question from a guest

[Greg Stahl]

Got this question from a guest and it is the first time I've heard this and I don't know how to answer him.


Question:      I am interested in purchasing a Griswold skillet but I have been told that you cannot use them with a smooth top(ceramic) cooktop.  Is this true?  

[Troy_Hockensmith]

I've heard that, but the folks I know that have them are more afraid of scratching their burner tops or slaming them down and breaking them. I don't think it is that you can't use them it's just you have to be careful.

[Steve_Stephens]

Ceramic cooktops may need a very flat bottom pot to work properly.  Best thing is to call the manufacturer of the cooktop and ask what pots will or won't work.  The electric ceramic cooktops may have a thermostat under the surface which will "read" when a pot is on the surface and drawing heat away from the surface.  We tried a Griswold waffle iron on another kind of electric burner (the cast iron one with the large rusty red dot in the center) and it wouldn't heat enough to get the waffles any more cooked than yellow.  I think it was caused by the waffle iron not being in contact with the burner so the burner thought nothing was on it and didn't get very hot.  
Steve

[Edd_Roberts]

I think it was caused by the waffle iron not being in contact with the burner so the burner thought nothing was on it and didn't get very hot.  

 Boy, that smart cooktop was kinda dumb, huh?  If you can fake it out with a hollowback griddle, the thing ain't ready to ride the long bus.  ;-)

[Darrel Palmquist]

Mot cast ron skillets will be okay on flat top ceramic stove tops AS LONG AS THE SKILLET IS FLAT.  any uneveness will cause the skillet to rock and wobble when the heat is turned on. The top can be sratched by cast iron, so caution is required when using them.  We had a cermica smooth top and we used CI skillets on it . Even though we were very cautious the top still got scratched up. in the short time we had it.

[Clark Rader]

 We had a cermica smooth top and we used CI skillets on it . Even though we were very cautious the top still got scratched up. in the short time we had it.

well Darrel, how did you solve the the problem? You got rid of;
      A , you got rid of all your cast iron.
      B, you eat out everyday
      C, you moved to a new house that was not cermica or glass
                  Clark ::)

[Brian Vick]

A friend of mine whom I sold alot of good user iron to went out and bought a flat top to replace his Jenaire... Was he ever sorry. ALL of his iron turned into spinners on that cooktop even the SLIGHTEST fraction of a millimeter off will render an iron pan useless on those tops not to mention the heat transfere is wasted..My friend is looking for another stove an expensive mistake!
Brian

[C. Perry Rapier]

I have one of these stoves. I use cast iron on it all the time. The heat transfer is fine. I have no problems at all. It does a good job. I have a camper that has a propane stove. There is a very big difference in using electric and propane. The  propane burns hotter, and faster. I have had the other electric stoves as well, the ones with the round coil. I Think the flat top does a better job. I go over it with an SOS pad every now and then and it looks fine. I have had it for around 7 years.

[Darrel Palmquist]

I solved the problem with the cermaic top by:
1.  Sold the house with the stove
2. Made dang sure the new house had a hook up for gas
3. Installed a gas stove

NO, I DID NOT GET RID OF ANY IRON!!   >:(

What do you think, I'm a Californicator?  NOT!!

[C. Perry Rapier]

Now that Darrell don't do nuthin half fast. In other threads on here we have talked about how some older (over 75 years) skillets are very badly pitted on the bottom account of being used over a fire. With that in mind I think I would rather cook on electric. Or, do you think there is a difference in cooking over, say propane and natural gas? I mean are these two harmful in the same sense as fire under a skillet was back then? The reason I ask this is because I could have either one I wanted here where I live. I like to cook over fire but if electric will get me there too, and not pit my skillets, why go there?

[Troy_Hockensmith]

Perry,
Most of that orange peel type pitting was related to the older skillets. I'm not an expert here but the way I understand it is, the gas from the "old" days had a lot more sulfer in it and would produce sulfuric acid which is what would cause the pitting. The gas of today is much cleaner and is supposed to be safe for iron. I hope so because I intend to have gas in the new house.  

[Paul Beer]

Perry, I agree with Troy....the gas today won't hurt your iron and if you like to cook gas is the only way!! If you have gas or propane hook it up!! Also great for roasting chiles, starting fires in the fire place, outside grills, etc. However, for your stove get a gas top and an electric oven. Frigidare has a great stove that can be used with a microw wave oven above for venting. Great set up as does away with the need to put in a big hood and vent which is required with most gas stoves. Paul

[Steve_Stephens]

