I wonder why they say that. I went to the All Clad home page, and they say that All Clad works with induction. i didn't see anything to indicate that the copper core is an exception. I just bought their 8" copper core fry pan today, and it works great on my brand new induction hob (which I also got today to try out induction before I make the plunge).

We looked at lots of cookware lines and bought last night two pans from the Original Green pan line. They are made out of the safe teflon material, have easy to wrap your hand around type handles, and are still relatively light weight to lift for those of us with bad wrists and backs. Crate and Barrel is having a sale on some of the pieces right now. Do be careful to not purchase the ones that are anodized tho.

My DH did some tuna up in the larger pan and it washed out so easily! :))

Also saw some cookware at Target a few weeks ago and some of those passed my magnet ring test as well.

We are looking for an induction friendly grill pan that isn't too heavy to lift. Any recommendations? TIA!

The Crate and Barrel is having a sale on some of the pieces right now. Do be careful to not purchase the ones that are anodized tho.

Here is a link that might be useful: Los Angeles Appliance Repair

Concerning AllClad and induction: not all of their cookware is induction-capable. I think they give a list of what works, but I'd have to search around for it.

I bought an entire set of Demeyere cookwear. Probably overkill, but I decided to get rid of my mis-matched non-induction capable pieces as I get a brand new kitchen.

The 9 and 11 inch "fry pans" are divine. I could probably have lived with those two and two stockpots. Clean up like a dream. However, they are heavy.

I saw a set of pans in Costco that very closely resembled Demeyere, except they had rivets. They were induction -capable. If I wasn't in love with my Demeyere stuff, I would have bought the Costco brand.

I know Williams-Sonoma carries All Clad lines that are and aren't induction compatible.

The thing about the copper (and/or aluminum) core is that it's pretty dead in induction cooking. They clad steel with copper because copper is more conductive (that's why electrical wire is made of copper (they used to use aluminum for wire, but it's too soft or something and more fire prone)). But in induction it's the steel that gets excited by the inductors and that spreads along the steel. The copper (aluminum) warms from the excited steel, and will spread the heat too, but it's a secondary process.

Light weight pans are great if you have arthritis or other physical issues, but a heavy pan with a high amount of iron (steel) is going to do better because you have more mass heating and cooking.

Also, many clad pans whine on induction, at certain settings with certain contents.

> a heavy pan with a high amount of iron (steel) is going to do better because you have more mass heating and cooking.

I have read that Le Creuset enameled cast iron is excellent with induction. Will try it myself when top gets installed.

I use DeMeyere and love it. You don't need a set, just a few choice pieces. It cleans up like a dream. I have a cast iron skillet that I love, and a couple of le creuset pieces that are good too. I just purchased an induction "scanpan" - non stick pan for eggs but it is so noisy that I just might return it. There is a loud vibration with the scan pan that you don't hear with the DeMeyere or cast iron.

Yes, Le Creuset is great (I used it on electric and gas before the induction), but so is Lodge. Good old heavy cast iron. :)

I used by credit card points and got a non-stick Circulon Infinite set, and a regular set by Henckels: their International Clad. Much less expensive than All Clad, and I like the way the handles are ergonomically shaped. I have been impressed by each set with the way they cook and clean up.

The copper or aluminum core in 3-ply (or multi-ply) is there to conduct heat, not electricity. Both copper and aluminum are good heat conductors but both are soft (aluminum is more brittle) and won't wear well. Stainless wears well, but is not a good heat conductor. Hence putting them together.

As far a electricity is concerned, aluminum and copper don't play well together. When aluminum wire is attached to a copper switch (or outlet), they heat up at different rates and the aluminum wire will loosen up. This eventually results in a gap and arcing. If aluminum gets hot enough, it will burn (remember the Falklands war and the HMS Sheffield?). Aluminum wire is still used, but not in homes. It is lighter and usually cheaper than copper. Overhead power lines are usually aluminum, not copper.

Cool! Weedmeister, thanks for the info about wires! Much better organized and informative than anything I've heard before.

I have an all-clad non-stick 12" skillet from Williams-Sonoma. It works great on my induction cooktop and cleans like a dream. I wish I could afford more all-clad nonstick but it is so pricey.

I was told at WS that the All-clad copper core would work on induction, but not as well as the stainless line. I didn't ask any other questions about that as I was interested in the stainless. I went to the all-clad site, and the copper core line doesn't say anything about induction where the stainless line does.

From the All-clad FAQs:
1. Is All-Clad cookware induction-safe? What is induction?
Induction range tops do not have combustible or open flames, but use a magnetic field to create heat. The technology is widely used in Europe and is popular in professional kitchens because it is so efficient. All-Clad Stainless has been induction-ready since its development because we use a special magnetic stainless steel on the exterior. We built the Stainless collection to be used on any stovetop and in professional kitchens that have adopted this technology.

