I live in the UK and I have used induction for about 10 years. Once I got used to it, I just love it. Cooks and cleans up easily. Recently I had occasion to use a gas stove. Could not wait to use my induction again.
THANK YOU for mentioning the danger of using induction if you have a medical implant. I have a defibrillator/pacemaker implant and am unable to use one for that reason. I only learned of this when reading the manual after I purchased one on sale. Anyone with metal pins in their arm or wrist after an injury should also avoid cooking this way. This is a very important detail that is rarely mentioned in reviews or articles on induction appliances. 👍👍
@@julianopificius6910 Not all implants are made of stainless steel. Electronic implants, such as pacemakers and defibrillators, are not. If someone wishes to take the risk, they are welcome to do so.
@@TomJones-tx7pb Guess what? Pacemakers and defibrillators are NOT PINS. An induction cook top can cause them to explode in your chest. I am done replying on this topic.
@@barcham the magnetic field fucks up the batteries and microchips that are voltage sensitive. It is not a joke or fearmongering. If you were in that situation you would be careful too
@@zenwaichi3587 I AM in that situation, this is why I brought it up in the first place. I have a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted in my chest and unless someone else here has the same, they need to STFU about it because they don't have a clue what they are talking about.
I have a Duxtop very similar to the best buy recommendation here and have enjoyed using it for several years. One cool feature is that it's so portable I can take it with me on road trips and basically have my own kitchen wherever I go.
@@mclyman-onkka3579 I’m considering replacing my gas range with induction. I’m very sensitive to noise, so I’m hoping you can convey to me how noisy and induction range is. I cannot find any TH-cam videos about induction stove noise that don’t have narration and music. I can’t actually hear the stove in action. Also, I’m curious about the model stove you have that you’re happy with. Thanks for your help with this difficult decision
@@arleneandmike As far as induction 'noise', some of the single burner units have small fans that come on (like a computer fan). If fan noise bothers you, that might be a good reason to do more research on particular models, and also to buy one in a store, for easy returns -- (I have no idea about noise from induction ranges, but it's probably no more than the noise from a gas range).
25 years ago I moved into a neighborhood with no natural gas hookup and was crushed. I suffered with an electric range for a few years until I bought a GE Profile induction cooktop in 2009 and I have never looked back. I am an avid cook and I LOVE induction cooking. The responsiveness and control are excellent. I'm happy the prices are coming down. I have also used a pair of standalone burners in two separate rental cottage kitchens. The guests love them and I feel reassured knowing there is a safe alternative to electric or gas for renters. I didn't know about cooking through a silicone mat, I will try this with my cast iron pans. Less likely to scratch the top this way.
@@ShannonTaylor-ht3xm I will assume you have purchased your cooktop/stove/range by now ..... for what it is worth, I purchased a Frigidaire model induction stove for myself in early Sept. - I love it and glad I went all in with induction. (previously had an electric range with the coils on it) As a side note: I DID have to purchase 2 new pans as my griddle and omelet pan weren't induction compatible
The Duxtop sold us on induction. We cooked on it for about 12 months, some in hot weather when we didn't want to use the gas stove we had access to, and for 6 months when we had a non-functioning electric stove. I do recommend that an induction cooktop have fine control, not just 1-9 but 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, etc up to 9. I don't think I'd be sold without the finer control.
Another great reason to use induction burners is that you don't get bad gases like NOx in your kitchen and home - much much better for you and your family.
@@drylanterns7967 ? That’s not true where I live. There is no requirement to have a gas range if you have a gas hookup. In fact we bought our house with a gas furnace and an electric range. Is that the case where you live?
@@morrismonet3554 eh. I had gas in our last house and induction in our new house. I prefer induction. Personal preference maybe, but I don’t think there are any functional benefits to gas anymore.
We built our retirement dream house in coastal North Carolina where there is no piped-in natural gas so I decided on a GE Cafe Induction range / double oven and love it for the level of control it offers, the speed at which pans and pots heat up, and the ease of clean up. An infrared thermometer is very useful when using induction because the pans get so hot so fast, even at medium heat settings. Three ply All-Clad skillets and sauté pans which have an aluminum core to distribute the heat have more uniform temperatures than all stainless pans. The less expensive pans which have thicker aluminum “pucks” in the base (e.g. Emeril and Wolfgang Puck branded) also work well.
We upgraded our old house to an induction range with convection oven. Previously he had a builders grade gas range for > 20 years. Wow! Fell it love with it! You can melt chocolate without a double boiler. Redoing the kitchen in our new place. Replacing a 28 yo electric coil with induction stove top. Can't wait!
Really glad to see more frequent output of reviews on the channel. Lisa does an awesome job presenting the real differences between similar products. Any time I'm shopping for kitchen equipment, ATK is the first place I check for advice! Thanks everyone!
TY!!! I was just about to google that question. I rarely use more than one hob, and usually cook almost everything using the same pan! It's clad for induction. You've made an old lady so happy. >> Tom's Ukrainian/American wife Pam
My motto is "have stove will travel." Not only is it great in my kitchen or any other room I want to cook in, but I can put it in an old laptop case (Duxtop brand), and it is unremarkable when traveling. I do also take a compatible saucepan and fry pan. It can go camping (if there is electricity), to hotel rooms, RVs, friends' houses, church, special event spaces, and so forth. It is so nice to set it in a corner keeping our hot chocolate warm during a community meeting.
For those who are forgetful, induction stove tops are a good option. If you forget that you're boiling something (in my case), it will automatically switch off when it gets too hot. Like no water left in the pot 😜. So, you won't burn the house down. Had to replace the induction cooker though. Twice 😆
This is a great summary. I have a portable burner I use in the back yard in the summer when I’d rather not be indoors. I can use it exclusively or alongside the barbecue. It’s light, and easy to set out there and easy to clean up afterwards. My next stovetop will definitely be induction.
These are very common and super cheap in Asia. However, even w 240v 50Hz power; the power supplies can get very hot. 125V would require more current. One of the primary uses for them is that large high rise apartment buildings generally don’t allow gas for fire safety reasons. A popular brand is made by the Spanish company Malloca . A basic 3 burner cooktop costs about $700-800. Very easy to install.
I don't think it would be unheard-of for a 200 volt AC to be available in the US, they're commonly used for electric dryers and water heaters. The catch, of course, is that you will probably need to have such a circuit available in your breaker box, and you would need to hire an electrician if not.
@@MMuraseofSandvich If there is wiring in place for an electric stove then it should be ready to just plug in. Even if not, in the US you will always at least have 240 V available at the breaker box (in single family homes), or 208 V (in apartments and such).
We have a range with gas stove top and electric oven so the 240v plug is there when we upgrade to induction and take advantage of the rebate from the IRA.
My portable unit is just as you suggested - The Test Rig. I haven't got above 3 yet. Frying onions and I have to pay attention. At 80; I really enjoy the unit turning off when I remove the pan. So the door bell or phone rings: I just set the pan to the side (Oh, it's a hot pan for sure) and if I get to gabbing - No problem!