If you go with gas watch for stoves or cooktops that won't work with the old waffle irons.  My sis has a gas cooktop with smallish iron round grates for the burners.  My high frame waffle iron fits over the grate so that it rests on the cooktop surface and not the grate.  Being as how the frame sits, there is no air entering from below the waffle frame with the consequence that the gas flame is extinguished.  Raising the frame slightly off the cooktop (with some aluminum pieces) solved that problem and made the stove useable but with some inconvenience.  I think our old cookware still likes a conventional, older style stove to work its best.  If you go with Gas, Troy, take a look at a 40's to early 50's gas range, restored or in very good condition.  They last almost forever and the more popular brands you can get parts for.  MUCH better made than the new stoves which, unless you go high end, are a bunch of tinny crap.  I gave up on the new stoves to replace my almost-faithful 1961 GE electric (it's getting tired) and bought a later 30's gas Wedgewood off ebay.  Paid too much and it needs a few parts and my time to get it useable.
Steve

[Clark Rader]

Darrel,
That was a good answer, and I knew you would not sell the cast iron. Last year we had to look for a stove, the old one was not going to cook that thankgiving dinner. we had about a week. My wife sure did like them cermaic tops. I would like to have gotten an old (wedgwood) or something like that. we had less than a week. we settled for a G.E. profile (Gas) witch is a good stove with large grates, in 3 pices. It does hot hold all my cast iron that  good, like some of my outside heat ring skillets. I hate that. every time we go to a flee market I say look honey at that old nice stove, well we all know the anser on that one.

A; we got a new one, CLARK

[Jerry Cermack]

I only wish I had money for a Vulcan Gas stove. Commercial Grade with the largggggge burners.  :D :D :D   I've heard that argument here for over 35 yrs.  Gas vs Electric.  Most here have always been electric.  I'm all gas, and my answer to the argument is.....Electric is fine, but if it was best, then why do chefs and restaurants use Gas stoves?  Instant on, instant off, and infinitely variable heat is my reply, and low maintenance.

Question:   If the old gas was high sulpher and pitted the bottom of the skillets, and the burner grates were made of cast iron (weren't they?), then why didnt it ruin and destroy  the burner grates?  I dont doubt the sulphur gas answer, just curious?

[Paul Beer]

I think the coal stoves were the biggest problem on the cast iron causing most of the damage we see in some of those old pieces. Not sure tho...as we always cooked on mesquite out here...

[Darrel Palmquist]

I looked at many different gas stoves before we bought one.  It has  very large burner shields that are coated cast iron. Two of the burners have larger than normal flame patterns.  Large enough that I have used my #14 Skillet and it heats evenly.  
The natural gas that is used in houses today has very little sulpher in it and does not deterioate cast iron like gas did many years ago.

I like gas as itheats more evenly than wlectric and when you turn it off it is off. Electric buners hold heat for a long time and IMO they do nor distribute the heat evenly as gas does.   You can also adjusrt the flame pattern on individual burners to mazimise the oxygen and gas content to get very a high effiencieny  flame.

[C. Perry Rapier]

Darrell, Those are all excellent reasons for cooking with gas. How do you like it up in the UP of Michigan? Is it cold yet? Man you sure are up there. It is beautiful up there. I have a friend who lives in Crystal Falls. I also want to tell you that I have used my Darrell Palmquist electrolysis machine everyday for at least a month. I see others talking about turning the amps up and adjusting them (the amps). I have a sears 50 amp with no adjustment. It is either on or it is off, ain't no in between. It seems to be very very slow compared to what I hear others saying. I leave some pieces in the soup for two days, day and night. I get it out and brush off any settled rust and any loose carbon. I also spray it off with a garden hose to knock any loose junk off. If it don't suit me I put it back in for another day or so. My battery charger runs day and night and I have not had a bit of trouble with it. I am using a rod at the bottom of the barrel with a nice piece of flat stainless steel as my ground. I had a refrigerator rack welded on to start with and I burned that up in about three days. I also use flattened out number 10 cans (restaurant size), they work well also. But like I say, it takes a lot of time, but they come out looking very nice. Does it sound like I am doing everything ok? Should I be doing something different? Why do you think I am not getting the results as others are. I am not complaining, I am just saying it works, but it sure takes a lot longer compared to what others are saying. Take care and get plenty of meat in for the winter.

[Darrel Palmquist]

From what you said, you are using the plate in the bottom for the negative lead .  I hope you meant positive lead.   The positive lead should be attached to your plate in the bottom and your negative to the rod going to the cast iron piece.
If your solution is mixed correct,(1 tablespoom of PH+ to a gallon  of water), your leads from battery charger are hooked up correctly,  it should clean like everyone else's.
You might look at how close you have the CI to the positive grid. The closer the CI piece is to the positve grid, the better it works.
Perhaps Troy has some thoughts on why your set up takes that long to clean.
The UP of Michigan is fine.  Clean, Fresh air, lots of critters, privacy with lost of woods and good people.

[Troy_Hockensmith]

Perry,
I'm using 40 amps and it works fine. The grate on the bottom should be your positive and the negative should be to the piece your cleaning. The only other issue I could see is you need to have a good connection with the negative piece. If not it could be slow going.