Using a large pot/pan on a smaller burner
My fiancée and I recently got a bunch of new (very nice) pots and pans for our wedding shower. The thing is, several of the pans are 12", and the burners on our stove are nowhere near that large! (maybe 10" at best)
Are these pots/pans useable on the smaller burners? Will they evenly distribute the heat so it won't be so much of a problem? Or should we take them back? They are nice, hard-anodized pans.
Best Answer
The pans will distribute the heat for you. No burner that I've ever seen covers a 12" pan, but quality pans will still give you pretty even heat distribution.
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Why do stoves have different size burners?
Many gas ranges have burners of different sizes and heat outputs, and burners with larger diameters produce more BTUs per hour. If you are cooking with a large (10- or 12-inch) skillet or Dutch oven, it only makes sense to use one of the large burners.Do smaller pans get hotter?
What matters more are the thickness of the metal, the size of the pan, and the size of the burner heating the pan. Basically, they conclude that size of burner trumps just about anything else in terms of whether your pans heat evenly.What is the small burner for?
Small Burner: The small burner is used as a simmer burner and for precise low flame cooking. You would not use this burner to boil water. Medium Burner: The medium burner is an all purpose burner. Large Burner: The large burner is a maximum output burner used for faster cooking and boiling.What size are stove burners?
Most electric ranges are equipped with 6- and 8-inch burners and you will need to provide the burner size along with the range's make and model to your parts retailer.How to Make Non Stick Pots Pan in Factory | Amazing Manufacturing NonStick Cookware Pots
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Answer 2
If it's copper bottom'ed cookware then it's particularly good at this. The copper holds the heat and protects against hot spots or heat fluctuations. The caveat is to be very careful with the pan when you're done, they will burn you or continue to heat the food for awhile after you've turned off the heat.
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