How do I know if my pots are induction compatible?

Before you start, give that pot the magnet test

Induction cooking is very different from conventional gas or electric cooking and only certain types of pans will work on an induction cooktop or burner. So, how do you know if your cookware is compatible?

There are a few ways to make sure you're buying the right cookware and determine if your current pots and pans will work. There is even a way to make non-compatible pans work on your induction stove.

Science of Induction Cooking

Induction cooking works by creating a magnetic field between the pot and the magnetic coils beneath the cooking surface. The energy created in the electromagnetic field heats the contents of the pot. Many home cooks prefer induction cooking because:

• It is more energy-efficient than gas or electric cooktops.
• Foods heat more quickly.
• The cooking surface stays cool so it can be safer.
• The cooktop is more responsive to changes in temperature control.

In order for cookware to perform on induction cooktops (or a portable induction burner such as those from Fagor), it must contain ferromagnetic materials: Either it contains iron or has a layer with magnetic properties.

Compatible Cookware

Cast iron, enameled cast iron, and many types of stainless-steel cookware are all induction compatible. There are exceptions, though. For instance, All-Clad's MC2 line, which is made of aluminum and stainless steel, is not induction compatible. Stainless steel poses the most confusion because it can be made with a great variety of metals; a high nickel content will block the magnetic field.

Aluminum, all-copper, or glass cookware will not work unless they have a layer on the bottom with magnetic properties. Many manufacturers have started adding a magnetic layer to the bottom of these pans, but older, non-magnetic pans simply will not work. Aluminum and copper require much higher frequencies to generate the heat needed to cook food.

Testing for Compatibility

To tell if a pot or pan is compatible with your induction stove, hold a magnet to the bottom.

• If the magnet clings to the underside, the cookware will work on an induction cooktop.
• If the magnet grabs the pan softly, you may not have good success with it on your cooktop.
• If there is no pull on the magnet, it doesn't contain the right metals and will not generate heat.

Note: Many manufacturers have started putting an "induction compatible" symbol on the bottom of their cookware or note compatibility on the packaging. The symbol often looks like a horizontal zig-zag or a coil.

Pan Adapters

If you have an induction cooktop, but a favorite piece of cookware doesn't work on it, you might still be able to use it. Products like this stainless steel induction hob heat diffuser can be placed on the cooktop under the pan; the heating reaction will then heat the contents of the pan.

Induction cooking has a lot of advantages over traditional cooking with a gas or electric cooktop. And this is the reason its popularity is soaring worldwide.

But unlike gas, where you can place any cookware and start cooking, you need induction-ready cookware to use with an induction cooktop.

And one of the most common questions people have is – “How to tell if cookware is induction ready?”

In this article, I will tell you some quick methods you can use to identify if your cookware is induction-compatible or not (and these only take a few seconds).

• What Makes a Cookware Induction-Ready?
• How to Check If Cookware is Induction Ready?
• Is Induction-Ready Cookware Worth the Cost?
• Conclusion

What Makes a Cookware Induction-Ready?

Wondering what induction-ready cookware means? It’s the cookware that can be used on an induction hob.

And what makes the cookware induction-ready? – The material of the cookware.

For your cookware to be induction ready, it needs to be made out of material that is magnetic (that is – it supports the magnetic field, which is the way an induction cooktop heats the cookware).

This means that any cookware that is not magnetic will not work with induction cooktops.

Materials that are magnetic include iron and cast iron, stainless steel, carbon steel.

Another important thing for your cookware to be induction compatible is to have a flat base.

So even if you have a pan that is magnetic, if it’s not flat, it won’t work with an induction cooktop.

This is because only a flat surface of the cookware can enable conduction of the magnetic field (which is how induction cooktops heat the cookware)

This is really easy.

If your cookware has a flat surface and it attracts a magnet, you can be fairly sure that your cookware is induction ready.

You can use any magnet (even a simple refrigerator magnet would work).

Note that it’s important to have a flat surface. For example, a wok won’t work with an induction cooktop even if it attracts a magnet.

In case you don’t have a magnet, here is another foolproof method to test the induction compatibility of your cookware.

Just add some water to any pan or cookware that you want to test, place it on the induction and switch on the induction (make sure the pan is within the induction markings).

If you see the induction heating the pan, it means that your cookware is induction ready.

Nowadays, a lot of manufacturers have started marking their cookware with a sign that indicates that it’s compatible with induction cooktops.

Also, remember that you can use your induction cookware on a gas stove as well as an electric stove.

Many of the new models of induction hobs will only work when they detect induction-compatible cookware. If you try and use non-induction compatible cookware, it will keep beeping (which is an indication that it still doesn’t have the right cookware on it).

Is Induction-Ready Cookware Worth the Cost?

Now if you’re buying a new Induction cooktop, you may resent the fact that you also have to buy new cookware, which is induction ready.

But keep in mind that induction is a lot more efficient way of cooking as compared with gas and electric hobs.

Almost 90% of the heat generated by induction cooktops is used for cooking as compared with 65-70% with gas/electric.

So even if you need to shed some money right now to get some induction-compatible cookware, you’re likely to more than recover the cost because of the energy efficiency.

Note: Many a time, when you buy cookware online, they say it’s induction-ready but it may not be. Happened to me once when I bought an egg pan. So make sure you check carefully and read through the comments/feedback (if buying online)

Conclusion

Induction cooking is becoming really popular but one of the downsides of it is that you need induction-friendly cookware only.

Below are the simple steps you can use to check if your cookware is induction friendly or not:

1. The cookware needs to be iron or iron-based
2. The base should be flat so it can conduct the magnetic field
3. Fill the pan with water and place it on the induction cooktop (in the area marked for the cookware) and switch it on. If the heating starts, your cookware is induction friendly.

You May Also Like the following Articles:

• Induction Cooktop Buying Guide
• Induction Cooking – Pros & Cons
• Induction Cooktop Vs Electric Cooktop
• Induction Cooktop Vs Gas Cooktop
• How to Clean an Induction Cooktop
• Advantages of Cooking with Induction Cooktops
• How to Use a Non-Induction Cookware on an Induction Cooktop
• Can Induction Cookware be used on Gas Cooktops?
• Will a Dutch Oven Work on an Induction Cooktop?
• Will All Clad Cookware Work on an Induction Cooktop?
• Do Aluminum Pans Work on Induction Cooktops?