Tips for safe and quality cooking

Ceramic cook tops have become an integral part of the cooking range in the modern kitchen. But do you think you know all about the things you are using. If no, then you would probably like to read further, if yes even then you might want to read just in case you have missed something. There are many features of these cook tops that make them a pleasure to use. But there is a checklist you must adhere to before using ceramic cook tops:

Use: The flat surface of the cook top gives you an ease on sliding your utensil across the surface, from one burner to another. But make sure that you don't damage the beautiful looking surface while doing so.

Utensils: Use flat bottomed utensils for cooking which have a heavy and smooth base. If the cookware does not have a flat bottom, it might interfere with you cooking and a rough bottom might damage the surface of the cook top.

Keep away: Keep away the heavy and sharp objects from cook top. If you drop them on the surface by mistake, you might end up losing your cook top because the glass may be tough but it can break.

Burners: Some cook tops offer dual-burner that helps you in using two different temperature controls in a single burner. It also helps you in saving unneeded effort and much needed energy. Some also offer bridge burner that facilitates cooking on griddle. You must also look for warming zone that has low watt heating that helps in keeping the food warm.

Controls: If the cook top has touch pads, it should have a good usable size and must be at a well distance. If they have knobs, they should be easy to grip and well-sealed. The symbols used must be easy to read. The controls should be placed where your hands remain safe from the heating elements while using them. It is best if they are on the sides, easily reachable to you and at a safe distance from kids.

Residual heat light: It is important that your cook top has residual heat light which indicates that the element is still hot. It is hard to figure out since the elements lose colour quickly once the heat supply is turned off. But it doesn't cool off easily. This makes the residual heat light an important element. Moreover, it must be at a place where it is visible even after several pots are on the surface.

Cleaning: Ease of cleaning is an important feature for any kind of cook top. Ceramic cook tops should be cleaned with a mild cleaning liquid and scrapper made especially for cleaning these cook tops. Other strong abrasive cleaner might damage the surface.

Spills: You must immediately clean the sugary and sticky spills, if left they might get stubborn. You must always be careful while cleaning the hot surface.

Heat capacity: These cook top use wattage. The largest burner is about 9" in diameter and the hottest have 2500 watts of energy. Ideally the cook top should range between 1.2 KW to 2.2 KW.

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The beautification of the kitchen has begun

Simple gas stoves brought efficiency and control to the kitchen. They pushed the chulah and the kerosene stoves out of the kitchen and ushered in a new era. Managing heat in the kitchen was never so easy. Gone were the smoky chulahs, the kerosene stoves that needed constant pumping up, and the noisy and the stinky kerosene stoves. The two, three-burner gas stoves brought a fine control over heat and could be started or switched off instantly. Also, the heat rate could be much higher, whenever necessary. This greatly increased cooking speed.  And the pots did not get blackened from the outside, needing a pain-staking scrubbing effort regularly. The gas stoves thus made kitchen an inviting place.

Other developments

The almost simultaneous advent of pressure cookers, small appliances, blenders and mixers transformed the kitchen, made cooking easier, increased cooking speeds greatly and turned the attention of the people towards kitchen aesthetic. Perhaps for the first time, women and home appliances producer began to think seriously about how every product could look better in addition to performing better. 

The improving kitchen

The kitchen platform, racks, containers began to get better not only functionally, but also aesthetically. The simple gas stoves were replaced by fine stainless steel stoves and then by ceramic cook tops. Even the induction cooking ranges were provided with ceramic cook tops. Ceramic cook tops look the best. They can be cleaned easily. Simply wiping off the blot can often be enough. Only the more obstinate stains have to be properly washed with the right soap. They bring an aura of exalted dignity to the kitchen.  With an efficient chimney is placed strategically over the ceramic cook tops, the looks of the kitchen suddenly improve beyond imagination.

Ceramic cook tops look the best

Most manufacturers of gas stoves and induction cook tops now come up with ceramic cook tops. More and more people can now afford them. They bring in variety, a fetching design and the workmanship is great. The price is not something either the buyer or the manufacturer is bothered about, as the main point of it all is beauty. And beauty can never have a price tag. So spectacular ceramic cook tops have now become a norm.

Redesigning of kitchen elements

Along with the cook tops, most other kitchen fixtures too are getting redesigned to look neater and more beautiful, without, of course, losing their performance levels. Just have a look at the new generation of refrigerators. They are looking sleeker, brighter and are designed for higher efficiency and space. The furniture in the kitchen makes one wonder if it really is a kitchen after all. The kitchen floor and the kitchen walls are as sleek and smooth as the main hall.

The future kitchen

The kitchen will remain one of the major centers of family life. It has now been adequately improved functionally so as to make cooking a pleasing experience as against an avoidable burden. Once every aspect of it designed beautifully, without losing its working efficiency, it will mean that much more of quality time for the members of the household. That era is coming.

