Induction Saucepan Sets

[CommuteTooFar]

What would you buy?

I recently purchased a , not delivered yet, induction hob.  Most of my current cookware will not work.

As a, not really, average, bloke I just bought Prestige Eco Pan Set. It looks ok. However I need one larger Saucepan to fit my current cooking habits.

[rafletcher]

Most modern cookware will do - though some better than others as I've found. We have a set of Polaris pans from more that 40 years ago that work. Have a look on ProCook or Nisbets.

[mrcharly-YHT]

My favourite pans are Vogue.

Nothing really fancy, they are a standard commercial grade. Thick bottomed, durable SS. Work on induction, gas, electric and raburn-type stoves.

You can buy from Nisbetts, but there are cheaper suppliers out there.

Oh, and the lids are sold separately. that means you can carefully pick your pans and not have to buy a lid for every single one.

[citoyen]

When we got an induction hob (a large several of years ago) we bought a set of cheap-ish pans from World Of Linens. They’re stainless steel (18/10) but with a copper layer in the base, which AIUI improves heat retention, or something like that. They’ve lasted quite well.

I also have some Le Creuset omelette pans which must be getting on for 30 years old now. They work well on the induction hob.

Also, my late mother-in-law’s ancient cast iron griddle works well on the hob too.

Really, the main consideration - aside from conductivity - is that the pans need to have flat bottoms. We have a nice steel crepe pan but it’s no good on the hob because the base is slightly convex. Annoying!

[toontra]

Really, the main consideration - aside from conductivity - is that the pans need to have flat bottoms. We have a nice steel crepe pan but it’s no good on the hob because the base is slightly convex. Annoying!

Stir frys are presumably out then?

[citoyen]

Really, the main consideration - aside from conductivity - is that the pans need to have flat bottoms. We have a nice steel crepe pan but it’s no good on the hob because the base is slightly convex. Annoying!

Stir frys are presumably out then?

Not at all - as long as you’re not a purist/pedant about woks.

[Wowbagger]

As long as the bases are magnetic, they will work. We have a set of John Lewis pans which work extremely well. Cast iron works well. We had a couple of small stainless pains that didn't have magnetic bottoms and we gave them to our daughter. I think my only regret is the huge aluminium preserving pan that used to belong to my mother. We gave that to our daughter as well. The JL preserving pan does work, but it's a smaller diameter and marmalade therefore takes longer to cook as the steam isn't driven off so rapidly.

[Kim]

Really, the main consideration - aside from conductivity - is that the pans need to have flat bottoms. We have a nice steel crepe pan but it’s no good on the hob because the base is slightly convex. Annoying!

Stir frys are presumably out then?

Not at all - as long as you’re not a purist/pedant about woks.

I've seen standalone single-wok induction plates with a concave surface, to accept Proper Woks...

[Cudzoziemiec]

Or use a karahi, which is similar to a wok but flat bottomed.

[toontra]

Or use a karahi, which is similar to a wok but flat bottomed.

Would a large enough area be in contact with the hob though?  I'd be concerned that there isn't sufficient heat intensity over a wide enough area of pan (which is achievable with a karahi pan when using gas as the heat travels up the curved outsides).

My experience with attempting stir frys with less than idea equipment is things tend to sweat and stew in their own liquid rather than flash fry.

[rafletcher]

Really, the main consideration - aside from conductivity - is that the pans need to have flat bottoms. We have a nice steel crepe pan but it’s no good on the hob because the base is slightly convex. Annoying!

Stir frys are presumably out then?

Not at all - as long as you’re not a purist/pedant about woks.

Indeed, we have a non-stick "wok" with a flat base. And because it's an induction hob I can turn it up to the max boost power and get some decent heat into it. Not authentic but it suffices.

The copper in the ss helps spread the heat more evenly across the base.

The main thing (and it'd be quite unusual today) is that alumimium pans don't work on induction hobs, and even those with a steel core in the base aren't great.

[rafletcher]

Or use a karahi, which is similar to a wok but flat bottomed.

Would a large enough area be in contact with the hob though?  I'd be concerned that there isn't sufficient heat intensity over a wide enough area of pan (which is achievable with a karahi pan when using gas as the heat travels up the curved outsides).

See my post above - my "wok" has a 9" flat base and gets very hot using boost power on the largest "ring".

[MikeFromLFE]

For our huge Ali preserving pan we've got a flat plate converter thing. It allows non-induction hob pans to be used. Probably very inefficient, but good enough for long slow simmers