The Best Induction Cookware of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

These days, induction cooktops are increasingly common. Many cooks favor them for their sleek profile, easy-to-clean surface, even heating, and energy efficiency. The flat glass surface looks smooth and modern in almost any home. Professional chefs are riding the induction wave, using portable induction cooktops for catering, pastry, and tableside presentations.

But what intimidates home cooks about induction is that it doesn’t work with all materials. Only magnetic metals like cast iron and steel will heat up on an induction stove. If you switch, you may have to replace some aluminum or ceramic pots and pans. It can be daunting to consider ditching your favorite cookware set, but we’ve got you covered. No matter your cookware preferences, we have an induction-ready pick for you. Maybe you’re all about nonstick — no problem. If you love stainless steel cookware, look no further. We compared the best induction cookware pieces to see how they measure up on price, heat capacity, and cleanup.

PHOTO: Made In

This set earned the best overall spot in our cookware set sets along with non-toxic cookware sets, It was also a favorite in our stainless steel cookware tests, and the included skillet was our favorite piece of cookware for glass stoves. So when we put it through the most recent round of testing, no one was surprised that it came out on top. The versatile set includes three all-stainless pans and a durable nonstick skillet (part of our favorite nonstick set), so you don’t need to spend extra money buying supplementary cookware.

The whole Made In set feels balanced and impossibly easy to wield. The handles are comfortable, and though these pans are clad with five metal layers, none feel heavy. The rolled edges and gentle interior angle made sautéing veggies and whisking sauces effortless; we had no trouble pouring and moving food in and out of these pans, even when full. The construction allows the pans to heat very evenly and respond quickly to changes in heat, yielding a perfectly cooked steak with a stellar crust.

The only thing we didn’t like in testing was that the stockpot and saucepan acquired stains and discoloration after long or high-heat cooking. It took some extra elbow grease to scrub that away.

Material: Stainless steel | Maximum Temperature: 500°F (nonstick pan), 800°F (others) | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes | Includes: 10-inch nonstick pan, 10-inch fry pan, 2-quart saucepan, 8-quart stockpot, 2 lids

All-Clad D5 Stainless Brushed 5-Ply Bonded Cookware Set

PHOTO: Williams-Sonoma

Cons

The set’s expensive, and the pans can quickly get too hot, especially if you’re not used to the material.

When chefs sleep at night, they dream of this All-Clad Brushed D5 Stainless Cookware Set. Like many similar pans, they have layers of aluminum sandwiched between layers of steel on the bottom for a combination of quick and even heating. But in All-Clad pans, the layers go all the way up the sides, making for impossibly even heating. We didn’t get any hot spots or scorching at all in testing.

However, the heat conductivity can be challenging to wrangle if you’re used to a slower-heating pan. The All-Clad cookware got very, very hot in testing, and it took some trial and error to find the right heat balance to avoid burning. Thankfully, all the pieces can handle up to 600°F, so even if you do overheat them, you’re unlikely to do any permanent damage. Stainless steel cookware is known for being durable, and this All-Clad set is more durable than most; these pans will last a lifetime, which makes them worth the high price if you ask us.

Materials: Stainless steel, aluminum | Maximum Temperature: 600°F | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes | Includes: 8-inch frying pan, 10-inch frying pan, 2-quart saucepan, 4-quart saucepan, 4-quart sauté pan, 8-quart stockpot, 4 lids

PHOTO: Amazon

This Caraway Cookware Set is coated in a “sol-gel processed fine ceramic coating,” a hybrid material that combines the best qualities of two types of nonstick wrapped around an aluminum core. As a result, food effortlessly slid out of these pans with minimal effort during our tests. Both the eggs and steaks we cooked had crisp, browned edges but left no residue in the pan; we simply wiped the pan clean. A spritz of water and a quick wipe with a paper towel are all you need most of the time.

