How do I cook well on an induction hob?

Which pans work, why the response is so much faster than gas, and the habits that need unlearning.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 10 min
Read: 3 min

Short answer

You need ferrous pans — if a magnet sticks to the base, it works. Induction responds almost instantly, so use lower settings than you would on gas and take the pan off rather than turning down. It heats the pan, not the air.

Induction heats the pan directly through a magnetic field rather than heating a surface that then heats the pan. That makes it faster and more responsive than gas, and it changes several habits that were built around slower hobs.

Step by step

Check your pans with a magnet.If a fridge magnet sticks firmly to the base, the pan works. Cast iron, carbon steel and most stainless steel do; aluminium, copper and glass do not unless they have a bonded magnetic base.
Use a flat base.Induction needs contact across the base. Warped pans and round-bottomed woks work poorly or not at all, which is why induction woks have a flat base.
Match the pan to the ring size.A pan much smaller than the ring may not trigger it; one much larger heats only the central area. Most hobs state a minimum base diameter.
Use lower settings than you are used to.Induction transfers heat far more efficiently. A setting of six on induction is often hotter than the equivalent gas ring, and things burn much faster.
Expect near-instant response.Turning it down works immediately, unlike gas where the pan holds heat. This makes induction better for delicate sauces and worse for anything you leave unattended.
Preheat pans briefly.Empty pans heat extremely fast on induction and can warp or damage non-stick coatings. Thirty seconds is plenty; never leave an empty pan on a high setting.
Learn the boost function.Most hobs have one ring with a boost that brings a pan of water to the boil remarkably fast. It usually draws power from an adjacent ring, so those two cannot both run at full power.
Understand the buzzing.A hum or buzz at high settings is normal, particularly with multi-layer stainless pans. It is the magnetic field vibrating the layers, not a fault.
Wipe spills immediately.The surface stays cool enough that sugary spills do not carbonise, so they wipe off easily. Left to sit, they still bond to the glass.
Keep cards and devices away.The magnetic field can wipe bank cards and hotel keys. Do not put them on the hob surface.

Tips

Magnet test before you buy any pan.
Turn it lower than feels right. Induction is faster than the numbers suggest.
Never heat an empty non-stick pan on induction — it reaches damaging temperatures within seconds.

Common mistakes

Using gas-hob settings on induction — Induction puts far more energy into the pan at the same nominal number, so oil reaches its smoke point and food burns in a fraction of the time. Almost every new induction user burns something in the first week.
Heating an empty pan on a high setting — The base can exceed 300°C within a minute, which warps thin pans and destroys non-stick coatings, releasing fumes. Put the oil or food in first, or preheat for no more than thirty seconds.

If it doesn't work

Hob does not recognise the pan

Cause: Not ferrous, or base too small — Fix: Magnet test it, and check the hob's minimum base diameter.

Food burning at settings that used to be fine

Cause: Induction is more efficient — Fix: Drop two or three settings and adjust from there.

Loud buzzing

Cause: Multi-layer pan at high power — Fix: Normal. It usually reduces at lower settings or with a heavier pan.

Only part of the pan heating

Cause: Pan larger than the ring, or warped — Fix: Use a pan matched to the ring, with a genuinely flat base.

Hob switches itself off

Cause: Overheat protection, or pan removed — Fix: Let it cool. Repeated cut-outs at high power may mean poor ventilation underneath.

Questions people ask

Do I need special pans for induction?

You need magnetic ones. Cast iron, carbon steel and most stainless steel work; aluminium and copper do not unless they have a bonded ferrous base. The magnet test settles it in two seconds.

Is induction faster than gas?

Considerably, for boiling and heating. It transfers around 85 to 90% of its energy into the pan against roughly 40% for gas. It is also more responsive, though many cooks miss the visual feedback of a flame.