HOW DOES THIS COOKTOP COMPARE
TO YOUR OLD ONE?
Type of Cooktop
Description
How it Works
Radiant
Electric coils
Heat travels to the glass surface and then to the cookware, so pans must be flat
(Glass Ceramic)
under a glass-
on the bottom for good cooking results. The glass cooktop stays hot enough to
Cooktop
ceramic cooktop.
continue cooking after it is turned off. Remove the pan from the surface unit if
you want cooking to stop.
Induction
High frequency
Pans must be made of ferrous metals (metal that attracts a magnet). Heat is
induction coils
produced by a magnetic circuit between the coil and the pan. Heats up right away
under a glass
and changes heat settings right away, like a gas cooktop. After turning the control
surface.
off, the glass cooktop is hot from the heat of the pan, but cooking stops right away.
Electric Coil
Flattened metal
Heats by direct contact with the pan and by heating the air under the pan. For
tubing containing
best cooking results, use good quality pans. Electric coils are more forgiving of
electric resistance
warped pans than radiant or solid disks. Heats up quickly but does not change
wire suspended
heat settings as quickly as gas or induction. Electric coils stay hot enough to
over a drip pan.
continue cooking for a short time after they are turned off.
Solid Disk
Solid cast iron
Heats by direct contact with the pan, so pans must be flat on the bottom for good
disk sealed to the
cooking results. Heats up and cools down more slowly than electric coils. The
cooktop surface.
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.
Gas Burners
Regular or sealed
Flames heat the pans directly. Pan flatness is not critical to cooking results, but
gas burners use
pans should be well balanced. Gas burners heat the pan right away and change
either LP gas
heat settings right away. When you turn the control off, cooking stops right away.
or natural gas.
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.
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.
10
10
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.
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.
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.
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.