I've used All-Clad, Demeyere, etc. on my induction cooktop, but by far the best has been the German Fissler line of Pro and Intensa cookware. The build quality is second to none, the Cookstar bases on the pots and pans become perfectly flat when heated, making an absolutely direct connection with the induction burner surface. The Fissler Steelux fry pan collection is so far and away better than any others it is silly. And it comes with the best splatter guard system ever. This is expensive cookware, but it is the type that will last generations.

Greg

''I'm not sure if full cladding is as important on Induction or not. I don't mind spending a bit more to get the full clad. T-Fal makes a few sets with copper that are also induction compatible (I take a magnet with me) they are low cost but only clad on the bottom.''

Since the induction element only heats the ferrous part of the pot (the steel part), I don't understand the point of getting clad pots with aluminum or copper cores, whether the core goes up the sides or not. It seems like a waste of money and a potential source of noise?

If you want to get the best performance out of your cookware, cladding is often the best way. It spreads the heat throughout the pan/pot far more evenly than just plain stainless, which will often develop hot spots and scorch the food.

This is the main reason why quality chefs use Fissler, All-Clad, Demeyere, and other high end cookware.

Greg

Interesting. The chefs I know use no-name pans from the restaurant supply house.

I think the magnetic field from the induction hobs should heat up the whole bottom of the pan, no? Or do induction hobs have a problem with uneven heating and hot spots? I have not heard that before.

the core is there to distribute the heat evenly up the sides.

An alternative is something like the Circulon pans. They are aluminum with a steel piece welded to the bottom.

Cast iron is great. Cheap plain steel pans will work too.

Induction does heat evenly, but pure stainless doesn't heat evenly. Cladding on the base and up the sides of the pot/pan encourages even heating throughout the vessel. Of course, one can use cast iron pans and with their large mass they heat evenly. Then again, they weigh a ton.

Greg

But, looking at the boiling pattern in my cheap enamelled steel, it seems to heat pretty evenly on induction. Interesting question. That might be faulty perception on my part, or it may be a difference with induction vs. external heat sources.

Do check out Ikea's "Favorit", not misspelled, on their website. Especially look at the 5 quart pot with lid, $50. I'd call it a dutch oven. It's induction capable.

'Favorit' is used for other things beside cookware.

It's no surprise to me that Ikea has a lot of induction cookware since they are so big in Europe and Europe uses a lot of induction cookers. They are much less$ and look sturdy.

Oh, and Favorit pot with lid comes in 4, 5, 8 qt. Dishwasher and oven safe. Sounds and looks good to me. According to their description, or hype, it looks like it cooks well. Yeah, they call it 'pot with lid'. Clever.

The ikea stuff is good and heavy, but it has a non-stick lining in almost all of it, if that's a factor (for me, it keeps me away, but I guess that if you like non-stickness, it would be a plus).

I should say that I like Le Creuset because of the shapes and colors, but there's perfectly good quality enamelled cast iron that costs a lot less, and well seasoned (or preseasoned) plain cast iron is great too. There are some "thin" cast iron that aren't as massy, which wouldn't be quite as good, but there are great alternatives to Le Creuset that work just as well on induction for less money.

Sorry. Dim today. The reason I brought up enamel again is that it is non-stick without the chemical involvements.

Enamel is not a chemical?

Enamel doesn't have chemical fumes. At least it's not supposed to.

If you need quality non-stick and regular fry pans the Fissler Steelux collection is the best. It also comes with the best splatter guard I have ever used. The non-stick pan is coated with Protectal Plus, a non-stick sealing that is free of all harmful contaminants found in other nonsticks. It is incredibly sturdy and seemingly indestructible.

The set comes with the Crispy 11" pan, the 11" non-stick pan, the great Clippix splatter guard, and a plastic spatula. The crispy pan has a diamond-like engraved surface that is perfect for steaks and other high heat items. The non-stick pan is perfect for all other lower heat cooking.

While not inexpensive, I have seen this collection at under $330.

Greg

We are installing a Miele induction cooktop and have purchased Emeril Pro-Clad cookware. What I need now are stockpots. Does anyone have any recommendations for these? I would like an 8, 10,and 12 quart, preferably stackable.

Thanks.

I have no recommendations but there are 4 pages of induction compatible stock pots here...

Here is a link that might be useful: Induction Stock Pots Cookware.com

Demeyere induction cookware is on sale today on onekingslane.com for anyone interested.

Here is a link that might be useful: One Kings Lane

Writersblock Feb 16 about Ikea is wrong. Favorit, their costliest line, is NOT not stick except for a few pans. Their 'pot with lid' in various sizes is stainless inside and out. Gorgeous. Heavy enough but nowhere near the stuff I pick up and just put right back down, because I could'nt use it.
Moreover, it is clad up and down the sides and not just the bottom disc area. It compares and is equal to any others, imo. Ikea's '365' line is clad only on the bottom(disc). And there are some benefits to any cheaper bottom clad cookware.
I am fussy and one imperfection is that the rim is not rolled which may negatively impact pouring. Maybe not.

