how can I tell if my pots and pans are ferrous?
I am looking into replacing my hob with an quick, induction type electric hob, but they stipulate that the the cookware must be ferrous. I have decent cookware, but how do I know if it is correct?
Best Answer
If a magnet sticks to it, it's ferrous.
I'd like to give a more elaborate answer, but there isn't anything more to it.
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Quick Answer about "how can I tell if my pots and pans are ferrous?"
What is ferrous cookware?
Ferrous metals are those that contain iron \u2013 that means steel and cast iron. Pans made of aluminium, brass and copper won't work unless they're specially designed for induction and have a ferrous base.How do I know if my cookware is induction?
You can tell whether the pots and pans you're currently using are magnetic simply by holding a magnet to the bottom of a pan to see if it sticks. You can also check the underside of your cookware for the induction logo. This is an example of induction symbol.What is non-ferrous cookware?
Non-ferrous metals do not contain iron making them more malleable and due to the lack of iron they resist rust and corrosion better. Common examples are aluminum, copper, lead or gold, and silver.What kind of pans can I use on an induction cooktop?
Magnetic materials like stainless steel over aluminum, cast iron, and enamel on metal are all safe to use on an induction cooktop. However, avoid glass, ceramic, aluminum on its own, and copper. Of the materials used for induction-ready cookware, stainless steel over aluminum is the most common.How do I know if cookware is suitable for my induction hob?
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Answer 2
I have a pressure cooker made (or clad) in stainless steel. Please note that many types of stainless steel are only weakly magnetic. For stainless to be completely non-magnetic, however, it needs to be in an annealed state. Not likely with cookware.
Thus, I can tell between something that's weakly magnetic if you use a neodymium magnet. These are significantly stronger than your typical fridge magnet. Frequently they are sold online with the caution to not allow skin to get between two of these magnets as they can snap together forcefully and deliver a painful blood blister.
BTW, ferrous = made of, or contains iron, (all types of steel are ferrous).
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