If you have just bought some stainless-steel cookware or an induction hob, you may want to know whether the cookware is compatible with the hob.
Or perhaps you have read a Chef’s Pick article singing the praises of either stainless-steel cookware or induction hobs and are interested in getting one or both into your kitchen.
If you want to know whether stainless steel cookware and induction hobs are a match made in heaven, you’re in the right place.
So, does stainless steel cookware work on an induction hob? The answer is: it depends.
You see, with other types of cookware, the answer is a lot more simple, but stainless-steel cookware is different.
Some stainless-steel cookware is made from non-magnetic grades of stainless steel. This means that it won’t work on an induction hob. However, other stainless-steel cookware is made from magnetic-grade stainless and will work perfectly on your induction hob.
How do I know if my stainless-steel cookware will work on my induction hob?
If you have just ordered an induction hob and are now panicking about whether your stainless-steel cookware will work on your hob, there is an easy way to check.
Firstly, almost all cookware that can be used on an induction hob has the induction symbol on the bottom of it. The induction symbol is a piece of coiled wire in a rectangular frame. If your cookware has that symbol, it can be used on your induction.
There is another way to check your stainless-steel cookware, though. Grab a magnet (a fridge magnet will work) and see if the magnet sticks to your cookware.
With stainless steel cookware, it is best to test the bottom. This is because some stainless cookware only has a magnetic grade of stainless on the bottom of it.
So, see if the magnet sticks. If it does, you have stainless steel cookware that can be used on an induction hob.
If you’ve just realised that your stainless-steel cookware won’t work on your new induction hob, it’s a good time to look at all of Chef’s Pick articles about induction-compatible cookware.
Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.
