So if you are like me, you spent a small fortune on your induction cooktop or range in your new kitchen. Or you have this unhealthy obsession with keeping your cooktop looking pristine and brand new. So the question is, how do you protect your induction cooktop from scratches and damages.

Heavy Cookware can be dangerous to your induction cooktop

If you have super heavy stainless steel cookware, cast iron or cookware with large induction plates on them, they have some weight to them. The good thing is your cookware will last forever. The bad thing, those heavy pans can easily scratch or damage your cooktop.

While people call it a glass cookware top, it really is ceramic glass hybrid similar, but not as durable as the ceramic/glass used in your smartphone. The biggest ingredient is normally quartz sand. The glass top manufacture will tell you they are pretty durable but do recommend not dropping your cookware on it.

It’s easy to move cookware on an induction top

The irony of all this is it is easy to move cookware around. Sometimes too easy. What I found is many times it was too easy to move cookware around and next thing I know, my pan was halfway off the cooking area and I was getting hotspots in the pan.

How to solve scratching and moving of your pans on an induction cooktop

The good thing is, there are now mats that go on your induction cooktop that protect your induction cooktop.

These mats sit over the cooking area of your induction cooktop. They have several purposes. One, it provides a small barrier if you drop the pot or pan a little too hard. But what I like is the ability to keep my pot or pan sitting directly over the cooking area. So as I am stirring the sauce, the pot is not moving on its own. They are designed so that it keeps the pot close enough to the element that the induction still works.

Be Careful using These when protecting your induction cooktop

The only thing I would say is to be careful using these. In particular, I would not use these with cast iron, especially if you make cast iron blazing hot for searing. As durable as they are, they may not hold up. Also, this is for induction cooktops only. Dear god don’t use these on a normal electric cooktop as they will be melting to the surface so if you do that, don’t blame me.