At our condo (Philippines) gas is not allowed at all. We use portable gas cans, so lots of safety concerns. I have always hated regular electric burners, so the induction cooker was my best option. We bought one induction burner for our main pans, and one infrared burner for our aluminum pans. Each burner cost about $30-$40. The infrared is an electric burner but much better than the old style. The induction burner is a miracle! It gets hot super fast, has amazing responsiveness in temperature adjustments, and does not stay hot after use. I still prefer gas, because a chapati puffs better on a gas fire. 😎
I had paused the video to eagerly write down the Breville model, then resumed playing and when she said $1600 I crossed it out, LOL. I didn't even pay that for my entire range and oven, never mind a single burner.
ATK makes a lot of this content for politicians, with government salaries. For example, Nancy Pelosi, and her $20,000 refrigerator... she would probably have a $1,600 burner for her chef to boil water.
One thing that is rarely mentioned, and that I've found since owning both countertop and a range model, is that the peak of induction heating is roughly half the size of the coil. So even on Allclad or Swiss Diamond cookware, the evenness isn't as good as one may prefer. The only models that seem to address this are the Thermador cooktops which use 48 small inductive coils which automatically detect and heat whatever compatible cookware is over them.
Can confirm. Put simply, the area of your pan that actually gets hot, even on the largest burner on my induction cooktop stove is roughly half the size of my 12" skillet, or a circle about 6" in diameter. Be aware of this before making the big investment.
This is also the reason stovetop seasoning for your carbon steel or cast iron pan will not work as well as a gas stovetop. The heat is concentrated to a small area. I'm really intrigued with the small-many coil solution but they cost an arm and a kidney.
I live in an apartment with an unreliable stove. I bought the previous Best Buy winner, the Max Burton Digital Induction Cooktop. Since I use a lot of cast iron, I tried it out with the pieces I already had before buying new cookware. It works great, heats well and I’ve learned how to cook on it with minimal burning. It has a smaller cooking area than I’d like, doesn’t fit a 12” skillet. For the price, it’s great. If you’re looking new cookware, I recently bought a 12 piece Tramontina set from Costco on sale for $175. Amazing set for the price.
I got an induction hot plate after my electric stove failed. At first I was miffed by the fact that all my normal cookware that was aluminum became useless but I doubled down on some premium stainless steel cookware. That was 10 years ago, it still works gangbusters and the cookware is just as good as the day I got it. Induction doesn't damage your cookware in my experience like with normal gas or electric the bottom of your cookware gets really messed up from the heat, not with induction. I love how fast my water boils and with no hot spots I make perfect pancakes, grilled cheese and stuff like that, they come out perfectly golden brown. The benefit's far outweigh the minor downsides in my book, induction for life.
I just got my first induction stovetop - a portable one as I am a poor college student - and I can say portable to portable, it still beats the pants off of the much cheaper portable electric and gas stoves. Gas has the problem of having finite fuel and all the issues with needing venting, and the portable electric stovetops keep shutting themselves off to try and maintain temperature or not melt themselves (which my most recent one failed to do). Compared to that, I'm more than happy with my new "budget" top.
I have two portable induction burners, one a Duxtop. I use them for fast boiling or fast-searing sous vide cooked steaks/chops (my gas range is not powerful and does not produce good steak crusts). But other than that I find them completely imprecise and especially useless when you are working with small quantities (like sauces). The cheaper burner lets you set down to 140F, or so it claims, but a small amount of sauce will boil at that "temperature". The reason is that the portable burners have no idea what the temperature actually is in your pan. The sensors are in the device itself of course, so they are approximating/extrapolating what might be happening in the pan but have no actual way of "knowing". I don't know how more expensive induction range tops do a better job of this (people tell me they are better at temperature control than the portable ones, but I am going to have to see it for myself to believe it). The bigger problem for me is the Duxtop causes a faint but PAINFUL high-pitched squeal when it is in use. I researched this and it is supposedly a factor of the (lack of) quality of the pan you are using and how powerful the induction burner is. (My cheapo model does not cause this squeal.) So I went and bought cookware that was specific for induction burners and I still get the ear-piercing squeal. This concerns me because the high pitch hair cells in your cochlea are the ones that die off first as you age, and can be damaged by high-energy sound. I would hope that this squeal is not sufficiently high energy to damage these already at-risk receptors, but it does hurt my ears and pain usually is not a sign that your body is doing OK. I am concerned enough that between this and the really bad temperature control, I limit use of these devices to when I am out of burner space on my gas range. I hope that the tech continues to improve.
This is what be be off from Induction I tried. The two annoying sounds (Fan and the high pitch) and the temperature up and down at a constant low/middle setting. I really want reviews that focus on these issues, and if certain brands don't have them.
I have had the issue with the high pitch lately. The low temperature issues I find if you need to cook at a low temperature, you're best off using a baine marie style setup. The temperature settings do seem misleading. I suspect this is inherent in a temperature based purely on the cooktop because the Breville Control Freak has a temperature probe to put in the food if you want to cook at a specific temperature. The HestonCue in the UK has a similar setup(for a much lower price). Miele claims to have one with temperature control without a sensor but I've yet to test it. One way to limit the impact is to use a less responsive pan like cast iron. They'll smooth out the temperature variations more.
After using the Nuwave Induction Pic Gold, and waiting for the Pic Pro Chef that goes from 100 degrees to 575 degrees Fahrenheit for the past 1.5 years, they now have them in stock and on sale for $199.97 with a touch control glass top. I have not used my gas oven or gas stove top for the past 2 years. Nuwave has manufactured a WOK induction too. America's Test Kitchen needs to go back and test the new units available out there. I use mine daily from breakfast to lunch to supper. I watch you on PBS Television on KQED. Thanks for a great program on an important topic.
I went all in and got a Breville Control Freak. 2-3 years in and it’s one of my favorite kitchen purchases. The level of control and consistency is a game changer.
I bought a new induction range (with an electric stove) this year and but for the fact that the preheat sensor seems to be off by 50* I can't say enough of how much I love this appliance. After 45 years in professional food service and understanding the need to exit fossil fuel use an induction range was the answer. Faster, cooler, safer, more predictable and cleaner than gas. I'm also fortunate to live in a northern border state where 90% of our electricity comes from renewables a priority of which is hydro power.
I've had one of the Duxtop burners for a few years now and I LOVE it. Even with the lower power of a portable unit it boils water faster than my old gas stove, and I always use the induction burner first and then a stove burner IF I need a second one. The only annoyance is, as mentioned, the relatively small 6-inch coil, but most of the cookware I use on it distributes heat well enough to make that tolerable. I need a new range and am seriously considering closing off the gas and putting in a 240V line for a full induction range. I can't see going back to anything else at this point, induction is just too good.
We started with a Duxtop burner, very precise temperature control, and loved how quickly it cooked, with precise temperature levels, etc. We moved to a full induction range and it is even better. Fast, precise temperature controls ( again), all baking recipes are right on(compared to gas), no products of combustion in the kitchen. We now use the Duxtop for deck dinners and travel. Highly recommended.
But what pots and pans have people found to work well? Im sitting here scratching my head over how popular sometging with only a 6" diameter cooking area is! I wonder if an All Clad stainless steel skillet could work well?? I can't get cast iron cause don't have an oven to seaaon it.