This compact set is one of our favorite brands of stackable cookware, with all the pieces nesting together, but it includes even more space-saving elements. The door-hanging lid holder and magnetic pan racks hold everything in place in a chaotic cookware cabinet. Keep in mind, though, that the set includes only two pans and two pots: Its “12 pieces” count the three lids, four racks, and lid holder separately.

Materials: Aluminum, stainless steel, ceramic | Oven Safe: Up to 550 °F | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes, hand-wash recommended | Includes: 10.5-inch frying pan, 3-quart saucepan, 4.5-quart sauté pan, 6.5-quart Dutch oven, 3 lids, 4 pan racks, lid holder

PHOTO: Amazon

The usual pitfalls of nonstick cookware are that they scratch easily and don’t transfer heat well enough for a proper sear. That’s not the case with Made In’s set, and we crowned it the winner of our best nonstick cookware tests for good reason. Made In’s 5-ply stainless steel construction and internal nonstick coating are tough against metal utensils, and we could barely do any damage with a paring knife in testing. We barely experienced any sticking, our fried egg was perfectly crispy, our scrambled eggs were soft but not overcooked, and our onions for pilaf were browned but not burned. Even the steak was seared evenly.

We’ve put Made In pans — nonstick and otherwise — through testing multiple times, and we’ve found the internal curve of these pans makes it easy to move food around without anything getting lost along the edges, and they’re easy to pour from. Our only usability complaint is that they’re quite heavy, especially when you’re trying to move around a stockpot full of liquid. While you can’t throw Made In cookware in the dishwasher, we’ve found that it’s easy to clean and quick to dry.

Material: Stainless steel | Maximum Temperature: 500°F | Dishwasher-Safe: No | Includes: 10-inch frying pan, 8-quart stockpot, 4-quart sauté pan, 4-quart saucepan, 3 lids

PHOTO: Material

We crowned this editor-favorite Material Coated Pan the best skillet in our nonstick cookware tests. What makes this pan stand out is its 5-ply construction. Most clad pans have one layer of conductive copper or aluminum between layers of stainless steel, but this pan has two: one of each. This double-clad design makes this pan heat like no nonstick you’ve ever used before. In our tests, we were blown away by how evenly both the steak and fried eggs were cooked. And thanks to Material’s ultra-nonstick coating, both slipped right out of the pan without help.

Nonstick pans aren’t necessarily known for their searing ability, so we were pleasantly surprised when this pan gave us one of the best steaks out of the whole round of testing. However, we were slightly disappointed that making that perfect steak caused some serious staining in the pan. We love how well this pan conducts heat, but since it gets so hot, some oil burned onto the pan’s surface, and we couldn’t remove it during cleanup. Thankfully, the staining doesn’t impede the function, but it doesn’t look great, and we had higher expectations for an otherwise excellent pan.

Materials: Aluminum, copper, stainless steel | Maximum Temperature: 500°F | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes | Includes: 10.5-inch nonstick skillet

PHOTO: Our Place

The Our Place Always Pan 2.0 is already an editor favorite, so we were excited to test this set, which adds on the brand’s Perfect Pot. We weren’t surprised when both performed extremely well. It stood out as the easiest to clean: The ceramic nonstick surface wipes clean with virtually no effort and not a crumb of food stuck on. It honestly looked like a freshly waxed car after we cooked a steak in it. Our fried egg was perfectly cooked and evenly brown across the bottom, with no residue left in the pan. Our steaks had perfect crusts and were evenly browned, showing no hotspots or uneven heat.

The other great thing about Our Place’s cookware is the all-in-one accessories included. You get a wooden spoon and spatula that fit right into the pans, and the Perfect Pot’s lid has a built-in strainer. The Always Pan also comes with a steamer basket/colander, yet all the items can stack up together and tuck away when you’re done with them. It’s just a pretty pricey set considering it includes only two pans.

