When I first made the decision to start up the website you see before you, it was because I had invested in an induction cooktop of my own. Before I made my purchase (which, incidentally I’m very happy with) I did a lot of research, and ended up knowing more than most about this type of cooking appliance. So, instead of forgetting everything I had learnt, I thought it would be a good idea to share my knowledge with everyone else.
The title to this information page is pretty obvious, but you would be surprised at the amount of people that get very confused over the type of cookware you can use with an induction cooktop. In fact, it befuddled me in the beginning. For that reason, I thought it would be a good idea to spell out what it is you should think about when deciding if an induction cook top won’t take you over the budget you have in mind.
Cookware Specific to Induction
The most important thing to know is that induction is essentially a way of producing magnetic fields with the use of an electrical current (don’t worry, that’s about as technical as it gets). Because of the way heat is produced, your cookware has to be made from some form of ferrous material. This means your pots and pans need to contain some form of iron or other magnetic material in order to work on an induction cooktop.
If at this stage you think you’re going to need a whole new set of cookware, do not fear, it may not be necessary. It’s not always easy to tell what your pans are made of, but there is a very simple test you can do that will tell you if your current set will work.
Simply get a kitchen magnet and place it on the bottom of each pan. If it sticks, and this needs to be a “strong” stick, your cookware will work with induction cooktops.
Shapes and Sizes
Unlike traditional gas and electric cook tops, an induction model has a smooth, very flat ceramic surface. So, if you like to cook with a wok or other vessel that doesn’t have a flat bottom you will have trouble with this type of cooktop. I mention the word size because it’s important with induction heating that you don’t use a pan that’s too large for the burner. If you do it won’t heat the pan or the food inside it properly.
All Is Not Lost
If you’ve done a magnet test, checked the size of pans compared to the burners you intend to use and are still at a loss, don’t worry. You still don’t have to buy a completely new set of cookware. For the more experienced cooks out there, you will know how hard it is to part with your favorite pans (I know I did)!
What you can do instead of starting a collection all over again is buy what’s called an induction disc. These are readily available in all sizes, and when placed over the burner will allow you to use pretty much any type of cookware. Problem solved!
However, do be aware that if you decide to use an induction disc, the efficiency of your cooktop may be slightly reduced simply because the heat needs to be transferred from the disc and then to your pan. I’ll talk a bit more on this disc right here.