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Beautifying kitchen

Ceramic cook-tops are so trending now. They are more hassle free and safe to use. It uses radiant heating coils as heating material, this means the surface above the burner heats up but the adjacent surface remains cool because of the low heat conduction coefficient of the material. But the material used in making these cook-tops are brittle that makes it breakable. These are a state of art, but they have pro and con both. Here are the pros:

1. They not only provide additional counter space but are also easy to clean.

2. It not only beautifies kitchen but also makes it look ultra-modern.

3. Food cooks faster.

4. The burners are flat hence all the heat they emit is induced in to the pan, unlike the gas stove where most of the flames warms the air around.

5. They are safe because there is less danger of burning yourself while cooking.

6. These cook-tops are more energy-efficient.

7. Control locks render the cook-top unusable hence these are children safe.

But these have a long list of cons too:

1. You cannot use any utensil for cooking since they can be scratched easily. Only pots and pans with thick bottom can be used. Painted and enamelled utensils cannot be used since they can stick to the surface.

2. Since they are easily scratched, they require special cleaning. So the manufacturers supply special sachets with them. It contains special cleaner to remove dirt and grime softly and other contain a sealer to reseal the ceramic or glass top after cleaning. Manufacturers also provide a special scraper to remove boiled over and baked on messes without damaging the surface.

3.  It is pretty easy to tell when the coils are turned on, but once you turn them off, it is hard to tell if the surface is still hot or not. Hence, it is pretty dangerous especially with kids around. Unknowingly if you or they touch them, it may give you bad burns.

4. Temperature changes can be slow as you have to wait for the surface to heat up. Hence, you might have to set two burners together one at high and one at low. If you need immediate change in temperature from high to low, you might have to change the burner.

5. It uses electricity.That means no electricity, no coking.

Before you buy a ceramic cook-top, keep in mind the kind of utensils you have and your style of cooking. If you are used to sliding and shaking your pan, it can damage the surface. There are many manufacturers, who make these ceramic cook-tops. Electrolux has been awarded with gold for its product. Then there are Sunshine, Bosch, GE, Whirlpool, LG and many more. It is always better to go with the trusted brand. They have a low maintenance cost still make sure you have after sale services at hand. An electric cook-top is a versatile cook-top makes a huge difference in the kitchen, allowing you to make meals happily and spend less time prepping and cleaning.

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The captivating look

After the gas stoves transformed the cooking scene by removing the tedium in it, the movement has been toward making the kitchen look more attractive. Flat-top stove with a ceramic-glass finish is the first step in this direction. The flat-top stoves are made of a mix of ceramic and glass. They are neither all-glass nor all ceramics. They have the qualities of both ceramics and glass. 

Strong but brittle

Cooktops made of glass are given a heat treatment. This results in partial crystallization of the surface.  The final result is: the extremely strong cooktop can expand like ceramics but does not remain porous. The new blend can withstand huge changes in temperature without being affected in any way. But, if a hard object falls on it, it can break. Also, it can easily be scratched by granules stuck under a sliding utensil.

  

Electric heating

Many people are lured by the great shiny look of the smooth ceramic-glass cooktops. Their heating source is a set of coils. The coils are under the surface and thermostats indicate whether a burner is still on. If the heat output is low, the burner won’t turn red. But it won’t indicate if the stove is still hot. Cast iron utensils or stone or glassware are not compatible with these cooktops.  No cookware can be or should be dragged on these cooktops at it will leave scratches there. Another point to be careful about is to never let any cookware to boil dry, because it then has a tendency to get fused with the glass. The current drawn by these stoves is rather high and families must confirm the rating of their electrical connections before going for these.

They need time to get heated

The coils need time to get heated sufficiently to provide sufficient heat for cooking. After switching off too, the coil takes time to cool down. So, families have to adjust their cooking styles to this aspect of the cooking stoves. Electrical heating can be uneven. Induction top heats the area in direct contact with the cookware. The other part of the cookware will remain cold. Induction cooktops however are efficient and their operating cost is low.

Easy to clean

A Ceramic- Glass Stove can be cleaned easily because its top is flat. But they can be cleaned only if the specified cleaner is used. The spills should be wiped clean as soon as they occur. A glass-scraper works well for dried-on spills. Abrasive cleaners and metal pads are not to be used to clean ceramic-glass cooktops. Soft sponges or clothes are to be used. And the cooktops have to be cleaned frequently.

The reason behind buying

Many online shops now offer to provide ceramic-glass stovetops. They offer products of many brands and offer substantial long warranty periods. The prices are competitive and they also offer discounts from 10 percent to 50 percent. The buyers have to finalize their selection by taking into consideration all the aspects of the offer. But usually, the aesthetic value of the stovetop is the most admired value in these products, and the buyers will be ready to pay the price demanded if they love the look.

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