How To Protect Glass Top Stove From Cast Iron

Cooking steak on the glass top stove with cast iron pan.

Cooking using a glass top stove is a fabulous kitchen staple, but it may be challenging to handle when using cast iron cookware. As we all know, glass easily cracks and breaks when heated or under pressure and scratches much more quickly than polishes. So, it is not highly durable. Putting a cast-iron pan on a glass-top stove will be enough to make anybody who has invested in a high-quality stovetop quake with terror.

Although cast iron pans are perfect for various applications, they may do much damage to your stovetop if you do not use them cautiously. If you intend on using your cast iron pans often in your glass stovetop, always take preventative measures before you start cooking.

Hence, in this article, we will explain how to protect your glass-top stove from cast-iron cookware and how to use it safely and smoothly. If you take the proper precautions, you should use your glass top stove for the long term.

Major Concerns of Using Cast Iron on Glass Stovetop

Surface Finish of Cast Iron

Cast iron pans have a rough surface finish compared to stainless steel with a smooth surface finish. The roughness of the surface and an uneven bottom may cause the glass to scratch easily. The only exception is if you choose porcelain enamel-coated cast iron, which gives the pan a smoother, more equal surface.

Weight of Cast Iron Pans

Since glass covers the top of some stoves, cast iron may readily scratch and dent it mainly since cast iron is a weighty material. Even more, weight is added to the pot when you include liquids like broth and stews. Moreover, the glass cooktop bears a considerable amount of weight.

Glass stovetops are made to withstand a great deal of weight. However, when you accidentally drop that cast iron pan on the surface when you are transferring, it may easily crack, resulting in irreversible damage to your glass top stove, which will now necessitate replacement.

Size of Cast Iron Pots and Pans

A further factor discouraging you from purchasing cast iron kitchenware is the size of your glass stovetop. Our cast iron pans are often bigger than the stove’s burners. For ultimate heat efficiency, cookware for glass stovetops should be no more than an inch larger than the burner. Using large cast iron pans may lead to uneven heating, take longer to cook when the pans are too huge. Using big cast iron over a long stretch of time may potentially cause damages to or limit the life of the heating element since it traps heat under its bottom surface.

Cast Iron Cookware with an Uneven Bottom

Such pans with a flat bottom are the most suitable for use on glass top stoves since they allow heat to be transferred equally across the entire bottom surface of the pan. It is common for cast iron pans not to have a completely flat bottom, but instead, it has a burr and rough bottom surface. You may easily scratch the glass stovetop, occasionally leaving extensive scrapes behind that might start causing discoloration on the stove’s surface.

Also Read: Guide on Cooking Fish on a Griddle

Methods to Protect Glass Top Stove From Cast Iron

Using cast iron on a glass top stove is safe if you take precautions. Larger cast iron pots tend to scratch more easily than smaller, lighter ones. To help safeguard your cast iron cookware’s glass surface, you may use these simple measures.

Season The Entire Pan

Using cast iron cookware might scratch your glass-top stoves, so follow this trick to keep them in good condition. The process of seasoning cast iron pans with cooking oil leads to the formation of a carbonized layer, which makes the pan completely non-stick. Your cast iron pan will have a smooth, even surface finish once it has been properly seasoned.

However, the majority of individuals just season a portion of the pan at a time. So, one thing you do is place the pan upside-down in the oven after drizzling the whole pan with oil. As a result, it will give the greatest protection since the surface will be smooth and even, limiting the likelihood of scratching the top.

Heat Diffusers

When it comes to protecting your glass top stove from cast iron, heat diffusers are a fantastic option. It functions as a barrier over your pan and the glass stovetop, preventing any damage from occurring. Cast iron’s natural roughness necessitated the creation of heat diffusers that are flat and smooth, protecting your glass stovetop from damage.

Lift it, Don’t Slide It

When it comes to safeguarding your glass stovetop from cast iron pans, this part is essential. Cast iron pan is both heavy and rough, which may lead to shattered glass if used improperly. When transferring pans, be sure to lift them cautiously and lay them safely on the glass stovetop. Cast iron’s weight and roughness are too much for the glass to withstand.