Materials: Aluminum, ceramic | Maximum Temperature: 450°F | Dishwasher-Safe: No | Includes: 10.5-inch skillet, 5.5-quart Dutch oven, steamer basket, beechwood spoon, beechwood spatula, 2 lids

PHOTO: Amazon

This is our tried-and-true cast iron skillet. If you’re only going to own one piece of cast iron cookware, this is the pan to get. And it just so happens that cast iron is a great material for induction cooktops due to its highly magnetic nature. Plus, cast iron is an incredibly durable material; with the proper care, this skillet will last a lifetime.

In this round of testing, this skillet was one of the highest-rated overall. It did exceptionally well in the steak test, which is no surprise given that is what cast iron is known for doing best. It comes pre-seasoned, so it’s nearly nonstick, giving us a perfectly cooked steak with no sticking and minimal cleanup. It even released a perfectly fried egg with no coaxing.

This skillet was the best at retaining heat. Cast iron is perfectly formulated to cling to heat even after the burner is off, which is good for cooking but can be a bit annoying when it comes to cleaning up. This pan takes a while to cool down, and the staying power of the heat combined with the extra weight of cast iron means it can be challenging to move around a delicate induction cooktop.

Material: Cast iron | Maximum Temperature: 550°F | Dishwasher-Safe: No | Includes: 10.25-inch skillet

PHOTO: Crate & Barrel

This Staub Cocotte is our favorite Dutch oven, and since it’s made of enameled cast iron with a flat bottom, it’s the perfect choice for induction cooking. This Dutch oven is incredibly versatile, we seared chicken thighs and made a batch of rice, but the possibilities are endless — think pot roast, meal prep soups, and even bread-baking.

We got a deep caramelization when searing meat and super even browning thanks to cast iron’s superb heat retention. But unlike traditional cast iron, the enameled surface doesn’t need to be seasoned, and even notoriously sticky foods like chicken skin lifted free in our tests. Plus, the enamel coating protects the already durable cast iron. Even when we tried to marr the enamel by banging a spoon against it in our durability test, it took almost no damage. This Dutch oven is undoubtedly an investment, but the high price reflects the quality. However, even given the high quality, 5.5 quarts isn’t that large for a Dutch oven, and some households may want something larger, especially for such a high price.

Materials: Enameled cast iron | Maximum Temperature: 900°F | Dishwasher-Safe: No | Includes: 5.5-quart Dutch oven with lid

PHOTO: Amazon

Finding the best wok for induction cooktops can be tricky. Most woks have a rounded bottom, perfect for gas burners. But in order for cookware to be indiction-compatible, they have to have a flat bottom so the metal is in contact with the whole burner. Thankfully, this Yosukata Carbon Steel Wok blends the rounded internal angle you want in a wok with a flat bottom that registers on induction cooktops. The flat bottom also helps with balance; during our tests, we noticed how stable and secure this wok felt compared to the other, more rounded models.

The wide cooking space from the flat bottom and lightweight construction made tossing food very easy in our tests; even though this wok is large, it’s not cumbersome. The wood handle is comfortable to hold and doesn’t get hot while cooking, which is nice considering most wok-cooking is done at high heat.

During testing, this wok got ripping hot. That made the overall heat somewhat harder to control, but our veggies got browned and crisp with minimal sticking. The high heat conduction also caused some loss of seasoning throughout testing, which we were disappointed to see.

Materials: Carbon steel | Maximum Temperature: 600°F | Dishwasher-Safe: No | Includes: 5.6 quart wok

Our Favorite Induction Cookware

Look no further than the Made In Stainless Set for a jack-of-all-trades induction cookware set that can suit almost anyone’s needs. If you need a single pan that can do it all on an induction burner, we recommend the Material Coated Pan.

