Yes, I believe some of the All-Clad nonstick are safe for induction.

I have Circulon non-stick skillets. The line I have (Elite) will not work on induction, but the Infinite Circulon line does. It will either have to say specifically it can be used on induction or else if you are in a store, you will have to take a small magnet with you to check.

I am not 100% sure with burner size, but the induction I've seen have adjustable sized burners. The large are pretty large, but is this large enough for you, I can't tell you.

BTW, if you just let your stainless pots soak for a few minutes, the food will come off. I use Dawn dish soap only.

There are many lines of non-stick cookware that are induction compatible. I have one from the Infinite Circulon line as well as one from Ikea, but I mostly use non-non-stick (sticky?).

Go ahead and let your pan overlap the burner--no problem. But you do need to use decent cookware for that so you get even heating. (But except for some of the really thin enameled stuff I have from college, I've been unable to find induction capable pans that are too cheaply made to heat up pretty well.)

I've heard that some brands don't advise using a griddle across two burners. I don't know about that, but if a griddle is crucial to your cooking, there is at least one cooktop with a bridge element. (A long griddle though--that is actually hard to find for induction!)

The old (or new) cast iron cookware will work and when properly cared for is non-stick. Never use soap, just scrub with hot water. If you do need to use soap, re-season the pans per instructions and you will have it back to working order. I love mine. Also, Le Crueset should work since they are magnetic (even the no-stick pans). I have both and plan to purchase a new induction cooktop within six months.

Ditto the AllClad non-stick and Circulon. The Circulon will have 'Induction' stamped on the bottom. Mine tend to be a bit noisy since they are aluminum with steel attached to the bottom.

You can overlap pans up to 1" larger than the hob size on most (if not all) induction cooktops. That's the bottom size, not the pan size which is usually larger (my 12" fry pan has a 10" bottom).

(And if not using soap to wash cast iron grosses you out, it's OK to use soap if they're properly seasoned. Soap can't remove the seasoning--it's the same black crud you get burned on in the oven that requires the extreme heat of the self-clean cycle or chemicals like EZ-off to remove. Dish soap won't touch it. Cast iron is wonderful on induction.)

If you wash the cast iron with soap, it is always a good idea to heat the pan to dry it and rub with a little oil inside the pan after you turn off the heat. To remove cooked-on food, boil water in pan which makes scraping the bits off much easier. Always be sure to dry with a towel or on burner-don't allow to just air dry.

weedmeister, when you say you can overlap by 1" does that mean 1" total overlap? Or does that mean 1" in any given direction? That isn't very clear is it? What I mean is if I have a 10" diameter burner does that mean I can use a 12" diameter pan or only an 11" diameter pan (assuming that I keep my pan completely centered)? Thanks for any help you can give.

OK tell ya what I did. I took my biggest pan (10 inch bottom) put it on the smallest burner(6 inches) added a cup of water (approx) kicked the burner on boost. Water was boiling vigorously after 30 seconds. At first the boiling was only where the 6 inch burner contacted the 10 inch pan (bubble pattern) but soon, maybe another 30 seconds or so, the boiling spread pretty much to the rest of the pan, if I left it on boost(which I didnt for long-didnt wanna steam up the windows) I could still make out the pattern of the 6 inch burner on the 10 inch pan, but turning it down that pattern tended to disappear.
So this would be an extreme case, a pot that is 4 inches bigger than the burner. My biggest burner is 11 inches and I have never used it. There are only 2 of us here, so we dont need any pots & pans that big.
Hope this helps. The pan is very similar to the All-clad pans (Emeril)

Gary

10" plus 1" overlap all round = 12" pan bottom.

I use Beka and Food Network non-stick pans on my induction with no problems. I found the Beka, I believe its a European brand, at TJMaxx for less than $50.

I use large pans also. My biggest unit is 11" and when I was freezing corn (some I did on the induction and some outside on the grill) I called the company to double-check to see if a 12 or 13" stock pot was ok to use. They said it was no problem and it worked well.

Something to keep in mind if you use large pans, you probably would like a 36" induction with 5 burners because there is more space on the cooktop for large pans. The 30" cooktop may feel cramped for you.

My suggestion - don't let those 2 concerns deter you from buying induction. I never heard about it before our remodel and I'm completely sold on it. Many others on this forum feel the same way. Don't hesitate to ask about any other concerns that may arise.

Happy shopping!!!

I have had induction almost 2 years now. LOVE IT!
I found my large, non-stick skillet at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. It is a Farberware. It works great and is holding up great after 2 years of use. My small non-stick skillet I got at TJMaxx - a Tivoli - also holding up well.
Both were well under $50 each.

Also, I believe you will find that some induction cooktops largest burner is larger on some units than others, and the placement of the largest burner is different depending on the manufacturer. The size and placement of the largest burner was the deciding factor in my purchasing decision.

At the time I shopped (there are lots more choices on the market now) I found the 30" GE Profile to have the best for me - one of the largest burners, and placed to the front of the unit (I'm short and don't like to reach over other pans if using my large fry pan). So, that's what I went with and it's been great! I have not found the 30" to be crowded at all - but, again, I think it's because of the way the burners are layed out.

Hope these insights help as you shop around. Good Luck!

Great questions! I also had them. On my current flat-top stove, I have to match the pan to the burner size -- if the pan is too much larger, no heat goes to the edges of the pan. From what I understand from these answers, that is not an issue with induction?

Also, I just bought an All-Clad non-stick 12" skillet one month ago. Is is magnetic but I will warn you it was very expensive and already has scratches on the surface.

Stir fryi, I think that's more an issue with how quickly the particular pan conducts heat. I know my mom is capable of melting an oversized pan on electric if you giver her enough time to forget about it...

Induction probably has an advantage though because it dumps a lot more energy into the pan and preheats to the sides faster. And also, the pans that are induction capable to tend to have better-conducting bases.

I learned a long time ago to avoid the expensive cookware in the consumer shops. I traditionally head to the local restaurant supply houses. Just about everything sold for commercial use is induction-capable, built to take a beating, and cheap! I'm not even sure what brand they are off the top of my head. Some others I use are Ikea 365 and Farberware. All inexpensive compared to the consumer brands but they've not given me any trouble.

I often see local restaurant supply shops recommended in this forum. I visited a local one and the owner said that our local restaurants haven't endorsed induction and he carried nothing that was suitable for induction. Ahh, the joys of living in Daytona! Today I found a egg pan at Tuesday Morning so right now I'm set with adequate cookware. Love induction!

I am very happy with Farberware Millenium nonstick stainless steel skillets, & have it in two sizes, 12" & 8". I found them on Amazon for a fraction of the price of All-Clad. I like All-Clad & have a few stainless pieces, but nonstick (any brand) usually dies too quickly.

beachlily: The next time you're heading to/passing through Orlando, hit Ikea. Quite a selection, well worth the drive. If you think Daytona's difficult for finding things, try to find things in New Smyrna Beach! There isn't even a locksmith with a shop there.

Sean, we are in and out of NSB quite often. I'm thinking it lives in a time warp! Good restaurants, though.

At Sams Club, they have restaurant style skillets (8 and 10 inch) that are stainless steel outside, non-stick inside. They are very heavy (no lids though) and the 8" is only $10.