If you’ve ever owned a cast iron pan, you know how awesome they are. Cast iron offers even heat, stays hot when cooking, and is naturally nonstick. They are perfect for searing steak, sautéing veggies, or even making pancakes. However, if you have a glass top stove, that means no cast iron cooking for you. But why? In general, cast iron is not recommended on glass top stoves because the iron will cause small amounts of metallic residue to be left on the glass surface after use. While this sounds bad, it’s generally not something to worry about and shouldn’t impact your decision on whether to buy a glass top stove or not. You just need some simple tips on how to protect your glass top stove from cast iron safely so that you can enjoy the benefits of both cookware types at the same time.
How To Protect Glass Top Stove From Cast Iron?
1. Clean Glass Top Stove Before Cooking
Before you start cooking, make sure to give your glass top stove a good cleaning. This will remove any dust and debris that may have accumulated on the surface of the stove while you weren’t using it. If you don’t want to use water, a good cleaner like Comet is a great option for hard-to-reach places. Afterward, lightly oil your glass top stove with cooking oil or Pam spray so that it doesn’t get stuck with any residue from the iron afterward.
2. Use an Old Pan to Protect Your Glass Top Stove
If you don’t have any old pans lying around at home, you can always get one from your local thrift store. You can find them at very low prices so there’s no need to worry about spending too much money on one either. And since cast iron pans aren’t exactly cheap, this is a great way to save some money in the long run too! After getting your pan from the thrift store or other source of used goods, simply place it on top of your glass top stove to protect it from contact with the iron during cooking and storage. You can then pick up and move your cast iron pan after cooking without worrying about leaving any residue on your glass top stove anymore!
3. Clean Cast Iron Pan Before Cooking On Glass Top Stove
To ensure that there are no residues left on your glass top stove, it’s always a good idea to clean your cast iron pan before cooking on it. This will ensure that there is no leftover residue on the surface of the stove that could cause an issue later on. For this, simply use a sponge with warm water and dish soap to clean your cast iron pan. Make sure to scrub all of the residues off while washing the pan too.
4. Use Cast Iron Pan With Care
After cleaning both the cast iron pan and glass top stove, you can start cooking again without worrying about leaving any residue behind! However, one thing you should keep in mind is that you need to be extra careful when using a cast iron pan on a glass top stove so that you don’t damage your stove or get any scratches on it as well! For this reason, make sure not to bang down or drop your cast iron pan onto the surface of your glass top stove so that there aren’t any scratches left behind from accidental contact. Also, pick up and move it after cooking whenever possible so that there are no marks left behind from bumping into things while storing them away!
5. Use Protective Sheets When Cooking On Glass Top Stove
While cleaning and using protective sheets is a great idea for keeping items clean when using a glass top stove, they also come in handy when learning how to protect a glass top stove from cast iron too! By placing some protective sheets beneath your cast iron pan, you can avoid damaging your glass top stove by accidentally dropping your cast iron pan onto it.
Safer Cast Iron Cooking
Use a nylon scrubber and dish soap to clean the surface
The first step in protecting your glass top stove from cast iron is to use either a nylon scrubber or dish soap and a soft cloth to clean the surface of the glass. This will remove any dirt, grease, and grime that might have been left behind by the cast iron. You can also use a soft cloth and rubbing alcohol to remove any residue that may be on your glass top stove.
Use an aluminum foil shield between your cookware and the stovetop.
To help prevent any residue from getting onto your glass top stove, you can place an aluminum foil shield between your cookware and the stovetop so that no particles of iron can get through. You can also use aluminum foil to cover your cast iron pan before placing it on the glass top stove as well. This will prevent any metallic particles from getting onto your glass top stove, providing you with added peace of mind that there is no chance of anything being left behind after cooking with a cast iron pan on a glass top stove.
Use a silicone pad or silicone baking mat under your pan for even heat distribution.
If you are using a round metal pan like cast iron, then it’s important that you don’t put it directly onto your glass top stove because this can cause hot spots on the surface of the metal pan which could lead to burns if they are not properly ventilated by the stovetop. To prevent this, you can use a silicone pad or silicone baking mat beneath the pan to help spread the heat evenly across the surface of the cookware.
Make sure that your glass top stove is properly ventilated.
To make sure that your glass top stove gets proper ventilation, you will want to open up one or more of the burners on your stove so that there are no hot spots on the glass top stove. Open up all of the burners on your stove and then close them back down again after cooking with cast iron pans as this will help to ventilate any hot air that may have built up on top of your cookware. You will also want to make sure that there is not any direct contact between your cookware and the burner surface itself since this could cause burning or overheating which could lead to a fire hazard in some cases.
Clean and dry any spills immediately so they don’t harden and create a mess later on.
While it’s generally not recommended to use cast iron pans on a glass top stove because they can leave residue behind, it’s important not to leave any spills or food debris on them as they could become hardened over time and create a sticky mess if left overnight or longer than a few hours after cooking with them. To clean these off, you will want to use either an abrasive sponge-like Scotch Brite pad or an old toothbrush to scrub them clean and then dry them off with a clean towel so that they don’t get more debris stuck on them.
Protecting Your Glass Top Stove Before Using Cast Iron
- Before using your new cast iron pan, make sure to wash it thoroughly with soap and water so that any debris is removed.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place your cast iron pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat and cover it with a lid. Let the pan heat up until the surface has a slight glaze or sheen to it (this will take approximately 10 minutes).
- Once the glaze has built up on the surface of your pan, remove the lid and place it in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until you see a slight haze forming on top of the surface of your pan. After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before using.
- Once cooled completely, place in a dry dish towel to absorb any moisture from moisture in order for you not to have rust spots that may form if you use your cast iron in damp conditions (such as an oven) for extended periods of time without drying completely between uses.
- Wash immediately after each use with soap and water or simply wipe clean with a paper towel or sponge when needed so that any food particles are removed from your glass top stove which could cause rusting if left on long enough periods of time without cleaning immediately after use as described above.
Conclusion
A glass top stove is an awesome appliance, but it is sensitive. Cast iron is a great cookware material, but if you have a glass top stove you can’t use it. To protect your glass top stove, don’t use cast iron on it. Always clean your stovetop right away and avoid using cast iron on a glass top stove.
