Disk Bases--Ring of Fire

So, yesterday I took delivery of a Demeyere Resto 16cm, 4.5L "asparagus pot". It's a disk-based pot with a base thickness of 4.5mm, 3mm of which is spec'd as the aluminum core. The disk is somewhat rebated/chamfered, i.e., it does not extend fully out to the pot's walls.

The instruction insert states: "It is advisable to cook a little milk in the pots or pans before really starting to cook." So in went about a quart of whole milk over medium-low gas, open-burner heat--there was about a 2.5" liquid depth. Being a brand new pan, I watched it all closely. I could tell that bubbles first started forming around the inside, but slowly, and the thermometer indicated I was nowhere near scalding.

Standing there, I was thinking "Hmmm, if Demeyere wants me to cook milk in the pan, maybe I should have filled it." Then I thought: "Oops, no more milk. I'll just grab a basting brush and slosh/wipe the insides with the milk."

Big mistake! Even higher than the 2.5" fill level, the sidewalls were so hot the milk sizzled and seized onto the sidewalls. I knew going in about the ring-of-fire downside to disk pans, but I was not prepared for it to happen this far off the deck.

Fortunately, my uses for this pot will not include putting scorchable foods in direct contact with the sidewalls--I'll always be using the strainer insert when boiling, steaming or deep frying. Still, I would not want to heat solid food or viscous liquids in this pot.

You have been warned...

Aloha,
Kaleo

PS: The basket/strainer seems really well-designed--strong, small mesh, hanging hook, foldable handle, etc.