FAQ, Frequently asked questions cooktops from Hensall Major Appliances


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Home About Us Products Services Promotions Testimonials Contact Us Partners Mission Statement Community Commitment Cottage Corner FAQs	Frequently asked questions Get fast answers to cooktop and stovetop questions here! If you have questions about cooktops or stovetops or if your cooktop or stovetop is not performing properly or producing the cooking results you want, there are things to check before you call for service. Often manufacturers' websites will offer suggestions. GE Appliances and Frigidaire have extremely comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions information on their websites. Here is information from those two sites. From Frigidaire website: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - FRIGIDAIRE Cooktops/Stovetops Click on the questions below to get answers. What is the difference between a drop-in cooktop and a slide-in cooktop? What is a BTU and how do I know when I should use high or low BTUs? How do I know if my cookware is compatible with an induction cooktop? Why does the surface light indicate "On" after I've turned off my cooktop? How do I clean my burners/elements? How do I clean my ceramic smooth cooktop? From GE Appliances website: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - GE Appliances Smooth Glass Cooktop Click on the questions below to get answers. What type of cookware can I use on my smooth glass cooktop? How do I clean my smooth glass cooktop? ANSWERS What is the difference between a drop-in cooktop and a slide-in cooktop? Both drop-in cooktops and slide-in cooktops can be used in an island peninsula or a traditional setting. The main difference is that a drop-in cooktop will have the controls on the top while the slide-in will have them on the front. A slide-in cooktop will require special installation. Back To The Top What is a BTU and how do I know when I should use high or low BTUs? A BTU is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water 1 degree F. BTUs are used as a measurement of the heating power of gas cooktops or ovens. To decide how much BTU capacity you'd like in your appliance, consider the following: The higher the BTU capacity, the hotter the cooktop or oven can get. For everyday cooking, 9,000 BTUs is generally sufficient. If you plan to do a lot of high-heat cooking-such as sautéing or stir-frying-you might find that you want 12,000 BTUs or more. Commercial burners can be as high as 20,000 BTUs, and some designed for home use can have 15,000 BTUs. With that kind of heat, you can bring eight quarts of water to a boil in six minutes. You may also want a higher degree of precision for low-heat cooking. Some burners, for example, can go down to 5,000 BTUs and cycle on and off, allowing you to simmer a dish without scorching it. Consider cooking surfaces with various burner and/or element configurations to offer you the greatest degree of flexibility in your cooking. Back To The Top How do I know if my cookware is compatible with an induction cooktop? For cookware to work on an induction surface, it must be magnetic and have a completely flat bottom. In general, most stainless steel and cast iron cookware will work. Here's a simple test: Try sticking a magnet to the bottom of your pan. If the magnet sticks, that cookware should work; if it doesn't, most likely the cookware is not compatible with an induction cooktop surface. Back To The Top What does Real Stainless Steel mean? Frigidaire's Real Stainless Steel is true stainless steel that has been treated with a protective coating that reduces fingerprints and smudges, making it much easier to clean. Back To The Top Why does the surface light indicate "On" after I've turned off my cooktop? The light will stay on until the cooktop has cooled down. Back To The Top How do I clean my burners/elements? Keep your burner components clean by using a mild nongranular cleaner, such as ammonia or a degreaser. This will ensure that the gas ports do not get blocked. When putting the parts back together, always make sure the burners and caps are level and firmly set in place. Back To The Top How do I clean my ceramic smooth cooktop? We recommend our Cerama Bryte cleaner, which is specialized for our products. Back To The Top What type of cookware can I use on my smooth glass cooktop? Flat bottom pans are essential for good cooking performance. Most current brands sold today have flat bottoms. Much older, used cookware and/or thinner cookware will show signs of no longer being flat. Non-flat pans may crack the glass. Use Medium or Heavy-Weight cookware. Stainless Steel is highly recommended. A sandwich clad bottom is especially good because it combines the durability and stability of stainless steel with the heat conduction and distribution of aluminum or copper. Heavy-Weight aluminum cookware is also recommended. It conducts heat faster than other metals and cooks evenly. Aluminum residue sometimes appears as scratches on the cooktop, but these can be removed if cleaned immediately. Copper bottom pans are also good, but they can leave residues on the cooktop that appear as scratches. These can be removed if cleaned immediately, but do not let a copper bottom pan boil dry. An overheated copper pot will leave a residue that will permanently stain the cooktop. Porcelain/enamel pans give good performance only if they have a thick, flat bottom. Avoid boiling these pans dry, as porcelain can melt and fuse to the surface. Glass or ceramic cookware is not recommended. These pans may scratch the surface. Glass is a poor conductor of heat so cooking times will be longer and they may require constant attention during cooking. Stoneware is not recommended. It may scratch the surface and will give poor performance. Cast Iron and Coated Cast Iron cookware is also not recommended. It is slow to absorb heat and could scratch the cooktop. Once this type of cookware heats up, it holds an intense amount of heat which is transferred to the cooktop. This can cause the element to shut down as a response to the temperature limiters which indicate surface temperature is too high for cooktop components to handle. Back To The Top How do I clean my smooth glass cooktop? Cooktop cleaning cream (such as "Cerama Brite" or "Elco") is the best cleaner for glass ceramic cooktops. Cerama Brite- Shake well. Apply directly to cooktop or damp sponge and rub lightly. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft cloth. This can be used on warm or cold ceramic cooktops. Elco- Rub a small amount (a few drops- less is better) of creme onto soiled area using a dry or damp paper towel. Wipe until all soil and creme are removed. Daily use of cooktop cleaning creme will keep cooktop looking new and easy to clean. For burned spots or spillovers: remove the excess soil with a razor scraper. Hold the scraper at about a 30 degree angle to the cooktop and scrape off the soil. Then, scrub the cooktop with cooktop cleaning creme. Rinse well and wipe dry. Back To The Top
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