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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

Lynda,

Of course 'magnetic' in this case doesn't mean magnetically charged but 
rather subject to magnetic attraction.  Any vessel primarily composed of iron 
or 
nickel will work.  Almost all stainless steel works with induction cooktops 
because it is primarily iron. If a magnet sticks to the pot, it will work 
with 
induction cooking.

Aluminum doesn't, but a lot of expensive aluminum cookware is laminated with 
a steel core and that will heat with the induciton, but not very efficiently.

The proposition to put a cast iron griddle (or sorts) on the cooktop works, 
only, again not efficiently.  The pot on top will heat slowly and not reach 
the 
full heat an iron or steel pot would reach.

The lines of flux generated by the cooktop are dissipating no power, they are 
static (or more correctly 'potential').  Whne you put a steel or iron pot (I 
suppose there are not actual nickel pots) with a 6" diameter on the cooktop,  
only the lines of flux crossing the metal of that pot generate the heat (and 
use power).  If you put a 18" x 12" griddle on the top, that great mass of 
iron 
will cut through most of the magnetic field, draw a lot of power, and heat 
more slowly than a smaller pot will.  The heat generated will be cooking 
temperature but no where near flame or element temperature and so a pot put 
on that 
iron will not get nearly so hot nor so quickly.

Worth a try, I'd think though.   </HTML>