# Intermediate-frequency magnetic field meter

> Covers the kilohertz gap between an ELF gaussmeter and an RF meter — the band occupied by induction hobs, EV inverters, solar optimisers and switch-mode supplies.

- Canonical URL: https://emfbase.com/meters/intermediate-frequency-meter
- Collection: Instruments
- Record id: `meters:intermediate-frequency-meter`
- Status: verified
- Last verified: 2026-08-12
- JSON: https://emfbase.com/api/meters/intermediate-frequency-meter
- Also known as: IF meter, kHz magnetic field meter

## Key values

- **Band covered:** roughly 2 kHz – 400 kHz
- **Quantities measured:** magnetic flux density
- **Axes:** triple
- **Typical price:** $200–$2000

## Detects

- Induction cooktop coil fields
- Inverter and optimiser switching fields
- Wireless-charging pads

## Cannot detect

- Power-frequency fields, on meters that high-pass filter 50/60 Hz out
- Radiofrequency communications signals

## What to insist on

- Stated flat frequency response across the band of interest
- Three-axis sensing
- A clear statement of which ICNIRP reference level applies to readings in this band

## Related records

- [Induction cooktop](https://emfbase.com/emitters/induction-cooktop): Induction hobs work by driving a 20–100 kHz coil, producing intermediate-frequency magnetic fields that are strong at the hob edge and fall off steeply — and that most consumer gaussmeters cannot measure because their bandwidth stops at 2 kHz.
- [Electric vehicle cabin (traction and charging)](https://emfbase.com/emitters/electric-vehicle): EV cabins contain low-frequency magnetic fields from battery cables, traction motor and inverter, strongest in the footwell and over the pack, with a separate profile during fast charging.

## Sources

- `icnirp-2010` International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (2010). *Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Time-Varying Electric and Magnetic Fields (1 Hz to 100 kHz)*. https://www.icnirp.org/en/publications/article/lf-guidelines-2010.html — guideline, link checked 2026-08-12

Data licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Dataset version 2026.08.1. Retrieved from EMFBase, https://emfbase.com.

This record is reference data, not medical or legal advice. Regulatory limits, scientific guidelines and precautionary values are labelled separately and answer different questions.