Induction cooking heats your pan directly, not the surface beneath it. An electromagnetic field induces a current in the base of magnetic cookware, and the pan itself becomes the heat source. The result is faster heat-up, instant response the moment you change the setting, and far less wasted energy than gas or radiant electric. On our Wolf Induction Range, that precision sits beneath a fan-assisted convection oven, so the same exacting control runs from hob to oven.
How induction actually works
Beneath the ceramic glass surface sits a coil of copper wire. When you switch on a zone, alternating current passes through the coil and creates a rapidly changing magnetic field. Place a pan with a ferrous, magnetic base on top and that field induces small electrical currents, called eddy currents, within the metal of the pan. The pan's own resistance to those currents generates heat. The glass only ever warms from contact with the hot pan, which is why a spill beside the zone will not bake on, and why the surface cools quickly once the pan is lifted.
Because the heat is generated in the pan rather than transferred to it, very little energy escapes into the surrounding air. That efficiency is the root of induction's two headline advantages: speed and control.
Can induction sear a steak like gas?
Yes, and the science explains why it often sears better. A good sear depends on getting the pan hot and keeping it hot when cold food hits the surface. A gas flame heats the pan indirectly and loses energy to the air around it, so the pan temperature can dip when you add a steak. Induction puts the energy straight into the pan base, so a heavy induction zone recovers its temperature quickly and holds it steadily. You also avoid flare-ups from dripping fat, because there is no open flame.
The method is simple: choose a heavy, flat, magnetic pan, preheat it on high for a few minutes, add a little oil, pat the food dry, and do not crowd the pan. With a Wolf induction zone, the instant response means you can drop from a fierce sear to a gentle finish the moment the crust is right, with no residual burner heat carrying the pan past the point you wanted. That is how you achieve a restaurant-quality crust at home, indoors, without a professional gas hob.
Induction versus gas: the honest comparison
Induction is not automatically the right choice for every cook. Here is where each method genuinely leads, so you can match the hob to the way you cook.