I received a set of preseasoned cast iron skillets as a housewarming gift. Can I use those on my new glass top stove? Yes, with these 5 tips!
For the past 2 years, I’ve been cooking with natural gas. Gas cooktops apply heat instantly, which heats the food up quickly and then turns off just as fast. With a gas model, the pots and dishes are heated indirectly by the heat rising from the flame, whereas electric cooktops take some time to reach the desired temperature.
This summer we moved to a new house that has an electric glass top cooktop (natural gas is not available in our subdivision) and the switch back to electric has caused me to re-learn how to cook on it. The cooking surface on a glass top range may be smoothe and easy to maintain, but when you have an electric cooktop, it’s necessary to wait an additional period of time for the electric heating elements to warm up before you can begin cooking.
One big thing I had to adjust now that I cook on glass top stovetop is to remember to remove the pan from the burner when the dish is finished cooking. Since the electric burner takes time to cool down, the food continues to cook if not removed. I burned a few meals during the first week of cooking!
Using Cast Iron Skillets on Glass Top Stoves
I received a set of preseasoned cast iron skillets as a housewarming gift. Can I use those on my new glass top stove? Why yes, you can!
Use these 5 tips for cooking with cast iron
Knock it off
Be sure to check the bottom of your cast iron skillets for small burrs each time you use them. Get in the habit of filing these off before using the pans. Leaving them on will cause scratches on the glass cooktop.
Keep it clean
The oil and other cooking residues that naturally attach to the bottom of cast iron cookware may heat until it’s gummy or crisp, which also leaves a residue that can make scratch marks on your glass-top stove. Get in the habit of cleaning the bottom of your pans too.
Don’t slide
Every time you use any kind of cookware on a glass-top stove, lift and move the skillet rather than sliding it. This will minimize the likelihood of scratching the glass. In addition, dragging canning equipment and cast iron skillets over the cooktop can scratch the surface.
Extra time
Because an electric cooktop needs time to warm up (whereas heat from a gas flame is immediate), a dish made in a cast iron on an electric stove may take slightly more time than the same dish cooked using gas. Remember to remove it from the burner when the dish is finished cooking or the residual heat will continue to cook the food.
Not for kids
Cast iron cookware is heavy and becomes very hot during the cooking process. Therefore I’m recommending that kids and cast iron on a glass cooktop don’t mix. There is too much exposure for the skillet to be dropped and that would damage the cooking surface.
Easy Meals
Dinner time can be stressful if you don’t have a plan. Try one of these easy meals to get started
Easy Lasagna Bake ~ Easy Meals: Chicken Rice and Broccoli Casserole ~ One-Pan Meals: Chicken Skillet
How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet from Original Homesteading
While I will not have to season my new pans initially, (they just need a good cleaning with water) Since I will need to take care of them in the future, it is good to know how to reseason this type of cookware. In this article from Original Homesteading, you’ll learn:
- the best oil to season cast iron
- how to season a cast-iron skillet
- how to clean off burned food
- PLUS 9 more essentials you need to know if you are new to cooking with cast iron
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