Maytag MER5875RAS Use and Care Guide - Page 8

Surface Cooking To Prevent Other Damage • Do not allow plastic, sugar or foods with high sugar content to melt onto the hot cooktop. Should this happen, clean immediately. (See Cleaning, page 21.) • Never let a pan boil dry as this will damage the surface and pan. • Never use cooktop as a work surface or cutting board. • Never cook food directly on the surface. • Do not use a small pan on a large element. Not only does this waste energy, but it can also result in spillovers burning onto the cooking area which requires extra cleaning. • Do not use non-flat specialty items that are oversized or uneven such as round bottom woks, rippled bottom and/or oversized canners and griddles. • Do not use foil or foil-type containers. Foil may melt onto the glass. If metal melts on the cooktop, do not use. Call an authorized servicer. Cookware Recommendations Using the right cookware can prevent many problems, such as food taking longer to cook or achieving inconsistent results. Proper pans will reduce cooking times, use less energy, and cook food more evenly. Flat Pan Tests See if your pans are flat. The Ruler Test: 1. Place a ruler across the bottom of the pan. 2. Hold it up to the light. 3. Little or no light should be visible under the ruler. The Bubble Test: 1. Put 1 inch of water in the pan. Place on cooktop and turn control to High. 2. Watch the formation of the bubbles as the water heats. Uniform bubbles mean good performance, and uneven bubbles indicate hot spots and uneven cooking. Select Avoid Flat, smooth-bottom pans. Pans with grooved or warped bottoms. Pans with uneven bottoms do not cook efficiently and sometimes may not boil liquid. Heavy-gauge pans. Very thin-gauge metal or glass pans. Pans that are the same size as the element. Pans smaller or larger than the element by 1 inch. Secure handles. Cookware with loose or broken handles. Heavy handles that tilt the pan. Tight-fitting lids. Loose-fitting lids. Flat bottom woks. Woks with a ring-stand bottom. Canning and Oversize Cookware All canners and large pots must have flat bottoms and must be made from heavy-gauge materials. This is critical on smoothtop surfaces. The base must not be more than 1 inch larger than the element. When canners and pots do not meet these standards, cooking times may be longer, and cooktops may be damaged. Some canners are designed with smaller bases for use on smoothtop surfaces. When canning, use the High heat setting only until the water comes to a boil or pressure is reached in the canner. Reduce to the lowest heat setting that maintains the boil or pressure. If the heat is not turned down, the cooktop may be damaged. 7