After using other brands, I now have an IKEA induction burner. It’s fantastic. It’s big and heavy. It also has cord storage in the back and a metal loop to hang it up out of the way. It’s a decent price, better than shown. I will be buying another to add to my kitchen. Also, the entire surface is glass with no trim - so easy to clean (with a damp microfiber cloth). The touch controls are in the front, under the glass top. I don’t remember how wide the induction ring is, but I have no problems with any of my pans, even a 10” SS deep skillet. If your pans disperse heat well, you should be OK. My small (4qt) ceramic cast iron Dutch oven works fine. I’ll also be buying Ikea’s little microwave. It only has two knobs: time and heat level. I don’t use all the bells and whistles on my current microwave. I like simple, efficient appliances.
For the 40 bucks or whatever it was, it is absolutely fantastic! More powerful than my big gas stove. When I move into a new place I will definitely make the switch completely.
@@BlackMamba-lt8oe It’s the TILLREDA Portable induction cooktop. It’s big and sturdy, well made. I just noticed on their site that this model is a little different, no timer. still looks the same.
When we needed to replace our stove we decided to go Induction. It is the best way to cook these days. Remember the old saying "If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen." Well with induction, the kitchen never gets hot.
For about 10 years I've used a portable induction cooktop that I bought for 60 dollars at Costco. Despite it being underpowered at 900 watts, it boils water quicker than my conventional smooth top range and what I love about it is that I can quickly adjust the power and set it to cook at a particular temperature, making it useful for frying foods with hot oil, for I never have to worry about cooking at the wrong temperature. My only complaint is the extremely small magnetic coil which only heats up a small area under my cast iron cookware which makes for a small effective cooking area.
I so appreciate America's Test Kitchen!!! Always check out your videos when I am thinking about buying a new piece of kitchen equipment. Thank you for your excellent reviews!!! You are all fantastic, but Lisa, you are my favorite!!! Keep up the GREAT work!!!!
A pro for induction is better interior air quality; there's a link between gas stoves and childhood asthma. A con for induction is there is sometimes a hum sound generated by the pan, which might be annoying.
I bought a Zavor portable induction burner ~6 months ago. I love how efficient and responsive it is. I love that, compared to my gas cooktop, there is never spill over heat around the edge of the pot/pan to make it uncomfortable to stir what's in the pot/pan. I dislike that the induction coil is small which causes the center of large pans being much hotter than the edge. Surely there is a portable induction burner with a large coil that doesn't require taking out a second mortgage. I would happily pay two or three times the cost of the cheap units for more uniform heating of large pans. I'm not willing to pay ten times the cost of a cheap unit.
There’s a good video, but as a building manager I have to point out a couple of things that either you left off, or that are important to know if things have changed. We use electric stoves in our building, we don’t have gas. As a result our choices are coil burners, glass top coils, or induction. The biggest problem with any glass top stove, is maintenance. As an aside, it’s important for people to understand that just because an electric stove has a glass top does not mean it’s induction. There are modern coil type stoves that have glass tops as well. These look very similar to induction, but do not have the feature where they are not hot to the touch. These ones can work with any kind of pan just like regular coil or gas stoves. In any case, the care and maintenance of a glass top stove is different than for anything that has iron grates like you would find in a gas stove top. First, you have to use the right kind of cleaners. From what I understand, an abrasive cleanser can cause the glass surface to become cloudy, discolored, or otherwise damaged. In addition, because these are glass tops, if you drop a pan onto the surface, it is possible to crack that glass. Replacing it can be very expensive, in some cases as much as either a coil electric stove, or even the glass top stove itself. At least that’s what I’ve been led to believe. As a result, it’s very challenging for an apartment building to have any kind of glass top stove whether it’s induction or direct heating. We are testing one in one of our units, but it is very risky to do this. There’s one other thing you didn’t mention, in addition to being more efficient than the other types of stoves, it’s worth noting that moving to any kind of electric stove whether it be induction or coil, puts out less fumes into the environment. Some environmentalists are lobbying to end the use of gas stoves entirely. This is because electricity can be modularized, and even if today your city might be using a coal fire plant for electricity, it can easily be changed over time. The only advantage today of a gas stove is usually price. Not the stove itself, but the fuel. Gas is often significantly cheaper than electricity. And there are some who would argue that over the entire power chain, the gas is actually a more efficient use of energy. That all said, unless modern glass top stoves are using the latest high-tech glass that we find on our phones, it’s unlikely that the issues that I’ve described can be overcome. And even if they are using gorilla glass or something similar, it’s one thing to have 5 to 10 in.² of that, it’s quite another to have several square feet of glass as a surface that you put a heavy pot on. Meaning that it would make such stoves incredibly expensive, and again, out of the reach of most apartment buildings. What's needed is some advancement in style to affordable coil stoves without glass. The design of current coil electric stoves without glass hasn't changed since probably the 1970s. This is unattractive to most renters; this means that they will often go for apartments with gas stoves instead. There are some commercial coil stoves available which have a better, if more industrial, aesthetic. However, these are 2-3x more expensive than an expensive glass-top induction stove, which themselves are already 2x as expensive as a coil stove. Seriously, $10K for the cheapest one I found. This means that they are far out of reach for anyone except the most expensive rentals.
My parents' home is 27 years old and has had the same glass top electric stove/oven the entire time and the glass top has had 0 issues. It's easy to clean with just a dish cloth warm water and dish soap. It's withstood drops on its surface and scrapes with minimal visible scratches. I've lived in several apartments with electric coils and gas grates that are newer and much worse for wear: warped grates and crooked coils creating uneven cooking surfaces, coatings on grates being dissolved on whichever burner is used most. And of course, they're much more difficult to clean which creates its own dangers. The scratches on the (metal) surface of my current gas stove are way worse than the glass one I grew up with, partially because the flame of the gas stove burns food onto the surface and then requires much more to try to clean off. Plus electric coils on some models can be unplugged from the rest of the heating elements if moved --like when you're trying to clean under them. I think glass tops can be plenty compatible for apartment buildings. But there are more small and cheap (quality and price) options on the market for coil and gas that make them more attractive to landlords.
@@linzeeb4 i'm happy that your parents have had a good experience. However, as owners, they both are more likely to care for the appliance properly, as well as pay for damage. We have 44 units, and half change over every 18 months. this means the odds of the kinds of damage I describe are far higher. fixing coil ones is easier and cheaper.
Well at 70 I jumped in with both feet and bought an induction top stove. I nearly burned my egg this morning so now I am back on youtube trying to find tutorials.... I am determined.. I love the safety of this process and as I age that is a great incentive. Also reading the manual that came with the stove. Did buy an induction cookbook but nothing beats personal experience.... I am rooting for this to be a great experience.... I need a young energetic tech saavy individual to start a blog to teach us about this technology...... Anyone? Anyone????
My NuWave cooktop finally died after 7 years of using almost daily. It’s a portable unit with temp increments of 5* and low, med ,med-hi, hi and sear. I only ever used the sear(550*) maybe 3 times. I found I don’t need that hinof heat for anything(pizza in the oven only😂). I use med (275* on mine) for eggs, sauté, heating and even ground beef. 375* med hi, is used for frying and cooking chicken or steak and hi 450* for my tea kettle which whistles in less than 5 minutes. Hope this helps…
Berta: the nice thing about induction is the quick response, either hotter or cooler. I put my eggs on approx 360°, them immediately lower the temp. You could also add a little warm water to the pan. With induction, like other burners, it depends a lot on which kind of cookware you’re using. Gas stoves use a lot of fuel which gets burned off in the atmosphere (and your kitchen)😎. I love my IKEA burner. I put my 4 qt Dutch oven filled with yummy stuff on, set the temp (200°), set the timer and walk away. It’s like using a slow cooker.
