There is some confusion about what makes a particular cooking pan induction compatible. Much of this confusion is due to the composition of Stainless Cookware sets. I was always under the impression that stainless steel was non-magnetic and therefore not useful for induction cooking. As with many things in life it’s not that simple.

It turns out that there are actually several types of stainless steel, and one variety is actually magnetic. The magnetic stainless is made without Nichol. This is known as 18/0 stainless, with the 0 indicating the lack of nickel in its composition. The stainless alloy with the nickel is typically 18/10. Adding to the confusion is that many cookware sets are made in a sandwich configuration, and in some cases both magnetic and non-magnetic stainless are used in the same piece. The best and easiest way to determine if your stainless cookware is induction ready is to simple take a common refrigerator magnet and see if it sticks to the bottom surface of the pan (the surface that is in contact with the cooking element, not the food). If it sticks, then the pan is induction ready. It’s really no more complicated than that. By the way the All Clad Stainless Cookware line is one product line that has been confirmed to be induction ready.

An inexpensive induction ready pan is the old cast iron fry pan. Being made of ferrous material, it qualifies as magnetic, and if you have on already, it provides you with an easy way to try out induction cooking. All that is needed is to purchase a portable induction cooktop, starting at around $75.