cookware pieces can be great to use on the ceramic or glass-top stoves. But, be careful not to use enamel coated cookware for a long time as it can destroy your burner elements.
- Seasoning of Cast Irons
We all know that cast iron cookware requires seasoning for building-up a natural non-stick surface. This non-stick oily coating that covers the pan’s surface doesn’t play well with glass stovetops. When heated, the oil on the bottom of the pan can easily carbonize that can leave a burnt black stain on your stove. [/su_list]
So, How to Protect Glass Top Stove from Cast Iron?
Well, you know the risks of using cast iron cookware items on Glass Stovetops. Now let’s have a look over the following solutions to reduce those risks and protect your Glass cooktop from cast iron.
Wash your Cast Iron Cookware First
It’s necessary to clean oils and other types of residue on the bottom of the cast iron pan and skillet. Because these oils or materials can built-up carbonization, or black stains all over your glass. To avoid this kind of unexpected stains, clean and wash your cast iron cookware after each and every use. Clean both the interior and exterior of the pan with a sponge and mild dish soap. Leave your pan air-dry thoroughly before placing it on your stovetop.
Opt for Smooth Bottom Cast Iron Cookware
Check your pan or pot to make sure that there are no chips or cracks in it that can scuff the glass surface. Also, feel the bottom of the cookware to ensure if it’s smooth or not. If there are any bumps or rough edges in your cookware, you should replace it as soon as you can.
Do Not Slide Cast Iron Skillet on Glass Top Stove
Cast iron skillet is a very heavy piece of cookware that may crack your top stove if you bump it on the surface. So, you need to be very careful not to drop your cast iron cookware on the glass surface. Sliding or dragging the cast iron skillet can leave unwanted scratches on the cooktop. Be aware not to slide the cast iron skillet while cooking on the Glass top stove. Instead, lift the handle using both hands, this will allow you to move your pan safely.
Choose Cast Iron Pans That Match with the Measure of your Stove
It’s always important to use cast iron pans or pots that match the sizes of your stovetop. The recommended pot size for the Glass top stove is no more than 1 or 2inches larger than the burner. With your cooktop turned off, use a measuring tape to check how wide your main burner is. At the same time, check the diameter of your cast iron skillet or pan to see if it fits comfortably on the stove.
Use Heat Diffusers for Glass Top Stoves
Heat diffuser for Glass cooktops is an affordable and widely available solution to using your cast iron cookware without damaging your glass. It helps to control the amount of heat that goes from the burner to the pan or pot. Simply set the diffuser between your burner and your cast iron pan; this will eliminate all the unexpected risks.
Only Use Quality Cast Iron Cookware
Try not to use any cheap-graded cast iron cookware on your glass cooktop as it can ruin your burner. Instead, use only higher-quality cast iron pans or pots when cooking on your glass top stove. Higher-quality cast iron cookware usually comes with a smoother finish with less pointy burrs. Moreover, never use old and scruffy cast iron cookware items because they’re more likely rough and warped.
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Useful Tips and Tricks to Take Best Care for your Glass Top Stove
Generally, glass tops stove requires more attention and care than traditional cooktops. There’re some most useful tips and tricks just for you so that you can take proper care of your stovetop. Keep reading to know more.
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- Keep the surface of the stove clean even when it is not in use.
- You can use protective cooking pads for glass top stoves to protect the stove while not in use.
- While cooking with sugary ingredients, be careful not to spill these on the top stove. Because a sugary ingredient can discolor your favorite cooktop leaving yellowish marks that are nearly impossible to remove.
- Do not place stirring utensils on a hot stovetop when you cook. Food on these utensils can cause marks on the cooktop leaving a mess that requires more time to clean.
- Avoid using abrasive cleanser or metal scouring tools which can create unwanted scratches on your stovetop.
- It is also important to avoid using a cleaner that contains ammonia like glass cleaners. You should know that this kind of cleaners can leave streaks on the surface when you heat it. [/su_list]
Final Verdict
Now you know how to protect glass top stove from cast iron. All you just need is, follow these solutions along with the tricks I’ve added above the post to keep your Glass top stove safe. It’s always best to check the manufacturer’s manual so that you can take proper care of your favorite glass top stove. However, if your stovetop is scratched, you can still use it as well as you did before the scrapes. But, if the cooktop is cracked, it’s best to stop using the stove immediately.
Useful Resources
- Is It OK to Use a Cast Iron Skillet on a Glass-Top Stove? – The Kitchn
- I Have a Glass Cooktop. Can I Cook with Cast Iron? – My Recipes
- Why Can’t You Use Cast Iron on Glass-Top Stoves? – Hunker
- How to Cook with Cast Iron on Any Type of Stove – Rd.com