In order to increase the power of an induction heating device or in order to avoid system reactions when driving the latter, either the pulse widths of the two switching means can be made unsymmetrical in the case of half-bridge driving up to the half-point of a half-cycle. Alternatively, a dead time between the pulse width can be extended. This advantageously takes place without interruption and continuously. In the course of a half-cycle, the power is thus reduced given an unaltered operating frequency and an inductor current has virtually an ideal sine-wave form.