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Induction cooktops

rudy_young_122203

Hey everyone,

I want to purchase one or two countertop induction cooktops, however I'm new to there use. I wanted to see if anyone out there has a certain brand they find easier to use than another or can anyone fill me in on what, if any, are the most important specifications to keep in mind when purchasing one.

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Comments

brian_martin2001

I've seen a few folks here recommend the Paragon. ChefSteps has used a Waring professional model. To keep in mind, I'd consider what you're using it for, how tight the temperature control you need, and the size of pot/pan you're using on it. Good luck.

pgcath

Almost all of the cheap plates have terrible temperature control, in my experience. Some of them are fine if you just want to sear.

I have a Volrath Mirage Pro and like it. I think both the Paragon and the Waring pro are also good choices. In this realm, you get what you pay for in terms of even heating and fine control - a lot of brands that seem like a good value take shortcuts on how they control the power and burn delicate sauces.

Reading a lot of reviews on the particular model you want helps. If people are just using them as warmers and/or sear burners, you might want to do more research.

Hope that helps.

Matthew_Snyder_68770

I have the Waring pro and like it. But I rarely use it for anything but searing proteins. If I'm in a time crunch, like maybe a weeknight dinner, I'll use it to pre-heat water for sous-vide cooking. But that's really a bit silly.

My main point of contention is that only five of my two dozen pots and pans work on the thing despite me thinking I was purchasing the right stuff at the time. I've shared that story before, and it's one of my more derpy accomplishments. I'd love to go full induction, but between wanting to put it on its own panel and having to purchase a whole new slate of cookware, it's a more expensive proposition than I want to undertake.

seijoed

I ended up getting a cheapo set from Costco, perhaps not the greatest set in the world but induction is such a great boon it was kinda sorta nice to get rid of most of the pans I don't use. I seem to mostly use besides frying pans, pressure cooker, some larger vessel for stews and sauces and a big pot for deep frying.

tshewman

I have the maxtor 1800W and like it. The downside is there are only 10 temp levels. The Vollrath59500P has 100 I believe and is a reasonable price. Cooktek is another I would consider if willing to spend a bit more. I'm still looking into what it would take (electrically) to get a full cooktop (or combo convection/induction range) . That's the biggest hurdle for me so far.

Brandon_Byrd_40557

Pretty much all of the cheap induction units are the same. Even though there are a bunch of different brands on the market, they all buy the same third-party induction coils from China (not that there's anything wrong with that) and slap them in different housings. A lot of the price difference you find in these units is due to differences in the housing -- more durable metal units cost more money. But it's the same basic product.

I've owned two of the inexpensive units from different brands and they both suffered from the same problems. They offered very limited temperature control -- 10 power settings and some other number of temperature settings that I never used because the temperatures were unreliable and not usually at temps I was interested in maintaining. This meant that it was difficult to maintain a simmer. The water would either be too cool or it would be at a rolling boil. A consequence was that it was also difficult to use these models with a pressure cooker... it would either lose pressure eventually or it would be venting constantly.

These units were also loud. At high temperature settings, they emitted an extremely obnoxious high pitched whine. When I say "high pitched," I mean close to ultrasonic. As a musician, I'm very sensitive to noise, and that made me hate - hate - using them. Another thing I hated about using them? Using membrane switches to increase or decrease the power setting. Mashing a button over and over to get to the temperature you want is awful. Knobs should be required but they're not available on any of the cheap units.

My current induction burner, the Vollrath Mirage Pro, has none of these problems. It is expensive, yes. I was lucky enough to get a lightly used one on eBay for an absurdly low price. But the difference in build quality and cooking experience is staggering. It has 100 power settings and has surprisingly accurate temperature control in 5 degree increments. It doesn't make noise and it has a knob. It is everything you want in an induction hob. It's a class above everything else in on the market, which is why it costs as much as it does. It's the best standalone 120V burner you can buy, and if you want something better you'll be paying more than $1000 and have to run special power to it. If you have the means to afford one -- or are lucky to find a great deal like I did -- then accept no substitutes. But if you don't want to (or just can't) spring for the Mirage Pro, @Max_Foster_18996's recommendations of the Paragon and Waring Pro are good choices.
To end, here's a fantastically thorough review/test/teardown of the Mirage Pro.

Brandon_Byrd_40557

For what it's worth, the review website I linked to rates the Duxtop 9100MC as the best of the low-end burners.

Matthew_Snyder_68770

Yes, yes, yes, I use the induction hotplate for frying too. So nice to not have be afraid of a grease explosion if that chicken thigh slips through the tongs.

artstype

what kind of musician?

pgcath

Again, love my Mirage Pro. Love! I am buying two more for the kitchen in the house we are building, and pre-wiring for a 220 unit (or two) that I pick up when I find them at a good price... No range, all cooktops and workspaces.

seijoed

@Brandon, didn't know that, we are quite involved with competition choirs and classical music as an extension. I'm not that good at it but daughter in a high end choir and daughter goes to a performing art school, for creative writing actually but she is part of the voice program parts.