Samsung Induction Cooktop not detecting cookware | Fix Guide

Use only checks that match the exact appliance or system and its official guide.

1. Check 1

   With the surface cool and your hands dry, select the affected zone once and record what appears: no response, an underlined lowercase u or other pan symbol, a code, or a zone that starts and then stops. Note whether the same symptom affects one zone or every zone.

   Expected result: An underlined lowercase u appears, the zone gives a pan-detection indication, the display is different on each zone, or no zone recognizes cookware.

   Next step: Photograph the display, record the exact model and affected zone, and continue with a known-compatible pan. If smoke, sparks, burning smell, cracked glass, uncontrolled heat, liquid near electrical parts, or repeated breaker trips are present, stop using the cooktop.

   Why this matters

   Why: Samsung's US range and cooktop error guide uses an underlined lowercase u for a pan-detection error on induction cooktops; a display that differs by zone is useful evidence for model-specific support rather than proof of a universal code.

2. Check 2

   Check the pan itself without heating it: place a magnet against the underside, inspect that the base is flat and intact, and compare its magnetic base diameter with the cooking-zone size listed in the exact model manual. Set aside pans made only from nonmagnetic aluminum, copper, glass, or ceramic unless the manufacturer labels them as induction-compatible.

   Expected result: The magnet does not hold, the base is warped or damaged, the magnetic area is smaller than the zone requirement, or the pan is labeled for induction and has a flat magnetic base.

   Next step: Use a clean, flat pan confirmed for induction and sized for the zone. Do not slide heavy or rough cookware across the glass; lift and place it.

   Why this matters

   Why: Samsung says induction cookware needs a magnetic base and that cookware size must fit the burner; its FAQ also calls out pans that are too small. A pan that fails the magnet or size check is a cookware mismatch, not evidence that the cooktop sensor has failed.

3. Check 3

   Place the confirmed pan in the center of the affected zone, add water, select the zone, and set a low or moderate level within the model's normal operating instructions. Keep the test brief and do not test an empty pan.

   Expected result: The pan is detected and the water warms, the pan remains undetected, or the zone starts and then turns off.

   Next step: If the pan is still rejected, reposition it once and verify the manual's size requirement. If the water does not get hot with a known-compatible pan, turn the zone off and use the comparison check before requesting service.

   Why this matters

   Why: Samsung explains that induction elements can shut off when cookware is not magnetic or when it is empty; a water-filled test avoids mistaking that automatic behavior for a pan-detection failure. Centering and a suitable size also matter.

4. Check 4

   Using the same confirmed pan and the same water-filled test, compare the affected zone with one other zone that is the same model's supported size. Record whether the panel response, pan symbol, and heating result change with the zone.

   Expected result: The pan heats on another zone but not the affected zone, or no zone detects the same pan.

   Next step: Turn both controls off and stop using a zone that repeatedly rejects the confirmed pan. Provide Samsung with the affected zone, the comparison result, pan material and size, and any display symbol.

   Why this matters

   Why: A successful test elsewhere makes the pan and its placement less likely to be the cause and supports a localized zone, sensor, or control-path problem. Failure on every zone keeps cookware, model settings, or a broader cooktop fault in consideration.

5. Check 5

   If the display shows an underlined lowercase u, correct the pan's material, size, or placement and observe the zone for the next minute rather than repeatedly restarting it.

   Expected result: The indication clears and the pan heats, or the indication remains and the element turns off after about one minute.

   Next step: If a correctly sized magnetic pan still produces the symbol, stop testing that zone and request model-specific service. Do not enter a service mode or open the cooktop.

   Why this matters

   Why: Samsung's US error-code guide says this symbol is a pan-detection error and that an unresolved unsuitable-pan condition can turn the element off after one minute. The timed shutoff is a documented detection branch, not permission to bypass a persistent error.