Single burner induction cooktop with easy temperature adjustment?

[jrshaul]

After the ruin of too many potato latkes, I'm giving in and buying an induction cooktop. My current stove has effectively maybe three temperature settings, and deep-frying or the preparation of dry caramels is a nightmare. I'd like something with easy temperature adjustment - perhaps a knob? - and a price of not more than $100.

If anyone would care to offer me one secondhand, that would be fantastic. (Is this appropriate for this forum?)

[Kerry Beal]

Do you have a Tuesday Morning where you live? They often have 1800W inductions for about $80.

[jrshaul]

Do you have a Tuesday Morning where you live? They often have 1800W inductions for about $80.

I do! Of what brand?

I have been warned some of the lesser brands are prone to "hotspotting" due to small coils or poor design.

[Kerry Beal]

I think it was a Max Burton that I found there. I also have a Eurodib that I bought here in Canada for around $100.

[jrshaul]

I think it was a Max Burton that I found there. I also have a Eurodib that I bought here in Canada for around $100.

One of the Eurodibs is on sale for $82 online. I'd rather not pay the shipping, but Eurodib appears to be a more foodservice oriented brand. Any thoughts?

[Mjx]

Does the cooktop you get have to be induction?

Bear with me: There are a lot of non-induction glass cooktops out there at lower prices than the induction ones, meaning that for the money, you can get a better non-induction cooktop, many of which have extended warranties.

You want as extended a warranty as you can get, because the hot-spot issue you mentioned plagues all glass cooktops, regardless of whether or not they're induction (for the past eight years I've spent most of my time in a country where glass cooktops, both induction and standard, are the default, and have lived worked on many, many glass cooktops in that time).

[Kerry Beal]

Mine aren't cooktops - just the single burner induction that get tucked away when they aren't in use. If I'm worried about scratches (which I was with the first - and haven't given a thought to since) I put a little six sided silpat on top of the burner.

Anna and I have had probably 6 inductions between us - I think one of hers had a problem but I don't think it was the eurodib.

[jrshaul]

Mine aren't cooktops - just the single burner induction that get tucked away when they aren't in use. If I'm worried about scratches (which I was with the first - and haven't given a thought to since) I put a little six sided silpat on top of the burner.

.

I may be making a severe malapropism: I've seen the single-burner induction hotplates described as cooktops on vendors' pages, and was using the term as such. I do, in fact, mean the portable single-burner devices.

Does the cooktop you get have to be induction?

Bear with me: There are a lot of non-induction glass cooktops out there at lower prices than the induction ones, meaning that for the money, you can get a better non-induction cooktop, many of which have extended warranties.

I've heard a lot of good things about induction, especially with respect to efficiency. (The effective ~1.5kW limit from American sockets is a nuisance.) One of the more reputable American TV chefs comments that he prefers them over gas for making dry caramels.

I've also yet to see any good non-induction hotplates in American (120v) format. I don't even need the glass surface - it just has to have better contact than my cheap electric range. I've resorted to lidding my saucepans with a massive cast-iron skillet lest the hotspots destroy their contents.

That said, I'm all for cheap and durable function - if you've found something I missed, link away!

[tsp.]

Slightly OT, but can you hack together a PID temperature contoller like the SV guys do for a small induction cooktop? Have the temperature probe in the pan and cycle on and off?

[Mjx]

. . . .

I've heard a lot of good things about induction, especially with respect to efficiency. (The effective ~1.5kW limit from American sockets is a nuisance.) One of the more reputable American TV chefs comments that he prefers them over gas for making dry caramels.

I've also yet to see any good non-induction hotplates in American (120v) format. I don't even need the glass surface - it just has to have better contact than my cheap electric range. I've resorted to lidding my saucepans with a massive cast-iron skillet lest the hotspots destroy their contents.

That said, I'm all for cheap and durable function - if you've found something I missed, link away!