Thank you for mentioning that induction can interfere with medical devices such as pacemakers and insulin pumps. That's a shame, because I think seniors especially would benefit from the safety of induction versus gas, but they're also more likely to have such medical devices.
Copy of a response to another comment with the same topic. but this might be interesting: I have did take a look at this topic a while ago. I don't want to say research. And what i have learned is: The implants mentioned will react to induction cook tops. Most of them can be read/programmed using magnetic fields. However by design they have to be shielded against EMP. I don't want to go into details as i am not an expert. But barcham is right that people with implants have to be carefull. How carefull depends on the model of the implant and of the cook top. During "taking a look" i found out that the range is between ~8 in and ~2 feet (20-60 cm) from the active cook top. And this is a conservative estimate. Which we should use because lifes depend on it. If you wouldn't use a conservative, life saving estimate: don't put your implant on the cook top. Most induction cook tops have multiple security measures in place: shielding/projecting the electric field so it mainly affects the pot. only active if a significant amount of fero metal is within a few inches (1-3). then this metal (pot) will shield the field having only some small magnetic coils active and not the whole cooking field if smaller pots are used So it is important to consult your doctor/the manufacturer for information's about the implant. Not everyone can help here sadly. And the manufacturer of the cook top. Again not everyone can help. So better be safe then sorry, inform yourself before getting an induction cook top . If not enough information available don't buy.
I love my induction cooktop but I always lift my pan to toss the food. They need to program in a 30 sec delay before it shuts off so it doesn't constantly go off and on when you lift the pan to toss.
I lift my pans during cooking too, especially early on when I'm spreading oil, but the heat retention of even a modestly decent pan is well enough for it not to be an issue. Regarding the thirty second delay, every induction range, cooktop, or countertop unit I've read about, and the Duxtop countertop I own, are indeed programmed that way. I suspect you may not quite be understanding how induction surfaces work. It's important to understand that having no pan over the coil area means there is nothing to send the power to, and the controller merely senses that and goes into a pause mode, of sorts. As long as you replace the pan within thirty seconds, cooking will resume immediately. The only difference is that power isn't dumped into the air like it is with resistance electric or gas cooking surfaces. Beyond that time, the controller will shut down that cooking area so that cooking will not resume if the pan is repositioned; but thirty seconds is a long time to hold a pan of partly cooked food in your hand, and you probably wouldn't do it anyway, so a thirty second delay should be more than sufficient. Even if you did leave a pan off the coil for thirty seconds, restarting a cooking area takes two seconds anyway, so there really is no loss.
@@julianopificius6910 with my burner as soon as you lift it starts beeping and gives an error code. I just don't want it to beep unless the pan is off for 30 sec. I know exactly how induction works. I'm an engineer.
I love induction cooking. I’m never going back to electric. I have a dual element portable unit sitting on my stove now. When I need to replace it or my stove I’ll get an induction stove. Just beware of very cheap portable units without enough power/temperature settings. I found it hard to use one with only 6 settings. It seemed too cool or too hot.
I sit my Duxtop single unit on my stove too - it's logical, as the surface is right there, under the range hood :-) If I'd known I was going to do that in advance, though, I'd have bought their twin coil unit to experiment with. Oh, and the Duxtop 9610 units are adjustable in half steps to "10", which has proved to be an excellent compromise between power resolution and button-mashing (no fancy slider on this countertop unit). I do use the half steps, though, and would want that in a full size unit.
I just recently bought the duxtop model to use for fondue nights. All of my stainless cookware is actually duxtop too and they're really solid and were a downright bargain. I plan to use it to make deep frying a little more hands off with the in-built temperature control.
I wanted to try out a portable before converting our built-in cooktop to induction. I bought a Nuwave PIC and it operates by setting a temperature. Unfortunately, it does that by turning the coils on and then off. Very annoying when trying to fry potatoes or a steak. You get everything frying just right and the coils turn off and the pan goes immediately cool. I then bought a Duxtop which allows control either by temp or power level. By using power level control, you can set the heat much like a gas stove and get constant power. I've since bought a Bosch built-in and even my wife, who grew up cooking in a family restaurant with gas, admits she likes cooking with induction.
@@roberthart9886 I didn't say it clearly. My PIC doesn't shut off, it cycles on/off to maintain temperature like what's called a bang/bang controller similar to old heater controllers that cycle on when the temp is too low and then cycle off when the temp exceeds the set point. It's fine for heating water and soups or simmering where an average heat is good. My PIC is terrible for trying to get a crisp skin on fried potatoes or a crust on a steak. Even my cast iron pans respond too quickly to the off portion of the cycle.
Hi there Here's a top tip if you didn't already know. If you buy Induction Adapter Plates you can still use your favourite Cook wear pots and pans ect on the induction cooker . Thanks for sharing your video 👍✌️ ❤️🌍
You most certainly can lift and toss your ingredients on an induction cooktop, even portables.. Most if not all of them give you approx 25-30 seconds before the burner shuts off. And who spends 25-30 seconds tossing a pancake or anything really.. no one.
One big disadvantage of induction cooktops is their material: the top is glass. If you shuffle your pans around it gets scratched, and you have to be careful with heavy pots and pans or you might accidentally break it. I've had my induction stove for two years, it's already full of tiny scratches. And unless you use a glass cleaner or a microfibre cloth to wipe it off it's always going to have streak marks.
I’m on my second glass top cooktop, and I love it! This one is my first induction. Fast, efficient, easy clean-up… and yes, wiping down with a ceramic cooktop cleaner is far easier than cleaning the nooks and crannies of a coil electric or gas cooktop. I’m not overly careful with my pans, and am still far from the level of abuse that would be needed to break it. Don’t be afraid of new things.
@@capers72424 I am also on my second glass cooktop, because the first one fractured when a dutch oven full of soup slipped out of my hands and fell on it. Still worked though, but was already ugly. The slightest move of a pan could scratch the glass surface, and since it was gloss black it was impossible to keep clean. That one had electric coils, the new one is induction. I chose a light grey colored one so streaks and dust wouldn't show so easily, but it's already scratched and those scratches can't be cleaned off, doesn't matter how hard i try. I would have bought a gas stove but unfortunately my house isn't connected to the gas line.
I have the Duxtop Portable Induction Cooktop that is recommended as the best buy and I would echo everything mentioned. It is great, works well but it does have that smaller 6" heating surface. The only issue it has created for us in a year of use is when I want to cook something in my wok, which could use a much wider heat source.
A stove far out performs either of my two induction burner units. My Burton has been a very dependable stove for 3-4 years now. The more recently purchased one, Duxtop, works, but it keeps shutting off and HOT flashes on the control screen. Boiling water is hopeless. I’m worried it’s not warranted still. But searing fish or other foods so far has been adequate. The Breville PolySci is something I’m very interested in, but it’s so costly. I’m recently divorced, which is why I’m using these things and not the amazing Induction stove top in my kitchen. The wife took that, she doesn’t like to cook but scored the amazing kitchen I built her (us) in 2017😢
One thing you can do so you can use any cookware out there is to put a piece of stainless steel on the burner like a heat induction since it reacts to the magnets it will heat up and heat any cookware.
