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Switched to ceramic blankets for ladle preheat and it cut my gas bill by 20 bucks a pour
I used to just let the ladle sit over the burner for like 10 minutes before a pour. Last month a guy from the supply house suggested I wrap it in a ceramic blanket instead. After two weeks of trying it, the ladle gets hot way faster and stays hot longer. I'm burning way less propane per shift now. Anyone else try this or still doing the old way?
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martinez.paul6d ago
Yeah I switched a few months ago and it's a game changer. That bit about it staying hot longer is the key. Once you wrap it right, the ladle holds heat so much better that you can actually do back to back pours without waiting for it to reheat. I use a double layer of ceramic blanket with a tight wire wrap to keep it snug. One thing I'd add is check to make sure the blanket doesn't touch any open flame or get wet. If it gets damp it crumbles and you'll have to replace it. Saved me about the same on gas though, probably more over a full shift.
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white.keith6d ago
Had the same mindset at first, honestly thought ceramic blanket was overkill. But after watching my buddy's setup with the double layer and tight wire wrap, I gave it a shot and yeah, total game changer. The back to back pours thing is real, I used to have to wait like 5 minutes between each one. Now I just flip them out one after another and the ladle stays hot the whole time. Gotta be careful with the dampness though, learned that the hard way when mine got splashed and started flaking apart the next day.
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