Induction + Pre-heated Cast Iron

[Ozcook]

(1) I have a Miele Induction cooktop and a recently purchased Lodge Cast Iron 12 inch skillet. I have been poring over recipes from Cooks Illustrated and many of them recommend pre-heating the skillet in a 500F oven and then placing the skillet on a cooktop (no mention of glass cooktop or induction). Before I go ahead and try this, am I running the risk of damaging the cooktop by placing a pre-heated CI skillet on to the (Schott Ceran) surface?

 

(2) A related question is that, on admittedly little use of the Lodge CI so far, I have triggered the overheating feature  of the induction cooktop resulting in the burner in use shutting off. I have not used the burner any higher than 7 out of 9 and even then and for about five minutes for pre-heating. This is frustrating to say the least. I have had the same problem with a new Matfer 12" carbon steel skillet while trying to season it.

 

 

[Martin Fisher]

IMO, I think it's best to direct your questions to the manufacturer.

[boilsover]

(1)  No, no danger from thermal shock.  The danger is in dropping the hot pan.

 

(2)  This sounds like a sensor fault.  It may be particular to your unit, and maybe not.  OTOH, an empty pan for 5 minutes at 7/9 on a 24K (or 36K) induction hob is a lot of heat.

 

Why are you preheating so high?  500F is 'way past the smoke points of most cooking oils.

[btbyrd]

What induction unit are you using? The cheap ones don't manage heat very well. They're also not good at seasoning cast iron or carbon steel, since these don't conduct heat well and form a concentrated hot spot over the induction coil (which is much smaller than most pans).

 

Edit: I saw the brand you're using, and would expect it to perform well. My comments mostly apply to portable induction burners. I'd be interested in hearing more from this those with full cooktops.

Edited August 24, 2017 by btbyrd (log)

[weedy]

It's definitely true that my induction range shows a noticeable central ring of heat in my cast iron skillet. You can see clearly where the oil drys away in the center but not around the edges; delineating the induction 'burner' area. 

 

 

[Ozcook]

Many thanks for the replies. I was most concerned about the thermal shock of placing a pre-heated CI skillet on the induction surface, so thanks boilsover for your advice. As to temperatures, Cooks Illustrated suggests placing the CI skillet in an oven until the oven reaches 500F which I'm guessing is not the same as the skillet reaching 500F unless it was left in the oven at that temperature for some time. The reason for oven pre-heating is to ensure that the skillet is evenly heated which is unlikely to occur on most cooktops.

 

I was attempting to get past the smoke point to season the Matfer carbon steel skillet as that is necessary for the seasoning process in a new pan but I only had limited success because the Miele induction kept cutting out due to overheat protection. My thermoworks infra-red thermometer was showing up to 450F at the centre and as little as 280F at the sides so I only got some seasoning in the centre.

Edited August 24, 2017 by Ozcook (log)

[robirdstx]

Just a suggestion, why not do the seasoning of the skillets in the oven?

[Ozcook]

Robirdstx, I did season the Lodge 12" CI skillet in the oven and it came out great. However, that is not an option for the Matfer carbon steel skillet as it has an enormous handle which makes it far too big to fit in either of my ovens. I may have to go down the BBQ route (when Winter ends here).

Edited August 24, 2017 by Ozcook (log)