Gas

• the least demanding of fuels.
• works with all types of cookware.
• the hottest part of the flame is the barely visible outer part surrounding the clearly visible blue core.
• it is important to keep the tip of the outer part of the flame inside the area of the pan base to avoid wasting heat, marking the outside of the pan or even scorching the handle.

Radiant Electric Ring

• suitable for all types of cookware (except round-bottomed woks).
• pan base should cover ring completely to avoid wasting heat.

Solid Electric Plate

• pan base should make intimate contact with the hotplate. It must not be deeply ridged nor must it have an outer rim that lifts the base plate off the hob.
• pan base must not be convex - it should be flat or very slightly concave, allowing it to flatten when hot.
• pan base should cover plate completely to avoid wasting heat.

Ceramic and Halogen

• pan bases should make intimate contact with the hotplate (see notes on solid plate).
• pan bases should be smooth with no protruding pimples.
• any roughness on the pan base can scratch the ceramic or halogen hob - be careful not to drag pans.
• ideally, the pan base area should match the heated area of the hob.
• highly polished, reflective pan bases are not suitable for halogen hobs.

Induction

• a relatively new, powerful and economic cooking method, using magnetic fields to generate heat in the pan base.
• only a limited range of pans will work on an induction hob: cast iron, enamelled steel and some stainless pans will work. When buying new pans, check with a magnet on the underside of the pan - if the magnet sticks to the pan base the pan will work on an induction hob. Also check manufacturer's instructions and make sure that the cookware is recommended for induction.