IIRC the magnetic field strength follows the inverse square rule.
That is, doubling the distance between the induction flux source
and the skillet bottom produces only 1/4 of the original flux density.
Your little pot should heat more slowly and inefficiently because of
the distance from the flux source.

I use an iron skillet for shabu-shabu, over a butane tabletop burner
of the type you can find in most oriental markets. Works fine. Cast
iron skillets are not too expensive and a good investment. If you are
not doing shabu-shabu and need something deeper (like for gulyas or
other stew-like dish), you can use a small dutch oven (legless
variety). They come in various sizes and some have glass lids rather
than iron.

I would guess that Le Creuset-style cocottes would work, too.


HTH,

Alex
On Wed, 3 Dec 2008 17:32:48 -0000, "john zeiss"
> wrote:

>We are thinking of buying one of those table 'induction' heaters to cook a
>Japanese type of vegetable meal actually on the dining table.
>
>The cast iron pot traditionally used for this is one that we already have.
>It is though designed for use over a *gas* burner and it does not have a
>*flat* bottom. So the surface area in contact with the induction heater
>would be much reduced.
>
>The pot looks like a miniature witches cauldron with a curved bottom and
>three tiny little stumpy legs to rest on. The fact that the pot surface
>area in contact with the induction heater surface is reduced to three little
>legs, would that mean that electricity is actually being wasted in heating
>such a pot or is it that it just would not heat up very much using an
>induction heater ? Thanks for any advice.
>