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Even if you just made the switch to induction cooking, you might already own the best induction cookware. More often than not, when I tell someone I ditched my gas range, they ask if I had to buy new cookware. In my case, the answer is a resounding “no!” because I was already using induction-compatible pots and pans at home. And there’s a good chance that you are too. But if you’re not, or if you’re unsure whether or not yours will work, here’s everything you need to know about buying and using the best induction cookware.
Itf it doesn’t stick to the bottom underside, the cooktop will not “recognize” the pan and it will not heat it. If anodized cookware is aluminum bottomed, then NO, it won’t work. Calphalon doesn’t usually work, for example.
What types of cookware work with induction?
When I switched to induction, I didn’t have to buy any new cookware because I had already been using ferrous or ferromagnetic metals—cast iron and stainless steel—on my gas cooktop. My carbon-steel wok also works on my induction range—but only because it’s the kind that has a flat bottom that can make contact with the sensors on the cooking surface.
Nonferrous metals like copper and aluminum won’t work with induction burners, though some pieces that appear to be pure copper cookware actually have a stainless steel bottom or core and will work. Similarly, hard-anodized aluminum pots and pans that have a magnetic steel base will also work.
Non-metal materials like glass and ceramic are definitely not induction friendly.
How induction cooktops work
If you’ve ever accidentally touched a gas stove grate or an electric cooktop right after you finished cooking, you know that both hold onto a lot of heat. That’s because both gas and electric stovetops use traditional thermal induction to warm the cooking vessel. Heat passes from the source (either a flame or an electric coil) through the cooktop material and to the pan, where it then heats whatever is inside.
But induction cooktops don’t use thermal induction; they use electromagnetic induction which bypasses the cooktop completely. In fact, the only reason an induction cooktop is ever warm or hot to the touch is because it absorbs heat from the pan.
Here’s how induction cooktops work: Copper coils—that are safely positioned under a solid piece of a durable ceramic-glass material—send an electric current straight to the pan. And quickly! Heating a pan and boiling water on an induction cooktop is lightning fast compared to other methods. But in order for any of this to actually happen, the pan must be ferrous, which means that the metal contains enough iron to be magnetic. If you place a noncompatible pan on an induction burner and try to turn it on, you won’t create a magnetic field and nothing will happen…well, except your stove might beep or blink at you to let you know you did something wrong.
Calphalon and All-Clad Hard-anodized Non-stick Review
FAQ
Can hard anodized be used on induction?
Is Calphalon induction compatible?
Does all clad hard anodized work on induction?
How do I know if my cookware is induction compatible?
Can you use Calphalon on an induction stove?
The Calphalon Signature Stainless Steel Cookware can be used on induction stovetops, but the Calphalon Signature Non-stick cookware will not work with them. Does Calphalon Simply Induction safe?
Does hard anodized cookware work with induction stove?
And you turn your eye towards hard anodized cookware which is a beautiful non-stick and wonder if it will work. Most of the Hard anodized cookware is not compatible with induction cooktops. This is because the induction stove requires a ferromagnetic material at the bottom. Hard anodized is cookware is usually chemically treated aluminum.
Does Calphalon make induction cookware?
Fortunately, Calphalon does make a few collections of cookware that are induction compatible. The two main collections that work with induction stoves are the Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel collection and the Calphalon Calphalon Premier Stainless Steel collection.