Ilsa Heat Diffuser, Made in Italy from Cast Iron, Flame Guard for Simmering, 7-inches

If I could give it more than five stars I would! Such a simple item and it works so well. It’s sturdily constructed of light weight but not flimsy cast iron. My new gas stove has a “simmer” burner but even at its lowest setting things boil and scorch. This is a sturdy cast iron plate with shiny enamel paint and a detachable handle so you can remove it even when it’s still hot. Good price point and not made in Asia.I love it!

The Ilsa 7-Inch Cast Iron Heat Diffuser appears to work very well. I ordered two, based on other reviews, and they arrived today in time to use in cooking two meals. I love the convenience of not needing to worry about food burning and sticking and not having to "fine tune" the flame height. Also, the burner most convenient to use, based on its location on the cooktop, is the second most powerful burner, but now we can use it without worries of over heating the pan.When searching for this item on Amazon I couldn't remember exactly what it was called. Since we had a Dacor "dual fuel" stove in our previous house (electric oven, gas cooktop) and had the Dacor plate that came with the oven, I went to the Dacor web site where I was reminded it is called a simmer plate. I was amazed that Dacor wants about $85 for a simmer plate when the Ilsa is $15. Although the Dacor simmer plate was probably 8 inches and the Ilsa is 7 inches, the main difference is in heft. The Dacor plate is much heavier. But not $70 heavier!The 7 inch Ilsa simmer plate is much better for us than a larger size, due to the configuration of our gas range. It is a 5-burner with two medium sized burners on the left side, a large burner in the center, a medium large burner at the lower right and a small burner at the upper left. If we had gotten a larger diameter it would not have allowed us to use two adjacent burners simultaneously, so the 7 inch model is the perfect size for our range.Even though I've only used the simmer plates twice, I am already very pleased with it. Since they are new, for me durability is still an open question, but I would guess that they will last plenty long enough. (I eventually had to wire brush the $85 Dacor simmer plate and repaint it, so that sort of thing is probably inevitable with any similarly constructed simmer plate.) Out of the box, the Ilsa simmer plate is great.I think if you put the correct side up (the side with the little "feet") the chance of it blistering as shown in another review would be near zero. Also, I would never put the burner on the highest setting when using a simmer plate. If you need that much heat to start with then start without using the simmer plate and when you are ready to turn the heat down then slip the simmer plate under the pot.So, yes, I highly recommend this simmer plate. The risk/reward ratio is very favorable -- big reward (utility, better cooked food, etc.) for very little risk (the $15).

This worked so well for me. The heat distribution was excellent. I had an older one that after a lot of years left black all over my stove after use. This one did not. Hoping to have many years of use

It does the job and allows me to put my little joke-size pots and kettles on my gas range. Cast iron does not conduct heat very well, but it does make an ideal material for crude ruggedness at a cheaper price. Aluminum is much better at conducting heat and also cheap, but as a stand-alone metal it's too easy to scratch/dent/screw up for this application. I bought one years ago and it didn't last more than a few months before it was trash.

For those of us that have gas stoves, some of the grates can be a challenge for certain items. For me, the challenge was using my stove top Italian espresso maker. If I didn’t place it just right, it would tip over. Annoying to say the least.Stumbled across this listing and ordered it. Placed it on my stove and voilà, no more tipped coffee maker. Fit was perfect and I hardly notice it. Almost looks like it belongs too. I imagine it might not fit everyone’s stove but it was worth the chance and fit my Frigidaire perfectly.Side note. I did purchase one for my friend as surprise and it didn’t work out. It did fit but it wasn’t enough size to cover her needed pan. Imagine everyone’s needs can vary.

I have a gas stove, and even the smallest burner turned down low is sometimes too much heat for simmering. I bought two of these diffusers to use when I make apple, peach or pear butter, or when I can tomato sauce. These foods need to be simmered and reduced for hours at a very low temperature to prevent scorching. Before I bought the diffusers, I had to stir almost constantly to prevent burning.I just made peach butter this last weekend, and I'm happy to say that my diffusers worked like a charm! I brought my puree to a boil, stirred it well, then set it on the smallest burner turned down low, on top of the diffuser. It simmered nicely an entire day, and I only had to stir it 4-5 times. I've also used it to cook down tomato sauce from our garden tomatoes. It worked just as well as before - the sauce simmered gently without splashing all over the stove or scorching on the bottom.I'm a big fan of cast iron cookware (and now I'm a fan of this diffuser) - it lasts for generations, it becomes non-stick after seasoning with oil, it doesn't warp from heat, and it evenly disperses heat to prevent burning. The painted side of this diffuser washed easily and didn't get flaky or bubble like some reviewers have said theirs did.I don't recommend putting this diffuser in the dishwasher or even soaking it in the sink, as cast iron will rust. After I wiped mine down with a damp sponge, I dried it and wiped a little bit of oil cooking on the unpainted side (then wiped off the excess) to protect and season it. I also don't recommend using this on a glass-topped stove, as it will almost certainly scratch the surface.A side note: the handle shown in the photo is removable. You only need to use it when you are removing the still warm diffuser from the stove top. You don't leave it attached when you're cooking on it.I look forward to using this diffuser for decades. I love it!

Well made, clean, smooth casting. The diameter is correctly mentioned in the title, 4.75". Other manufacturers incorrectly title similar item a 5"