Heat ring

[BarbiQ]

I want to buy another cast iron skillet in a smaller size rather than hauling out the huge one all the time. I'm not sure whether to get one with a flat bottom or one with a heat ring. Is there much difference if it will be used primarily on the stove?

 

[Briquet]

I have read that heat rings were used to better distribute heat when cooking on wood-burning stoves. I assume you aren't doing that, so you don't really need the heat ring.

 

[BarbiQ]

I was looking online and seeing some advertised as flat bottom and some as having the heat ring. I looked at my other cast iron pieces. One large skillet and my Dutch oven have the heat rings. Since the new one that I want, will be used mainly inside the kitchen, I shouldn't worry about the heat ring? I guess that makes sense. I figure the piece will be around for many years to come so I want it to be versatile.

 

[Diane Lane]

I've never heard of heat rings. Are they only in cast iron cookware? I don't have any cast iron, so I guess I shouldn't worry about it, but eventually it would be nice to have something I could use to cook with on wood, since I'd like to have a wood cooker out back. It sounds as if you probably don't need to be concerned about that either, @BarbiQ, unless you will be cooking on wood in the future.

 

[BarbiQ]

We do use a lot of our cast iron when we go camping. We have put it right into the coal and have hung the Dutch oven over the fire.

The heat ring is a raised area around the bottom of the pan. Some cast iron pieces have it and some don't.

 

[jason]

The ring helps if you have an older pot belly stove. I have always been told the ring was there as it would fit into the older stoves like that. If you have a flat top I would not use them. For camping however I like the legs the best as I can put coals under them, and with the raised lips on the lid for holding coals. But everyone has their preferences.

 

[BarbiQ]

I estimate the age on one of our cast iron skillets at about 70 years old. It's been around as long as I can remember. It's a treasured member of the family at this point. It has the ring at the bottom.

Since there are no plans to ever have a pot belly stove, I suppose I may as well stick to the flat bottom pieces for any further purchases then.

 

[jason]

I estimate the age on one of our cast iron skillets at about 70 years old. It's been around as long as I can remember. It's a treasured member of the family at this point. It has the ring at the bottom.

Since there are no plans to ever have a pot belly stove, I suppose I may as well stick to the flat bottom pieces for any further purchases then.

It would all depend on what you are cooking on I think. If you are using a flat top electric stove I would not use the heat ring pans. If you are using a gas stove or cooking on a grill I see no problems with that. I know a few people who think that any cast iron would scratch the flat tops, but I haven't had a problem yet.

 

[BarbiQ]

I have an electric stove with the coils on top. No fancy glass top over there, although, I'd love to get one when we replace what we have. We also use the pans on the grill and take some of the smaller, less heavy pieces along when we go camping. Some of those end up over the fire or on the camp stove depending on what we're doing. The Dutch oven gets the hot coal treatment.

 

[jason]

If you have coils, it should not matter then. The coils can hold up the cast iron and not scratch, or should not scratch under normal conditions. Things always happen.

 

[cawfee]

I don't think I have had one like this before. Are they more expensive? I like the idea of making it work better but if the price is something outrageous I think I would skip it myself.

 

[jason]

I don't think I have had one like this before. Are they more expensive? I like the idea of making it work better but if the price is something outrageous I think I would skip it myself.

I have never seen a price difference, but I tend to go to yard sales for my cast iron. Only two or thee pieces have been store bought.

 

[oportosanto]

Yard sales and online sales are the places we can make good bargains.