Get more from induction, from pancakes to pan sauces

Induction needs compatible cookware. Miele suggests checking the base with a magnet when investigating unsuitable pans. Also check the minimum base diameter and positioning in your hob's manual; the measurement at the top rim can be quite different from the base that sits on the cooking area.

A pan that is too small or incorrectly positioned can be difficult for the hob to recognise. Keep the underside clean and dry, and choose a size that suits the cooking area and the amount of food.

For a sauce, a pan with enough room to stir is helpful. For pancakes, choose a frying pan that gives you space to turn the food comfortably. Do not buy a set just because it is labelled induction: check its base, size and suitability for the cooking you actually do.

Begin with the recipe and your model's suggested power range. Watch the pan as it heats, then adjust as needed. A gentle simmer, a steady fry and a rapid boil are different jobs, and each may need a change of setting during the dish.

Prepare your ingredients before heating the pan, especially when cooking in batches. Keep the utensil, serving plate and next portion close by. It is easier to maintain a consistent result when you are not leaving the hob to find them.

Booster can help with a suitable task such as heating water, but it is not a frying setting. Miele's KM 7999 instructions specifically prohibit using Booster to heat oil or fat. Check your own model's safety instructions and stay with the hob while it is in use.

TempControl is a feature on selected Miele hobs, including the KM 7999 FL. It uses sensors to help regulate frying temperature. Other Miele hobs may have different assistance functions or manual power control, so check the product specification rather than assuming the feature is universal.

Repeated batches, such as pancakes, are a good reason to investigate temperature assistance: you are trying to bring each portion to a similar finish. Assistance can make that task easier to manage, but you still choose the correct programme, prepare the food and check the result.

Some models provide recipe or food assistance programmes. Read the on-screen information before starting, including any preparation steps. A function with a similar name on another hob may work differently.

On the KM 7999 FL, TempControl is for normal frying, not boiling or deep-fat frying. The manual tells you to centre suitable cookware over a sensor, place the required fat in the pan, select TempControl and its temperature, then wait for the signal before adding food.

That sequence matters: the same instructions say not to add more oil or move the pan once preheating has begun. These are instructions for this model, so follow your own hob's manual if its operation differs.

Choose the temperature or assistance programme from the model's cooking chart and your recipe. The chart itself describes its settings as guidance. Food thickness, pan choice and quantity still affect how the dish behaves.

For pancakes, make the batter from a complete recipe, prepare a plate for the cooked batch and portion the batter consistently. Watch the first pancake closely. If you need to adjust the manual heat or the selected temperature, make one change and see how the next portion responds.

For a pan sauce, follow the recipe's sequence: cook the ingredients, add the required liquid and change the heat when the sauce needs to simmer. Taste and stir as directed. Reducing a sauce is a cooking stage of its own; it should not inherit the heat used to brown an earlier ingredient.

These two tasks teach different skills: keeping a frying result consistent, and responding to a sauce as it changes. Practise those before exploring the full assistance menu.