Cooktops with inductive sensors have become a fixture in many kitchens; cooking on such cooktops is quick and safe – there are no hotplates. But not all pots and pans are suitable for cooking. The induction cooktop symbol on cookware is a common designation for a metal insert that creates heat.
Important! People with pacemakers should avoid cooking on induction hobs, as electromagnetic fields affect the operation of the device.
Content
- How does induction cookware work?
- Features of cookware for induction
- How is induction cookware designated?
- Decoding markings on dishes
- Where to place icons
- What are the induction signs in general?
- How to tell if your cookware is induction compatible if there are no icons
- Secret adapter
- VIDEO: Decoding the symbols on dishes.
How does induction cookware work?
When switched on, the hob generates an electromagnetic field that creates eddy currents in ferromagnetic alloys. Cookware with an induction effect becomes part of a single heating system. The kinetic energy of charged electrons is converted into heat, and the container begins to heat up. Induction occurs only in metals that can be magnetized. Decoding the symbols helps you choose the right cookware.
Please note! Induction hobs do not have heating elements, the glass ceramic coating is heated by the cooking container.
Features of cookware for induction
Despite the fact that induction is indicated, the heating speed of metals is different. Cast iron and steel frying pans heat up faster than stainless steel. Pies on stainless steel will not be baked or burnt while the filling is cooking. Cast iron utensils remain hot for a long time, liquid food in them continues to boil after the induction is turned off. The sensor recognizes coffee dishes, small ladles for cooking baby cereals and side dishes with difficulty, the diameter of the dishes should exceed 12 cm, then the stove will work productively.
The properties of the cookware are affected by the mass, density of the material, and degree of magnetization. Heavy metal objects produce eddy currents well. Cast iron will heat up throughout its entire volume. Frying pans, teapots, and saucepans made of glass, aluminum, and stainless steel with a capsule bottom will heat up only from the bottom, and the cooking process will be similar to cooking on gas or electric stoves.
How is induction cookware designated?
The manufacturer applies markings to the bottom if it has a magnetizable insert. This is a guarantee that the container will perceive the induced magnetic field. To indicate the ability to create eddy currents, generally accepted emblems are used; there are no language barriers for images; they are perceived intuitively by their similarity to well-known signs.
Important! Sellers sometimes pass off induction pots, saucepans, kettles, and frying pans intended for other types of stoves. Buyers should be able to recognize the manufacturer's icons to avoid making a mistake with their choice.
Decoding markings on dishes
You can see a variety of symbols on the bottom; all the symbols in the squares on the pots can be deciphered.
How to decipher the meaning of the marking:
- flame - gas burner indicator;
- rings with a single center - the emblem of an electric stove;
- a circle with transverse stripes or something similar – you are dealing with glass ceramics;
- zigzag with parallel vectors - microwave oven icon;
- the clock indicates a high speed of cooking;
- apple – the dishes preserve the beneficial properties of the products;
- the elephant is a symbol of strength; there are no scratches, dents or cracks on the dishes;
- snowflake - the container is used for freezing, the more snowflakes, the more frost-resistant the material;
- thermometer – the material is not afraid of temperature shock, resistant to temperature fluctuations;
- dishwasher – you can safely load your dishes into the unit
Where to place icons
Brand manufacturers apply markings to boxes, packaging polyethylene bags. The picture or inscription immediately catches the eye. According to the global standard, any markings on dishes are applied to the bottom of the container. The sign is made:
- permanent paint;
- chemical blackening;
- engraving;
- pressed into the metal during stamping.
Please note! The dishes are placed in the center of the designated circle so that the magnetic insert completely blocks the electric wave flow. If the contour is partially blocked, the tile will quickly fail.
What are the induction signs in general?
The magnetic induction method is studied at school. Everyone knows how an induction coil is designated: it is a vertically located multi-turn spiral and a line parallel to the axis of the turns. The international physical symbol used in electrical network diagrams is used for marking cookware only by some European manufacturers.
What other symbols are there on cookware for induction cookers:
- It is customary to designate induction with several stylized loops, there are usually 4 or 5 of them.