Yes, and there is a handful of three-ply (just like an induction ready pan bottom) "adapters" available on Amazon. I have one, and it works well: not as good as a directly induction-compatible pan, of course, but it allows you to use your existing pans, and they're excellent heat spreaders/tamers for making delicate sauces :-)
0:42 also work with copper and aluminum, but most cooktop can't detect it. some induction cooktop can be used with Al, Cu and 304 stainless steel. even food wraped in aluminium foil.
I found the duty cycle to be an issue with one portable induction cooktop. The item would turn on and off for relatively long periods making cooking difficult.
I use one all time. Really love using on back porch when doing bbq or a fish fry. I use a cast iron and stainless steel. But always us a mat when using cast-iron. This helps preventing scratches and spills. Also is easier to clean up. Just take mat and put in dishwasher. My current house design has both induction and gas, incase power is out.
I have been cooking on a Vollrath Mirage Cadet induction burner for a few years. It's a commercial induction burner, so there is no warranty for home cooks, but it's been a rock solid, powerful, and very controlled way of cooking for me. It's a good middle ground between the inexpensive burners and the PolyScience.
Really glossed over one of the biggest downsides - the power settings. With gas you have an infinite number of settings between off and max and I often make small adjustments to the heat. With the induction cooktops you might have 10 settings. Depending on what you're cooking, that can be very frustrating and it's why I'll never buy one. Just imagine having 10 accelerator settings on you car. Nope.
I actually saw a demo on induction at my electric utility about 30 years ago and bought a portable burner cook plate back then. I loved it and used it until about 2 years ago when it finally quit working. I will buy induction cooktop next. All of my pans are stainless or cast iron. All but 2 of them work on induction so I will just need to buy a couple if new saucepans when I switch.
The biggest barrier for me to switching to an induction stove is the glass top. It seems it cannot hold large heavy pots of stock or soup, and you cannot use it for any type of large batch canning, whether water bath or pressure canning. If they ever figure out how to support the weight of these, I'm 100% onboard with switching, but I don't really see how they will be able to construct them out of glass that is thick enough to support the weight, and still allow for a strong induction connection without such a stove costing tens of thousands of dollars. I also want a stove to have a slide away oven door like the Neff stoves that are not available in the US and Canada. They are owned by Bosch and they don't seem to want to enter this market, and their patents are iron clad so no one else can make something with the same feature.
While i cant speak to all the glass used in all the stoves. There is glass that can support a truck on it let alone a 8qt stockpot. My grandma did have one break on her 15 years ago when this was all new. But my grandparents are notoriously frugal, to the point it often bites them in the but with cheap equipment. I have seen these used in professional environments, although I don't know what brands or products. While I don't know exactly what your talking about with the Bosch stoves. My ideal stove is separate from my ideal oven. I would like 2 ovens, often I find myself 1 oven short. I do have a fondness for gas personally, but I do find induction intriguing. It might just be the future, particularly if one owns an EV and solar panels!
@@brandonhoffman4712 Maybe it's time I look into them again. The Neff ovens (a Bosch company) are the ones used on Bake Off. We have nothing like that in the US and apparently Bosch are very protective of their patent. Honestly, it should be mandated for all ovens purely for safety.
@@dr.westwood Just checked them out. Kinda cool, wont lie! Although the ovens I have fallen in love with look crazy expensive. I have seen them on Americas test kitchen, as well as this Canadian dude that covers seasoning of carbon steel and cast iron cookware. both of them are using ovens with the smoothest gliding oven racks, like a nice drawer on ball bearings. I don't know the brand. I like both ideas, if I had access to both it would be a tough pick and may come down to cost.
Thank you and I'd love to hear another budget-friendly option with larger than 6" cooking surface! I see this one is popular among multiple review places but who can stir-fry/sautee well in just a 6" diameter??? For boiling water sounds fine cause the heat spreads.
Iwatani is commercial grade for about $500. I’ve owned one for 21 years now and it works great. High quality. There’s just now way to justify the cost of the breville. Same power.
Only Breville control freak CAN represent induction cooking period. Really wanted a built-in cooktop with 4 of those.. But just too pricey. Now, I'm counting on Vision Infinity Cooktop.
You can buy a 220v 3600 watt portable(can only get to 1800 watt with a 110v) You have to have or install a 220 v outlet. I use one outside for frying fish, turkeys, etc. Paid $119 if I remember right.
I use induction cooking regularly, along with air fryers and hybrid air ovens. I rarely use my stovetop or conventional oven any more. My brand of choice is NuWave. They work and they are affordable. DISCLAIMER: My comments aren't an endorsement of any particular brand or product. Any mention is for informational purposes only.
Just got a new Induction cook top to replace our old 20 year old range. Cooking time has litterly cut in half. We prep the food and when we're about to cook we simply turn it on wait 5 seconds and place anything in the pot. Its that fast at pre heating. Making Cuban Coffee was histrically funny. It makes the coffee within 30 seconds. (4cups) 45 seconds (6 cups). That used to take us 10 to 15 minutes before. Steaks are fun as once your at your designed doneness crank up the heat to H and it sear quickly in a minute or so. Only thing learning curve we had was we didn't feal heat off the pans so you assume they're still cool. Don't be fooled they ready to cook nearly seconds after you turn them on. It makes alot of buzzing regardless of what pan you use. We use All-Clad and its not to annoying. Kinda lets you know somethings going on. Go induction. Also the surfaces are differn't size. Make sure you get auto sensing on your next cooktop.
@@mogarcia9755 INSTANTLY vaporized butter in a cast iron pan one day with it. As well nearly set fire to hamburger. It was a crash course in everything NOT to do. Great fun!
getting a single "burner" induction unit is a great idea. While waiting for our kitchen remodel to be completed (including an induction cooktop), we bought a $50 induction cooktop at IKEA. It was a good introduction though I am sure it was nowhere as good as your suggestions.
We bought a range. love it but don't have any of the problems she mentioned. good, informative video. Thanks. BTW...don't turn your back on 9 boost. It goes off at mach 10
I ran a ice cream/coffee shop that sold bubble tea and we had a Nuwave Portable Induction Cooktop and it was so nice to have to quickly boil pot of water to make boba. My house has an electric smooth top and our next range will be an induction range.
So much nicer than a gas stove. No fumes, much faster, doesn’t heat up the room. And they blow away a conventional electric burner. Only problem is the small heat spot on the portable burners when frying or sautéing, although that’s not an issue when using the burners to boil water or make soup.
I have a gas stove and bought a counter induction burner years ago. Cooking for one, I almost never use the gas stove, as the induction burner is even faster. At the very start, I learned that not all "induction ready" pans are the same. On the same induction burner, the better quality pan will heat up much faster, unlike their comments which don't seem to be aware of this. They advise for induction using a cast iron pan. Sure, that'll be just fine, but anybody KNOWS with their higher mass they will always take longer to heat up. Unless I otherwise need cast iron for a recipe, I never use it anywhere. Instead, I have a non-stick induction pan that I've now used for about EIGHT years, and it's still fine. Far less wear than from gas or electric. They say don't pre-heat empty pans on induction or they can warp?? Actually, no difference there from gas or electric. My Ex used to do that all the time on an electric range, and ruined many pans. I happen to have that Duxtop they showed. Works just fine with 8" pans, even cast iron.
