Surface

Cooking

Regardless of the cooking surface used- coil elements, ceramic

glass, standard gas burners or sealed gas burners - good results

depend on several factors. Cookware

construction, size and material; plus proper heat setting or flame size are critical for

good results.

ProperCookware

Proper pans will reduce cooking times,use less en-

"ergy and cook food more evenly. Optimum cook-

ing performance can be achieved when heavy gauge, flat, smooth bottom, metal pans with straight

sides and tight fitting lids are used. When selecting cookware consider construction, material and size.

Flat Bottom Construction

Heat transfers primarily by conduction (contact). If the pan is not flat, heat is not transferred as well and food will cook unevenly and take longer. To determine the flatness of the bottom of a pan, try one of these tests:

CookingTest: Put an inch of water into the pan. Place it on the cooktop and turn the control to High. As the water heats, observe the bubble formation. If the bubbles are uniform across the bottom of the pan, it will perform satisfactorily. Uneven bubbre for- mation indicates poor pan/cooktop contact which

causes hot spots and uneven cooking.

Ruler Test: Place the edge of a ruler across the bottom of the pan. HoJd it up to the light. Little or no right should be visible under the ruler.