Heat Diffuser, One Size, Silver

It does what it says it does. I have now used this several times with a tagine on a glass - top stove and it worked! No tagine were exploded to date, thanks to my handy dandy diffuser! Note: you will want to wash and dry this bad boy first, as the instructions indicate. Being a man, I of course did not read the instructions prior to using and as a result turned my tiny apartment kitchen into John Carpenter's The Fog set....except it wasn't fog.....and it stank.....and lot. I bought 2, and followed the instructions on dash 2 Nad have not had the same problem Note 2: they do discolor quite a bit....wondering what the lifetime is going to be. Will update if one goes south on me structurally within the next 6 months

I bought this heat diffuser because it was suggested to use one with the tajine (Moroccan clay stew pot) I ordered the same day, on the electric stove (spiral coil). It works really well for that purpose, and my tajine did not crack. A few reviewers complained about the handle getting too hot to touch / smoking / making a bad smell. In my experience, I had no problem whatsoever, and none of this happened: the diffuser did not stink, smoke, nor got too hot to the touch (the wooden part, that is, as the metal part does get hot). Of course, I used the diffuser on medium low temperature. It is not intended to be used on high temperature (at least with a tajine), so I suspect that the users who had the problems above did use the diffuser with too high a heat setting. I am delighted I bought this Norpro heat diffuser, as it protects my tajine, helps the cooking to be even, and does the job nicely. So I would buy another one if I get another tajine, or need a replacement down the line. It is not expensive, and protects your cooking equipment, so I suggest that you buy one too!

I bought this diffuser to use under a glass tea kettle atop a gas range. A person reviewing the kettle said the handle of the kettle would melt without one of these. Well, that wasn't quite true. This diffuser does exactly what it is supposed to do. It diffuses the heat. It also happens to be larger in diameter than the glass kettle, so it directs a good deal of heat up the sides of the kettle and to the handle. The only time I ever burned my hand on the handle of the kettle was when I used this diffuser with it. That said, this is actually a great, simple device. If you are cooking something on very low heat (like a pot of rice that is simmering to absorb water), this diffuser will keep the rice from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot. Likewise, when cooking something like spaghetti sauce or chili. Unless stirred constantly, those foods can burn and stick to the bottom of the pot. Well, not if you use this device! It spreads the heat around nicely. It is the same thing with a frying pan. Sometimes you want a larger heat source than your range can provide, or a gentler one. This is all you need to accomplish that. You can use this on an induction, gas, or electric cook top. Hand washing is recommended. It will discolor from the heat of a burner, but that won't affect its usefulness. So...I bought this based on a review for a totally different reason. It didn't work for that purpose. But I discovered a whole lot of things this diffuser makes cooking easier. I bought it by mistake, and I am really glad I did.

I bought two of these and read the item description. If I could give it 0 stars I would. Here are the reasons why I hate this diffuser: 1. There are no instructions on how to use this product - never says to use on low heat or anything. 2. I used this on medium high heat and it basically got stuck to the electric coil. 3. I couldnt wash it as it was falling apart and flaking in my sin 4. The middle completely fell off after 1 use. I ONLY USED THIS ONCE - BOTH OF THE DIFFUSERS AND THEY ARE TOTALLY UNUSABLE. It would have been a great help to have some sort of instructions on how to use and how to handle this stupid product. I would not have given this such a low rating if there were some sort of instructions on how to use this porduct. I have other diffusers and they work just fine.

Several months ago I acquired a gorgeous Italian glazed terra cotta pot, the kind that you can cook in on top of the stove - if you have a flame tamer. Well, I hunted up every flame tamer on Amazon, read every word of every review and finally decided on this Norpro 144 Heat Diffuser as what looked to me to be the best value for the money. I've had it for a couple of months now and use it almost daily. It fits both the large and the small burners on my stove (no, the handle does not get in the way) and lets me melt chocolate, simmer chili and use my terra cotta pot (along with some lovely Chinese ones I came across at the Asian store) to my heart's content. I just took a pot of chili off the stove that I had been reheating (unattended) for an early dinner and I won't even need a scrubby to clean the pot. Great return on a small investment! Highly Recommended

I bought this as an inexpensive experiment to go with my new tangine cooker I got for my birthday. I have a gas range, and I was a little alarmed at how short the metal protective "collar" on the handle was; the wood was actually closer to the flames than I was comfortable with. After two or three uses, that was no longer a problem because the handle actually snapped off. I threw the handle away and intend to just use the metal part by itself from now on. I'm more comfortable with that anyway; wood doesn't belong on a gas range ;) It is very cheap but it gets the job done. I washed it before the first use but there has been some discoloration. Heating does take longer of course but it does a good job protecting my tangine and Turkish coffee maker from the open flames. The burners on my gas range are really wide apart and this is also good for making a more stable surface for milk warmers and very small pots. Short version: it's usable but you're getting what you pay for, which isn't much.

I had one of these but I used it so much that it rusted & was breaking. (I guess I wasn't suppose to put it in the dishwasher) Anyway I'm very happy with this diffuser. It came quickly & was brand new with the user tag on it. I have an electric flattop stove that I absolutly love, so easy to clean!! but the pans sit right on top of the heat & sometimes the food burns to the bottom of the pan & that effects the taste. Especially with long cooking foods like stews, spaghetti sauce & rice. That's where the diffuser comes in handy, it seperates the direct heat from the pan. I also used it on my old stove which was not a smooth top. It's great anytime you don't want direct flames touching your pots. This is great to use instead of a double burner instead of 2 pots & dealing with the hot water in the bottom pot. I use it to melt chocolate because if you get only one drop of water in the choclate it ruins it. So if you have burned some foods you should give this deffuser a try. They're sold in some stores too like Bed Bath & Beyond to save on s & h.

Nice and handy. Not really built for longevity but it will get the job done. Sauces simmer beautifully on this little diffuser !!