Wish you would have mentioned that many units use on/off cycles (just like electric coils). They don't have the ability to regulate and hold intermediate levels. So a "6" means it's on full power 60% of the time, and off the remaining 40%. I believe the Breville is so expensive because it can hold those power settings precisely.
Mine has 2 types of settings. One is just straight power, which I use mostly since I rarely do actual cooking on it - just bring to boil or pre-heat, the other one is a temperature setting. Temp setting does cycle a little bit but how often depends on amount of food in the pot/pan and the size of pot/pan as well as how much stirring you are doing.
Wow, I've been waiting to see a review on portable induction units since I can't find an induction range, but spending $1,600?!?!?! hahahaha...no. I have been using induction-ready, all-clad cookware on my standard glass top stove and they work pretty dang good, although you will have to really reduce the heat when cooking. Even the box for the cookware mentioned that- if it calls for high, better start at medium else you'll burn it. Ask me how I know.
With All Clad, that is true, thus I never go beyond 7 when I start heating up the pan as I can always go lower as I cook, and I cook on an infrared glass top stove (not a fancy one, but it is glass top).
To me the biggest drawback to induction cooking is the stated fact that to use them full-time you need to forget about tilting your pans or lifting them and develop (more precisely succomb to) different techniques. I have a portable burner and it's great for bringing pots to boil or even just heating up a pan quickly. Actual cooking is done on the stove though since I have all of the flexibility that I want.
Nah, i have used my induction cooktop for a couple years now, and I lift and flip and stir and do everything the same as a gas stove. It goes off and on very quickly if i move it too high, but will stay on if i just tilt or move to an edge. Not a big deal.
I bought the NuWave ~ 6 years ago, when they had a 2 4 1. I put one in the garage for smelly stuff and one on my flat top stove. Between the set and forget (timer) I can't imagine life without them
I hate my induction stove. It came with the house we bought. Very few of our pans worked. We found out the pans that do work have to be very thick bottomed or they warp. So we had to shell more than what a new stove would be for pans.
@@nsbioy not necessarily. Cheaper pans can warp very easily on induction and expensive heavy duty ones too if used carelessly. Induction burners tend to cause temperatures in the pot/pan to far exceed the desired or set temperature. This is partially due to the often mismatched coil size to pan size difference, but other factors too. I've seen differences of 100's of degrees F between the center and sides of a pan from an induction burner. Anytime you are unevenly heating a metal there is the potential for warping. Generally speaking, one should never use the highest settings or the "warp speed" settings on induction. Those settings are almost guaranteeing the warping of one's pan and in my opinion, are completely useless.
@@slugtoenail not really - same comment. Without heating on high, nothing will ever warp on induction. It can if one insisted on "preheating" an empty pan for a while on high like it is often done for regular electric burners.
I have a Nuwave Gold model with an 8" coil that I absolutely love. The wattage is adjustable up to 1800 watts. The temp. is adjustable in 10 degree increments, and it also has a timer. I'll never cook on a gas or electric range again. Oh and I have two metal knees and so far so good. Just saying.
Lisa, I've seen some carbon steel users say induction warped their pans and I'm wondering whether this is an issue with the burner, the user, or carbon steel that's lighter in weight/thinner.
The carbon steel react so much with this process and get super hot in seconds. ( really) With a thinner / lighter pan it will warp if you maintain a super hot temp. One has to learn to moderate the setting or change for a DeByers type thickness pan . It makes the most beautifull crust on steaks better and faster than anything. ( Induction and carbon steel user for 10+ yrs. )
@@helenedesmarais8697 Thanks for the information. My skillets are all carbon steel now (mostly Matfer Bourgeat, one DeBuyers) and I've been wanting to get an induction burner but I was worried about it from reading about difficulties others have had.
@@robertsterner2145 I have a Matfer that I think I warped on electric the first seasoning process. Getting a nuwave and a second preseasoned Misen carbon steel. Seems worthwhile. Think they are saying not to preheat empty?
@@robertsterner2145 Yes, spec says 2mm. I meant to say my Matfer may have warped only on electric because the initial seasoning with salt and potatoes was on high heat. I no longer go very high to sear. Think the suggestions for induction are not to preheat empty with even the Matfer. Will review the video on that info.
I wish you mentioned two more drawbacks that put me off: Noise and temperature cycling. Coming from silent electric stoves, the fan noise for cooling the internals plus the hum from the coils is annoying. And in the models I tried, the middle temperature settings just turn on and off the heating on a schedule. With a pan and a thin layer of sauce, it is very easy to see it starting boil, stop, then start again. The relaxing bubbling at the perfect temperature is replaced by cycling on and off.
Thank you very much. This video is very helpful! I DO have a induction cooker I use often. My only beef with it is, I can't dial in the temp setting I want. It goes in increments of 25 degrees. cutting out, 325, 375, and 450. So I mostly just use the wattage side instead of the temp side.
I live in the UK and I have used induction for about 10 years. Once I got used to it, I just love it. Cooks and cleans up easily. Recently I had occasion to use a gas stove. Could not wait to use my induction again.
Exactly induction only for me.
Hahaha I know that feeling. I've been using induction for 20 years now and I can't switch
THANK YOU for mentioning the danger of using induction if you have a medical implant. I have a defibrillator/pacemaker implant and am unable to use one for that reason. I only learned of this when reading the manual after I purchased one on sale. Anyone with metal pins in their arm or wrist after an injury should also avoid cooking this way. This is a very important detail that is rarely mentioned in reviews or articles on induction appliances. 👍👍
@@julianopificius6910 Not all implants are made of stainless steel. Electronic implants, such as pacemakers and defibrillators, are not. If someone wishes to take the risk, they are welcome to do so.
Medical metal pins are never ferromagnetic so are not an issue when using induction.
@@TomJones-tx7pb Guess what? Pacemakers and defibrillators are NOT PINS. An induction cook top can cause them to explode in your chest. I am done replying on this topic.
@@barcham the magnetic field fucks up the batteries and microchips that are voltage sensitive. It is not a joke or fearmongering. If you were in that situation you would be careful too
@@zenwaichi3587 I AM in that situation, this is why I brought it up in the first place. I have a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted in my chest and unless someone else here has the same, they need to STFU about it because they don't have a clue what they are talking about.
I have a Duxtop very similar to the best buy recommendation here and have enjoyed using it for several years. One cool feature is that it's so portable I can take it with me on road trips and basically have my own kitchen wherever I go.
I have an induction range, and I have considered getting a portable for road trips. I am glad to know the Duxtop has worked well for you.
What pan(s) do you take with you to use with the Duxtop?
@@mclyman-onkka3579 I’m considering replacing my gas range with induction. I’m very sensitive to noise, so I’m hoping you can convey to me how noisy and induction range is. I cannot find any TH-cam videos about induction stove noise that don’t have narration and music. I can’t actually hear the stove in action. Also, I’m curious about the model stove you have that you’re happy with. Thanks for your help with this difficult decision
@@arleneandmike As far as induction 'noise', some of the single burner units have small fans that come on (like a computer fan). If fan noise bothers you, that might be a good reason to do more research on particular models, and also to buy one in a store, for easy returns -- (I have no idea about noise from induction ranges, but it's probably no more than the noise from a gas range).
