5 Best Induction Cookware Sets, According to Our Experts

• Le Creuset 7.25-Quart Signature Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven: This browned meat evenly in our Lab’s gas range tests and cooked a good beef stew. We've used the signature cast iron cookware at home with induction and found that it heats up quickly and fairly evenly. The light-colored interior made it easy to monitor browning and clean afterward. The pot also has a wide, flat surface area and fits 10-inch burners well. The handles stayed cool enough to touch while cooking, and the lid’s large knob made it easy to handle, although it's quite heavy. Le Creuset’s enameled cookware comes in various colors to complement any kitchen design. Plus, the smooth coated surface makes it safer for glass cooktops. The stainless steel knobs are oven-safe at all temperatures but some other knob materials are not. Check the user guide that comes with your pot to be sure.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW: Le Creuset Dutch Oven

• Yosukata 13.5-Inch Carbon Steel Flat-Bottom Wok: The Carbon Steel 13.5-Inch Flat-Bottom Wok is wide, stable and comes preseasoned. While we haven’t tested this exact model in the Lab, our induction burner at home gets this wok searing hot quickly. It only weighs 3.6 pounds so it's easy to carry. One thing to note, unlike a traditional wok where you might shake the pan to toss the food, doing so on a glass induction cooktop could cause scratching. Instead, it's best to keep the wok stationary and use cooking utensils to toss the food while stir-frying. Also keep in mind that when cooking with induction, the heat stays more focused on the 5-inch round bottom rather than spreading up the sides like with gas burners. The wok’s surface will build a naturally nonstick patina over time, but it comes preseasoned and releases food easily straight out of the box.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we’ve tested more than 150 sets of cookware over the years, including nonstick pans and cast iron skillets. We evaluate performance and ease of use, looking for pieces that heat evenly, respond quickly, and perform well.

✔️ Material: The material you pick for your induction cookware makes a huge difference. Cookware must contain ferrous metal to work on induction stoves. Here are some materials that go well with this method of cooking:

• Cast iron: This thick and heavy material is extremely durable and can hold heat well. It contains iron, which is the material that makes cast iron work on induction. Uncoated cast iron like our Lodge skillet pick can be rough and might scratch an induction cooktop if the cook isn’t careful but enamel-coated cast iron like the Le Creuset Dutch oven is smooth and gentle on glass cooktops.
• Carbon steel: A thinner and lighter alternative to cast iron, this smooth metal also contains iron and conducts heat very well. This material is especially great for large cookware like the Yosukata wok, which utilizes quick movements and high heat.
• Stainless steel: Stainless steel is an alloy that comes in different grades. If the nickel content in the stainless steel is too high, it will prevent the steel from having a magnetic reaction. Most but not all stainless steel cookware is induction-compatible. To be sure, check the box or the website description.
• Multi-clad: Includes a copper or aluminum core sandwiched between layers of stainless steel to help the cookware with heat conduction. Our best overall All-Clad set and our best value Tramontina set are multi-clad.

Aluminum, copper, ceramic and glass are not induction-ready but some manufacturers add an iron or magnetic steel disc to the bottom to make it induction-compatible, like with the GreenPan Nova Ceramic Set. Our Lab tests found that cookware bonded with magnetic plates doesn’t heat as quickly as cookware made from naturally magnetic materials.

✔️ Heating ability: The heating range of most induction cooktops goes up to 500°F but some high-end models go above 550°F. When shopping for induction-friendly cookware, find pieces that can stand up to these temperatures. Uncoated pans normally have a higher heat threshold than those with ceramic or nonstick coatings.

✔️ Pan size: With induction cookware, it is very important to ensure that the pan size fits the burner. It won’t properly activate the element or heat up as efficiently if it is too big or too small. The bottoms must have a flat, smooth surface to ensure complete contact with the stove’s element.

✔️ Single pan vs. set: We’re big fans of cookware sets. If you're transferring to induction cookware, you likely need all new pots and pans, so you might as well get the most for your money. For essentials, you’ll want at least one 10-inch skillet, one small pot for boiling eggs and a bigger pot for soups and pasta. A cast iron skillet and enameled pots would be nice bonuses.

✔️ Price: Like any cookware, premium quality induction cookware comes at a premium price. Spending several hundred dollars can buy a set that lasts a lifetime. Less expensive induction-friendly cookware can also perform well, but the material and construction of the pan may be less durable for the long haul.

✔️ Ease of cleaning: Many stainless steel cookware is dishwasher-safe, but uncoated cast iron and carbon steel are hand wash only and need to be regularly oiled for optimal performance. The best choice for you will depend on how much maintenance you’re willing to put up with.

Induction burners contain coils of copper wire that generate heat directly in the cookware via a magnetic field. To be compatible with an induction burner, a pan must above everything else contain ferromagnetic metal, like iron.

Cookware for induction cooktops should have a flat bottom that makes full contact with the heating element for effective heating. It also helps to opt for heavier cookware because induction burners tend to buzz, especially at higher settings, and heavy pots and pans can help reduce the vibration.

You can tell whether a pot or pan is induction-compatible by simply sticking a magnet to the bottom to see if it sticks. You can also check the underside of your cookware for the induction symbol that looks like a magnetic coil.

In addition to checking for compatible cookware, there are a couple of things to remember when cooking with induction. In our Lab tests, we noticed that all the skillets struggled with heating evenly. To help your cookware perform better, follow these three tips:

• Use a thick, heat-retaining skillet such as the Lodge cast iron or a fully clad stainless steel and aluminum skillet, like in our top pick from All-Clad.
• Ensure your skillet’s cooking surface closely matches the diameter of the induction coil.
• Heat the oiled pan for a few minutes longer than you normally would before adding food. This lets the heat adequately spread out across the pan’s surface.

This article was most recently updated by Jamie Kim Ueda, a consumer products expert with nearly two decades of experience in product testing, development and manufacturing. She has tested cookware sets and written about many kitchen appliances products.

Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she oversees testing and content related to all kitchen gear. She has tested many of these cookware sets herself and has been using an induction burner for years.