Cooking For Engineers

[Maxwar]

I have a Martha Stewart 7qt cast iron/enamel which shows a difference of 75-100 degrees F. even after 6 minutes heating over a medium setting. There is always a thin layer of oil in the pan while heating. Is such a temp. variance normal or a defect in the manufacture. I need high temperature to sear prior to braising.

[Dilbert]

I guesstimate that heat graduation is fairly "normal"

cast iron is great at 'holding' heat, but 'conducting' heat is another matter - applying high heat, you would expect to see higher temps at the heat source - dropping as you move away.

the other thought is: six minutes is not a lot of time for the entire pot to soak up the heat evenly. theory holds you could get the whole pot hot, then reduce the heat input so the heat input is pretty much "in balance" with the heat loss. at that 'equilibrium' point you should see the minimum amount of variation. of course, as soon as you put something in the pot that begins to soak up the heat energy, the balance is upset.

all that said, if you apply heat energy to an area faster than it is conducted away, you get a hot spot.... regardless of material.

[vootygaga]

What is the differences between 3G and EDGE? Ok, i am really good with technology, but what i don't 100% understand is the difference between EDGE and 3G. I for one, know that 3G is a lot faster than EDGE, but is there any other differences besides speed?
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