Inductive heating has emerged as a new heating technique in the laboratory, particularly when combined with miniaturized flow reactor devices. Traditionally, inductive heating is found in industrial applications like the heating of large metallic objects such as in the bending of pipes, bonding and welding. New fields of application are the preparation of nanotubes as well as hyperthermia in the treatment of cancer. This account specifically addresses the use of heatable materials such as superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in many areas of organic synthesis and how this enabling technology compares to conventional as well as microwave heating.