# Everything is Warping! Ahhh!



## wallix (May 10, 2012)

I'm at my wit's end here. First off let me say I cook with a glass top and all the pans I mention are Stainless Steel. I've never poured cold water in a hot pan and I preheat my pan on, "4" (goes to "9") with a couple tbsp of canola.

Everything I get starts to warp after a single use. I had a Cuisinart MCP-12 set and the warping started after one use and just got worse and worse. So I exchanged it for another set and _the same thing happened_. So I figured it must be these pans. So get an All Clad 12 inch fry pan to see what all the fuss is about. And after just browning some ground-chicken it is already bowed slightly from the outside in. If you look at the profile of the pan with the handle directly at you, the sides are slightly raised up like a, "V" shape.

So do exchange _another_ pan again at Amazon? What am I doing wrong? I am extremely OCD about this stuff and I follow care-instructions to the, "T". My buddy at work has All Clad/glass top and he says he uses them at full bore heat!


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Aloha Wallix, welcome to Chef Talk!
Last year we purchased a new range and we didn't have the choice as we only have electric for a cooking source. All of the pots and pans have done fine, but I didn't get anything form Amazon. Not to dis them, but the one item that I did get from them I had to return, so I'm thinking that maybe the three party sellers are offering seconds?


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## wallix (May 10, 2012)

kaneohegirlinaz said:


> Aloha Wallix, welcome to Chef Talk!
> Last year we purchased a new range and we didn't have the choice as we only have electric for a cooking source. All of the pots and pans have done fine, but I didn't get anything form Amazon. Not to dis them, but the one item that I did get from them I had to return, so I'm thinking that maybe the three party sellers are offering seconds?


I know it shipped from, "Amazon" and not a 3rd party seller. But I suppose I can never really know for sure. It seemed legit, though. It had the original box, nylon bag, etc.


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## wallix (May 10, 2012)

I'm starting to think it may just be in my head. I got 3 new All Clad pieces today and if I push hard on the rims of _all_ of the pieces, they will rock _ever so slightly_ depending on how hard and where I push on the rims. But they don't even come close to being able to spin. I read in another forum where someone hypothesized that they will flatten out under heat just a little. I don't know if this is true, though. Will keep using them and see where they are after a month of use. Damn O.C.D...


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Some warping is pretty common, even in good brands. I suspect your friend is just not as intense about it as you.


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## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

if you must have a flat bottom on your cookware - then cast aluminum or cast iron is the only way...

almost everything else will have a curve...or get a curve....

... most don't care as they cook with gas and a flat bottom isn't important.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I deal with extremely heavy duty cookware in a commercial setting. Ours also warps. I believe it hapens slighly to all pots and pans. I know home my pots do same thing and I have a flat glass top electric (which I hate) because we have no way of getting underground gas here and bottled is not allowed.  Even putting the hot pan on a cooler serface will warp it. I don't have a solution, but you are using good equipment. I know that now in most commercial settings you can't  put hot pans on the stainless steel tables any more because they to will warp.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

IIRC, there is a warning on ceramic/glass cooktops concerning pans that overhang burner area, something about cracking the cooktop...


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## kirkb (Mar 16, 2012)

I have/had the same problem. My glasstop range warped all my pans. I have since moved and have a new range (non glass top) and the new pans I purchased are fine. I don't think the glasstops evenly distribute the heat, and will warp all kinds of cookware, no matter the material or grade.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

The induction glass top ranges should reduce or alleviate this issue. Induction has some "reach" above the surface so it should heat slightly warped pans well enough. 

They expect to be able to induce eddy currents even in copper and aluminum pans so they'll be induction compatible with future upgrades in the technology too.


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## michael step (Jun 5, 2016)

Come on, as a chef of 30 odd years I have not yet had a pot warp when cooking on gas or electric element, unless it is a cheapy cheapy thin as paper bottomed pot which will warp with a cigarette lighter. *INDUCTION *electric will warp them and damage the bases of even the best pots. EMF's act differently on all surfaces so a base of a pot having 2-3 or more dissimilar materials moving at these high frequencies is inevitably going to fail. Money money money for the fat cat.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Your statement is unfounded and from my research, a baseless claim.


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## halb (May 25, 2015)

Ceramic or glass cooktops are horrible but if electric is your only choice then it the way to go over an open coil (which is almost as bad but looks horrible). The cookware you bought will never hold up and was not meant for a ceramic top so don't blame it. Somewhere there should be instructions for that cooktop that will tell you what cookware to use.That would be anything that has a bottom similar to induction cookware. (I say similar to because I've had it from before induction came out).





  








vollrath-lincoln-3903-optio-10-qt-sauce-pot-with-c




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halb


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Jun 6, 2016








Notice the bottom. Heavy, flat stainless steel and bonded to the pot.


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## bee gee (Jun 6, 2016)

I am finding this discussion very interesting as we (my dad and I) have been having this problem for YEARS. We also have a glass top electric stove and even high end cookware seems to warp a bit. The brands that seems least affected are Calphalon, All Clad and Tfal.


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