This Is Why You Should Never Place a Hot Lid Facedown on Your Glass Top Stove

Even seasoned cooks know it pays to be safe in the kitchen. In the past, we’ve talked about making sure your knives are sharp, keeping a fire extinguisher on hand and not setting a piping hot dish on a cold countertop. (Did you know that Pyrex glassware is no longer thermal shock-resistant?)

But not everyone knows the dangers of resting a hot lid on the stove—especially if it has a glass top.

Why You Should Be Careful When Cooking on a Glass Top Stove

Most of us wouldn’t even think twice about taking a hot lid from a pot and setting it on the stove while stirring. But if you have a glass stovetop, you should change this behavior ASAP because there have been reports of it leading to a shattered range surface. Seriously! Even in the best-case scenario, the cooktop will crack, which is still a costly mistake.

We like glass stovetops for a sleek, modern look in the kitchen. We used to think that the hard part of having a glass stovetop was cleaning that shiny surface, but now we have something new to think about.

How does a shattered glass stovetop happen?

It’s not just about the temperature change, like putting an icy freezer meal into a hot oven or a cold glass dish into boiling hot water. Shattered cooktops happen when heat is trapped between the lid and the glass stovetop, creating a strong vacuum seal. The air gets forcefully sucked out, causing the glass to shatter. While this kind of “exploding” stovetop might not happen often, it’s better to be safe than sorry!