How to choose a pan for an induction cooker?

Cooking with a pan is a convenient and easy way to cook food. But a change of kitchen equipment can make the hostess a difficult choice. Which pan for induction cooker is considered the best? Why do you have to abandon the fashionable ceramic frypots and is it possible to combine grill or wok with this type of hob? Of course, part of the household utensils can be left.

But answering the question: what pans are suitable for induction, experts quite expectedly declare the need to purchase dishes with a special label. It can be found in almost any store - manufacturers make sure that their audience has a good selection of kitchen utensils.

One thing is important: grill pans and other types of similar products should have a metal base made of ferromagnetic alloy.

It would seem that checking whether a pan is suitable for an induction cooker is very simple. You can bring a magnet to make sure how well it is attracted to the surface of the metal. But in practice, everything is much more complicated. If the metal of the heated bottom is not sufficiently permeable to electromagnetic radiation, it can be heated for a very long time.

Heat transfer will not be enough for frying or stewing, but electricity bills will rush to infinity. Not all metals possess ferromagnetic properties. In most cases, carbon and stainless steel and cast iron fall into this category. But the presence of various additives can lead to the fact that the ferromagnetic abilities of the metal noticeably worsen. Respectively, prolonged heating usually differs in steel with a high content of nickel and chromium, some types of cast iron.

To be sure that the pan definitely has the right parameters, you should purchase special dishes. It will not only allow the use of induction electric stoves of any type without problems, but it will also provide an opportunity to save energy spent on cooking.

The special designation marking such dishes looks like spiral. The mark may be on the packaging, but most often it is applied directly to the bottom of the pan from the outside.

In addition to the desirable presence of a special marker confirming the adaptation of the product to work with induction cookers, there are other requirements.

• The correct sizes. Optimally, if it takes from 80 to 100% of the area of ​​the burner. With coverage of less than 70%, the induction process simply will not start - contact will not be enough to turn on the stove.
• Multi-layer bottom. It is especially important for non-round pans. It is optimal if inside the steel “pie” of two metal plates there is a well heat-distributing material. In general, it is enough that the bottom has the right properties - this allows you to create ceramic, aluminum and other types of pans with a combined base. This solution can be used on an induction cooker.
• Flat and flat base. It contributes to the correct consumption of heat, saves electricity. With less than 70% of the bottom plane adjacent to the burner, the stove simply will not work. That is why old pans are often not suitable - their long heating is associated with loose contact with the induction coil.

There are different types of pans used in cooking. In the case of an induction cooker, they should have a corresponding badge confirming the ferromagnetic properties of the bottom. In addition, the presence of a sufficiently thick bottom matters.

The main difference between pans for induction cookers is the material of manufacture - most often it is aluminum with a titanium coating, steel, cast iron, which have the necessary parameters for fast and uniform heating. As for the division into types and types, here we are talking mainly about the functional purpose of the product.

It usually has a square or rectangular shape. To interact with the induction burner, a round bottom is provided in the grill pan, from which the rest of the surface is then heated. This is a convenient and safe option for cooking meat and fish on the grill at home. The internal corrugated bottom allows you to get a beautiful picture on the surface of the products - like after a barbecue grill without leaving your home.

The dishes traditional for the countries of Southeast Asia are not suitable for induction cookers in their classic design. But there are special series of wok-style pans, their bottom is flat and fairly wide, necessarily made of a ferromagnetic alloy. The walls of such models are rather thin, warming well and quickly throughout the entire area. In addition, special plates with spherical burners are produced to obtain the effect of immersion of the product in the heat of a flame.

Baking pancakes requires special dishes. Pans for them in the case of an induction cooker are made almost flat, with sides having a low bevel. It is easy to remove ready-made pancakes and pancakes from them, turn products during the frying process. Necessarily non-stick coating, the bottom can be quite thin - rather uniform heating is important. The optimum diameter is 20-25 cm.

They are designed for prolonged languishing of products inside. therefore It is recommended to choose thick-walled dishes made of cast aluminum or cast iron. An induction disk is placed at the bottom of such dishes (it can also be on the lid, if it is used as a separate container). The form of the fryer is rectangular or oval, it can be placed directly on the burners that support heating along an extended circuit.

The ranking of the best manufacturers is not complete without the following brands.

• Hackman - Finnish company specializing in the production of cookware for induction cookers. Differs in thoroughness in the approach to the development of their models. Among the brand's products, the Matador series pans for home use with an internal ceramic coating and a base of cast iron or stainless steel stand out.

