Hob Pan not detectedwhat to check
A zone that flashes and will not heat usually cannot find your pan. Induction needs a ferrous base, big enough for the zone and flat against the glass.
Before you start
What this means
A zone that flashes a symbol and refuses to heat is, far more often than not, telling you it cannot detect suitable cookware rather than reporting a fault. Induction works by inducing a current in the base of the pan, which means the base has to be ferrous — a magnet must stick to it — and aluminium, copper and most glass and ceramic cookware will simply not work no matter what the hob does.
Three other things stop detection even with the right material. The base can be too small for the zone, because each zone has a minimum diameter below which it will not engage. It can be warped, so that only the rim touches and the centre stands off the glass. And it can be off-centre. BSH’s own description of the no-pan and wrong-pan case is that the selected power level flashes and, after a certain period of time, the cooking zone switches itself off. They also publish a formal cookware test on Bosch and Neff hobs that answers the question properly: with about 200 ml of water in the pan at room temperature, run it from the basic settings (C 12 on Neff) and after ten seconds each zone display shows a digit, where zero means the cookware is not suitable and will not heat, one means it heats more slowly than expected, and two means it heats correctly. Those digits are not fault codes and should not be looked up as any.
One more display worth recognising, published by BSH: if you lift a pan off a zone during cooking, the residual heat indicator and the selected heat setting flash alternately. That is the hob noticing the pan has gone, not a fault, and it is one of the most confusing legitimate displays in the category.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| Pan base is not ferrous | Aluminium, copper, glass and most ceramic will not work at all. A fridge magnet on the base is the definitive test. | Common |
| Pan too small for the zone | Every zone has a minimum base diameter. A small milk pan on a large zone frequently will not engage. | Common |
| Base warped or not flat | Only the rim touches and the centre stands proud. Common on older pans that have been heated empty. | Occasional |
| Pan lifted off mid-cook | BSH publish that the residual heat indicator and heat setting then flash alternately. Not a fault. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Put a fridge magnet on the base of the pan. If it does not stick firmly, that pan will never work on induction and nothing is wrong with the hob.
Try a different pan that you know works, on the same zone. That separates the cookware from the hob in one move.
Try the same pan on a different zone. If it works there, the first zone may be too large for it rather than faulty.
Check the base is flat by standing the pan on a worktop and pressing each side. A pan that rocks is not making proper contact.
On a Bosch or Neff hob, run the cookware test in the basic settings. Zero means unsuitable, one means slower than expected, two means correct — and those digits are not fault codes.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your hob
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. When you book a qualified appliance engineer, tell them the make, the model and the exact code or message on the display, and ask whether they carry parts for this make — that is what turns one visit into a repair rather than a quote.
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£0
Time on site
5 minutes
Nothing, unless you need different pans. This is the hob working correctly.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated September 2026. Your quote may differ.
Own this appliance and had this code? . Nothing is published until a person has read it.
Related hob fault codes
- HUsually simple to fixThe zone is still hot. Hotpoint and Rangemaster publish the threshold — lit until the glass is below 60 degrees — and Lamona warn it can still burn you after it goes out.Related: same brand
- U400Get it checkedThe hob is wired to the wrong supply. It appears within days of installation, and the person to call is the electrician rather than the appliance manufacturer.Related: same brand
- Zone cut outUsually simple to fixA zone that stops part way through cooking has usually protected itself from overheating. That includes the touch controls, which sit under the glass at the front.Related: same brand
- dEUsually simple to fixDemo mode. The hob lights up, responds to touch and never heats anything, because it is set up for a showroom floor.Related: same brand
Related guides
Common questions
My hob shows a 1 or a 2 on the zones. What code is that?
Not a code at all. Those are the results of the BSH cookware test on Bosch and Neff hobs: zero means the pan is unsuitable, one means it heats more slowly than expected, and two means it heats correctly.
The display flashes when I lift the pan to stir.
Expected behaviour. BSH publish that removing the cookware during cooking makes the residual heat indicator and the selected heat setting flash alternately. Put the pan back and it resumes.
Do I need special pans?
You need pans with a ferromagnetic base — BSH’s phrase is that a magnet must be attracted to it. Cast iron and enamelled steel always pass; stainless steel only sometimes, because many stainless pans are non-magnetic unless the maker has built a magnetic layer into the base, so test rather than assume. BSH list normal thin steel, glass, clay, copper and aluminium as not suitable. You do not need pans marketed specifically as induction — the magnet test, a flat base and a size that matches the zone are what matter.
Technical review
Not reviewed by an engineer
No engineer has read this page. Severity follows what the manufacturer publishes, and we would rather tell you that than let a byline imply a sign-off.
Sources and how we verified this
We establish the facts from the sources below and then write the explanation ourselves. We do not copy manufacturer wording and we do not host their manuals.
- Manufacturer technical and service documentation
- Manufacturer support portal
This page has not been reviewed by an engineer, and we would rather tell you that than imply otherwise. The severity rating follows what the manufacturer publishes: where they say isolate the appliance and call someone, so do we.