I've used induction cooktops, and haven't found them to be any better or worse overall than a standard glass cooktop/burner. I know they're popular with people who have small children, but aside from the cool surface thing, they seem to offer nothing worth paying extra for. That said, I've only worked on glass models, since it's difficult to find anything else here (in fact, I didn't realize until now that there were induction cooktops that aren't glass).

However. In the EU, Siemens is reliable and in the 'decent' price range (virtually all their glass cooktops are now induction), with discontinued models being readily available at low prices, still with their full warranty, plus they have great, fine-grained controls, so it's a brand I recommend (I'm pretty sure it's available in the US). Miele is good too, maybe a notch up from Siemens, but last I looked, it was being sold as luxury brand (WTF?!) in the US; if that's changed, I'd look into Miele, too. None of the other brands I'm familar with seem to be distrubuted in the US, so I'm afraid that's it for my recommendations.

[haresfur]

. . . .

I've heard a lot of good things about induction, especially with respect to efficiency. (The effective ~1.5kW limit from American sockets is a nuisance.) One of the more reputable American TV chefs comments that he prefers them over gas for making dry caramels.

I've also yet to see any good non-induction hotplates in American (120v) format. I don't even need the glass surface - it just has to have better contact than my cheap electric range. I've resorted to lidding my saucepans with a massive cast-iron skillet lest the hotspots destroy their contents.

That said, I'm all for cheap and durable function - if you've found something I missed, link away!

I've used induction cooktops, and haven't found them to be any better or worse overall than a standard glass cooktop/burner. I know they're popular with people who have small children, but aside from the cool surface thing, they seem to offer nothing worth paying extra for.

I very much disagree with that assessment. I had a hybrid with 2 burners of each type and almost never used the radiant ones. Advantages in my experience are: more rapid heating, more rapid cooling, very good temperature control - especially at the low temperature range (depends on model), much more energy efficient, and of course the cool surface so food doesn't burn on and you can pick up spilled bits and eat them.

[larryroohr]

I have a single Max Burton along with my glass top electric stove.

I use it for pressure cooking because I can turn the heat down so quickly and set the temp to a step above the target internal temp of the pressure cooker. Also like it for cooking bacon so I don't have the temp over 320 which is what I understand is the high limit to avoid nitrosamines.

It also works better with my cast iron wok for deep frying, which doesn't matter because I'm banishing deep frying to outdoors on my turkey fryer base, guess I could take the fob outside too though.

Complaints are the burner area is too small, all the ones I looked at online seem to be the same though. Also my small all-clad pan that is advertised as induction ready doesn't work (the fob won't turn on with it), giving it the magnet test it is magnetic but weaker than my other pans that work so I don't know if it's that or the size.

Just bought a new set of pans to replace my cuisinarts that don't work with it so I expect to find even more uses.

[Mjx]

. . . .

I very much disagree with that assessment. I had a hybrid with 2 burners of each type and almost never used the radiant ones. Advantages in my experience are: more rapid heating, more rapid cooling, very good temperature control - especially at the low temperature range (depends on model), much more energy efficient, and of course the cool surface so food doesn't burn on and you can pick up spilled bits and eat them.

As I made a point of saying, what I described was my experience. Nothing against induction in terms of function, but I've personally have seen no advantage; the array of options available in the US may mean that this is not the case there.

Also, I wasn't arguing against induction as such, but pointing out that at a given price point, you can get a better quality standard glass cooktop than an induction one. Since he's only looking at a single burner unit (which I didn't realize originally), if the thing dies in a short time and isn't under warranty, it wouldn't mean that he has nothing to cook on, so I guess that isn't so important.

Still, all the recent model glass cooktops I've used came to full temperature extremely rapidly; I haven't noticed that induction units are quicker, but if they are, it's a question of seconds, and if seconds are an actual issue in terms of heating time, then a gas burner is the way to go.