Do you have the cheaper $82 ish one ? Because I was eyeing it.
25 years ago I moved into a neighborhood with no natural gas hookup and was crushed. I suffered with an electric range for a few years until I bought a GE Profile induction cooktop in 2009 and I have never looked back. I am an avid cook and I LOVE induction cooking. The responsiveness and control are excellent. I'm happy the prices are coming down. I have also used a pair of standalone burners in two separate rental cottage kitchens. The guests love them and I feel reassured knowing there is a safe alternative to electric or gas for renters. I didn't know about cooking through a silicone mat, I will try this with my cast iron pans. Less likely to scratch the top this way.
I'm looking for an induction cooktop. Are there any models you like or recommend?
@@ShannonTaylor-ht3xm I will assume you have purchased your cooktop/stove/range by now ..... for what it is worth, I purchased a Frigidaire model induction stove for myself in early Sept. - I love it and glad I went all in with induction. (previously had an electric range with the coils on it)
As a side note: I DID have to purchase 2 new pans as my griddle and omelet pan weren't induction compatible
Cooking on a hot summer day, I am so pleased with induction as it dumps far less heat into the room.
That's a very good point. Didn't give it much thought until just now.
The Duxtop sold us on induction. We cooked on it for about 12 months, some in hot weather when we didn't want to use the gas stove we had access to, and for 6 months when we had a non-functioning electric stove. I do recommend that an induction cooktop have fine control, not just 1-9 but 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, etc up to 9. I don't think I'd be sold without the finer control.
Another great reason to use induction burners is that you don't get bad gases like NOx in your kitchen and home - much much better for you and your family.
Huge positive. Especially with recent research showing higher asthma rates in households with gas stoves.
@@JoshuaRes Go away bots - houses with gas are required to have ranges.
@@drylanterns7967 ? That’s not true where I live. There is no requirement to have a gas range if you have a gas hookup. In fact we bought our house with a gas furnace and an electric range. Is that the case where you live?
Vented range hood. Problem solved. Nothing beats gas for cooking.
@@morrismonet3554 eh. I had gas in our last house and induction in our new house. I prefer induction. Personal preference maybe, but I don’t think there are any functional benefits to gas anymore.
We built our retirement dream house in coastal North Carolina where there is no piped-in natural gas so I decided on a GE Cafe Induction range / double oven and love it for the level of control it offers, the speed at which pans and pots heat up, and the ease of clean up. An infrared thermometer is very useful when using induction because the pans get so hot so fast, even at medium heat settings. Three ply All-Clad skillets and sauté pans which have an aluminum core to distribute the heat have more uniform temperatures than all stainless pans. The less expensive pans which have thicker aluminum “pucks” in the base (e.g. Emeril and Wolfgang Puck branded) also work well.
Appreciate that
We upgraded our old house to an induction range with convection oven. Previously he had a builders grade gas range for > 20 years. Wow! Fell it love with it! You can melt chocolate without a double boiler. Redoing the kitchen in our new place. Replacing a 28 yo electric coil with induction stove top. Can't wait!
Really glad to see more frequent output of reviews on the channel. Lisa does an awesome job presenting the real differences between similar products. Any time I'm shopping for kitchen equipment, ATK is the first place I check for advice! Thanks everyone!
TY!!! I was just about to google that question. I rarely use more than one hob, and usually cook almost everything using the same pan! It's clad for induction. You've made an old lady so happy.
>> Tom's Ukrainian/American wife Pam
My motto is "have stove will travel." Not only is it great in my kitchen or any other room I want to cook in, but I can put it in an old laptop case (Duxtop brand), and it is unremarkable when traveling. I do also take a compatible saucepan and fry pan. It can go camping (if there is electricity), to hotel rooms, RVs, friends' houses, church, special event spaces, and so forth. It is so nice to set it in a corner keeping our hot chocolate warm during a community meeting.
For those who are forgetful, induction stove tops are a good option. If you forget that you're boiling something (in my case), it will automatically switch off when it gets too hot. Like no water left in the pot 😜. So, you won't burn the house down. Had to replace the induction cooker though. Twice 😆
Wow that's great to know
Often you can also set a timer on it. And you can protect the surface by putting the silicone mat on top.
You should start setting timers, to remind you to check on your cooking. I do it all the time.
This is a great summary. I have a portable burner I use in the back yard in the summer when I’d rather not be indoors. I can use it exclusively or alongside the barbecue. It’s light, and easy to set out there and easy to clean up afterwards. My next stovetop will definitely be induction.
These are very common and super cheap in Asia. However, even w 240v 50Hz power; the power supplies can get very hot. 125V would require more current. One of the primary uses for them is that large high rise apartment buildings generally don’t allow gas for fire safety reasons. A popular brand is made by the Spanish company Malloca . A basic 3 burner cooktop costs about $700-800. Very easy to install.
I don't think it would be unheard-of for a 200 volt AC to be available in the US, they're commonly used for electric dryers and water heaters. The catch, of course, is that you will probably need to have such a circuit available in your breaker box, and you would need to hire an electrician if not.
@@MMuraseofSandvich If there is wiring in place for an electric stove then it should be ready to just plug in. Even if not, in the US you will always at least have 240 V available at the breaker box (in single family homes), or 208 V (in apartments and such).
We have a range with gas stove top and electric oven so the 240v plug is there when we upgrade to induction and take advantage of the rebate from the IRA.
My portable unit is just as you suggested - The Test Rig. I haven't got above 3 yet. Frying onions and I have to pay attention. At 80; I really enjoy the unit turning off when I remove the pan. So the door bell or phone rings: I just set the pan to the side (Oh, it's a hot pan for sure) and if I get to gabbing - No problem!
At our condo (Philippines) gas is not allowed at all. We use portable gas cans, so lots of safety concerns. I have always hated regular electric burners, so the induction cooker was my best option. We bought one induction burner for our main pans, and one infrared burner for our aluminum pans. Each burner cost about $30-$40. The infrared is an electric burner but much better than the old style. The induction burner is a miracle! It gets hot super fast, has amazing responsiveness in temperature adjustments, and does not stay hot after use. I still prefer gas, because a chapati puffs better on a gas fire. 😎
What’s the brand of the induction you’re using now that you recommend? Thank you!
@@heyitskonan Both of ours right now are Tough Mama, a Philippines brand. 😎
@@TitoTimTravels thank you! 😊
I actually laughed so hard when she said the price of the expensive model lol
I had paused the video to eagerly write down the Breville model, then resumed playing and when she said $1600 I crossed it out, LOL. I didn't even pay that for my entire range and oven, never mind a single burner.
ATK makes a lot of this content for politicians, with government salaries. For example, Nancy Pelosi, and her $20,000 refrigerator... she would probably have a $1,600 burner for her chef to boil water.
Don’t laugh. I love my Breville portable cooker. It’s a dream to use and I consider it well worth the cost.
The price is high but its amazing!!!
