This story is part of “How Does It Work?” — The Better India’s series that takes the everyday things you see, use, and rely on, and uncovers the clever technology, design and sustainable thinking that make them work better. From the objects in your home to the systems around you, we break down the ideas behind them in simple, easy-to-understand language. Because innovation isn’t always about futuristic machines or complicated technology. Sometimes, it’s hiding in the things we use every day. 

A few months ago, concerns around LPG availability and rising cooking fuel costs had many Indian households looking for alternatives in the kitchen. For some, the answer was an appliance that had already been sitting on the countertop: the induction cooktop.

Unlike a gas stove, it does not need a flame. Unlike a traditional electric stove, it does not rely on a glowing-hot coil to transfer heat to a vessel. Instead, it uses something we cannot see but use every day: electromagnetic fields.

So, how does a flat glass surface heat a pan, boil water and cook a meal? The answer lies in a little-known interaction between electricity, magnetism and metal.

It begins with a coil beneath the glass

Look beneath the smooth glass surface of an induction cooktop, and you will find a tightly wound coil of copper wire. When the stove is switched on, an alternating electric current flows through this coil.

Unlike a steady current, alternating current repeatedly changes direction. This movement of electricity creates a rapidly changing magnetic field around the coil.

The field is invisible,........

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