flat stove tops

Category: Daily Living

Post 1 by Braille Reader (Generic Zoner) on Wednesday, 20-May-2009 18:40:31

Hi there. Have you experienced working with a flat stove top? The new place I'm moving to has that kind of stove, and I don't really know how to use it without burning myself. It's suppose to make cleanup a little easier with a simple wipe down, but it's so inaccessible because instead of having actual burners, it only has pictures of rings or something so that one knows where to place the pot. I thought of making markings near the rings, but once the stove gets too hot, I don't want the plastic thing to melt into it. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mary

Post 2 by bozmagic (The rottie's your best friend if you want him/her to be, lol.) on Thursday, 21-May-2009 10:21:03

I almost routinely, use a flat top stove/cooker. I'm still living at home, though hopefully, not for much longer, and mum chose this flat top cooker when we had the kitchen completely blitzed, knocked through, refitted and all sorts nearly 6 years ago. Basically, you only need a sighted person to help you mark up the knobs/dials on the front so you know which knob/dial does this, that, the other. Now, for the flat stove top, completely smooth ceramic hob, just like a huge sheet of smooth glass on the top where you'd have the burners on a gas or older electric stove like our old stove with the radiant/spiral rings/burners, first, turn on the ring you wish to use. An awful lot of heat comes off that ring, so just suspending one hand a few centimetres off the hob'll tell you where that ring is situated. Have your pan of water, sauce, soup, pasta Etc standing by, then, with the other hand that isn't hovering over the ring you just turned on, move the pan across the flat top until your hands touch. There, it should now be on the ring and you should be good to go. If you're still not sure you have the pan on the ring, take the handle of the pan again, do what I described above, feeling for the heat source with your free hand and very gently, move the pan back, forward, left a bit, right a bit until you can only feel heat coming up round the sides and top of the pan. It should then be spot on the ring.

Jen.

Post 3 by Big Pawed Bear (letting his paws be his guide.) on Thursday, 21-May-2009 10:38:27

sounds good. the advantage of these flattops is also that once they are turned off, they lose their heat dam fast. v safe in my view, and also, if you have some sight, they also glow red hot. that somtimes is an aid.

Post 4 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Thursday, 21-May-2009 11:19:35

Jen, that's a good idea, and I have the same problem as Mary. My question is that by moving the pot around, could you damage the stove top?

Thanks,

Lou

Post 5 by Ukulele<3 (Try me... You know you want to.) on Thursday, 21-May-2009 13:11:31

Wow I wish I had a flat top. My family has one and it seems so much easier to clean.

Post 6 by Big Pawed Bear (letting his paws be his guide.) on Thursday, 21-May-2009 14:07:19

no you can't damage the stove top.

Post 7 by bozmagic (The rottie's your best friend if you want him/her to be, lol.) on Thursday, 21-May-2009 15:45:43

Er, no, you shouldn't damage the stove top just by moving pots around. Those things would take one hell of a blow or even an explosion to do them any real damage. They're made out of the same material as the noses of space rockets after all, lol.

Jen.

Post 8 by blw1978 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Thursday, 21-May-2009 16:05:14

Hi, don't know if anyone knows this, but be sure to use pans on a flat top that are flat on the bottom, with no indentations. My mom also uses stainless steele ones. But I'm not sure if this just a personal preference, or if the stove manufacturer suggested it. Also, I don't know about other flat top stoves, but my mom's stove has a very slightly different texture where the burners are.

Post 9 by Chris N (I just keep on posting!) on Thursday, 21-May-2009 16:30:00

I wish I had one too.