induction stovetops vs. glass top stovetops: what is the difference?

[Laurie4b]

I just bought a ceramic nonstick frying pan. In fine print, it said it was suitable for all stovetops except induction. We have a glass top, but I don't know if it's induction or not. How do you tell?

[LaxMom]

Induction requires that the pots are conductive. The ceramic won't work on them.

 

If you have induction, you know because you bought it on purpose and you've paid several times what a plain, radiant cooktop costs. Also, the surface stays cool on induction cooktops.

[mom2samlibby]

From wikipedia:

 

Induction cooking uses induction heating to directly heat a cooking vessel, as opposed to using heat transfer from electrical coils or burning gas as with a traditional cooking stove. For nearly all models of induction cooktop, a cooking vessel must be made of a ferromagnetic metal, or placed on an interface disk which enables non-induction cookware to be used on induction cooking surfaces.

In an induction cooker, a coil of copper wire is placed underneath the cooking pot. An alternating electric current flows through the coil, which produces an oscillating magnetic field. This field induces anelectric current in the pot. Current flowing in the metal pot produces resistive heating which heats the food. While the current is large, it is produced by a low voltage.

An induction cooker is faster and more energy-efficient than a traditional electric cooking surface. It allows instant control of cooking energy similar to gas burners. Other cooking methods use flames or red-hot heating elements; induction heating heats only the pot. Because the surface of the cook top is heated only by contact with the vessel, the possibility of burn injury is significantly less than with other methods. The induction effect does not directly heat the air around the vessel, resulting in further energy efficiencies. Cooling air is blown through the electronics but emerges only a little warmer than ambient temperature.

[Laurie4b]

Thanks! Ours is not induction, then! And I can keep my ceramic nonstick frying pan!

[KungFuPanda]

If you had an induction stove you'd know because you paid through the nose for it.

[Tammi K]

If you had an induction stove you'd know because you paid through the nose for it.

 

Oh, but, my they are nice to cook with. Had one when we lived overseas and we LOVED it.

[G5052]

Oh, but, my they are nice to cook with. Had one when we lived overseas and we LOVED it.

 

Yes, we had one in the house we rented while on vacation.  I'm gas stove person, but induction was just as good from my perspective and easier to clean up.

[AMJ]

We have a gas stove, electric ovens, and an induction hot plate. The hot plate wasn't expensive, though induction stove tops are.

 

You don't have to buy the pricey induction pots for induction cooktops, however. If anyone reading this thread has or decides to buy an induction cooktop or hot plate it is easy to test your pots to see if they will work on the induction burner. Simply take a magnet and see if it sticks to the bottom and sides of your pots and pans -- if it does the material is magnetic enough for the induction burner. If not then don't use that pot on an induction cooktop.

 

If anyone happens to get pots that say they are for induction burners but doesn't have an induction cooktop, don't worry. "Induction" pots can be used on regular gas or electric burners, too.