- Draw several turns of the spiral horizontally.
- They make schematic zigzags.
Many limit themselves to the inscription "Induction". Branded firms combine the sign and the inscription in the marking square. The designation is made in the form of a pictogram.
The sign was not chosen by chance. The spiral is a symbol of the electromagnetic field created by the induction coil. Induced fields are called induction.
Please note! Pots for hobs with an induction sensor are made wide and low.
How to tell if your cookware is induction compatible if there are no icons
When going to the store, it is worth taking a magnet from the refrigerator. It is used to test unmarked utensils. If the souvenir "sticks", it means there is a layer of iron that will heat up under the action of electromagnetic waves. The second important criterion is the quality of the bottom. On gas stove cookware, flame-cutting grooves are often made, radiating from the center. Such a container will heat up slowly.
When purchasing an induction cooker, do not rush to part with your favorite frying pans and pots of a convenient format. It is a myth that cookware must be marked. Not all manufacturers specialize in the production of products that are recognized by inductive sensors.
There are only a few restrictions on the types of materials for induction, some old utensils can be used on the new stove.
Features of popular materials.
- Cast iron is rarely marked, but it is ideal for induction cookers, and is perfectly magnetic. The bottom of the vessel should be flat, tightly adjacent to the surface of the cooker. You can safely buy cast iron frying pans with a wide bottom, pots and saucepans with markings for electric cookers. Such cast iron utensils are universal, you can make frying for soups, cook liquid main courses, rich aromatic soups in it.
Important! The cooking surface has burner contours marked on it, the bottom of the cookware should cover them. Small duck pans with a narrow bottom and cast iron cookware with a relief bottom are best placed on an adapter, then the food will cook quickly and the cooker will not be under load.
- Carbon alloys are necessarily coated with a layer of enamel or non-stick coating. It is better to choose steel with a thick bottom. Wide heavy enameled cookware with a thick bottom and walls is the most practical. Food cooks quickly in it. Steel with a non-stick coating is less durable.
Please note! The steel on the tile must be constantly monitored, as the thin metal can melt if overheated.
- For stainless steel cookware, it is mandatory to test it using a magnet. The alloy contains a large amount of non-ferrous metals that have paramagnetic properties. Stainless steel pots, saucepans, and frying pans must have a ferromagnetic insert on the bottom. If there is a capsule insert, the magnet will be attracted. If the container does not have a capsule bottom, the cookware will not heat up. You will have to give up your favorite utensils.
Important! The bottom of induction cookware must be thoroughly washed. Fat residues form coke deposits, which are difficult to remove from the cooking surface.
- Ceramics and glass without a reinforced bottom should be abandoned, these materials are NOT intended for induction cookers. Fans of natural eco-friendly materials will have to purchase special items for cooking. A steel capsule or a steel/aluminum sandwich is soldered into the glass. An additional coating is applied to the ceramics.
- Aluminum is not suitable for two reasons: it does not react to the electromagnetic field; over time, the bottom of the vessel becomes rounded, and the metal deforms from heating.
- Copper, brass, bronze, alloyed with ferromagnetic metals, are magnetized, but there are too few heating components in the alloy, the bottom will heat up slowly. The material is extremely inconvenient for an inductive sensor, it is poorly recognized.
Please note! For cooking on an induction hob, the bottom of the cookware is made of 3-6 layers. Important components: a ferromagnetic layer that creates heat; an aluminum gasket that retains heat; an anti-deformation disk that fits tightly to the glass-ceramic surface of the hob.
Secret adapter
Any favorite saucepan or frying pan can be heated using an adapter - a metal disk with or without a removable handle. When using the adapter, the induction hob works like an electric one. The disk acts as a burner. The adapter is a universal thing, the metal "pancake" fits any type of induction cooker. The only downside is that it is difficult to immediately select the required heating mode, you need to adapt to the features of the metal.
Induction cookers are used only for cooking in cookware with magnetic properties. The ability of pots and pans to be magnetized is indicated by the international symbol of a magnetic coil. It is not necessary to decipher other signs.
