Cheap or expensive induction hob saucepans

[SteamyTea]

A while back (I don't like to rush things) I got into a debate (spat if you like) about cheap  lightweight saucepans on induction hobs.

My view is that they are fine, no need to go for "heavy bottoms': learning to cook makes the difference, not the pan.

So today, after reading a science article about just this very point, I thought I would look at the thermal distribution on my cheap pan and my expensive pan.

Well as far as I am concerned there is not enough variation to make any difference.

Here is the video.

Cheap saucepan on the left.

 

 

Edited April 18 by SteamyTea

[SimonD]

I don't think the distinction is in whether the pan is 'heavy bottomed' or not, but I do think it depends on the materials used to make the pan itself. We have a load of different pans ranging from very expensive stainless steel to cheap stainless steel with very thin bottom. Apart from one stainless steel pan that doesn't work at all, they all work very well on our induction hob. However, during our build we got a really cheap milk pan that was supposed to be induction suitable and it always throws up errors on the induction hod - it just doesn't like the pan. Looking at the pan, it appears that it is actually some aluminium alloy with some steel bits added to the bottom to make it induction suitable.

 

I have recently dug out one of my proper carbon steel woks I used to use all the time, obviously designed for gas, and although it doesn't get the all round heat distribution up the sides,it actually works surprisingly well on the induction.

 

So I think you just need to be careful about the material of the pans themselves.

[ProDave]

Now turn the hob on.  That looks to be reading room temperature?  What are you expecting to cook at 20C?

[SteamyTea]

1 minute ago, SimonD said:

depends on the materials used to make the pan itself

I think there may be a bit in that, though I would have thought at all SS induction hobs are made from very similar material.

I have a cheap frying pan what is aluminium (cam from Aldi) and that has 'pins' in the base, it works very well.

 

3 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Now turn the hob on.  That looks to be reading room temperature

My kitchen was a lot colder.

I gave it a few minutes for the temperatures to settle and I did not want the hob pulsing, which it would do on power2.

[Blooda]

You also need to review the bottoms [oh matron!] - Cheaper pans are not necessarily finished to a high standard, initiating scratches to the Hob Surface.  Expensive pans have a better smoother finishing.  

 

Of course this scratching intensifies, if you shake the pan in an Ainsley Harriot fashion. 

[SteamyTea]

4 minutes ago, Blooda said:

initiating scratches to the Hob Surface

It is a hob, not an objet d'art, they are meant to have scratches.

[SimonD]

Hmmm, what does this place do to me? I'm going to take some images with my thermal imaging camera to see what's going on with our pans.

[SteamyTea]

29 minutes ago, SimonD said:

Hmmm, what does this place do to me? I'm going to take some images with my thermal imaging camera to see what's going on with our pans.

Good man.

Call it Citizen Science.

[dpmiller]

I wouldn't be trusting an IR thermometer pointed at a shiny metallic surface...

[Conor]

The main factor is how flat the bottom of the pan is. Some warp when heated too high, and become useless. We had a Tefal wok that was useless from new as the base was slightly concave. My £10 IKEA frying pan cooks as well as my £90 procook pan.

 

Anecdotally, I've found that a lighter pan will simmer at a lower setting than a heavy pan of the same size (I slow cook a lot on my hob, SS pan will bubble gently on 2, while my cast iron pot will need to be at 3 for same simmer). No idea why a heavy pan would radiate more heat  away than a light pan, if that's even the case.

 

 

(Otherwise, I highly recommend most of Procook's products)

Edited April 18 by Conor

[Conor]

9 hours ago, Blooda said:

Cheaper pans are not necessarily finished to a high standard, initiating scratches to the Hob Surface. 

 

The only scratches on my hob come from ONE cooking session with a £180 le crueset pan. Enameled cast iron is not a friend to glass.

[Mr Blobby]

So what pans are best then?

[SteamyTea]

7 minutes ago, Conor said:

The main factor is how flat the bottom of the pan is. Some warp when heated too high, and become useless

My cheap pan is a bit warped, but does not affect it.

8 minutes ago, Conor said:

I've found that a lighter pan will simmer at a lower setting than a heavy pan of the same size

Cast Iron 52 W.m^-1.K^-1

 

SS (316) 16.2 W.m^-1.K^-1 

 

So not surprising it needs more energy.

[SteamyTea]

1 minute ago, Mr Blobby said:

So what pans are best then

Cheap ones perform just the same as expensive ones.

[Conor]

4 minutes ago, Mr Blobby said:

So what pans are best then?

The ones you have in your cupboard.

 

I had to get rid of virtually all my pans when we moved. Now I'm down to three stellar pans, a nonstick IKEA pot, IKEA frying pan, a procook large frying pan, and a couple cast iron things. They all work the same. Tbh I do not miss my extensive copper pan collection at all. After all, what's the point in having 10+ pans when you realistically only use 3 or 4 at the most?

 

Edited April 18 by Conor

[Conor]

3 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

My cheap pan is a bit warped, but does not affect it.

Cast Iron 52 W.m^-1.K^-1

 

SS (316) 16.2 W.m^-1.K^-1 

 

So not surprising it needs more energy.

Don't know what the means but I believe you.

[SteamyTea]

1 minute ago, Conor said:

Don't know what the means but I believe you.

It takes a higher temperature, or a larger 'ring' to get the same energy though the pan and into the water/fat.

 

[Mr Blobby]

4 minutes ago, Conor said:

The ones you have in your cupboard

 

We have a really bad selection of pans in our cupboard. They are all either aluminium or the lids have been broken and chucked out.

 

New pans will be purchased when we finally get the new house built, but I agree, three is all we need.  My wife can burn pasta (she really has set it on fire) so I guess no saucepan is going to fix that.

Edited April 18 by Mr Blobby

[SteamyTea]

Just now, Mr Blobby said:

My wife can burn pasta (she really has set it on fire) so I guess no saucepan is going to fix that.

A new wife might.

This one don't even need a kitchen.

 

[Conor]

9 minutes ago, Mr Blobby said:

 

We have a really bad selectio of pans in our cupboard. They are all either aluminium or the lids have been broken and chucked out.

 

New pans will be purchased, but I agree, three is all we need.  My wife can burn pasta (she really has set it on fire) so I guess no saucepan is going to fix that.

 

Depends how much you want to spend then. I've never had any issues with any IKEA pans. Tho my stellar pots are about 5x the cost but still worth it. I think they and and procook will be with me for life.