Induction Cooktop Not Heating Anymore? What to Check First

Your induction cooktop is not heating: one burner (the cooking zone) stays cold, or the whole cooktop has stopped responding. Start with the cookware: a base that is not ferromagnetic (a magnet does not stick to it), too small or off-center is not detected, so the burner does not heat. The child lock, the power supply and overheating come next.

Common symptoms and causes

• One burner stays cold, or the whole cooktop is affected. A blank display points to the power supply or the electronics.
• The cookware is not detected: non-ferromagnetic base, too small or off-center.
• The child lock is on.
• The displays flash: the control panel is wet or something is lying on it.
• The electronics have overheated, or a hot utensil is sitting on the control panel.
• The cooktop switched a burner off after a long cooking time.
• Demo mode is on.
• Power limiting is reducing one burner.

Before you start

Note the product number (E-Nr) and the manufacturing number (FD) from the rating plate, along with the error code if there is one. Keep a magnet and your manual within reach.

Good to know: the procedures in this guide come from the Bosch and Siemens manuals. On a Sauter, Brandt or other induction cooktop, the keys and codes may differ: follow its manual.

Warning: the cooktop runs on mains voltage (230 V in Europe, 120/240 V in the United States). Do not open the cooktop and do not touch the wiring: repairs belong to qualified staff. Unplug the appliance from the mains before any opening, and never work on a live appliance.

Warning: the capacitors in some appliances (TVs, microwaves, power supplies) stay charged after unplugging: do not touch them. Here, the circuit breaker is only used to cut and restore power, nothing more.

Warning: opening the appliance can void the warranty, and an improper repair can make you lose it. Check the warranty end date first: service is free while it runs.

Solution 1: test the cookware

No ferromagnetic base, no heat. Bosch and Siemens cooktops add the pan test function to this check, which gives a verdict in 10 seconds.

Tip: a fridge magnet is enough. If it sticks weakly or only in places, the base is probably only partly ferromagnetic.

1. Hold a magnet against the base of the pan: it should stick.
2. Check that the base is flat and smooth.
3. Measure the diameter of the base, not the top: it should match the burner.
4. Center the pan on the burner.
5. If the pan is not detected, move it to the next smaller burner.
6. To settle it, pour about 200 ml (7 fl oz) of room-temperature water into the pan.
7. Place it in the middle of the burner.
8. Start the pan test function from the basic settings.
9. Touch the burner’s setting area.
10. Read the result after 10 seconds: unsuitable (the pan does not heat), heats slowly, or correct.

The burner should detect the pan and the test should show a correct result.

Unsuitable pan? Try another one. If the burner stays cold with suitable cookware, go to Solution 2.

Good to know: a base with some aluminum, or one that is not fully ferromagnetic, has a reduced useful surface. Power drops and heating becomes uneven.

Solution 2: turn off the child lock and check the settings

The child lock blocks the cooktop. You turn it off with the same gesture used to turn it on.

1. Switch the cooktop off if it is on.
2. Touch the on/off key.
3. Hold the child lock key for 4 seconds.
4. If the lock comes back every time you switch off, turn off the automatic child lock in the basic settings.
5. On a Siemens cooktop, if you have just cleaned the panel, wait for the 35-second wipe protection to end, or touch its symbol to release the lock sooner.
6. If a burner left on for a long time switched itself off, touch any key to turn it back on.
7. On a Siemens cooktop, check the power limiting in the basic settings.

The cooktop should respond to your touches again and the burner should heat.

Good to know: power limiting sets the total power according to your electrical installation, and the maximum power is given on the rating plate. Shared between the burners, it can bring one burner below its rated power. The individual safety shutoff, for its part, kicks in after 1 to 10 hours without a change of setting, depending on the power level.

Solution 3: cut the power and read the error code on your induction cooktop

Blank display, error code, flashing displays, cooktop on but not heating: this solution covers these four cases. To leave demo mode, Siemens and Bosch do not ask for the same gesture.

