Induction cooktops are known for their incredible precision — but only the right cookware can bring the heat.
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You may have heard that induction is the future of cooking. But if you’re reading this article, it’s likely that for you the future is already here. However, before you can experience the flash-fast heating capabilities of your new induction cooktop or range, you’ll need magnetic cookware that works with an induction burner's electromagnetic coil.
While this limits you slightly, there are plenty of options. The best bets are naturally magnetic materials, including cast iron, carbon steel, and some stainless steel. But even ceramic, copper and aluminum cookware can be induction compatible with a magnetic metal plate bonded to its base. However, this type of cookware tends to not heat up as well or quickly.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've tested thousands of kitchen appliances and more than 150 sets of cookware over the years. For induction cookware, we pulled the top-performing cookware that is induction-friendly, including some nonstick picks, and tested them on our top induction cooktop to find the pots and pans that would best suit new induction converts and long-time induction lovers alike.
At the end of this guide, you can read more about how we evaluate cookware in our Lab, plus everything you need to know about different types of induction cookware materials and what to look for when shopping.
All-Clad's D3 Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel Set is among the brand’s best-selling sets. Each piece is made of stainless steel sandwiching an aluminum core. In our Lab tests, the skillet heated up quickly and fairly evenly, and it seared steak nicely in our gas range tests.
Testers appreciate the set’s long and thin handles, which are sharply angled and have a deep indent to allow for a good grasp, although they are heavy for stainless steel. They're pricey, but this is the kind of set that will last a lifetime.
At a fraction of the price of an All-Clad set, you can get Tramontina's 10-Piece Tri-Ply Clad Stainless-Steel Cookware Set. The pots and pans feature a three-layer construction — stainless steel surrounding an aluminum core — allowing even heating and induction compatibility.
In our induction cookware Lab tests, the Tramontina stockpot was the speediest at boiling water for quick pasta nights (just keep an eye on it when making soups and stocks, which might come to a rolling boil faster than you’d expect). The fry pan was excellent for browning steak in our gas range tests but heats less evenly than the All-Clad pan. The Tramontina set is dishwasher-safe, but be prepared to scrub off some stains by hand if you want to keep the cookware spotless.
Our Lab testers love this set from GreenPan for its ultra-slick nonstick surface that is easy to clean. Our team verified it is made without PFOA, PFAS, lead and cadmium, so you can cook without worrying harmful chemicals are leaching into your food. The lightweight pots and pans can withstand high heat and the comfy stainless steel handles stay cool.
Ceramic cookware isn’t inherently induction-compatible, but this collection is finished with a magnetic base for induction cooktops. Our Lab testers found that it works on an induction cooktop but heats more slowly than cookware made of naturally ferromagnetic materials. Ceramic nonstick cookware also tends to wear faster than traditional nonstick, but this set comes with protectors to help prevent scratching when storing.
Most nonstick cookware is made of aluminum and therefore isn’t compatible with induction cooktops, but Made In’s nonstick set is made of stainless steel and offers all the essential pieces. In our Lab test, the nonstick surface easily released eggs without the help of added fats, and afterward, cleanup was a cinch.
They're pricey, yes, but the pans feel sturdy, balanced in the hand and are easy to move around while cooking. The saucepan and sauté pan have helper handles that make it even easier to transfer to the oven and the cookware’s bottoms sit flush on induction burners, so they conduct heat well and evenly.
One of the latest features on induction cooktops is called bridging, which is a setting that combines two adjacent burners and the area between them to form one big oval burner that perfectly heats stovetop griddles. The Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Nonstick Griddle is a pick we haven’t personally gotten our hands on, but we imagine it would be ideal for such an induction cooktop.
The griddle can also straddle two burners if your cooktop doesn’t have a bridging feature: It has tall, 1-inch sides to keep grease contained when cooking burgers and pancakes and the nonstick coating we’ve tested on Cuisinart’s other cookware requires minimal scrubbing. This model weighs just over four pounds, making it easier to maneuver than a cast iron griddle, although it's still likely bulky to store.
Cast iron is great for induction cooktops because it’s naturally ferromagnetic and retains heat like a champ. The Lodge Cast Iron Skillet deeply browns foods and makes a mean steak, but it’s on the heavy side at 7.5 pounds and its small handle can make the pan feel even heavier when lifted. If the largest burner on your cooktop is closer to 10 inches, opt for Lodge's smaller 10.25-inch cast iron skillet.
As with all uncoated cast iron, this pan has a relatively rough surface that might scratch the induction cooktop’s glass surface. Be careful not to furiously move it around while cooking. To further protect your cooktop, you can place a silicone liner, like a Silpat or a larger mat that covers the entire cooktop, between the burner and your cookware. We’ve tried it at home; the mat doesn't intervene with heat conduction, and since it’s not made of induction-compatible metal, it won’t burn.
The Le Creuset Dutch Oven browned evenly in our Lab’s gas range tests and cooked a good beef stew. We've used the signature cast iron cookware at home with induction and found that it heats up quickly and fairly evenly. The light-colored interior made it easy to monitor browning and clean afterward. The pot also has a wide, flat surface area and fits 10-inch burners well and the handles stayed cool enough to touch while cooking and the lid’s large knob made it easy to handle, although it's quite heavy. Le Creuset’s enameled cookware comes in various colors to complement any kitchen design. Plus, the smooth coated surface makes it safer for glass cooktops. The stainless-steel knobs are oven safe at all temperatures but some other knob materials are not. Check the user guide that comes with your pot to be sure.