I expect burners to be hot, so rapid cooling isn't something I expect of them, or care about (but I don't have children, either). I've yet to see an induction cooktop that has better temperature controls than regular glass ones, but that may be due to the fact that here, glass is standard, so the array of options is broad, and there is a lot of competition.

[boilsover]

You need to be aware that (1) These 'tops are NOT infinitely-variable as were rheostatically controlled coil or valved gas 'tops. They all have discrete settings (1-6, 1-10, 1-100, etc.). The cheapo one-burner hotplates typically have the fewest, and the $$$ full-on cooktops typically have more. At 1-100 steps, it approximates infinite variability, but in the 1-10 models (i.e., the vast majority), you don't even get much of a spread. This is because typically 6-10 is WAY too much power for most dishes except boiling. This can leave you... right where you started.

(2) If you're considering one that has temperature settings (as opposed/in addition to the arbitrary numerical setting), these are not only notoriously unreliable at accurately reflecting the actual pan temperature, but they seem to not hold a constant temperature. They are best described as surging. The ghost in the machine is that the temperature sensors are cheap (like the rest of the appliance) AND mounted beneath the Ceran surface, nowhere near your food. If they're measuring anything, it's the space under the glass. IMO, the temperature settings are a cruel joke.

For my money, you're ahead to go with a butane hotplate with infinite adjustment than these things.

Edited December 20, 2012 by boilsover (log)

[jrshaul]

For my money, you're ahead to go with a butane hotplate with infinite adjustment than these things.

I looked at those. The price of butane would bankrupt me.

The major issues I have with electric stoves - specifically, the slow variance in heat combined with poor contact area and limited variability - appear to have no good solutions. Would a really high grade electric hot plate function better?

[rotuts]

these are not issues with induction tops. you of course cant use you snappy copper pans from FR.

[Joe Blowe]

After skimming this thread, it seems to me you only have three options:

1) Buy a budget countertop induction burner, with good reviews, and hope for the best.

2) Buy a propane burner (like this one, for example) and use it outdoors. Within in your budget.

3) Buy the best, a Cooktek built-in single hob or countertop induction burner. Very expensive, but worth it.

I'd skip the better quality standard hot plates -- they're expensive (~$200 for a good one at a restaurant supply store), and they might not offer anything better than what you already have...

[Mjx]

. . . .

The major issues I have with electric stoves - specifically, the slow variance in heat combined with poor contact area and limited variability - appear to have no good solutions. . . .

Okay, I'm not getting this: I know these are significant issues with the old-fashioned coil burners, but surely no one buys those anymore, and any decent glass ceramic cooktop heats evenly over the entire burner surface and has relatively fine control; the completeness of the contact area is dependent on the bottom of the pan being even (but only an open flame is forgiving of warped pans). I'm starting to think we're talking about two entirely different kinds of glass ceramic cooktops/burners.

[rotuts]

Ive followed the induction threads for some time and have decided to get one from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=induction+cooktop&sprefix=induction+%2Caps%2C865&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ainduction+cooktop

its for occasional use ( PC ) and maybe for pasta if i can find my two IKEA pasta pots.

many of you have them, so help me decide between the:

DUXTOP $ 90

or

Burton $ 75 or 89.

I can's tell much difference, but someone here has ideas i bet.

$ 15 doesn't break the bank, but just wondering if the 'updated' units ( more $$ ) just have different controls that might not matter.

many thanks!

hope to get this 'before I go over the Cliff' as the Media claims is about to happen to me.

[ChrisTaylor]

Not familiar with these brands but just a word of advice. My cooktop, a New Wave one, only accepts pans <22cm in diameter. Well, that part on the bottom that makes contact with the cooktop, that has to be <22cm. That's a specification I'd be looking at in future purchases yet isn't one I was thinking about a whole lot when I set out to purchase a portable induction cooktop. And given you want to drop a pasta pot on top, I'd say it's something you should be thinking about too (unless you've already considered it).

