Are you all smiles with your new induction hob? Well, then I still have to warn you. Because not all pans are suitable for cooking on induction, did you know? Let me tell you a way to find out if your pans are suitable for using on your new hob.
What kind of pans are suitable for induction?
An induction hob works through electric coils that use magnetic attraction. Ultimately, it causes the iron particles in the pan to move so that the pan heats up. The bottom of the pan becomes the heat source, so to speak, and the glass plate remains cool. If you have a kettle or frying pan that is not magnetic, it will not get hot and the hob will automatically shut down. So then your new high-tech induction hob is of no use to you. And that would be a shame.
Two ways to test your pans
There are two ways to test whether your pans are suitable for cooking on induction. The first is to use a magnet to test whether the frying pan or soup pan is magnetic. The second test is to see if the bottom is straight.
1. Take a fridge magnet
The first test you will need to do is to test the frying or soup pan whether it is magnetic or not. Take a simple fridge magnet and hold it against the pan. If it lets go, then the pan is unsuitable. If it ‘sticks’, then you can put the pan on the cooker and use it. However, it does not apply to all types of metal – sometimes the instructions specifically state that a particular pan can be used on induction.
2. Look for curvature
A pan should not have any curves on its underside on induction. So keep the pan at eye level and check whether it is straight at the bottom. Often, it is mainly frying and grilling pans that have warped due to extensive use on gas cookers because of the heat. These pans are better to throw away if you have bought an induction hob, unfortunately.
Why buy a new pan set?
From my own experience, I have found that not all pans that are magnetic are even good for induction cooking. Many pans do a bit, but you just feel that something is not quite right. So I really recommend you try it out a bit first and if it doesn’t run quite right, then you’re better off buying a new set.
Looking for new pan sets for induction
Buying new pans for an induction hob is still quite an investment. You can spend sometimes dozens, sometimes hundreds of euros on them. So it really is something to consider when calculating whether it is lucrative to buy an induction hob. Incidentally, there are also plenty of manufacturers who supply a nice set of pans along with the hob.
All pans in the Netherlands are suitable
I had a look on the internet and nowadays almost all soup, grill, stew and frying pans in online shops are suitable for induction. So you almost don’t have to think about it at all in the future. Induction is the future and so we recommend that you do make the switch, even if it requires you to make a small investment.