← Back to Blog · Updated 24 August 2026

🍲 Best Cookware for Induction Cooktops (What Actually Works)

Written & fact-checked by the Induction Cooktop Australia research team, using published manufacturer specifications and Australian retail pricing — see our editorial process.

Induction cooktops heat cookware directly using a magnetic field — which means your pots and pans need to be magnetic too, or they simply won't heat. Here's what to know before you switch, and how to avoid buying the wrong thing.

The magnet test

The simplest compatibility check: hold a standard fridge magnet to the base of your pan. If it sticks firmly, the pan will work on induction. If it doesn't stick at all, or only sticks weakly, it either won't heat or will heat very inefficiently.

Materials that work

• Cast iron — excellent heat retention, naturally and strongly magnetic, a genuinely great induction performer despite its age as a material.
• Magnetic-grade stainless steel — most quality cookware brands sold in Australia are induction-ready; check the base for an induction symbol or "suitable for induction" labelling if unsure.
• Enamelled cast iron — great for slow cooking and stews, carries cast iron's magnetic base under the enamel coating.
• Induction-clad multi-ply cookware — has a magnetic base layer bonded to aluminium or copper for even heat spread across the pan, combining fast heating with induction compatibility.

Materials that don't work (without an adapter)

• Pure aluminium
• Copper, unless it has a bonded induction-compatible base layer
• Glass and most ceramic cookware
• Some grades of "18/10" stainless steel that use a low-nickel, non-magnetic alloy

If you love your existing cookware and don't want to replace it, an induction interface disc/adapter plate is a low-cost workaround — though it adds a heat-transfer step that noticeably slows response time and reduces efficiency, so it's a compromise rather than a real fix.

Flat, correctly-sized bases matter more than you'd think

Induction zones sense the size of your pan's base to determine how much power to deliver to that area. Warped or undersized bases heat unevenly, and some cooktops won't register a pan at all if the base is too small relative to the zone. Buy pans matched reasonably closely to your cooktop's zone diameters for best results — check the specs on our comparison table for zone sizes across popular models, or see our dedicated pan-to-zone sizing guide.

Bottom line

Budget for a cookware refresh when switching to induction if your current set is aluminium or copper-based without an induction layer. A good stainless steel or cast iron set, chosen once with induction in mind, will comfortably outlast several cooktops.

Frequently asked questions

Will induction scratch my existing pans?

No more than any other flat cooktop surface — the usual precautions apply: lift rather than drag heavy cookware, and check pan bases occasionally for grit that could mark the glass.

Do I need to buy an entirely new cookware set?

Rarely all of it — most households already own at least some induction-compatible stainless steel or cast iron pieces and only need to replace the non-magnetic outliers.

Are induction interface discs worth buying instead of new cookware?

Only as a stopgap or for occasional use of one prized non-magnetic pan — for regular cooking, dedicated induction-compatible cookware performs noticeably better.