[andiesenji]

I have an older Supentown and a newer Max Burton 6050 with the interface disc that allows me to use my Corning ware and copper pans on it.

I had another, can't recall the name, that I gave to a friend. I think it may have been Waring - bought it at Costco.

With the disk I can put a 12 qt Calphalon stock pot 3/4 filled with water and have it at a rolling boil in 10 minutes - faster than the 18000 btu burner on my gas cooktop.

[Syzygies]

Well, that part on the bottom that makes contact with the cooktop, that has to be <22cm.

Do you mean that only 22cm heats up, when you use a larger pot? Or does it sense an error condition, and refuse to operate? The former would be fine, for stock or pasta.

(I've held off on buying one because I've never seen one I could control with an outboard PID. They're all "smart".)

[pingo]

I don't sure that the induction cooktop is easier temperature adjustment or not. My one is Duxtop which has 10 levels with digital control and the price is under $100. If you want some ideas you can find on http://www.bestsellingreviews.com/Kitchen/Induction-Cooktop/ and http://www.hometone.com/entry/10-induction-cooktops/.

[bhsimon]

I've bee doing a bit of research on induction lately, after using a portable benchtop unit in my kitchen for more than a year.

The main drawback I've found is the limited number of levels. Ten levels is simply not enough. Another drawback is that my unit simulates lower levels of power by turning the power on for a second, then off for a second, and so on. It is not actually a lower power setting, but a pulse of a higher setting.

These two limitations are, in my opinion, significant. Many recipes are written with just a few power settings such as low, medium-low, medium, medium-high and high. That might give the impression that five power settings would be enough, and perhaps they would be if those power settings were distributed across a wide range of heat. They are not. The low settings are unusable and the high settings are beyond what is required except to bring water to a boil very rapidly. When setting power by temperature, the settings are 20°C apart. I cannot use it with my pressure cooker because one setting is too low and the next is too high.

One of the few units I've found with more than 10 or 15 power levels is the Volraith Mirage Pro range, which are portable units. I haven't tried them, so I can't comment directly on how good they are, but they have 100 levels of power and temperature settings which are only 5°C apart. This nicely addresses the issue of the number of power levels. It would be interesting to see how they handle low power modes.

Based on these specs, I started looking for built-in cooktops which offered similar levels of power and, as yet, I've been unable to find anything. Even the highly regarded Miele have only 15 levels, which may be enough but I haven't tested them.

I think it would be nice to see the technology evolve so that we have power levels which are equivalent across brands and models. Wouldn't it be interesting to have power levels specified as something absolute, so the setting was equivalent between manufacturers? It seems like the induction technology is more capable of this than any other. Then a recipe could be written for an absolute power level rather than some baseless setting like 'medium-low'. (That always makes me smirk because medium-low on my big burner is nothing like medium-low on my small burner.)

I'm lucky to have gas so I don't feel a strong urgency to move to induction. I do find that my portable unit is much faster at bringing water to the boil and can hold it there while blanching a big batch of vegetables or cooking a lot of pasta. So I'm surviving with a portable unit for now which I may update to one of the Volraith units, but I'll be keeping my gas cooktop until the technology matures.

[rotuts]

your analysis is interesting. the Volraith Mirage Pro single induction burner at Amazon is around 512 $$.

mine from Amazon was 77 $$

I think that the fine temps you are looking for are not so important in induction as the thick steel on the bottom buffers the heat to the pan.

it might be true that these 'plates' cant do very low and slow. but students of SV use that method to do Hollandaise etc.

I have a lot of heavy copper pans from here:

http://eshop.e-dehillerin.fr/en/copper-inox-induction-cooper-xsl-243_269.html

bought in the mid 80's for almost free. I do not have these items above, at about 450 Euro's a pop

you pan will mitigate some of of your doubts re temp.

getting one lottery ticket tomorrow than then we will see ..........