• Woll - German premium brand. He pays great attention not only to functionality, but also to the aesthetics of his products. The company's assortment includes both classic frying pans and woks, stewpan, roasting pan for cooking more complex dishes. Non-stick coating made of titanium.

• Fissler - Another German manufacturer, claiming global leadership in the class of manufacturers of cookware for induction cookers. The company produces classic and pancake pans, woks, equipped with a non-stick ceramic coating. The cookware conducts heat well, makes it possible to control the intensity of frying.

• Rondell - A German brand that produces such popular pan models as Walzer with a three-layer titanium coating and an aluminum base. The popular Evolution-R series is equipped with a multi-layer inner coating with diamond chips for increased strength. The non-removable thermally insulated handle allows you to store dishes in a suspended state. The service life of the dishes is about 2 years. The most popular size is 28 cm in diameter.

• Riess - Austrian manufacturer, known mainly to European consumers. It produces products in the middle price segment, offers steel pans with a multilayer enamel coating. The Kobaltblau series is positioned as a professional one, there are pans in diameters 24, 28 and 30 cm. Products do not absorb odor, are easy to wash even in a dishwasher, and are characterized by a high heating speed. The optimal solution for every day.

• Baf - German brand premium segment. Among the latest achievements is the Gigant newline series, manufactured to the latest standards. The bottom thickness reaches 9 mm, the pans are equipped with a durable non-stick coating, a convenient removable handle with a rubber coating. But there are limitations - the dishes can withstand without loss of non-stick properties heating up to +260 degrees. The range has cast deep stewpan from 20 to 32 cm, pancake pans.

• Teskoma - Czech manufacturer, famous for an innovative approach to the creation of non-stick coatings. It is called "i-Premium Stone", has the properties and texture of natural stone. Textured interior coating. But there are also disadvantages - limiting the temperature regime, refusal to clean with hard abrasives, the need to use heat-resistant Teflon blades.

• Lodge - An American brand specializing in the creation of cast iron cookware. Wear-resistant pans almost never fail. The price of products is quite budget, there is a wide selection of sizes. But a new approach is required for new cast iron products - they need to be hardened so that food does not stick to the walls in the future.

• Fissman - A Danish company that produces pans for induction cookers, including those with non-stick coating based on stone chips. The basis of the dishes is aluminum, the bottom is multi-layered, provides a high heating rate. But there are also disadvantages - the company operates in the budget segment and does not care too much about the sufficient thickness of the coating, so it is easy to damage it.

• Tefal - a budget French brand that allows you to purchase both a set and individual pans of the desired diameter. The average price category does not make brand products less popular. It is quite high quality and modern. All Tefal pans have a proprietary heating indicator, Pro C non-stick coating, comfortable ergonomic handles (they are removable on some models). Among the popular models can be distinguished "Meteor" - a series with a coating that imitates stone.

The choice of a pan for an induction cooker is affected not only by the compatibility of the model with a particular type of stove. Of great importance are parameters such as ergonomics, usability, functionality and reliability of the product. Even the best pan will not provide uniform heating of the bottom if it is too large for the selected burner. A quickly abrasive coating will quickly nullify all the advantages of a non-stick function.

When choosing a pan for an induction cooker, you should pay attention to several criteria.

• The material of manufacture. Long-life cast iron or copper, which is characterized by good thermal conductivity, is considered optimal. Stainless or enameled steel is quite thin, requires additional external coating. Aluminum provides the pan with maximum lightness.
• Type of coverage. Among non-stick technologies today, the leader based on diamond dust is extremely durable, not prone to the formation of the effect of spot heating. But it greatly increases the cost of the product. A more budgetary solution will be titanium or ceramic coating. It also prevents the burning of food, helps prevent the absorption of odors into the walls of the dishes.
• Diameter. Frying pans for induction cookers are usually produced with a diameter of 25-30 cm. This is enough for cooking for 2-4 people. But you should focus on the contours of the induction burner - they must be filled by more than 70%.
• Side height. For frying and stewing dishes, stewpots or pans with high (7-10 cm) sides are selected. Pancake models have low walls of 1-2 cm. Similar options are chosen for the preparation of cutlets and potato pancakes.
• Features of the bottom. It should be multi-layer, thick (preferably about 1 cm), flat. In the correct pan, the products will not burn, they will warm evenly.
• Pen type. They can be stationary - fixed on a permanent basis, removable. The second is more convenient in washing and storage. The optimal material is bakelite, which remains cold even when the walls of the dishes are heated.

See how to choose a pan for an induction cooker in the next video.