Food & Wine / Fred Hardy

How We Tested Induction Cookware

This roundup includes data from tests on multiple categories of cookware, including stainless steel cookware, cast iron cookware, nonstick cookware, and more. We’ve tested dozens of sets and individual pieces in total, and we pulled out the ones that are explicitly usable with induction cooktops to make our picks. Our exact procedures varied somewhat from test to test, but we evaluated all the cookware for general design as well as cooking performance. All the items above were subjected to some combination of the following tests.

Food & Wine / Nick Simpson

Egg test: We made a fried egg and scrambled eggs in each small frying pan skillet, looking for any sticking or uneven cooking.
Water test: We added 4 cups of room-temperature water to each stockpot or large saucepan and brought it to a boil over high heat, measuring how long it took to reach a full boil and whether the handles stayed cool.
Rice test: We cooked a batch of plain rice or rice pilaf in each saucepan, noting any burnt or scorched patches, undercooked rice, or grains stuck to the bottom.
Mirepoix test: In the stock pots and Dutch ovens, we sweated a mixture of onion, celery, and carrots for 10 minutes, then turned up the heat to brown the veggies. As we stirred and scraped, we noted any sticking or burning and then deglazed the pans with stock to see if the browned bits stayed stuck.
Béchamel test: We tested sauté pans by making a roux of butter and flour, then adding milk to create a basic béchamel. We observed how hard or easy it was to get the roux out of the corners of the pan and fully incorporate the milk, and if any hot spots led to burning.
Steak test: We seared a strip steak in each preheated skillet for 3 minutes per side to examine the sticking and browning level, then basted it with butter until done. After a 3-minute rest, we sliced the steaks, to assess the evenness, quality of the crust, and overall doneness.
Scratch test: To test the durability of nonstick coatings, we intentionally scratched the bottom of a pan with a paring knife, noting how deep of a scratch we made and whether it went through any nonstick coatings.

Food & Wine / Nick Simpson

Factors to Consider

Material

The most important consideration for induction cookware is that it’s made of a material that will actually heat up on an induction stove. It’s best to look for a brand that explicitly says its products are induction-compatible, but if you’re not sure, try putting a magnet on the pan. If it sticks, you should be good. All cast iron and most forms of steel should work with induction, while glass, all-aluminum, or all-copper cookware will not.

What’s Included

Not all cookware is created equal. The bare minimum for a cookware set is generally a frying pan, a saucepan, and a stockpot, while larger sets add in extra sizes and alternative items like Dutch ovens or grill pans, others include the bare minimum. If you are the type of home chef who likes to cook with many pieces at once, consider a set so you don’t have to purchase others separately. The number of “pieces” in a set can be misleading, as this includes lids and storage equipments along with pots and pans — it’s best to look at the specifics. If you already have some induction-compatible cookware you like, consider just adding a few supplementary key pieces to round out your collection.

Temperature Limit

If broiling, grilling, or other high-temperature cooking is something you do often, make sure the cookware you choose can handle that type of heat. Cast iron and stainless steel are the most durable materials and can deal with 600°F or higher, while nonstick pans tend to have a lower maximum. Check your manual, and follow its rules: If you heat a pan beyond its recommended temperature, it can warp, but its materials can also begin to break down and even release toxic substances. Keep in mind as well that lids, especially ones made of glass or plastic, often have a lower temperature limit than the pans they go on.

Care and Cleaning

Chef Bill Kim of Cornerstone Restaurant Group in Chicago says how you treat and clean your pan is crucial with induction cooking. “If the bottom of the pan is dirty because you haven’t been the best at cleaning it, the induction isn’t going to cook evenly,” he says. Charred and burnt food pieces stuck to the bottom of your pans can also scratch your cooktop. Nonstick cookware generally doesn’t require much special upkeep beyond soap and sponge, while stainless steel usually needs a bit more scrubbing, and cast iron must be carefully washed, dried reseasoned to prevent rust. Consider how much time you want to spend caring for your cookware. If you hate cleaning, consider nonstick cookware that can be wiped clean, but if you absolutely love a hard sear on a steak and don’t mind a few extra steps, cast iron is for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What pans cannot be used on induction cooktops?

