Use & Care Can I Use Cast Iron on an Induction Cooktop? By: Lodge Cast Iron / June 22, 2022 Using cast iron on induction often raises questions—and we’ve got answers. Induction uses magnetic fields to heat cookware, so your pan must contain conductive, ferrous metals to transfer heat. This makes cast iron a great option for induction cooking. While it’s perfectly safe to use our cookware on these cooktops, they do function differently than gas and electric, so there are a few things to consider before you start cooking. E-mail this page Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Twitter Print this page How do I preheat my cookware? The magnetic fields on induction cooktops are incredibly efficient. If you heat your skillet too quickly, the temperature of the iron can become imbalanced, causing thermal shock. In severe cases, this can cause cookware to break on the stovetop. To avoid this, just preheat your cookware slowly with oil. When the oil shimmers and ripples, your skillet is ready to go. If the oil begins to smoke, your cookware is too hot and it’s best to remove it from the heat source for a minute or two to cool down before cooking. Does the size of my cookware matter? Choose a piece of cookware that’s closest to the size of the burner you’re using to ensure even heating. This is helpful on gas and electric cooktops, but it’s a bit more important on induction. Many induction cooktops are designed with a safety feature that detects the size of your cookware. If your skillet is too small compared to the size of the burner, the induction cooktop might not be signaled to heat up. Every cooktop is different—check with your manufacturer for specific details and best practices. Does my skillet need to be in full contact with the burner? Contrary to popular belief, your cookware doesn’t need to come into full contact with the induction burner in order to heat. Some pieces are created to sit flush, or nearly flush, with your burner. Other pieces are designed with a heat ring, which creates a small gap between the pan and the burner. Don’t worry—a few millimeters of distance between the cookware and the burner won’t affect the overall performance. If you’re using a larger griddle, like a reversible grill/griddle, it can be helpful to use a “bridge” burner that sends heat to the gap between the main burners. This helps your cookware to heat evenly and reduces the risk of thermal shock. If the distance between the outside edge of the cookware and the cooking surface is too large for the product to heat efficiently, you may need to switch to a piece that is closer to the size of your burner. Will cast iron scratch the induction stove’s glass top? This is a concern for people who use a glass-top cooking surface—induction or electric. The bottom of our cookware is cast to be very smooth and shouldn’t scratch your stovetop. However, when moving your skillet from burner to burner, we recommend that you gently pick it up and set it back down, rather than slide it from one burner to another. Beginner's Guide to Cast Iron Everyone has an opinion about the “right way” to care for their cookware and it can feel overwhelming to a beginner. But we believe there are lots of ways to make cast iron work for you. How to Use Cast Iron Over Any Heat Source No matter where you like to cook, we’ve got tips and tricks for using cast iron on electric, induction, and gas cooktops, as well as gas grills, charcoal grills and campfires. Beginner’s Guide to Cast Iron Cleaning and Care We’re here to help you with your everyday cast iron questions so you can start cooking and making memories—with confidence—today. How to Keep Food From Sticking to Cast Iron There’s nothing worse than putting a lot of effort into a delicious dish or baked good only to realize that it’s creating a sticky mess on your cast iron. Don’t worry, with a few tweaks you can easily prevent food from sticking to your cookware or bakeware. Best Recipes for New Cast Iron Cookware One of the easiest ways to care for your cast iron is simply to use it! When you first take home your cookware, there are certain foods you can cook and bake to strengthen the base layer of seasoning. Contributed By: Lodge Cast Iron We hope you enjoy our stories and recipes! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and tag your Instagram food photos with #lodgecastiron for a chance to be featured on our feed! Get $10 off any $50+ order!* While you're shopping, become a Pan Fan today and sign up for our newsletter! *Coupon code will be sent to your email after you sign up for our newsletter! New sign ups only. Sign Up By submitting your information, you are agreeing to Lodge Cast Iron’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Please try again.
Use & Care Can I Use Cast Iron on an Induction Cooktop? By: Lodge Cast Iron / June 22, 2022 Using cast iron on induction often raises questions—and we’ve got answers. Induction uses magnetic fields to heat cookware, so your pan must contain conductive, ferrous metals to transfer heat. This makes cast iron a great option for induction cooking. While it’s perfectly safe to use our cookware on these cooktops, they do function differently than gas and electric, so there are a few things to consider before you start cooking. E-mail this page Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Twitter Print this page How do I preheat my cookware? The magnetic fields on induction cooktops are incredibly efficient. If you heat your skillet too quickly, the temperature of the iron can become imbalanced, causing thermal shock. In severe cases, this can cause cookware to break on the stovetop. To avoid this, just preheat your cookware slowly with oil. When the oil shimmers and ripples, your skillet is ready to go. If the oil begins to smoke, your cookware is too hot and it’s best to remove it from the heat source for a minute or two to cool down before cooking. Does the size of my cookware matter? Choose a piece of cookware that’s closest to the size of the burner you’re using to ensure even heating. This is helpful on gas and electric cooktops, but it’s a bit more important on induction. Many induction cooktops are designed with a safety feature that detects the size of your cookware. If your skillet is too small compared to the size of the burner, the induction cooktop might not be signaled to heat up. Every cooktop is different—check with your manufacturer for specific details and best practices. Does my skillet need to be in full contact with the burner? Contrary to popular belief, your cookware doesn’t need to come into full contact with the induction burner in order to heat. Some pieces are created to sit flush, or nearly flush, with your burner. Other pieces are designed with a heat ring, which creates a small gap between the pan and the burner. Don’t worry—a few millimeters of distance between the cookware and the burner won’t affect the overall performance. If you’re using a larger griddle, like a reversible grill/griddle, it can be helpful to use a “bridge” burner that sends heat to the gap between the main burners. This helps your cookware to heat evenly and reduces the risk of thermal shock. If the distance between the outside edge of the cookware and the cooking surface is too large for the product to heat efficiently, you may need to switch to a piece that is closer to the size of your burner. Will cast iron scratch the induction stove’s glass top? This is a concern for people who use a glass-top cooking surface—induction or electric. The bottom of our cookware is cast to be very smooth and shouldn’t scratch your stovetop. However, when moving your skillet from burner to burner, we recommend that you gently pick it up and set it back down, rather than slide it from one burner to another. Beginner's Guide to Cast Iron Everyone has an opinion about the “right way” to care for their cookware and it can feel overwhelming to a beginner. But we believe there are lots of ways to make cast iron work for you. How to Use Cast Iron Over Any Heat Source No matter where you like to cook, we’ve got tips and tricks for using cast iron on electric, induction, and gas cooktops, as well as gas grills, charcoal grills and campfires. Beginner’s Guide to Cast Iron Cleaning and Care We’re here to help you with your everyday cast iron questions so you can start cooking and making memories—with confidence—today. How to Keep Food From Sticking to Cast Iron There’s nothing worse than putting a lot of effort into a delicious dish or baked good only to realize that it’s creating a sticky mess on your cast iron. Don’t worry, with a few tweaks you can easily prevent food from sticking to your cookware or bakeware. Best Recipes for New Cast Iron Cookware One of the easiest ways to care for your cast iron is simply to use it! When you first take home your cookware, there are certain foods you can cook and bake to strengthen the base layer of seasoning. Contributed By: Lodge Cast Iron We hope you enjoy our stories and recipes! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and tag your Instagram food photos with #lodgecastiron for a chance to be featured on our feed!
