Hello, this is my first post here and I'd like to start off by
thanking all of you for your great advice.

I've just bought a Dual-Fuel Frigidaire with a Gas-through-Ceramic
Glass Cooktop (that's how it is described in the literature). One of
the things I was looking forward to was making a pancake
breakfast on a griddle, the kind of griddle that covers two burners.
However, when I read my owners manual yesterday I was appalled to
read:

"CAUTION: DO NOT use two burner units to heat one large pan such as a
roaster or griddle, or allow cooking utensils to boil dry. The bottom
surface of the pan in either of these situations could cause
discoloring or crazing of the appliance cooking surface, and damage to
the grates and burner units."

I've never had a ceramic cooktop before, but to not allow a griddle to
be used on a cooktop seemed very strange to me, so I went to
www.frigidaire.com and looked up my model

http://www.frigidaire.com/products/c..._PLCS389DC.asp

I read the Owner's Manual listed on the page there (the one for my
model) and it says something different regarding using a griddle. It
says:

"WARNING: Do not use stove top grills on the burner grates of your
sealed gas burners. If you use a stove top grill on a sealed gas
burner, it will cause incomplete combustion and can result in exposure
to carbon monoxide levels above allowable current standards. This can
be hazardous to your health."

The Owner's Manual (the one on Frigidaire's web site) does not mention
anything about possible damage to the cooktop.

My question: Has anyone else come across this? Do any of you have a
ceramic cooktop with gas burners and use a griddle that covers two
burners? If so, I would be very interested whether it had any
noticeable effect on the ceramic cooktop.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Cheers,
Tara

On Sun 20 Mar 2005 06:24:59p, Tara wrote in rec.food.equipment:

> Hello, this is my first post here and I'd like to start off by
> thanking all of you for your great advice.
>
> I've just bought a Dual-Fuel Frigidaire with a Gas-through-Ceramic
> Glass Cooktop (that's how it is described in the literature). One of
> the things I was looking forward to was making a pancake
> breakfast on a griddle, the kind of griddle that covers two burners.
> However, when I read my owners manual yesterday I was appalled to
> read:
>
> "CAUTION: DO NOT use two burner units to heat one large pan such as a
> roaster or griddle, or allow cooking utensils to boil dry. The bottom
> surface of the pan in either of these situations could cause
> discoloring or crazing of the appliance cooking surface, and damage to
> the grates and burner units."
>
> I've never had a ceramic cooktop before, but to not allow a griddle to
> be used on a cooktop seemed very strange to me, so I went to
> www.frigidaire.com and looked up my model
>
> http://www.frigidaire.com/products/c...dual_fuel/prod
> _PLCS389DC.asp
>
> I read the Owner's Manual listed on the page there (the one for my
> model) and it says something different regarding using a griddle. It
> says:
>
> "WARNING: Do not use stove top grills on the burner grates of your
> sealed gas burners. If you use a stove top grill on a sealed gas
> burner, it will cause incomplete combustion and can result in exposure
> to carbon monoxide levels above allowable current standards. This can
> be hazardous to your health."
>
> The Owner's Manual (the one on Frigidaire's web site) does not mention
> anything about possible damage to the cooktop.
>
> My question: Has anyone else come across this? Do any of you have a
> ceramic cooktop with gas burners and use a griddle that covers two
> burners? If so, I would be very interested whether it had any
> noticeable effect on the ceramic cooktop.
>
> Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Can't speak for the gas versions, but many electric ceramic cooktops have a
"bridged" burner arrangement between a front and back burner. The area in
between the burners can be activated as a heated area, and one can
specifically use it for griddles.

Personally, I would never think of buying a gas-fueled ceramic top unit.
The whole concept seem incongruous. The elements of the electric ceramic
cooktops are far more integrated.

--
Wayne Boatwright
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

On Mon 21 Mar 2005 05:56:17a, Leonard Lehew wrote in rec.food.equipment:

> On 20 Mar 2005 17:24:59 -0800, (Tara) wrote:
>
>>Hello, this is my first post here and I'd like to start off by
>>thanking all of you for your great advice.
>>
>>I've just bought a Dual-Fuel Frigidaire with a Gas-through-Ceramic
>>Glass Cooktop (that's how it is described in the literature). One of
>>the things I was looking forward to was making a pancake
>>breakfast on a griddle, the kind of griddle that covers two burners.
>>However, when I read my owners manual yesterday I was appalled to read:
>>
>>"CAUTION: DO NOT use two burner units to heat one large pan such as a
>>roaster or griddle, or allow cooking utensils to boil dry. The bottom
>>surface of the pan in either of these situations could cause
>>discoloring or crazing of the appliance cooking surface, and damage to
>>the grates and burner units."
>>
>>I've never had a ceramic cooktop before, but to not allow a griddle to
>>be used on a cooktop seemed very strange to me, so I went to
>>www.frigidaire.com and looked up my model
>>
>>http://www.frigidaire.com/products/c...dual_fuel/prod
>>_PLCS389DC.asp
>>
>>I read the Owner's Manual listed on the page there (the one for my
>>model) and it says something different regarding using a griddle. It
>>says:
>>
>>"WARNING: Do not use stove top grills on the burner grates of your
>>sealed gas burners. If you use a stove top grill on a sealed gas
>>burner, it will cause incomplete combustion and can result in exposure
>>to carbon monoxide levels above allowable current standards. This can
>>be hazardous to your health."
>>
>>The Owner's Manual (the one on Frigidaire's web site) does not mention
>>anything about possible damage to the cooktop.
>>
>>My question: Has anyone else come across this? Do any of you have a
>>ceramic cooktop with gas burners and use a griddle that covers two
>>burners? If so, I would be very interested whether it had any
>>noticeable effect on the ceramic cooktop.
>>
>>Thank you for taking the time to read this!
>>
>>Cheers,
>> Tara
> This is a consequence of the sealed burners. In addition to the gas to
> burn, you have to have an air supply. With conventional gas burners,
> air to feed the flame comes from below. There are openings at the base
> of the burner to allow this. Combustion by products (mainly carbon
> dioxide and water) escape into the air above the stove. With sealed
> burners, the only source of air is from the surface of the stove. This
> type of burner is therefore more succeptible to poor air flow due to
> large objects on the stove top.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Leonard
>

