Can't use any of our pans with induction hob

[Time40]

We bought a house, and didn't notice that the kitchen had an induction hob. We found out on Monday, when we moved in, and tried to cook.

None of our pans work with this hob. What do you all think the best thing to do is? Get new pans, or buy a plug-in electric hob? Or is there some clever trick that will this hob happy with our current pans?

I don't think it would work to change the hob, because we're not intending to stay long in this house - we will most probably sell it on in a few months, and it would really spoil the look of the kitchen to take it out - it's all of a piece with the work surface.

make this hob happy .... MNHQ - yet again - temporary edit button please. Please! Why is it such an impossible request? Lots of people want one!

Easiest solution would be to buy some pans that work with the hob I think.

Buy new pans surely. Cheaper than a new job or a plug in one.

They don’t have to be expensive. You just have to make sure they say that they work on induction.

My main set were a stainless steel set from John Lewis 20 years ago - work perfectly. Also bought some others over the years from Sainsbury’s or Home Sense or Pro Cook.

Buy new not too expensive pans and leave them when you move just in case the same happens to the new owners. You could also buy good quality pans which are suitable for all hobs and take them with you when you move

This happened to us!
We got a compatible pan set and honestly I love the induction. Much safer, cleaner and more efficient than other types. Not to mention it boils water quicker than the kettle

Depends - if you've got a really nice set of copper pans and you're used to cooking on electric then I'd get a plug in electric hob as a stop gap. Otherwise though I'd just go and pick up some pans from IKEA, you might find you like induction.

As an aside my parents always hated the thought of induction hobs because they were worried none of their pans would work. I was so disappointed when I moved into a rental and it was an induction but my pans all ended up working fine and cooking with induction was a dream compared to their electric hob.

I got some excellent induction suitable pans from Aldi.
My biggest problem was finding an induction friendly stovetop espresso pot (eventually did at Home Sense, which also has a good range of inexpensive pans).

Let me think, should you pop to the supermarket and spend £50 on three new pans - or should you find a spare piece of counter top and rearrange the kitchen for a crappy two burner electric hob (also £50), or perhaps spend £300 sourcing and fitting a new hob and risk damaging the work surfaces? 🤔

Just buy new pans. We got ours from
IKEA and they really weren't expensive.

Thank you, all.

Buy new not too expensive pans and leave them when you move just in case the same happens to the new owners

That's such a sweet and nice idea!

Let me think, should you pop to the supermarket and spend £50 on three new pans - or should you find a spare piece of counter top and rearrange the kitchen for a crappy two burner electric hob (also £50), or perhaps spend £300 sourcing and fitting a new hob and risk damaging the work surfaces?

I'm so glad you're not in my kitchen, pp - your sarcasm is sufficiently powerful to melt the bloody hob. The reason I posted this question is that MN is great for problem solving - someone is likely to know something that I either don't know, or haven't thought of. I can't actually see what's so stupid about just asking the question.

Not sure if you know this but the way to check if a pan you have will work with induction is to check if a magnet sticks (induction uses magnetic fields to generate heat).

If you have an IKEA nearby, their 365 pans work on induction.
I'd buy new (extra if you are moving soon and the current pans are nice) pans.

Aldi pans are great quality and work on induction. I have Scoville non stick frying pans too which work. More expensive option is Stellar.

I have an induction cooker and it seems to me that the difference in pans is a metal plate stuck on the base. I got a set of pans from Argos, 3 saucepans and a frying pan first. Now I buy single pans when needed, as they are expensive compared to normal pans. Tesco also sell single pans for induction hobs, quite reasonable price.

My friend has an induction hob and has a couple of flat griddles which work on it which she just sticks under any pans which don't work with the hob. They take up hardly any space and she also uses them for things like toasting scones or making pancakes.

Stainless steel pans work on induction 😁 buy new pans, induction is fab!

you can use your existing pans if you put a magnet on them.

You can get one of these to make your existing pans work

www.procook.co.uk/product/procook-induction-hob-converter-19cm

You need an induction hob converter plate. Amazon sell them. You put one under your normal pan. About£15.

We have some fairly standard tefal pans, some Scoville ones (very cheap and excellent hard wearing non stick from Argos, Asda or Matalan, often on offer especially at Asda) and these from Ikea.

None of which are expensive, you could sort yourself out for £50 for around 3 to 4 pans/frying pans/casseroles to cover most needs.

I second the scoville pans! Great non stick. These are the ones I bought when I moved: www.argos.co.uk/product/3067033?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=ipxaatpwa&istBid=t

They have been at least as good as Tefal so I’m pretty impressed at £10 a pan!

Thank you all!

I was in this situation last December when we moved into our new house. A couple of saucepans worked on the induction hob but nothing else did.

So I went to the supermarket and made sure I got some new pans that worked on the hob. (I was a bit upset that I couldn't cook. Probably just over wrought from the move.)

A good tip is get a fridge magnet (or any other low power magnet) and see if it 'sticks' to the bottom of your existing pans. That means it will work on the induction hob. (Remove magnet before cooking.)

Just as a by the way, the pans will heat up much quicker than on a gas or electric hob.

The only, 'saga' I had with the pans was getting one that I could make gravy in for a roast meal. I ordered a roasting pan from the internet that was good for an electric fan oven and also worked on the hob for gravy making.

@ToffeeNotCoffee

a roasting pan from the internet that was good for an electric fan oven and also worked on the hob for gravy making.

I've been looking for a roasting pan for ages, tried a few different ones and they wouldn't work (wish I'd known about the magnet trick before!). Have you got a link for the one you have?

@Bananarama100

Here's the link to the company I ordered my roasting pans from.

www.vitinni.co.uk/