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I've recently bought a single-ring induction hob (portable cooktop).* I rather like it, but I noticed that, in common with many induction hobs, it has both power levels and a temperature control mode. It's just a cheap thing and only has 20°C steps, but setting 100°C seems to maintain a good simmer with a couple of different diameters and at a range of depths.

But it's a glass top, with no temperature sensor visible. The glass itself doesn't get very hot at all of course, only by conduction from the pan. Its temperature would also change too slowly given the rate the heating appears (from the bubbles) to pulse on and off.

So what's being measured? It feels like the pan, but in that case is there an infrared thermometer looking through the glass? Normal glass is opaque to thermal IR, after all.

* I've got new solar panels, so electricity is free, unlike gas. Eventually I'll get paid for the power I generate and don't use, but not yet.

Chris H
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They use a thermocouple to measure the temperature, a join of two different types of metal wire that generates current when heated (when exposed to a temperature differential i think but it's been decades since i studied physics). The current is what gets directly measured. for an induction cooktop i'm assuming that its measuring the base of the cooking vessel not it's contents. I don't know how accurately this translates to cooking temperature of the contents but the more expensive models claim really precise control.

user13716
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