So i bought a Tramontina 81500/108 induction cooker. Knowing the system requires a magnetic pan to complete the circuit and induce heat into the given pan, I decided to test if I could place a steel nut on the surface. Of course it didn't work. I assume the reason is there was not enough surface area to make it work. So I covered the entire surface with 60 or so steel nuts. Still the unit would not power on. Yes, of course I first used the pan which was included and it worked flawlessly to boil water in no time. The question is, 'does a solid piece ferromagnetic need to be used?'

 

does a solid piece ferromagnetic need to be used?'

Yes.
It needs to induce eddy currents in the ferromagnetic, and the smaller the size, the lower the eddy currents.
If all the nuts are physically electrically connected (soldered) together, than they should heat up.

 

Yes.
It needs to induce eddy currents in the ferromagnetic, and the smaller the size, the lower the eddy currents.
If all the nuts are physically electrically connected (soldered) together, than they should heat up.

Perfect. They were not physically elecrically connected...simply bunched together haphazardly. Thank you for your time in answering my question. Philosophically, would putting a piece of foil under the bunched together nuts achieve the same goal (assuming each nut was making contact with the foil)?

 

Philosophically, would putting a piece of foil under the bunched together nuts achieve the same goal (assuming each nut was making contact with the foil)?

I don't think so.
The nuts should be connected end-to-end, so that the current goes in one side and out the other to the next nut.
Putting them on foil will tend to locally short-circuit the current from each nut.