Point well taken, but with a gas-fired ceramic cooktop where does the air
come from. IIRC, you can't even see the burners?

--
Wayne Boatwright
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

"Tara" > wrote in message
om...
> Hello, this is my first post here and I'd like to start off by
> thanking all of you for your great advice.
>
> I've just bought a Dual-Fuel Frigidaire with a Gas-through-Ceramic
> Glass Cooktop (that's how it is described in the literature). One of
> the things I was looking forward to was making a pancake
> breakfast on a griddle, the kind of griddle that covers two burners.
> However, when I read my owners manual yesterday I was appalled to
> read:

I clicked on the link in your message. The text says the range has a
ceramic top, but the picture looks like standard burners to me. Is the rage
in the picture the same as your actual range?

On Mon 21 Mar 2005 11:13:23a, Vox Humana wrote in rec.food.equipment:

>
> "Tara" > wrote in message
> om...
>> Hello, this is my first post here and I'd like to start off by
>> thanking all of you for your great advice.
>>
>> I've just bought a Dual-Fuel Frigidaire with a Gas-through-Ceramic
>> Glass Cooktop (that's how it is described in the literature). One of
>> the things I was looking forward to was making a pancake
>> breakfast on a griddle, the kind of griddle that covers two burners.
>> However, when I read my owners manual yesterday I was appalled to
>> read:
>
> I clicked on the link in your message. The text says the range has a
> ceramic top, but the picture looks like standard burners to me. Is the
> rage in the picture the same as your actual range?

I finally got it, Vox. The top of the range is a plate of ceramic glass.
The individual sealed burners stick through the surface.

I originally thought it was a gas-fired (from underneath) ceramic glass
top.

--
Wayne Boatwright
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Leonard Lehew > wrote in message >. ..

> This is a consequence of the sealed burners. In addition to the gas to
> burn, you have to have an air supply. With conventional gas burners,
> air to feed the flame comes from below. There are openings at the base
> of the burner to allow this. Combustion by products (mainly carbon
> dioxide and water) escape into the air above the stove. With sealed
> burners, the only source of air is from the surface of the stove. This
> type of burner is therefore more succeptible to poor air flow due to
> large objects on the stove top.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Leonard

Thank you Leonard for that excellent explanation! I am worried that
as a result of the poor air flow the ceramic cooktop would be damaged.
I realize that it is perhaps difficult to comment on how likely this
would be, but I would be curious whether folks had any thoughts on
this.

Thank you again for your response.

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message >...
> "Tara" > wrote in message
> om...
> > Hello, this is my first post here and I'd like to start off by
> > thanking all of you for your great advice.
> >
> > I've just bought a Dual-Fuel Frigidaire with a Gas-through-Ceramic
> > Glass Cooktop (that's how it is described in the literature). One of
> > the things I was looking forward to was making a pancake
> > breakfast on a griddle, the kind of griddle that covers two burners.
> > However, when I read my owners manual yesterday I was appalled to
> > read:
>
> I clicked on the link in your message. The text says the range has a
> ceramic top, but the picture looks like standard burners to me. Is the rage
> in the picture the same as your actual range?

Yes, it is the same. The top of the range is ceramic and it has four
sealed gas burners.

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message >...
> "Tara" > wrote in message
> om...
> > Hello, this is my first post here and I'd like to start off by
> > thanking all of you for your great advice.
> >
> > I've just bought a Dual-Fuel Frigidaire with a Gas-through-Ceramic
> > Glass Cooktop (that's how it is described in the literature). One of
> > the things I was looking forward to was making a pancake
> > breakfast on a griddle, the kind of griddle that covers two burners.
> > However, when I read my owners manual yesterday I was appalled to
> > read:
>
> I clicked on the link in your message. The text says the range has a
> ceramic top, but the picture looks like standard burners to me. Is the rage
> in the picture the same as your actual range?

Yes, it is the same. The top of the range is ceramic and it has four
sealed gas burners.

"Tara" > wrote in message
om...
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
>...
> > "Tara" > wrote in message
> > om...
> > > Hello, this is my first post here and I'd like to start off by
> > > thanking all of you for your great advice.
> > >
> > > I've just bought a Dual-Fuel Frigidaire with a Gas-through-Ceramic
> > > Glass Cooktop (that's how it is described in the literature). One of
> > > the things I was looking forward to was making a pancake
> > > breakfast on a griddle, the kind of griddle that covers two burners.
> > > However, when I read my owners manual yesterday I was appalled to
> > > read:
> >
> > I clicked on the link in your message. The text says the range has a
> > ceramic top, but the picture looks like standard burners to me. Is the
rage
> > in the picture the same as your actual range?
>
> Yes, it is the same. The top of the range is ceramic and it has four
> sealed gas burners.

I guess I'll have to look at it in person. I just don't "get it."