Take a fridge magnet to the base of your pan. If it clamps on firmly, that pan will work on induction. If it slides off or clings weakly, it won't — or it will work badly, which is arguably worse because you'll spend six months blaming the hob.
That test is genuinely the whole answer for compatibility. What it doesn't tell you is how well a pan will perform, and that's where most of the disappointment with induction cooking actually comes from. Two pans can both pass the magnet test and behave completely differently on the same zone: one heats evenly and responds instantly, the other develops a scorching hot ring in the middle while the edges stay lukewarm, and buzzes audibly while doing it.
The Short Answer
Induction works by generating a magnetic field that induces a current directly in the pan's base, so the pan itself becomes the heating element. That requires a ferromagnetic base — iron or magnetic-grade stainless steel. Aluminium, copper and glass won't work on their own, though many are sold with a magnetic steel plate bonded to the bottom specifically to make them induction compatible.
In practice: cast iron works, enamelled cast iron works, carbon steel works, and most good stainless steel cookware works. Pure aluminium doesn't. Copper doesn't. Older stainless pans made from 18/10 austenitic steel with no magnetic layer often don't, which catches people out because "stainless steel" sounds like it should be a safe bet.
Beyond compatibility, two things determine whether a pan performs well: a thick, flat base, and a base diameter that reasonably matches the zone you're using it on. A thin magnetic disc glued onto an otherwise cheap pan will technically work while delivering a poor cooking experience.
What Actually Matters
Base thickness is the specification nobody prints on the box and the one that most affects results. Induction heats the base directly and very quickly — a thin base has no capacity to spread that heat sideways before it reaches your food, so you get hot spots directly over the magnetic coil pattern. A thick, layered base acts as a heat diffuser and evens it out. This is the single biggest difference between a £15 pan and a £60 pan on induction, far more than brand or coating.
Base flatness matters more on induction than on gas. Any warping lifts part of the base away from the glass, and since the magnetic coupling weakens rapidly with distance, a warped pan heats unevenly and can trigger intermittent pan-detection errors. Old pans that have been through years of high heat and cold-water rinsing are often subtly domed without their owners realising.
Base diameter interacts with the hob's detection system. Most induction zones need a base covering roughly two-thirds of the marked ring to register a pan at all. A small milk pan on a large zone may simply not be detected, or may cut in and out during use. It's not a fault — it's how detection works — but it's the most common cause of a new induction owner thinking their hob is broken.
Detailed Analysis
The magnet test and where it falls short
The test is reliable for a yes/no answer. What it can't tell you is whether the magnetic layer is a thin bonded disc or a substantial multi-ply base. A useful refinement: check whether the magnet grips equally strongly across the whole base, including near the edges. If it grips firmly in the centre and weakly at the rim, you're looking at a small central disc, and that pan will concentrate heat in the middle.
Materials that work well, and how they behave
Cast iron is superb on induction in terms of heat retention and coupling, but it's heavy, slow to heat up and slow to respond to changes in power. It also has an unfortunate habit of scratching ceramic glass if dragged, and its rough base is unforgiving. Ideal for searing and slow cooking, less so for anything needing quick temperature adjustment.
Enamelled cast iron — casserole dishes and similar — works well and is gentler on the hob surface than bare cast iron, though the weight problem remains.
Multi-ply stainless steel is the best all-round choice for induction. A sandwich base with an aluminium core between magnetic steel layers gives you both the magnetic coupling and the heat spreading. This is what most quality cookware sold as "induction ready" actually is, and it's worth paying for.
Carbon steel works excellently and is much lighter than cast iron, though it needs seasoning and careful drying to avoid rust.
Non-stick pans vary enormously. A good one has a thick disc base and performs well; a cheap one has a stamped thin base that will develop hot spots and destroy its own coating in eighteen months. Non-stick and induction is a combination where paying more genuinely buys longevity.
What definitely won't work
Pure aluminium, copper, glass and ceramic cookware are all non-starters without a bonded magnetic base. Some older aluminium pans are excellent cookware and it's a genuine loss when switching to induction — there's no way round it.
Terracotta, stoneware and anything designed for oven use only should stay off induction regardless.
