How to Use a Heat Diffuser on a Gas Stove | 3 Simple Steps
A heat diffuser is a flat piece of metal that sits between your pot and the burner of your stovetop. They have lots of tiny holes for air to pass through so they can diffuse gas burners evenly. Use it with heavy-bottomed pans on flat or induction cooktops.
It works by dispersing heat slowly across its surface, meaning that the flame heats up the metal instead of just heating one spot on the bottom of your pan directly. This reduces hotspots in your pan and gives you more precise control over how fast your food cooks.
Are you don’t know how to use it? Okay, In this article, we’ll explain how to use a heat diffuser on a gas stove with some step by step. Continue reading this article to know more about it.
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How to Use A Heat Diffuser On A Gas Stove
Here are some steps to use a heat diffuser on a gas stove:
#Step 1: Remove any flame tamer, metal discs, or other “spacers” from your burner. They will not work with the diffuser and may cause an explosion or fire risk if used with it (because they concentrate direct flames towards one spot).
Tighten your burner caps securely so that there are no spaces between them and the surface of your stovetop. This is important for your safety! Checking Your Heat Diffuser Make sure you have a heat diffuser that matches the diameter of your burners.
Don’t use a smaller diffuser with larger burners – this could cause hot spots and damage to your stove. Check that your heat diffuser is firm and flat, without any dents or scratches on the metal as these will also cause hotspots.
#Step 2: Now you need to adjust your stovetop to its lowest setting. Once it is on, keep a close eye on it for the next couple of minutes, as sometimes even at low heat some burners can produce hotter areas.
If you have gas ovens near your cooktop, make sure they are completely off and cooled down before attempting this. This is to prevent an explosion from the diffusing unit tipping over or a flame touching a still-hot burner.
#Step 3: Choosing Your Cookware Once you have your diffuser in place, let’s start using it with a pan! The best type of cookware to use is a cast iron pan because it holds heat evenly. However, if you don’t have one available an enamel-coated steel pot will also do – or anything else that has a flat, even bottom, and fairly straight sides.
WARNING: If you are using cookware with thermal-shock resistance, do not use it on high heat, as the metal expands when heated and could cause damage to the unit or break your pan. Use it only on low heat.
Why Do You Need a Stovetop Heat Diffuser?
You should to use a stovetop heat diffuser for a few reasons:
1. A heat diffuser helps you control the exact temperature of your pan. Instead of boiling or frying at high temperatures, you can now simmer and stir-fry to perfection.
2. It will help you save lots of money by preventing overheating and sticking, which means that you’ll need less gas or electricity to cook your food! You’ll also be able to reuse whatever is left in the pan (and avoid having to clean it!) as well as reduce your energy bill.
3. A heat diffuser distributes heat evenly across the bottom of your pot or pan, so the entire surface has a chance to brown and caramelize – resulting in an even richer taste for deliciously perfect dishes.
4. Last but not least, heat diffusers are much safer than flame tamers because they disperse heat slower, giving you time to adjust the power without fear of tipping over a flame tamer unit by mistake.
Why Shouldn’t You Use a Heat Diffuser?
You should not use a heat diffuser in these situations:
1. If you have a gas oven, be sure to turn it off and wait for it to cool down before using your heat diffuser because the flames from your unit might reach the still-hot burners. This could cause an explosion or fire risk if done improperly!
2. If you are cooking on electric coils, make sure that your diffuser is compatible with electric heating (and not just with gas). Using the wrong type of unit may damage your cooktop surface and/or produce hot spots that can pose a risk.
3. Don’t use a heat diffuser when cooking foods that contain sugar or other high-sugar ingredients because this could cause extended “hot spots”, burning your food.
4. You should not use a heat diffuser with an electric stovetop or if your burners are not strong enough to support the weight of the diffusing unit (remember, they’re pretty heavy). If you’re not sure how hot your burners are, simply experiment on low!
5. Not all types of pans can be used with your stovetop heat diffuser, for example, enamel-coated steel pots won’t work too well because they don’t conduct heat very well and will block most of it from reaching your unit.
However, this doesn’t mean that other cookware won’t work at all. It just might take longer to get properly heated through without direct contact with flames or an even source of heating.
There are many benefits to using a stovetop heat diffuser, but there are also some situations when you won’t be able to use it. Hopefully, after reading through this article you’ll have a better idea of whether or not your pan can work with an appropriate unit!
Final Verdict
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and that it’s given you a better idea of when and when not to use a heat diffuser unit! Also, I hope that this article has shown you just how beneficial using a heat diffuser can be for your cooking.
A heat diffuser is going to help you save money by allowing you to control the power of your cookware so precisely, prevent sticking and burning by distributing heat evenly, and avoid overheating or damage from thermal shock.