Warning: the manuals talk about disconnecting the cooktop from the mains, without covering a hardwired cooktop. On that type of cooktop, we suggest switching off the circuit breaker, which the manuals we read do not confirm. Never touch the wiring.

Tip: find the cooktop’s circuit breaker before you start. In the electrical panel, it is often labeled “cooktop,” “range” or “stove.”

1. If no display lights up, check with other appliances whether there is a power outage.
2. If the displays flash, dry the control panel.
3. Remove any object lying on the panel.
4. If an error code appears, hold the burner key to read it in full.
5. Write down the exact code.
6. Look the code up in the table in your manual.
7. If it is not listed, disconnect the cooktop from the mains.
8. Wait 30 seconds.
9. Reconnect the cooktop.
10. If the cooktop used to switch on without heating and it is a Siemens, touch any key within 3 minutes to leave demo mode.
11. On a Bosch, turn off demo mode in the basic settings.

The display should return to normal, with no code. If the code comes back, go to the “If nothing works” section.

Still no display? The cooktop may be wired incorrectly or have an electronics fault. A connection that does not match the wiring diagram should be fixed by a professional.

If the supply voltage falls outside the expected range, contact your electricity provider.

Solution 4: let the electronics cool down

Overheating of the electronics can switch off one burner or all of them. An overheated burner can also switch off to protect the countertop. A hot utensil on the control panel triggers a beep and switches the burner off.

1. Remove any hot utensil lying on the control panel.
2. Wait for the cooktop to cool down.
3. Touch any key to switch the burner back on.

The burner should come back on and heat again.

Tip: keep the panel clear while cooking. A pan taken off the burner and set on it is enough to switch the burner off.

Good to know: the cooktop can also temporarily reduce its power to protect the electronics from overheating or a power surge.

Good to know: unofficial sites cite the codes E0, U, F or L for pan detection or the lock. These codes do not appear in the manuals we read and remain unconfirmed. The meaning of a code is found in the table in your model’s manual.

If nothing works

Stop if the cooktop stays blank, if the code comes back after the 30-second power cut, if you smell burning or if the glass is cracked. Then disconnect the cooktop from the mains, at the circuit breaker for a hardwired cooktop (breaker shutoff not stated in the manuals we read), and call the brand’s service line or an electrician.

Have these ready:

• the product number (E-Nr) and the manufacturing number (FD) from the rating plate;
• the exact error code;
• the proof of purchase.

Under warranty, service is free. At Siemens, original parts remain available for at least 10 years after the model goes on sale in the European Economic Area.

Another appliance giving you the same kind of trouble? See our guide on the dryer that no longer heats or the one on the fridge that no longer cools.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my induction cooktop turn on but not heat?

The cookware may not be detected: non-ferromagnetic base, too small or off-center. On Bosch and Siemens cooktops, demo mode has the same effect: the cooktop turns on without heating. Then check the child lock and possible overheating of the electronics.

How can I tell if a pan is induction-compatible?

Hold a magnet against the base: if it sticks, the base is ferromagnetic. The base must also be flat, smooth and suited to the burner size. The pan test function, found on Bosch and Siemens cooktops, gives the verdict in 10 seconds with about 200 ml (7 fl oz) of water.

How do I reset an induction cooktop?

On Bosch and Siemens cooktops, disconnect the cooktop from the mains, wait 30 seconds, then reconnect it. The manuals give this procedure for an error code missing from their table. If the code comes back, contact service with the exact code.

What does the flashing symbol on an induction cooktop mean?

On Bosch and Siemens cooktops, flashing displays mean a wet control panel or an object lying on it. Dry the panel or remove the object. For a specific symbol or another brand, check the table in your manual.

Is an induction cooktop from Siemens or Sauter fixed the same way?

On a Siemens, yes: the procedures in this guide come from the Bosch and Siemens manuals. On a Sauter induction cooktop, the keys and codes may differ, so follow its manual.