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Induction Hob problems


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I just love my induction hob for most things but have discovered a few problems; having got rid of the scabby frypan and acquired a lovely purple Le crueset frypan, I discover that it causes the induction hob to cut out midway through cooking! error message determines that the pan heat transfer has caused the hob to overheat. If it is allowed to cool slightly than any other saucepan or pot will cook merrily away and also the frypan will restart but the problem recurs?
Not only that, but whilst preparing my trusty ceramic Tagine for a dish, (do they even do a cast iron Tagine?) suddenly realised that it wasn't going to work on the hob, and I certainly wasn't about to fire up the godin for one meal. I did check out the http://www.amazon.co.uk/induction-adapter-diffuser-simmer-plate/dp/B00393UNXY except that the reviews say it doesn't work and creates the same problem as the Le creuset frypan by causing the hob to overheat and cutout through the heat transfer?! Any solutions out there?
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I use the metal plate thing on my induction hob so I can use pans not designed for induction, but have never tried my ceramic pans on it ...

I find the plate works ok, but then my hob is not very sophisticated ... I've not had the problems you describe - my main problem is that I find I cannot control the induction power enough - as it has only 4 levels .... which are set too far apart in temperature to make it work for simmering .... pans are always boiling over or not cooking at all ....

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I am surprised as my Le Creuset and other french cast iron pans work the best on my induction hob, I have sometimes deliberately got them smoking hot before cooking especially the skillet and it has never cut out.

Now clearly in your case too much heat is going back into the glass via conduction, looking at the bottom of all mine the other brands all have a turned ridged contact surface which will reduce the conduction, the le creuset frypan and skillet that I have here have either a raised relief in the centre or embossed writing and the pan size which both limit the contact area.

I think that the one I have in the UK has a completely smooth bottom but I use a halogen hob there.

Do you get the same problem on all the rings? Does it only occur when no liquids are in the pan, ie dry frying?

Does it happen on lower settings? If not as I suspect than the answer is to heat it up on the high setting but switch down before it cuts out, glass itself is a very poor conductor of heat so it shouldnt be a problem certainly on lower settings, I can remove a hot frying pan and immediately put my hand face down on the glass without burning myself.

I also wonder if the cooling fans in your hob are working or whether the air outlets are obstructed by a washing machine or similar underneath.

Just some ideas to be going on with

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Thanks for the replies, I should have guessed Le Creuset would sell a cast iron Tagine, though it kind of defeats the point of using cheaper cuts to make a tender meal, and that price I'll have to put it on my Christmas list or start buying lottery tickets. Maybe the metal plate thing is worth a gamble . . ..

The Le Creuset Frypan I have is 28cm with a very heavy flat bottom, clearly designed to survive on top of a poele, To be more specific it is fine for the first few minutes or at settings below 1kw when simmering, but once it gets to smoking level above 1kw heat then the error message occurs and the safety cutout cuts in, same problem on all the rings with liquids in the pan, or dry frying once it gets hot, bubbling or smoking.

With all my other Le Creuset pots and pans cooking is normal with no problems. If I remove a hot pan, the glass of the hob is still very hot even though the cooling fans in the hob are obviously working and air outlets are not obstructed, though there is a drawer underneath. I guess I could slightly improve the airflow and I'd have no problems if I went back to the old smaller pan, but frustrating not to use my lovely purple thing.

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I have just tried a 28cm Le Creuset on full bore turbo boost setting for 10 minutes with just enough liquid to not boil dry, no problems and I could place my hand on the glass immediately after lifting the pan. I think that my Bosch can give over 2kw on the large ring on the boost setting, it reduces the power to the others to compensate.

I did notice that this one alone has a second concentric machined groove at about 20cm diameter, does yours have this?

Finally what colour is the bottom of your pan? Mine is black, perhaps its a history of  radiant heat being transferred?

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No grooves or indents, and the bottom is black, but it is probably twice as heavy as other Le Creuset items I have, others have commented that it is extremely heavy, so I am coming to the conclusion that heat soak is causing the problem and this frypan is more for the poele than an induction hob unfortunately . . .

 

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You could try the pan on something to isolate it from the hob.  Maybe an ally ring? Aluminium will block the passage of the induced magnetic field and eddy currents though so you would need to make it small.  Or have some feet to put the pan on.  You would only need it to be a couple of mm above the glass.

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Tonight I noticed that my Le Creuset griddle pan actually rocks on the ring, its either slight heat distortion or a couple of thou of run out in the machining, in any case it doesnt sit flat and hence cannot transmit the same amount of heat back into the glass hob through conduction.

Having done some experiments (where I discovered that you can cook beans in their tin) I found that the induction heating is not affected with small airgaps, say up to a couple of mms, what I think would work on your 28cm frypan and it would be very easy to try is to just put a non ferrous shim under one side of it, a thin piece of ally or ceramic, I reckon it would solve your problem and then you would have to bricole soemthing a bit better to stop it wobbling around, 3 blobs of weld ground thin would do the trick.

If that didnt make any sense, and I do tend to make a simple explanation complicated! I am suggesting that you try raising the pan minutely to break the thermal contact but not the magnetic one.

worth a try dont you think?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Having spoken to Le Creuset, apparently I am the only one and wouldn't you know it, it's all my fault!  Le Creuset say that all their products are designed to only be used at low to medium heat, their properties mean that they continue to cook for some time after the heat is turned off. I thought that I needed to follow the recipe and get the pan smoking just to start brown the meat, but Le Creuset advice is to add a spoonful of oil and just get it hot, then drop a few drops of water in, which should sizzle quickly away, if the drops  instantly turn to steam then the pan is too hot. So I've been told.
Next experiment is to try a tagine in the frypan with the ceramic top off my ceramic tagine [:D]

 

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