Table of Contents
- Why do frying pans bow in the middle?
- 7 reasons of frying pan bowing in the middle and how to beat them!
- Final Thoughts
Why do frying pans bow in the middle?
Have you ever noticed that your frying pan bows in the middle? It’s not just you. This is a common occurrence.
There are many reasons why it does this, but this blog post will focus on the most common of them today.
Generally, frying pans bow in the middle because heat is more concentrated at the center of the pan. This might also be the result of too small burner which leads to uneven heat distribution. This leads to the concave shape of the pan. However, there are some pans that are concave by default.
Let’s see the other factors that cause frying pans to bow in the middle and how to beat them.
7 reasons of frying pan bowing in the middle and how to beat them!
Now that you know the reason for the bowing in the middle of your frying pan, how do you go about solving it? Here are some of the most common reasons frying pans bow in the middle and some practical solutions to beat them.
Using an electric stove
First, if you have an electric stove, the heat will be more concentrated at the center of the pan causing it to bow inward. There is a science behind it (for those of you that like that sort of thing). And it’s called the ‘point of maximum intensity. This is a phenomenon that occurs with cooking on electric stoves. The heat is more concentrated at the center of the pan – causing it to bow inwards!
Read more: How long do nonstick frying pans last?
How to beat it?
If you’re using an electric stove, avoid using the middle area entirely or reduce its use considerably. This will help to control how much heat affects your frying pans. You can either move the pan around or use a heat diffuser.
If you don’t have an electric stove…
The next time you are cooking something on your gas stove, reduce the flame when it’s in the center to distribute heat more evenly and slowly. This will help to control how much heat affects your frying pans which ultimately lessens the possibility of bowing.
Using a small burner
Another reason for your frying pan bowing in the middle is when you use too small a burner for your pan (almost all American and other small stoves only have small burners). Using a small burner means that the area right in the middle is receiving considerably more heat than any other area, thus causing your pan to bow inward.
How to beat it?
The best way to avoid this problem is to get yourself an appropriately sized gas burner or bring your frying pan closer to the center of the burner. Another trick is to tilt your pan towards the end of the burners that have smaller flames. This will help to distribute heat more evenly across the frying pan and prevent it from bowing inwards.
Not preheating your pan enough
It’s important to preheat your frying pan well before you start cooking. Preheating ensures that the cooking surface of the pan gets hot and heats up properly. If it doesn’t, then obviously the heat will not be distributed evenly across it which can cause bowing in the middle.
How to beat it?
So always preheat your pan well before you start cooking. The rule of thumb is that if you’re using a stainless steel frying pan, then at least 1 minute on medium heat should suffice. If you are using an iron.
Using a cast-iron skillet
Cast-iron is an excellent material for frying pans, but it has a few drawbacks. One is that it doesn’t distribute heat evenly across the pan, so if you use cast-iron frying pans on electric stovetops, they will most likely bow in the middle.
How to beat it?
The best way to avoid this problem is to use a cast-iron pan on gas stoves. It will distribute heat evenly across it and prevent bowing in the middle of your frying pans.
Read more: How hard is it to bend a frying pan?
Using low-fat oil
Another reason you’re experiencing bowing in the center of your frying pan is using too little oil or low-quality oils for cooking. A wok with very little oil in it will heat up very quickly and thus bow even more in the middle.
How to beat it?
The solution here is always to use the right amount of oil for cooking. For a frying pan, 2 tbsp is usually enough. You can even add more if you want or need to but keep in mind that too little amounts of oil will eventually cause your frying pan to bow in the middle.
Using a too-small pan
Yes, you read it right! This might seem trivial, but it’s really important to use a too-small frying pan to cook food for many people.
So if you’re a beginner and you’re cooking for many people, then chances are that your frying pans aren’t big enough to cook the desired meal. A 21 cm/8″ frying pan is usually deemed the best size for cooking for 4 people.
So if you have a pan that is 15 cm/6″ or smaller, then it’s most likely too small to cook the quantity of food that you are trying to cook on it. This will cause your pan to bow in the middle because it cannot handle the amount of heat being conducted through its bottom.
Hot to beat it?
It will help if you consider either doubling up your frying pans or getting one with a larger diameter.
Using a non-stick pan
Another reason why your frying pan might be bowing in the center is that you’re using a non-stick pan.
Non-stick coatings aren’t the best when it comes to conducting heat evenly across their surface.
How to beat it?
So it might be better if you use a stainless steel or cast-iron frying pan instead. They are much more heat conductive and will distribute heat evenly across it, thus stopping bowing in the middle of your pans.
In short, the technical reason why your frying pan bows in the middle are the thermal expansion. When metal heats up, it expands, and when it cools off, it contracts, which causes slight bowing in the center of pans like these.
Read more: When to cover the frying pan?
Final Thoughts
In summary, frying pan bows because of heat concentration and thermal expansion. The solution to the problem is to use proper amounts of oil, choose the right pan size and material for cooking your food, preheat your frying pans well before using them and always measure how much oil you’re using!
If you follow these simple tips, you will never have this problem again!
