The magnet test
Hold a magnet to the bottom of the pan. If it grabs firmly, the pan works on induction. If it barely holds or slides off, it won’t heat well or at all.
What works
- Cast iron and enameled cast iron: yes. Lift rather than slide, so you don’t scratch the glass.
- Carbon steel: yes, including most woks with a flat bottom.
- Clad stainless steel: usually, if the base layer is magnetic. Many sets say “induction compatible”.
- Stainless with an aluminum disc base: only if the disc has a steel plate on the bottom.
What doesn't
- Plain aluminum, copper, glass and ceramic pans, unless the maker added a magnetic base.
- Round-bottom woks, which don’t sit flat on the coil.
A favorite pan that fails the test
An induction interface disk, a steel plate that sits on the burner and heats up, lets you use a non-magnetic pan or a moka pot. It’s slower and wastes some of induction’s efficiency, so use it for the odd pan, not everyday cooking.
Size matters
Induction burners only switch on when a pan covers enough of the coil. Very small pans and espresso pots may not register, and very large pans heat unevenly past the coil’s edge.