Most pieces are NOT non stick. Look up Favorit pot with lid on Ikea's site. It is gorgeous-no matter the price.

I got lucky in that the Kitchen Outlet store on the way to my folks house (300 miles away from home) carried a line of decent heavy bottomed stainless stock pots that are magnetic!

The name stamped on the bottom is "Hamelton Beach" and I just purchased a 12 qt as my current 12 qt is not magnetic. I had previously bought an 8 qt plus a 6 qt that has a steamer basket - and I made sure they would work as by that time I knew I was going to get an induction cooktop eventually. At least the baskets for my old 12 qt will fit in my new 12 qt pot.

They also had a 20 qt pot, but I don't need anything that large for in the house. (I have some bigger pots in the summer kitchen for processing).

The one I've been using for about a year and it has held up fine - they come with glass lids which I prefer. They have an OK heft - better than the cheap ones at Target that don't have the machined heavy flat bottom.

The best part is I got them for under $50 each. At that price I didn't expect super duper quality, but I know I'll get plenty of use out of them. I'm not sure if a pot costing $350 would be 7 times better or last 7 times as long, maybe but right now I didn't have 7 times the money to spend and I needed a 12 qt pot.

I make yogurt about once a week and heat up two gallons of milk at a time. Other than that, my big stuff gets used mostly for veggie processing or stewing chickens for a big batch of broth.

Cathy

>Favorit, their costliest line, is NOT not stick except for a few pans.

Sorry, westsider, their frying pans/saute pans are all non-stick as far as I've seen. That's fine if you don't mind having a mismash of different pans and avoiding fry pans, their le creuset knockoff casseroles, etc., but you aren't going to find enough of anything to make a matching set at ikea where there isn't non-stick on at least one or two items.

I meant to add that if you know of anything at ikea that isn't non-stick as far as frying pans, le creuset type casseroles, tagines, etc., I'd be very interested to know about them. Possibly it's only our local stores that won't stock a saute type pan without a non-stick coating.

I found great pans at TJ MAX for a reasonable price, they also had a strong magnetic pull when tested with a magnet.

writersblock,

If you are looking for induction capable, but without non-stick, at a reasonable price you should consider Tramontina (the fuly clad version) sometimes on the shelf at Wal-mart, or Sears Kenmore pro-clad. Both are very nice and reasonable priced.

btw I earlier bought the 10-pc Circulon Infinite set from Amazon for $184. The picture showed the saute pan with helper handle, the set came without the helper handle. So Amazon refunded 20%, that brought the price down to $154. Then since we didn't need the 8qt stock pot I put it for sale on eBay. I just sold it for $100. So the now 8pc set cost me $54. Such a deal!

Oh yes, texas, I like the tramontina a lot, thanks. As it happens, I foolishly bought pro quality stainless many years ago right after I got out of school, so personally I'm pretty much all set (no excuse to buy new pans all the time--darn), but I'd buy the tramontina in a heartbeat if I ever needed replacements. It's very nice stuff for the price.

For Canadian buyers, Canadian Tire has the Lagostina Commercial Pro for a huge discount off right now. This is a $599 set going for $199.00. I picked it up at half price but this is an even better deal. I also can vouch for the quality of the pots since they are being used daily here. What I really liked about this set is that it is all saucepans and pots rather than a few pots with a frying pan or two. I wanted to be able to choose my frying pans as I found in the past that I never used the ones that came with any set.

bump

Do rivets in the induction cookware present a problem, e.g.,does food collect around the rivets requiring a brush to clean out any remaining food particles? Is Demeyere the only rivet-less induction cookware available? I would prefer something lighter in weight.

Thanks for any help.

Sitram "pro" brand from France has a line of induction pots and pans that have welded handles and are often found at restaurant supply stores and on the internet. Homichef from China have welded induction cookware also but they are a bit heavy.

I have had Sitram for over 30 years--wonderful stuff! However, it is only their Profisserie line that is induction ready, and I plan to get it when my new place with induction is ready. I've seen some nice cookware, but they have rivets & I won't buy them for that reason. Sitram cleans easily, cooks well, and is well-balanced.

I think heavy cookware will give you better results.

There are rivets in the Demeyere--they're just hidden (as they should be).

I am working with a portable induction burner because I'm without a kitchen during a remodel. Am delighted to find that my old set of stainless steel bowls works very well as containers for boiling water.

Actually, pots need not be, and Sitrams are not, riveted. Rather they are welded, which yields a perfectly smooth interior.

Chantal cookware does not have rivets and is induction compatible. I got a free pan with my induction cooktop and it is very responsive. Heats faster than my Circulon Infinite and makes no noise. It is enamel on steel. If I didn't already have a cookset this would be high on my list. We like the easy easy cleanup of the Circulon but it can be noisy and is not as responsive as the chantal. We also have the Chantal tea kettle and on the induction cooktop it rocks! You can just about boil enough water for coffee as you hold your breath. Then the train whistle...

Here is a link that might be useful: Yes this is the link!