Glass Top Stove Covers Offer Terrific Protection When Used Correctly

Induction stoves with glass tops are efficient and sleek, but they can be a pain to clean. The aggressive scrubbing needed for some stains can damage the delicate cooktop. While it's difficult to avoid all staining and spills while cooking, you can protect the top when the stove is off. Glass top stove covers prevent food from spilling or splashing onto the top during food preparation. These covers are easy to use in general; you place them on the stovetop, and that's it. But the timing and the configuration of the cover play a large role in how successfully you can protect that stove.

Wait Until the Stove Has Cooled

This should be obvious, but it needs to be said: Wait until the stove top has cooled before placing the cover on. While many covers are made of silicone, even silicone can melt when placed directly on something that's very hot, like a stove burner. (Yes, the pans you use in the oven with silicone liners get hot, but they are not the actual source of heat.) Others are made from materials that melt or burn easily; you can find wooden stove top covers, for example. Give the stove some time to cool down before putting any covers on it.

Don't Forget to Clean the Cover

You may think the cover is clean when you wipe off spills, but food and liquid can hide in cracks, designs, and crevices. Some covers have a rougher surface and are harder to clean with a single swipe. You'll need to remove the cover and clean both sides thoroughly on a regular basis. That ensures that anything stuck on there that you missed does not stay there for long. Also, cleaning both sides helps remove any food bits that transferred to the cover from the stove. Remember that splatters from cooking aren't always obvious; while you may think the stove was clean when you covered it, it might not have been as clean as you thought. When you clean not only the stove but also both sides of the cover, you have a better chance of cleaning away all the debris left from when you made your meal.

Aim for Scratch Resistance

If you decide to get a cover that is made from a more rigid material like ceramic or wood, ensure the bottom of the cover has something to protect the glass stove. Rubber feet, for example, or softer edges that won't scratch the glass are good. Glass stoves may be able to take a lot of heat, literally, but in the end, they're still made of glass and can be scratched if you're not careful. Keep in mind that rigid stove covers are usually meant to double as cutting boards and other surfaces, meaning that you'll be doing things that could push the cover around. If the cover doesn't have rubber feet or another soft material on its underside, then your stove could be damaged quickly.

For more information about glass top stove covers, contact a local supplier.

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