Keep It As Clean As Possible

Those who use a heat diffuser and those who do not may both benefit from this. Maintaining the cleanliness of your cast iron cookware or heat diffuser avoids any abrasive food particles adhering to the kitchen equipment from scratching and staining the glass surface. We have enough trouble cleaning off cast iron smudges from surfaces without dealing with food that has gotten trapped. Maintaining a clean glass top stove can help to keep it from being scratched.

Get a Glass Cooktop Protector

Using this simple trick, you may avoid damaging your stovetop. Stovetop protected by thin covers from any damage and smudges. They are manufactured of rubber or silicone, are non-slip, and can withstand high temperatures without melting.

Before Heating, Clean the Cast Iron

You should not merely wash cast iron after use; it should be washed a second time before being re-positioned on a glass surface. All other types of cookware accumulate less oil and small residues of cooked food, while cast iron pans absorb the most. Therefore, the oil and food deposits might begin to carbonize and burn whenever the cast iron pan is heated, producing streaks and traces on the glass top.

How Do I Prevent Scratches On My Glass Stove Top?

A cast-iron pan or any other pan may readily scratch the surface of a stove with glass over the top. To keep the glass top of your stove from being scratched, follow these tips:

Moving the Pan

Similarly, moving any pan around on the surface of the stove is a no-brainer—ready yourself to gently lift and place any pans that you will be using while cooking. Consequently, the surface of your stove will certainly get scratched with time, giving the impression that it has been carelessly used and neglected.

Use with Extreme Caution

When using stoneware or ceramic cookware, use the same caution as when using cast-iron cookware. The glass top may be scratched and damaged with any pan, so observe the same safety precautions as with cast iron while using them.

Make Use of Appropriate Utensils

In the kitchen, keep any utensils that you are using in a spoon tray while cooking. Using utensils like spoons on a glass stovetop may ruin the surface and lead to scratches.

Surface Top

Keep your glass top stove free of messes by just using it for cooking. However, it cannot handle the substantial weight, such as standing on it to access upper cupboards or ceiling shelves.

Handling Spills

Whenever spills occur, gently wipe them away. It is pretty difficult to wipe up food spilled onto the surface since it burns very rapidly.

Keep it clean, and always clean

Maintain the cleanliness of your cooking equipment. When finished cooking, wipe out the pan to remove any food or oil residue. If you cook using pans with a filthy bottom, the element’s heat will force the grease to melt, heating into the stove’s surface and leaving stains that may be difficult to clean.

Also Read: Can You Use a Griddle on an Electric Stove?

Cooling

Do not immediately place hot pans (glassware or metal) on the cooktop to cool down after removing them from the oven. To begin, put a wire cooling rack over the top of the stove. Alternatively, put on a clean tea towel on top of the countertop. The heat from the cookware placed in the oven may leave stains on the glass surface if this is not done.

Why Should You Avoid Cast Iron For A Glass Stovetop?

Iron and steel molten cookware is not suitable for use on a glass stovetop. If you cook with cast iron on a glass top stove, you risk scratching the surface of the glass. When it comes to the aesthetics and usability of your glass top electric stove, regular cleaning and polishing are vital components of your overall care and maintenance plan. Scratching the surface of the stove might impair its capacity to distribute heat evenly throughout your cooking venture. There are various methods to use a cast iron pan on a glass top stove without scratching the surface, even if modern glass top stoves are more sensitive to materials used on them now.

How Do I Prevent Stains and Discoloration on Glass Cooktops?

The use of a baking soda paste on glass top stoves will eliminate discoloration and clear markings and spots from the surface. In order to keep your glass top stove from being stained or discolored, clean up spillage and oils spatter right away.

Conclusion

No one enjoys seeing their glass top stove crack or their new cooktop scratched. It is also not a good idea to throw out all of our old iron cast pans. For those of you who have purchased a glass top stove as well as cast iron cookware, perhaps this article has convinced you that there is nothing to be concerned about!

These straightforward actions can help keep your glass top stove in good condition for years to come by preventing scratches and ensuring that it lasts. Make sure your stove is protected and clean, and purchase a protector or diffuser.

How to Protect Glass Top Stove From Cast Iron