Induction Frying Pan: What Actually Works on an Induction Hob

An induction frying pan is not a marketing category so much as a physical requirement. Induction hobs do not produce heat and pass it to the pan the way gas or electric rings do. The pan itself becomes the heating element, which means a pan that is not built for it will sit on the hob and do nothing at all.

Why some pans simply will not heat

Under the glass, an induction hob contains a coil of wire carrying a rapidly alternating current. That generates a changing magnetic field. When a ferromagnetic pan sits in that field, the field induces electrical currents inside the base of the pan, and the pan's own resistance turns those currents into heat.

Everything follows from that. The pan must contain enough ferrous metal for the field to grip. Aluminium and copper are excellent conductors of heat but are not magnetic, so a pan made only of those is invisible to the hob. Plenty of otherwise excellent cookware falls at this hurdle, which is why manufacturers bond a magnetic stainless steel disc to the bottom of aluminium pans. The aluminium spreads the heat; the steel disc lets the hob create it.

The ten-second magnet test

Before buying anything, or to check a pan you already own, take a fridge magnet to the underside of the base.

• Snaps on firmly and resists being pulled off — it will work.
• Clings weakly, slides around — borderline. It may heat slowly or unevenly, and the hob may struggle to detect it.
• Does not stick at all — it will not work, whatever the box says.

This test is more reliable than the label. "Suitable for all hobs" appears on a great deal of packaging that has never met an induction hob. The magnet does not have an opinion.

What makes a good induction frying pan, beyond compatibility

Compatibility is a yes or no answer. Performance is a different question, and three things decide it.

A genuinely flat base

Induction depends on close contact between the base and the glass. A base that has warped — usually from being plunged into cold water while hot — loses efficiency, heats unevenly and can rattle audibly against the hob. Flatness matters more on induction than on any other cooktop.

Base diameter versus ring size

Induction hobs detect the pan before they will switch on, and most need the base to cover a minimum proportion of the ring. Put a small pan on a large ring and the hob may refuse to start, or cut out intermittently. This catches people out with small pans in particular: a 24cm pan often has a base nearer 18cm, which can be under the threshold for a large ring. Match the pan to the ring rather than to the hob's largest zone.

Layer construction

A magnetic disc alone will heat, but it concentrates heat where the disc sits. Multi-layer bases — typically steel, aluminium, steel — spread that heat outward before it reaches the food, which is what prevents a scorching ring in the middle of the pan and cool edges. If you are comparing two induction-compatible pans, base construction is usually the difference that matters.

Common induction complaints, explained

• A buzzing or humming noise. Normal, particularly at high power with multi-layer bases. It is the layers vibrating at the frequency of the field, not a fault.
• The hob will not recognise the pan. Usually base diameter, occasionally a base too thin to register.
• The pan heats in a ring. The magnetic disc is smaller than the pan, or the base is single-layer.
• Power cutting in and out at low settings. Many hobs deliver low heat by pulsing full power rather than reducing it. A heavier base rides through this better.

Where titanium fits

Titanium itself is not ferromagnetic, so a pan of solid titanium would not work on induction. In practice this rarely arises, because almost all titanium cookware is built over a steel or aluminium-and-steel base — both for heat distribution and for exactly this compatibility reason. What determines induction performance is the base construction, not the cooking surface above it.

This is worth understanding before you buy, because "titanium" describes several different constructions. Our materials page explains how to read those specifications, and our guide to whether titanium cookware is safe covers what the label does and does not tell you.

Choosing an induction frying pan from our range

All of our pans are built for induction and gas. Which one you want depends on size rather than compatibility:

• The lightweight 24cm pan suits smaller induction rings and single portions. Check your ring size, as noted above.
• The large 30 to 34cm pan with lid has a triple-layer composite base, the construction that spreads heat most evenly on induction.
• The uncoated titanium stainless steel pan is the one to choose if you want to sear at high heat, which induction does particularly well.

Still deciding on size? Our guide to what size frying pan you need covers ring sizing in more detail, and titanium vs stainless steel vs non-stick compares the cooking surfaces.