Does carbon steel work on induction stove? Stainless Steel or glass top gas stoves are compatible with all types of cookware such as nonstick, cast iron, carbon steel or hard anodized, but induction stoves are a bit different.
A lot of people want to know if carbon steel pans are induction ready, since induction cooktops do not work with every type of cookware.
Many years ago when I was literally a naive in the kitchen, I used a carbon steel pan on an induction cooktop, and the pan ended up burnt in the middle and the ends were left raw.
Just during the Covid lockdown, I purchased a brand new carbon steel pan to use on my Philips induction stove and now I can confirm carbon steel pans are a breeze, if you know how to use it right on the induction stove.
Through this post, we will discuss if carbon steel pans be used on induction hobs, and if yes, how should you do it?
You can also check out other posts on Induction Cooktop vs Gas Stove and How to Use Cast Iron on Glass Top Gas Stoves.
Contents
Facts About Carbon Steel
If you have ever used cast iron in the kitchen, then it’s safe to say that you have also used carbon steel. As a matter of fact, think of carbon steel and cast iron as cousins with some similar features.
Cast iron being an excellent piece of cookware is also very heavy, and it takes time to get heated. This is not the case with carbon steel, which is real quick to pick up the heat from the gas stove or the induction cooktop.
Cast iron is basically a combo of 2% carbon and 98% iron, whereas, carbon steel is made from 1% carbon and 99% iron. Since the amount of carbon is less in carbon steel pans and pots, it becomes more flexible and lightweight.
The fact that carbon steel heats really fast makes it a perfect cookware choice for some dishes.
However, the fast heating of carbon steel can sometimes be a problem, especially on induction cooktops where the heat from the induction stove is directed towards the middle of the carbon steel pan leading to warping of the cookware at times.
This is why, some owners do not prefer to use carbon steel pans on induction cooktop.
Does Carbon Steel Work on Induction Stove?
Yes, carbon steel work on induction stoves as well as traditional gas stoves. They are easy to move around on the induction stove since they are very lightweight.
Given the fact, induction cooktops heat up very fast as compared to the gas stoves, you can easily control the heat on a carbon steel pan by moving the pan around or even off the induction range.
Moving the carbon steel pan depending on the heat generated by induction range is a key here, this will ensure the pan does not take all the heat in the center and there is no warping.
An induction cooktop works when it comes in contact with the magnetic metals. Speaking about carbon steel, it is a ferromagnetic material, which means it is totally compatible with induction cooktop, oven and gas stoves.
For a general reference, cast iron, enameled cast iron, carbon steel and stainless steel pans will usually work on an induction stove, whereas, copper or aluminium cookware will not work with the induction stove.
There are two ways to check what metals work with induction cooking:
- By holding a magnet to the bottom of a pan to see if it sticks, if yes, the cookware is induction safe, if not, the cookware is not compatible with induction stove.
- Check for the induction safe symbol on the bottom of the cookware (this is how the symbol will look like).
When it comes to a pan or a skillet, you want the heat to stay focused on the surface, in this case cast iron is a better choice. However, with a wok a.k.a. kadai, carbon steel is my first preference with an induction stove, because of the structure and shape it has for induction stoves.
For people who are concerned if their carbon steel cookware will warp while using on an induction stove, there is an advise. If you take good care of the carbon steel cookware, season it with oil and butter in a 370 degrees oven once you have washed it, the carbon steel cookware will never warp.
Having said this, never place a hot carbon steel pan under water, or expose it to drastic temperature change. The key with carbon steel cookware while using on induction stoves is to preheat them gradually on low to medium before you turn the heat up. The same also applies to stainless steel or ceramic cookware.
Another thing you can do to make sure carbon steel works on induction stoves is to buy carbon steel cookware with a flat bottom, depending on the size of the induction stove. The idea is to spread heat across the pan since with induction stoves, and also to make sure the bottom of the pan gets enough exposure for heating from the induction.
How to Use Carbon Steel on Induction Stove? ( Recommendations )
While it is confirmed that carbon steel can be used on induction stoves, there are still a few recommendations on how to use carbon steel on induction ranges in a proper manner.
1). Pick a burner which is as close to the size of the bottom of the pan, more importantly, it is the coil size which matters the most and should match with the bottom of the pan (more on this below).
2). Heat the carbon steel pan as slowly as possible.
3). Don’t use the “rapid boil” setting on the induction stove to season the carbon steel pan.
4). After you cook, let the carbon steel pan cool down as much as possible.
5). If you rinse the pan to clean it, make sure to use hot water.
6). While buying a carbon steel skillet, get the one which has a stainless steel or a non-coated handle, so you can season the pan in the oven too, this will season the whole skillet including the sides.
7). Look for the heaviest and thickest carbon steel pan while shopping for one.
8). While you are cooking, move the carbon steel pan around for uniform heating and avoid warping.
As far as the coil size is concerned, cooking zone is the large outer circle basis the design of the induction stove. However, the real coil size is the small inner circle, which is also where the seasoning happens for the carbon steel cookware.
Best Carbon Steel Pan for Induction Stove
If you are looking for the best carbon steel pan for induction stove, you can choose DE BUYER Induction Base Carbon Steel Fry Pan. DE BUYER is a French brand which specialized in saucepans and frypans.
This frying pan comes with a diameter of 9.5 inches, a cooking surface of 6.9 inches and a capacity of 0.5 litres. The frying pan can be used on gas stoves as well as induction stoves. To prevent any rust, there is a beeswax finish protection on the handle of the frying pan.
The handle is nicely riveted onto the pan and the whole thing feels heavy enough to be solid. Having said this, if you are frying over high heat, it is advisable to wrap a cloth over the handle or use oven gloves.
As far as the cleaning is concerned, simply wash the pan with some hot water, a soft sponge and a small amount of washing up liquid. Wipe the pan dry all over, once washed to prevent rust.
Conclusion – Does Carbon Steel Work on Induction Stove?
Every cookware comes with certain pros and cons, just as you need to be a bit careful while using cast iron on glass top gas stoves. In the end, yes you can use carbon steel cookware on induction stove as long as you follow a few simple tips.
