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Model Forum / General / Models / May 2008(slightly OT) copper disc source?
For culinary purposes, I wish to make a heat diffuser for my gas hob. For low heat simmering, gas is not ideal; you need a head diffuser, or (very) thick soled pan to work well. My cunning plan is to make a copper hotplate; a rather simple piece of fabrication, comprising a copper disc (slab!) around 6-8mm thick, and around 7-8 inches diameter. Can anyone advise on the feasibility of this, and also indicate where I could the material, and any guessed as to cost? Of course this project is trivial enough that a should a copper rod of adequate diameter be available, a machine cut slice of stock is the finished item... BugBear > For culinary purposes, I wish to make > a heat diffuser for my gas hob. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > BugBear for a quote you could ask www.metalsontheweb.co.uk they list round bar upto 4" dia, but other stuff is available. Id expect it to be spendy tho (~£100 as a guess) Dave > For culinary purposes, I wish to make > a heat diffuser for my gas hob. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > adequate diameter be available, a machine cut > slice of stock is the finished item... Well it's plate you're after not bar but anyway. Aluminium also has a very high thermal conductivity and a slice cut out of a plate of that would be much easier, and cheaper, to obtain. I doubt many people stock copper plate 6mm thick and fewer still would ever have a need for bar 7" in diameter. Any firm that does laser cutting will have aluminium plate suitable for your needs. As an aside it's interesting that brass, despite being mainly copper, has a relatively poor thermal conductivity. Not much higher than the zinc it's alloyed with.  SignatureDave Baker Puma Race Engines >> Of course this project is trivial >> enough that a should a copper rod of >> adequate diameter be available, a machine cut >> slice of stock is the finished item... > > Well it's plate you're after not bar but anyway. Yes - I suspect that cutting a circle from plate is far more likely - I was being slightly facetious with my slice-of-an-enormous bar concept. > Aluminium also has a very > high thermal conductivity Indeed, but substantially inferior to that of copper. http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=233 Auminium is my fall back option if my dream of copper comes to naught. BugBear >>> Of course this project is trivial >>> enough that a should a copper rod of [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Auminium is my fall back option if my dream > of copper comes to naught. Hmm. Given the cost of copper, and the laws of physics, an Alu plate of twice the thickness may be cheaper (and have the same heat conductivity) as a copper plate. It's the difference betweem heat conductivity of an object and specific heat conductivity of a substance. BugBear (with options) >>>> Of course this project is trivial >>>> enough that a should a copper rod of [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > of an object and specific heat conductivity > of a substance. Yuck. Further reviewing of that page reveals that many common Alu alloys have heat conductivity far inferior to pure Alu. BugBear While copper is the best material, it's also the most difficult to source. How about a cast iron plate? A suitable car flywheel can be machined to suit and would cost very little. Also remember that one of the major advantages of gas cookong is the rapid response to flame change. A large heat sink will change all that. John > For culinary purposes, I wish to make > a heat diffuser for my gas hob. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > BugBear > While copper is the best material, it's also the most difficult to > source. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > rapid response to flame change. A large heat sink will change all > that. Yes - but sometimes you want a slow, uniform simmer. Whilst I can't make an electric hob quick, my proposal makes a gas hob slow, giving me (sort of) then best of both worlds. BugBear >> While copper is the best material, it's also the most difficult to >> source. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > BugBear It does so at the expense of fuel economy. The bigger the lump of metal you need to heat up before the heat permeates to the pan, the more fuel you will use. Cliff Coggin. >>> While copper is the best material, it's also the most difficult to >>> source. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > need to heat up before the heat permeates to the pan, the more fuel you will > use. On a 2 hour stock simmer, the extra (e.g.) 5 minutes to overcome the heat capacity of the plate seems a tolerable overhead. BugBear > For culinary purposes, I wish to make > a heat diffuser for my gas hob. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > BugBear http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Copper-Sheet-155mm-x-205mm-x-6mm_W0QQitemZ120250078774QQih Z002QQcategoryZ98641QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem -- Peter Fairbrother >> For culinary purposes, I wish to make >> a heat diffuser for my gas hob. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > -- Peter Fairbrother Oh, you might look for a copper gas kettle and cut the bottom off - they have fins on the bottom to improve the transfer of heat. -- Peter Fairbrother >>> For culinary purposes, I wish to make >>> a heat diffuser for my gas hob. Most kitchen shops sell perforated double-skin steel ones that last about 3 years and cost a few quid. They work well and for me at any rate I've got better uses for my time. hth SignatureRoland Craven Nr. Exeter, Devon, UK roland@petternut.co.uk www.petternut.co.uk >>>> For culinary purposes, I wish to make >>>> a heat diffuser for my gas hob. > > Most kitchen shops sell perforated double-skin steel ones that last about 3 > years and cost a few quid. > They work well They work "fairly" well; I'm on my fifth. They're £2.50 from my ocal (excellent) hardware store. > and for me at any rate I've got better uses for my time. Perhaps I haven't :-) BugBear > They work "fairly" well; I'm on my fifth. They're ?2.50 > from my ocal (excellent) hardware store. > >> and for me at any rate I've got better uses for my time. > > Perhaps I haven't :-) Would a slow-cooker work ? Or a standalone induction hob ? -adrian >> They work "fairly" well; I'm on my fifth. They're ?2.50 >> from my ocal (excellent) hardware store. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Would a slow-cooker work ? Or a standalone induction hob ? Both have merit, but do different jobs. With a slow cooker, if you want to pre-brown the meat, you need a separate vessel. Induction hobs don't work with all cookware. (in passing, slow cooking is quite easily achieved with cast iron cookware in an oven. Further, saucepans that are simply MADE of copper are available, and very good, but monstrously expensive) With my (indulgent) idea, I can brown the meat in a "normal" pan, and then slow simmer on my copper-plate. It's just a whim, and cheap enough that I may well indulge it. BugBear >>>>> For culinary purposes, I wish to make >>>>> a heat diffuser for my gas hob. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >They work "fairly" well; I'm on my fifth. They're £2.50 >from my ocal (excellent) hardware store. we've got some, but they go rusty and crappy-looking rather fast. Copper plate would be nicer. I was thinking about a solid steel one. SignatureAustin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that Travel The Galaxy! Meet Fascinating Life Forms... ------------------------------------------------\ >> http://www.schlockmercenary.com/ << \ ...and Kill them. a webcartoon by Howard Tayler; I like it, maybe you will too! >>>>>> For culinary purposes, I wish to make >>>>>> a heat diffuser for my gas hob. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > we've got some, but they go rusty and crappy-looking rather fast. Copper > plate would be nicer. I was thinking about a solid steel one. Ah - I missed that; my little perforated ones are aluminium. http://www.cookability.biz/kitchen-craft-simmer-ring/b_982.htm BugBear >>>>>>> For culinary purposes, I wish to make >>>>>>> a heat diffuser for my gas hob. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > BugBear Alu would make more sense. I shall invest, I suspect. the steel ones looked nice initially but whatver they're coated with is not gas-fire-proof. SignatureAustin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that Travel The Galaxy! Meet Fascinating Life Forms... ------------------------------------------------\ >> http://www.schlockmercenary.com/ << \ ...and Kill them. a webcartoon by Howard Tayler; I like it, maybe you will too! > Alu would make more sense. I shall invest, I suspect. the steel ones > looked nice initially but whatver they're coated with is not > gas-fire-proof. Aah but if you slather them with cooking oil then burn it off they last much longer :-) ttfn SignatureRoland Craven Nr. Exeter, Devon, UK roland@petternut.co.uk www.petternut.co.uk >>>> For culinary purposes, I wish to make >>>> a heat diffuser for my gas hob. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > They work well and for me at any rate I've got better uses for my time. > hth My perforated double-skin steel heat diffuser cost me about £4 five years ago and is still going strong. > Most kitchen shops sell perforated double-skin steel ones that last about > 3 > years and cost a few quid. > They work well and for me at any rate I've got better uses for my time. > hth I was going to say the same thing. But they get rusty. Given the relatively low price of chinese stainless (e.g. collanders) it's a shame they don't make a stainless one. >> Most kitchen shops sell perforated double-skin steel ones that last about >> 3 [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > relatively low price of chinese stainless (e.g. collanders) it's a shame > they don't make a stainless one. Why not just bite the bullet, and buy a new set of stainless steel cookware, with a copper plate on the bottom? A few years ago, I did just that. A discontinued set was found at a substantial discount for a bit over 200 dollars CDN, or about 100 quid. Well worth it too! I got 40 years of daily use out of the last ones. Steve R. SignatureReply address munged to bugger up spammers > Why not just bite the bullet, and buy a new set of stainless steel cookware, > with a copper plate on the bottom? A few years ago, I did just that. A > discontinued set was found at a substantial discount for a bit over 200 > dollars CDN, or about 100 quid. Well worth it too! I got 40 years of daily > use out of the last ones. One can do even better; copper cookware (not just a base plate) with a stainless steel lining (not the traditional, and has-to-be-renewed tinning). One might alternatively view this as a stainless steel item with a head conductive cladding. But they're "a little" pricy for me. http://www.metrokitchen.com/mauviel/ BugBear > For culinary purposes, I wish to make a heat diffuser for my gas hob. > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > BugBear Why make one when there are commercial ones available at only a few pounds. Have a look in John Lewis, Debenhams etc. SignatureNeil reverse ra and delete l Linux user 335851 > My cunning plan is to make > a copper hotplate; a rather simple > piece of fabrication, comprising > a copper disc (slab!) around 6-8mm thick, > and around 7-8 inches diameter. Followup: My thanks to Peter Fairbrother for the eBay pointer. I now have my copper slab, 155x200x6 mm and first signs are ... impressive. Placed over a tiny flame, I was unable (by fingertip) to notice any difference in temperature between the centre and the corners as it heated up. Which is nice :-) I need to add some "lugs" to keep it in place on the hob before using it in anger, and possibly some means of lifting it/moving it when hot. BugBear |
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