Adapter plates: an honest assessment
These are steel discs that sit on the hob and heat by induction, transferring that heat to a non-magnetic pan by conduction. They work, in the narrow sense that food gets hot.
They also throw away most of what makes induction worth having. Response is slow, efficiency drops considerably, the plate gets extremely hot and stays hot long after the zone is off, and the whole arrangement sits proud of the hob and can slide. They're a reasonable stopgap for one treasured pan you can't replace, or for a moka pot with a small base that won't trigger detection. They're a poor basis for everyday cooking.
Real-World Considerations
If you're switching from gas, budget for cookware alongside the hob. It's a cost that consistently catches people out. Replacing a working set of pans because they're the wrong material is a genuine expense — a decent multi-ply set runs from around £120 to well over £400 — and it should form part of the decision about whether to switch at all.
Test your existing pans before you commit. Go through the cupboard with a magnet, and note not just which pass but which are the pans you actually reach for daily. If your everyday frying pan fails and your rarely-used stockpot passes, the practical cost of switching is higher than the pass rate suggests.
Small pans are a recurring frustration. Milk pans, single-egg pans and small saucepans frequently fall below the detection threshold on standard 180mm and 210mm zones. Many induction hobs include one smaller zone for exactly this reason, and it's worth checking the spec if you cook a lot in small quantities. Some brands sell small-diameter pans specifically designed with an oversized magnetic base to solve this.
Common Mistakes Buyers Make
Trusting the "suitable for all hob types" label without checking is the most frequent. It appears on packaging that predates the manufacturer's induction range, on imported cookware, and occasionally on pans where it's simply optimistic. The magnet in your pocket is more reliable than the label.
Buying a cheap induction set to go with a good induction hob is a false economy that undermines the appliance entirely. Induction's main advantages — speed, precision, even heat — depend heavily on the pan. A £500 hob with £20 pans performs worse than a £300 hob with decent cookware.
Ignoring base diameter when buying is another. Check the base measurement rather than the rim measurement; pans are typically advertised by their top diameter, which can be 40mm or more wider than the base that actually matters.
Keeping old warped pans "because they still work" gradually erodes the experience. If a pan rocks when placed on a flat worktop, it will heat unevenly on induction, and no amount of adjusting the power setting fixes it.
Alternatives Worth Considering
If most of your cookware fails the magnet test and replacing it isn't realistic, a ceramic or radiant hob is worth reconsidering. It works with any flat-based pan regardless of material, costs less to buy, and while it's slower and less efficient than induction, the total cost of switching may well favour it once cookware is included.
For anyone committed to induction on a budget, buying selectively beats buying a set. A good multi-ply frying pan and one decent saucepan cover most daily cooking; the stockpot you use twice a year can stay whatever it is, used on a spare gas ring or replaced later. Sets look like value but usually include two pans you'll never touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all stainless steel pans work on induction?
No. Stainless steel comes in magnetic and non-magnetic grades, and much older cookware uses the non-magnetic type. Test with a magnet rather than assuming.
Can you use aluminium pans on an induction hob?
Not unless they have a bonded magnetic steel base. Pure aluminium generates no useful current in the magnetic field.
Why does my hob say "no pan detected" when there's a pan on it?
Usually the base is too small for the zone, not flat enough, or not sufficiently magnetic. Try a larger pan on the same zone to confirm which.
Are induction adapter plates any good?
They work, but slowly and inefficiently, and they lose most of induction's advantages. Fine as a stopgap for one pan, poor as a permanent arrangement.
Will cast iron scratch my induction hob?
It can, particularly if dragged rather than lifted. Enamelled cast iron with a smooth base is safer, and lifting rather than sliding solves most of it.
Do more expensive pans really perform better on induction?
Yes, more so than on gas. Base construction determines heat distribution, and that's precisely what the extra money buys.
Final Thoughts
Induction is a genuinely better cooking technology than what most UK kitchens replaced, but it shifts a meaningful part of the performance burden onto your cookware. A hob can only heat what the pan lets it heat, and a thin base undoes a lot of expensive engineering.
Do the magnet check before you buy the hob, not after. If your current pans mostly pass and have thick, flat bases, you'll have a straightforward transition. If they mostly fail, add £150 to £300 to your budget and treat it as part of the purchase — because that's what it is.
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