Whirlpool RC8330XT manual

Using Your Cooktop

Contmued

Solid element surface units

Before placing a pan on solid element surface units for the first time, heat on HI setting for five minutes. The surface units will give off smoke as the protective coating, applied at the factory, finishes bonding to the surface.

Solid element surface units are made of heavy cast-iron to provide even cooking. Each surface unit has a built-in protective limiter as a safety feature. The limiter senses uneven cooking temperatures and automatically reduces the heat level. The limiter will sense uneven heat when a pan boils dry or when a pan is removed and the surface unit is left on. The heat level may also be reduced automatically if the bottom of the pan is not flat or if the pan is too large or too small for the element. This will result in longer cooking times.

Solid elements hold heat longer than conven- tional surface units. For best cooking results, use a high setting for only a very short period of time. Then use a lower setting to complete the cooking. You may want to turn the solid element surface unit OFF a few minutes before you finish cooking.

Cookware

Pans should be the same size or slightly larger than the surface unit to prevent boil-overs and hot handles.

Use only flat-bottomed utensils on the cooktop. Flat bottoms allow maximum contact between the pans and surface units for fast, even cooking.

Pans without flat bottoms and specialty items with rounded or ridged bottoms (woks, ridged bottom canners or tea kettles) will cause uneven heating and poor cooking results.

To check your cookware for flatness, place a straight-edge across the bottom of each piece. Move the straight-edge around. If light shows anywhere between the pan and the straight-edge, the pan is not flat. Do not use it.