The higher a frying pan is in our ranking, the more its construction distributes heat from the hob and the less it demands from your heat setting or preparation. You can read about the construction of the base and whether a pan needs seasoning on the product page, so you can check each position yourself. The weight we give to construction and preparation comes from our years in the shop. That's where we learned what each material requires on a hob that goes up to high heat immediately.

Whether your pan needs a non-stick coating, as on gas, depends on what you cook and how much effort you want to put in. If you're still unsure, or want to know what chefs use, read which frying pan we recommend regardless of your hob. We list each pan in a single size; to find the size that fits your hob, look at how big the bottom of a pan is compared to your cooking zone. The current price is shown on each product page.

With a non-stick coating

With a coating, this is our order for induction:

1. SCANPAN Koekenpan HaptIQ ø 28 cm is at the top: according to the product page the aluminium core in its five layers distributes heat across the entire base and sides. It's suitable for anyone who has already seen a pan warp and doesn't want to skimp on construction even with a coating; it's among our most expensive frying pans.
2. Cookinglife Koekenpan HexaCook ø 28 cm is our own brand and has three metal layers: stainless steel around an aluminium core, with a ceramic layer on top. It's lower because it has three layers instead of five; whether they run all the way into the sidewalls is not stated on the product page.
3. Beka Koekenpan Mandala Gietijzer ø 28 cm has a ceramic layer and is entirely made of cast iron, so it doesn't need a separate plate on the bottom. It's placed lower because you should warm cast iron slowly on induction; choose it if you want to cook without PFAS and have the time for that.
4. Sola Koekenpan Ceramic Deluxe ø 28 cm is at the bottom because the product page doesn't say how the induction base of this aluminium pan with a ceramic layer is constructed. For anyone who wants a light pan that is dishwasher safe, this is an easy choice.

If you want to avoid PFAS, number 1 is out: the SCANPAN has a standard non-stick coating, the other three have a ceramic one, and the pans that follow have no coating at all. If PFAS avoidance is your top priority, read which PFAS-free frying pan we recommend.

Without a non-stick coating, even if you don't have a gas burner

Without a coating, this is our ranking, even if you only cook on induction:

1. Beka Koekenpan Maestro 5-Ply ø 28 cm is at the top: it has five layers with an aluminium core, according to the product page also along the walls, and it doesn't need seasoning. Choose it if you want a crust without a coating that wears off; it's among the more expensive pans without a coating.
2. Beka Koekenpan Stark ø 24 cm is made of cast iron and comes pre-seasoned from the factory, so you can cook with it straight away, without a gas burner. It's placed lower because you should warm it slowly like the Mandala; apart from that it is quite heavy at 1.67 kilos.
3. De Buyer Koekenpan Mineral B Pro ø 24 cm is at the bottom: this 3 mm carbon steel must be seasoned, and that works on a gas burner, not on your induction hob. It's suited to anyone who can use a gas burner and wants to sear meat at high heat, because carbon steel gets very hot; read in advance what seasoning a carbon steel pan involves.

Between numbers 1 and 2 you choose based on how you cook and wash up. The Maestro 5-Ply is dishwasher safe, and the Stark releases its heat slowly to meat that needs to finish cooking after searing.

A regular pan that's not suitable for induction will stay cold on the hob, because the cooking zone won't activate. Your hob won't be damaged by this. You don't have to throw it away: you can continue to use it on gas or an electric hob without induction.

Pans without magnetic metal are not suitable, such as pure aluminium pans and most copper pans. A frying pan with a ceramic non-stick coating is not a pan made of ceramic. That coating is usually on aluminium, and with magnetic metal in or under the base such a pan will work on induction.

Before buying anything new, you can try the magnet test and check the induction symbol on a pan you already own.

If after the frying pan you're also looking for other pans for your hob, read about the best pans for induction, from saucepan to sauté pan.