I like gas hobs, but...

...The one thing I hate is the terribly poor design of the pan support grids. Our present four burner one has two removable cast iron grids, four fingers acting as supports for each burner. Rather than meeting in the middle of the burner, the fingers stop short of the burner, leaving an unsupported gap in the middle, over the burners.

They work fine, despite the gap, where the pan in use is a larger one, but smaller pans tend to tilt and to be less stable/ need more accurate placing above the burner centre. The worst burner, is the smallest one, where the smaller pans tend to be used. So I experimenting with ideas to solve the problem.....

The best idea I have come up with so far, is a bit of U shaped folded steel, which simply clips over one pair of the fingers, passing over the centre of the burner. Has anyone else found this problem/ found a neater fix?

SWMBO has started working lunch through to 6pm, so I now do the cooking - so this issue has suddenly come to the fore. She has also just bought a rather good omelette pan, which is a rather poor unstable design - The pan's handle is so big and bulky, that it weighs almost as much as the empty pan itself. Set it on the hob and it becomes even more unstable until some food is put in it - makes great omelettes though

Google heat diffuser for gas hob

Nige F said:

Google heat diffuser for gas hob

Click to expand...

Yes, I have seen those thin diffusers, but thought they seemed too much of a faff. This seemed more sensible- https://www.amazon.co.uk/SPARES2GO-...=heat+diffuser+gas+hob&qid=1606994844&sr=8-30

I thought they were too expensive for what they were, and might or might not even fit.

Just be aware that a condition known as "flame chilling" can occur and does when cold pans are initially placed on the burner....higher carbon monoxide levels are produced due to incomplete combustion.
In addition any reduction in secondary air to the flame will also increase CO production.
Any interference with the pan supports could lead to such conditions and as gas installers we would remove any such modifications and issue warning notices
And yes I agree that hob pan supports are often poor.

Gasguru said:

Any interference with the pan supports could lead to such conditions and as gas installers we would remove any such modifications and issue warning notices
And yes I agree that hob pan supports are often poor.

Click to expand...

A matter of balancing the risk of CO production, versus that of a hot unstable pan and its contents.