Induction
Induction does not heat a pan; it makes the pan heat itself, which only works if the base is ferromagnetic. Most modern pans are, and a few good ones are not — including two made in France that are otherwise among the best coated pans here. This guide names both, so you do not find out after delivery.
Induction is the one hob type that refuses pans outright. Here is how to choose without guessing.
The Stoneline 28 cm (11 in) publishes 4.7 cm (1.9 in) of depth, 2.3 liters of capacity and — the useful one — a 22.8 cm (9 in) induction base. A base narrower than the ring gives you a hot center and cool edges, and almost nothing else in this catalog tells you the figure.
The Rowenta 28 cm (11 in) is uncoated 18/10 on a Thermo-Fusion induction base with a riveted cast stainless handle. Uncoated stainless is the pan that outlives every coating, and it wants a proper preheat.
The Zuofeng 28 cm (11 in) states a magnetized base and a granite-effect nonstick on cast aluminum, dishwasher safe. Cast aluminum is not magnetic by itself; a magnetized base is a disc bonded to it, which is how coated aluminum pans reach induction hobs at all.
The Endusor 26 cm (10.2 in) crêpe pan states an iron-core induction base and a published weight of 900 g (31.7 oz). Weight matters on a crêpe pan: a light one cools the moment the batter lands.
The WMF 28 cm (11 in) in Cromargan 18/10 with a ceramic coating, a TransTherm base and a stated 400 °C (752 °F) in the pan.
The Tefal 26 cm (10.2 in) grill pan and the Tefal 28 cm (11 in) wok. Both state that they are not induction compatible. Both are otherwise excellent, and neither is for you.
Where induction’s speed is a genuine pleasure and also a trap for burning.
Where a heavy magnetic base gives the stability of heat that induction alone does not.
Where cheaper hobs pulse the power and a thick base smooths that out.
Where the magnet test decides what survives the move.
| The question | The answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Will it work? | The magnet test | Takes one second |
| Why is it not detected? | Base too small | The zone needs contact area |
| Why does it buzz? | Base construction | Normal, but varies |
| Why does it burn? | Induction is fast | Lower settings than you expect |
On induction the hob surface needs as much care as the pans. Scratched glass never recovers, and grit trapped under a pan base does the damage. Pan bases matter too: any warping shows up immediately as uneven heating.
Induction is fast, which is its own hazard.
28 cm (11 in) · 4.7 cm (1.9 in) deep · 2.3 L · induction base 22.8 cm (9 in) · cast aluminum · dishwasher safe
The only pan in this hub that publishes its own dimensions in full: 28 cm (11 in) across, 4.7 cm (1.9 in) deep, 2.3 liters, and an induction contact area of 22.8 cm (9 in) — which is the figure that actually decides how it heats.
Best for: Anyone who wants to know the actual dimensions before buying, and cooks on induction.
28 cm (11 in) · 18/10 stainless, uncoated · Thermo-Fusion induction base · riveted cast stainless handle · oven safe
An uncoated 18/10 stainless pan with a riveted cast stainless handle, and a listing that teaches the water-droplet test rather than assuming you know it.
Best for: A second pan, for searing and pan sauces, alongside a coated one for eggs.
≈ $35
28 cm (11 in) · granite-effect nonstick · cast aluminum · magnetized base · dishwasher safe
A granite-effect coated cast aluminum pan with a magnetized base for induction. The maker states the coating is free of PFOA, lead and cadmium, and that the pan is dishwasher safe.
Best for: Someone who wants a coated pan that can go in the dishwasher without an argument.
26 cm (10.2 in) · cast aluminum, stated 900 g (31.7 oz) · three-layer nonstick · iron-core induction base · beech spatula and spreader
The only pan in this hub that publishes its weight — a stated 900 g (31.7 oz) — with a three-layer nonstick surface, an iron-core induction base, and German beech tools included.
Best for: Induction hobs, and anyone who wants the tools and the pan to match.
28 cm (11 in) · Cromargan 18/10 with ceramic coating · stated to 400 °C (752 °F) · TransTherm base · optimal for 22 cm (8.7 in) rings
A coated stainless wok on WMF’s TransTherm universal base, stated heat resistant to 400 °C (752 °F), and matched by the maker to a 22 cm (8.7 in) hob ring.
Best for: Induction kitchens that want a wok shape without seasoning a steel one.
≈ $92
Hold a fridge magnet against the base. If it grips firmly, the pan works on induction. If it slides off, it does not, and no adapter plate makes it work properly — an adapter heats the plate, which then heats the pan by contact, which is a hotplate.
The Tefal 26 cm (10.2 in) grill pan and the Tefal 28 cm (11 in) wok both state it explicitly on their listings. Both are made in France and both are good pans; neither will work on your hob.
Yes, and it is rarely published. A base smaller than the ring heats unevenly at the edges. The Stoneline pan here publishes a 22.8 cm (9 in) induction base under a 28 cm (11 in) pan — that is the figure worth having.
Hold a magnet to the base. If it sticks firmly, the pan will work. It is the entire test and it takes a second.
Usually the base is too small for the zone, or it is warped and not making proper contact. Both are common and easily checked.
It is a normal interaction between the base construction and the hob. It varies from pan to pan and bothers some people more than others.
Induction delivers heat much faster than gas. The settings do not translate, and most new users cook a step or two lower than before.
Thick evens out the hob’s power cycling and holds heat for searing; thin responds faster. It depends on what you cook most.
Yes, it works well, but lift it rather than sliding it. Induction glass scratches easily and does not recover.
Good for: Anyone who wants to know the actual dimensions before buying, and cooks on induction.
What it does best: Publishes depth, capacity and induction contact diameter — three figures nobody else in this hub gives
What it does badly: The "cook without oil" claim is a maker statement about the surface, not a cooking recommendation
Good for: A second pan, for searing and pan sauces, alongside a coated one for eggs.
What it does best: Uncoated, so there is nothing to wear out
What it does badly: Sold under Jamie Oliver by Tefal while Amazon’s metadata attributes it to Rowenta — same group, different name
Good for: Someone who wants a coated pan that can go in the dishwasher without an argument.
What it does best: Cast rather than pressed aluminum, which the maker states as the durability argument
What it does badly: No stated temperature limit anywhere in the listing
Good for: Induction hobs, and anyone who wants the tools and the pan to match.
What it does best: Publishes a weight, which no other pan in this catalog does
What it does badly: Hand washing recommended by the maker
Good for: Induction kitchens that want a wok shape without seasoning a steel one.
What it does best: Works on induction, unlike the wok below it in price
What it does badly: A ceramic coating limits how hard a wok can be driven
What separates one band from the next: Diameter — Entry level 25 · Mid range 28 · Upper range 28
Lids, handles and spares from the same aisle, at the price we read. Confirm they match the pan you choose before ordering: it turns on the diameter and the part number, which the product page gives.
Comparisons already online between two pans from this guide or this aisle.
The pans here are drawn from the catalog of this site. Specifications come from the maker and from the Amazon product page; prices are what Keepa recorded on the date below, and both move. Order is set by declared specifications, by stated strengths against stated limits, and by price. Nothing here has been cooked with by us, and no claim to the contrary is made.
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Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
Cookware sets, knife blocks and cast iron swing by thirty dollars or more across the year, and the biggest "discounts" often land at prices the same model sold for six weeks earlier. UniverTrack tracks the real price history across retailers, spots fake reductions, and alerts you when it is genuinely the moment to buy.
