Stove Top Diffusers

[pbear]

For moderating heat to the pan, I prefer the two-layer type, often sold under the trade name “Flame Master.” Much better than disk-type diffusers for this purpose. Often can found in the housewares department of hardware stores (not so much in cookware stores). Also available from Fantes (scroll down) and Amazon. Have been using for years and recommend highly.

[Paul Bacino]

So..

I picked up some Bella Copper. They offer buy 2 get a 6" free now. I have the 8 and the 10 " also.

I really like how they performed last night, but I could see a better design. I actually might just stop by my Manufacturing company and see about a design , I would really like to see a diffuser span two burners. Its like cooking on a flat top and creating Zones of cooking , warming and holding sauces. You might only use one burner and move the sauces back according to the dissipating heat.

Carry over heat, makes me take the sauce off the plate, I think it would be better to just slide it to a slightly cooler zone.

Thoughts?

[sparrowgrass]

I have a big cast aluminum griddle--fits over 2 burners.

[Crouton]

So..

I picked up some Bella Copper. They offer buy 2 get a 6" free now. I have the 8 and the 10 " also.

I really like how they performed last night, but I could see a better design. I actually might just stop by my Manufacturing company and see about a design , I would really like to see a diffuser span two burners. Its like cooking on a flat top and creating Zones of cooking , warming and holding sauces. You might only use one burner and move the sauces back according to the dissipating heat.

Carry over heat, makes me take the sauce off the plate, I think it would be better to just slide it to a slightly cooler zone.

Thoughts?

I have the one in the top middle... it works great as a buffer but pans seem to slide off it easily.

[Will]

I really like how they performed last night, but I could see a better design. I actually might just stop by my Manufacturing company and see about a design , I would really like to see a diffuser span two burners.

I think you can put two 10" plates together -- in fact, that's why they made them with a square shape.

http://bellacopper.stores.yahoo.net/faqs.html

On my stove, the 10" perfectly covers one grate, so if I had two, I could create a continuous surface. However, since the heat dispersion is so good, you might not get the behavior you're talking about, like with a French top.

It should be possible to get a larger copper plate custom made if that's what you're looking for.

Edited February 10, 2012 by Will (log)

[Junkbot]

For all you who have the copper diffusers, would you be able to do a toast test with flour with and without the plate? I'm just curious how much that extra layer of copper evens out the heat. Example of test.

[Paul Bacino]

J-BOT,

If I get some time this week-end I might give it a try>

Otherwise-- I did find a source for small quantities of copper sale-- McMaster.com

Its sells 12 x 24 inch 1/8 inch copper plates!! Not cheap 218.17 Dollars. Yikes

[Paul Bacino]

Ok

I did what I thought was the toast test to me:

This is cast Iron Skillet, directly on a 3.25 inch burner. Large on my top.

This is cast iron skillet on a 8 " Bella Copper Diffuser.. THE Cast iron hangs over the 8"-- a 10" would be better

Flame tamer

A time reference.

it took about 2.25 mins to toast the first, 3.25 to toast the copper, 4.25 to toast the FlameTamer

Edited February 10, 2012 by Paul Bacino (log)

[Junkbot]

Very nice post. Thanks for the experiment. It's interesting for me that the copper plate concentrated the heat to the center, judging by the second picture.

I think I'm going to stop by the junkyard and pick up a slab of aluminum. Not quite as good as copper, but much cheaper.

[andiesenji]

I picked up some Bella Copper. They offer buy 2 get a 6" free now. I have the 8 and the 10 " also.

I really like how they performed last night, but I could see a better design. I actually might just stop by my Manufacturing company and see about a design , I would really like to see a diffuser span two burners. Its like cooking on a flat top and creating Zones of cooking , warming and holding sauces. You might only use one burner and move the sauces back according to the dissipating heat.

Phone Bella Copper. They will make them to your size specifications. They used to offer the double burner one.

I have one that is 10 x 18 It is discolored from being over fairly high heat but will revert to true copper color when polished - I just use half a lemon dipped in salt. The old-fashioned way!

and one that is 11 x 18

as well as the smaller square ones.

I got the bigger ones so I can use several little pans at the same time, saves me a lot of time.

Edited February 10, 2012 by andiesenji (log)

[Paul Bacino]

Andiesenji

Thanks

[boilsover]

Hi, junkbot:

Go ahead and get the aluminum if you want. I have a porthole cutout in 5/8" that works well on low heat. Just be aware that aluminum's melting point is only 1220F. I'm not entirely sure how hot a calrod coil gets on High, but it maxes out my IR gun (>1022F). Copper's melting point is substantially higher, namely 1984F.

The thick aluminum slab works great as defroster, too.

[Jaymes]

I just bought a second "SimmerMat." First bought one a short while back on Amazon, but loved it so much that I just bought another.

As to why, it's really difficult to be certain that the electric burner is low enough, and the heat diffused enough, to simmer a pot of soup, or whatever, without burning it.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=simmer+mat&tag=mh0b-20&index=aps&hvadid=1691719276&ref=pd_sl_2k23slxmak_p

Want to add that we also bought this one a few weeks back:

http://www.amazon.com/Cast-Iron-Diffuser-Handle-Ilsa/dp/B0007T25ZC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1378161368&sr=8-3&keywords=simmer+mat

Heavier than the SimmerMat and at first we loved it more.

But it accidentally got left on a burner (under the pan so we forgot it was there) with the heat on as high as it will go. We were trying to boil a big soup pot of water. That really high heat caused bubbles to rise on the heat diffuser. We still use it, but it looks kind of ratty.

Edited September 2, 2013 by Jaymes (log)