Induction cooktop with cookware and various kitchen ingredients

Induction Cooktops: An Infographic

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Induction cooking is a relatively new technology with many advantages. Powered by electricity, it is cleaner and more efficient than cooking with traditional gas.

Unlike the older-styled and hard-to-control coils of an electric stove or the gas rings of a natural gas model, an induction cooktop has a smooth, glass-ceramic surface. While an induction cooktop may resemble an electric one, it has electromagnetic copper coils underneath the glass-ceramic surface that allow for more accurate heat control. A high frequency alternating current (AC) passes through the copper coils, generating a magnetic field that directly transfers energy to the cookware and heats the food inside.

Induction cooktops require magnetizable cookware. Cast iron and select stainless steel models are induction-friendly (and generally marked with an “induction compatible” symbol), whereas glass, ceramic, aluminum, and copper pots and pans will not work unless they have a magnetic base. You can also use a converter disk with non-compatible cookware, allowing it to work with induction.

Learn more about how induction cooktops work in the infographic below. View PDF

Infographic with diagram of an induction cooktop
Infographic describing the types of residential induction cooktops and ranges, common cooktop features, and the pros and cons of buying an induction cooktop.
Design by Eunice Chung

Cover image credit: StatePoint

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