Yosukata’s Carbon Steel 13.5-Inch Flat-Bottom Wok is wide, stable and comes preseasoned. At 3.6 pounds, the wok can be difficult to toss for some, but you shouldn’t do that when cooking on an induction stove anyway.
While we haven’t tested this exact model in the Lab, our induction burner at home gets this wok searing hot quickly. However, keep in mind that when cooking with induction, the heat stays more focused on the 5-inch round bottom rather than spreading up the sides like with gas burners. The wok’s surface will build a naturally nonstick patina over time, but it comes preseasoned and releases food easily straight out of the box.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we’ve tested more than 150 sets of cookware over the years, including nonstick pans and cast iron skillets. We evaluate performance and ease of use through tests that determine how evenly they heat, how well they maintain temperature and how easy they are to handle and wash. In addition to these performance tests, we score many ease-of-use features like handle temps, oven-safe temps, whether the cookware is dishwasher-safe and more.
To test heat distribution, we coat the skillets with a floury mixture and measure how evenly they brown. In our nonstick test, we fry eggs and scramble eggs with no grease to see how well they release and how they clean up. We also sear a steak and assess the evenness and time it takes to cook. In our scorch test, we use canned sauce to test how well the saucepans retain temperature and, again, assess the ease of cleanup. We also boil water in the stockpots to get an idea of how long it would take someone to boil a pot of water at home for pasta.
We then test the our top-performing pans and favorites on an induction cooktop to see how evenly they heated and how quickly they boiled water. We looked for ones with wide surface areas that heated evenly and responded quickly and well. Across the board, we found induction cooktops heat the center of the pan first (as pictured in the image).
✔️ Material: The material you pick for your induction cookware makes a huge difference. Cookware must contain ferrous metal to work on induction stoves. Here are some materials that go well with this method of cooking:
Aluminum, copper, ceramic and glass are not induction-ready but some manufacturers add an iron or magnetic steel disc to the bottom to make it induction-compatible, like with the GreenPan Valencia ceramic set. Our Lab tests found that cookware bonded with magnetic plates doesn’t heat as quickly as cookware made from naturally magnetic materials.
✔️ Heating ability: The heating range of most induction cooktops goes up to 500°F but some high-end models go above 550°F. When shopping for induction-friendly cookware, find pieces that can stand up to these temperatures. Uncoated pans normally have a higher heat threshold than those with ceramic or non-stick coatings.
✔️ Pan size: With induction cookware, it is very important to ensure that the pan size fits the burner. It won’t properly activate the element or heat up as efficiently if it is too big or too small. The bottoms must have a flat, smooth surface to ensure complete contact with the stove’s element.
✔️ Single pan vs. set: We’re big fans of cookware sets. If you're transferring to induction cookware, you likely need all new pots and pans, so you might as well get the most for your money. For essentials, you’ll want at least one 10-inch skillet, one small pot for boiling eggs and a bigger pot for soups and pasta. A cast iron skillet and enameled pots would be nice bonuses.
✔️ Price: Like any cookware, premium quality induction cookware comes at a premium price. Spending several hundred dollars can buy a set that lasts a lifetime. Less expensive induction-friendly cookware can also perform well, but the material and construction of the pan may be less durable for the long haul.
✔️ Ease of cleaning: Many stainless steel cookware is dishwasher safe, but uncoated cast iron and carbon steel are hand wash only and need to be regularly oiled for optimal performance. The best choice for you will depend on how much maintenance you’re willing to put up with.
Induction burners contain coils of copper wire that generate heat directly in the cookware via a magnetic field. To be compatible with an induction burner, a pan must above everything else contain ferromagnetic metal, like iron.
Cookware for induction cooktops should have a flat bottom that makes full contact with the heating element for effective heating. It also helps to opt for heavier cookware because induction burners tend to buzz, especially at higher settings, and heavy pots and pans can help reduce the vibration.
You can tell whether a pot or pan is induction-compatible by simply sticking a magnet to the bottom to see if it sticks. You can also check the underside of your cookware for the induction symbol that looks like a magnetic coil.
In addition to checking for compatible cookware, there are a couple of things to remember when cooking with induction. In our Lab tests, we noticed that all the skillets struggled with heating evenly. To help your cookware perform better, follow these three tips:
“Induction cooktops heat quickly, are responsive to changes in temperatures and don’t emit gasses the way gas burners do,” says Nicole Papantoniou, Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab.
Making the switch isn’t something you’d do on a whim because it might require rewiring in your home, but if you’re already making the switch to electric or looking to upgrade your electric setup, induction is worth a look. Induction ranges can cost a little more than gas and electric stoves but offer unparalleled temperature control, energy efficiency and safety while cooking.
Perry Santanachote is a contributing writer for Good Housekeeping. She has been testing and writing about the best kitchen appliances and cookware — from toaster ovens and air fryers to handheld mixers and nonstick pans — for over 10 years. She has even more experience in the food industry, working as a recipe developer, food stylist and cook. Making the switch to induction was a game-changing moment and she’s spent many hours tinkering in the kitchen to find the best new ways to cook.
Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she oversees testing and content related to all kitchen gear. She has tested many of these cookware sets herself and has been using an induction burner for years.
Perry Santanachote (she/her) has more than 15 years of experience in service journalism, specializing in food and consumer goods. She tests and reports on kitchen appliances and cooking tools. She also evaluates food products and cleaning supplies. She’s an experienced writer, product tester and recipe developer who has worked in labs, test kitchens and media organizations, including Thrillist and Consumer Reports.
Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.
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