Cast iron skillet....tool for the kitchen

[Dennis Minn]

All,

I have lived in my house for a long time. We have propane for heat and cooking. Our cooktop, even when using the lowest setting on the smallest burner, still cooks the center of a pot instead of the whole thing.

The larger burner is too hot for ssssslow cooking.

I tried something new (to me). Instead of a double boiler type deal, I put a cast iron skillet on the little burner, then set the deeper sauce pan inside of the skillet.

Seems to be working to spread the heat out a bit better.

Slow cooker crock pot could be used, but I am trying something easier to clean up. Our crock pot ceramic is not a separate piece from the heating part.

D.

 

[caterpillar guy]

the little bit I have used a gas stove for cooking I never had a problem with heat collecting in the center. I suspect you have a plugged or limited opening in the burner or excessive flow some how like to much pressure from the wrong sized orifice or such.If it came as a natural gas unit and is on propane the pressures are different for them so the orifice has to be changed.

 

[redforlife]

I've never seen a larger burner that couldn't be turned down just as low as the smaller burner. Only difference is it's bigger around with more flame outlets to complete the circle. But the flame itself should be able to be turned down just as low.
Are you sure you don't have something else going on? Propane hooked to a natural gas stove? Wrong pressure from regulator? Or are you just really trying to barely warm something to luke warm, and a cook stove is to much?
But yes, caste iron is very good about evening out the heat.

 

[Charles in Aus.]

We cook on either a slow combustion wood stove or a propane stove at the farm .
Propane burns hot , much hotter than natural gas , it's easy to get hot spots in saucepan and skillets that don't have composite metal bases . Stainless steel with a copper base seems to work the best on gas , the heavier the base the better . The cast iron cookware takes ages on gas but is great on wood , especially in direct contact with flame .
Try a pot with a stainless, aluminium and copper sandwich base , this spreads heat better than anything else .
Otherwise as red mentioned the regulator might have been fiddled with .

 

[DoubleO7]

They make plastic bags for the oval slow cookers now.
We use them all the time with no adverse effects.When done just tie it shut and lift it out and throw away.

Maybe your cast iron pan is on the thin side.

Is your burner flame yellow or only blue?

 

[MarkB_MI]

My wife bought a cast iron heat spreader that does the same thing. We don't use it much, but it works. She bought it at Lehman's Non-Electric store, but similar ones are available on-line.
Cast iron heat diffuser

 

[MJMJ]

They make gas stove diffusers just for that, theyre fairly cheap. Just a small contraption you lay over the flame to even it out. Some stoves and/or pans are just tough to do certain things with. I have a large cast iron pan thats really bad about getting hot only in the middle on my gas stove.

Edit: MarkB beat be to it.

This post was edited by MJMJ on 02/03/2022 at 04:08 am.

 

[Texasmark]

I use the metal diffuser apparatus. Double sided, thin sheet steel perforated, with a wooden handle. Does a great job especially when you are simmering and low isn't low enough. For thin, SS 2-5 gallon pots without a thick bottom, perfect.

 

[Texasmark]

Funny, I haven't used a cast iron skillet in decades but upon cooking supper this evening I saw it in the drawer and hauled it out.....cooks like a dream as usual. When we camped out with the kids and all I had a 24 inch that served the camp well.