If it’s not magnetic, it won’t work on an induction cooktop. Aluminum, copper, and glass cookware are not induction-compatible unless they incorporate a layer of iron or steel. All cast iron and most steel is magnetic enough to work with induction, but scratchy cast iron can mark up your glass stovetop, so you should always lift straight up and avoid sliding.

If you do try to use a non-compatible material on an induction cooktop, it’s not dangerous in any way; the pan just won’t heat up.

How do I know if my cookware is induction-ready?

“Read the box and see if it’s induction ready, or take it home and try it out,” says Kim. “Usually, the higher quality pans are induction-ready.” As we mentioned above, you can also try the magnetic cling test if the manufacturer’s labeling is unclear.

Can induction cookware be used on other types of stoves or cooktops?

Yes. The iron and steel materials that work with induction cooktops also work nicely with gas and electric stoves. Just make sure you follow the rules about temperature, cleaning, and care no matter where you use the cookware.

How do you clean induction cookware?

The same way you clean all cookware: Read the manufacturer’s instructions and follow them. Most cookware is best cleaned by hand-washing with warm, soapy water and a soft sponge. Some cookware is dishwasher-safe, and while popping it in the dishwasher won’t ruin it, you’ll get a few extra years of life if you hand-wash. The only induction-specific consideration is to take a close look at the bottom of the pan and give it a good scrub. Bits of food or burnt-on stains can interfere with even heating.

How does an induction cooktop work?

When electricity flows through a magnetic material, it creates a changing magnetic field. The opposite is also true: When a magnetic material experiences a changing magnetic field, it creates an electric current. Induction cooktops take advantage of this trick of physics by creating a strong magnetic field above the burner. When you put a compatible pan on top, the induced electric current doesn’t have anywhere to flow and instead heats up the pan.

Other Induction Cookware We Tested

Strong Contenders

Caraway Cookware+ Set ($635 at Caraway)

This set performed very similarly to the Caraway Cookware Set above. However, this 8-piece set has only one pan and three pots, which didn’t feel worth the extra $100 in cost.

GreenPan Nova Ceramic Nonstick 10-Piece Cookware Set ($430 at GreenPan)

We felt that this set was comprehensive, with some really versatile pieces for a stellar piece, but we were disappointed with the staining that occurred on all the pieces we tested.

All-Clad D3 3-Ply Stainless Steel Nonstick Cookware Set 10 Piece ($800 at Amazon)

This set actually made our list of the best nonstick cookware, but we prefer All-Clad’s all-stainless D5 set. Both are excellent, and this is a great induction-friendly choice if you want nonstick pots and pans.

Tramontina 10-Piece Cookware Set ($510 at Amazon)

Tramontina’s set performed quite well, and at a middle-of-the-road price. It just didn’t stand out against the competition in any major way.

What Didn’t Make the List

We’ve tested thousands of cookware pieces, and the most popular are made of induction-compatible materials, so we had extremely high standards for this list. Many didn’t win because they were difficult to care for. The pans were tough to clean, the coatings didn’t withstand prolonged daily wear and tear, surfaces required special detergents, or the materials stained. Some performed just fine but couldn’t stand up to the exceptional performance of the competition. Still, others performed well but were just too expensive for the quality.

Finally, some sets were bumped because they didn’t have enough pieces to be useful to the average home cook, or the small number of pieces they included weren’t versatile enough to be a comprehensive set.

Our Expertise

Samantha Lande wrote this piece. She has experience in product testing kitchens, reviewing kitchen tools, and developing content for leading food brands.
Nick DeSimone updated this piece. Nick has been a professional cook for nearly a decade, so they know a thing or two about cookware. Nick has worked with induction cooktops extensively and knows the unique requirements of compatible cookware. They also have induction cooktops in their home kitchen, so they know what cookware works best in a home environment.

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