One thing that is rarely mentioned, and that I've found since owning both countertop and a range model, is that the peak of induction heating is roughly half the size of the coil. So even on Allclad or Swiss Diamond cookware, the evenness isn't as good as one may prefer. The only models that seem to address this are the Thermador cooktops which use 48 small inductive coils which automatically detect and heat whatever compatible cookware is over them.
Thanks for that excellent information, Cory.
Can confirm. Put simply, the area of your pan that actually gets hot, even on the largest burner on my induction cooktop stove is roughly half the size of my 12" skillet, or a circle about 6" in diameter. Be aware of this before making the big investment.
@@chinncannon I thought I was nuts for years...
This is also the reason stovetop seasoning for your carbon steel or cast iron pan will not work as well as a gas stovetop. The heat is concentrated to a small area. I'm really intrigued with the small-many coil solution but they cost an arm and a kidney.
@@hesido They are hilariously pricey.
I live in an apartment with an unreliable stove. I bought the previous Best Buy winner, the Max Burton Digital Induction Cooktop. Since I use a lot of cast iron, I tried it out with the pieces I already had before buying new cookware. It works great, heats well and I’ve learned how to cook on it with minimal burning. It has a smaller cooking area than I’d like, doesn’t fit a 12” skillet. For the price, it’s great.
If you’re looking new cookware, I recently bought a 12 piece Tramontina set from Costco on sale for $175. Amazing set for the price.
I got an induction hot plate after my electric stove failed. At first I was miffed by the fact that all my normal cookware that was aluminum became useless but I doubled down on some premium stainless steel cookware. That was 10 years ago, it still works gangbusters and the cookware is just as good as the day I got it. Induction doesn't damage your cookware in my experience like with normal gas or electric the bottom of your cookware gets really messed up from the heat, not with induction.
I love how fast my water boils and with no hot spots I make perfect pancakes, grilled cheese and stuff like that, they come out perfectly golden brown. The benefit's far outweigh the minor downsides in my book, induction for life.
I just got my first induction stovetop - a portable one as I am a poor college student - and I can say portable to portable, it still beats the pants off of the much cheaper portable electric and gas stoves. Gas has the problem of having finite fuel and all the issues with needing venting, and the portable electric stovetops keep shutting themselves off to try and maintain temperature or not melt themselves (which my most recent one failed to do). Compared to that, I'm more than happy with my new "budget" top.
Which one did ya get. Still works?
I have two portable induction burners, one a Duxtop. I use them for fast boiling or fast-searing sous vide cooked steaks/chops (my gas range is not powerful and does not produce good steak crusts). But other than that I find them completely imprecise and especially useless when you are working with small quantities (like sauces). The cheaper burner lets you set down to 140F, or so it claims, but a small amount of sauce will boil at that "temperature". The reason is that the portable burners have no idea what the temperature actually is in your pan. The sensors are in the device itself of course, so they are approximating/extrapolating what might be happening in the pan but have no actual way of "knowing". I don't know how more expensive induction range tops do a better job of this (people tell me they are better at temperature control than the portable ones, but I am going to have to see it for myself to believe it). The bigger problem for me is the Duxtop causes a faint but PAINFUL high-pitched squeal when it is in use. I researched this and it is supposedly a factor of the (lack of) quality of the pan you are using and how powerful the induction burner is. (My cheapo model does not cause this squeal.) So I went and bought cookware that was specific for induction burners and I still get the ear-piercing squeal. This concerns me because the high pitch hair cells in your cochlea are the ones that die off first as you age, and can be damaged by high-energy sound. I would hope that this squeal is not sufficiently high energy to damage these already at-risk receptors, but it does hurt my ears and pain usually is not a sign that your body is doing OK. I am concerned enough that between this and the really bad temperature control, I limit use of these devices to when I am out of burner space on my gas range. I hope that the tech continues to improve.
This is what be be off from Induction I tried. The two annoying sounds (Fan and the high pitch) and the temperature up and down at a constant low/middle setting. I really want reviews that focus on these issues, and if certain brands don't have them.
I have had the issue with the high pitch lately.
The low temperature issues I find if you need to cook at a low temperature, you're best off using a baine marie style setup.
The temperature settings do seem misleading. I suspect this is inherent in a temperature based purely on the cooktop because the Breville Control Freak has a temperature probe to put in the food if you want to cook at a specific temperature. The HestonCue in the UK has a similar setup(for a much lower price). Miele claims to have one with temperature control without a sensor but I've yet to test it. One way to limit the impact is to use a less responsive pan like cast iron. They'll smooth out the temperature variations more.
After using the Nuwave Induction Pic Gold, and waiting for the Pic Pro Chef that goes from 100 degrees to 575 degrees Fahrenheit for the past 1.5 years, they now have them in stock and on sale for $199.97 with a touch control glass top. I have not used my gas oven or gas stove top for the past 2 years. Nuwave has manufactured a WOK induction too. America's Test Kitchen needs to go back and test the new units available out there. I use mine daily from breakfast to lunch to supper. I watch you on PBS Television on KQED. Thanks for a great program on an important topic.
I went all in and got a Breville Control Freak. 2-3 years in and it’s one of my favorite kitchen purchases. The level of control and consistency is a game changer.
It's a bit pricey. You can buy an entire 4 burner induction cooktop for the same price.
wondering if you can sous vide with it w/o the stick as a result, should be able too, right?
I bought a new induction range (with an electric stove) this year and but for the fact that the preheat sensor seems to be off by 50* I can't say enough of how much I love this appliance.
After 45 years in professional food service and understanding the need to exit fossil fuel use an induction range was the answer.
Faster, cooler, safer, more predictable and cleaner than gas.
I'm also fortunate to live in a northern border state where 90% of our electricity comes from renewables a priority of which is hydro power.
I've had one of the Duxtop burners for a few years now and I LOVE it. Even with the lower power of a portable unit it boils water faster than my old gas stove, and I always use the induction burner first and then a stove burner IF I need a second one. The only annoyance is, as mentioned, the relatively small 6-inch coil, but most of the cookware I use on it distributes heat well enough to make that tolerable. I need a new range and am seriously considering closing off the gas and putting in a 240V line for a full induction range. I can't see going back to anything else at this point, induction is just too good.
We started with a Duxtop burner, very precise temperature control, and loved how quickly it cooked, with precise temperature levels, etc. We moved to a full induction range and it is even better. Fast, precise temperature controls ( again), all baking recipes are right on(compared to gas), no products of combustion in the kitchen. We now use the Duxtop for deck dinners and travel. Highly recommended.
But what pots and pans have people found to work well?
Im sitting here scratching my head over how popular sometging with only a 6" diameter cooking area is! I wonder if an All Clad stainless steel skillet could work well?? I can't get cast iron cause don't have an oven to seaaon it.
After using other brands, I now have an IKEA induction burner. It’s fantastic. It’s big and heavy. It also has cord storage in the back and a metal loop to hang it up out of the way. It’s a decent price, better than shown. I will be buying another to add to my kitchen.
Also, the entire surface is glass with no trim - so easy to clean (with a damp microfiber cloth). The touch controls are in the front, under the glass top.
I don’t remember how wide the induction ring is, but I have no problems with any of my pans, even a 10” SS deep skillet. If your pans disperse heat well, you should be OK. My small (4qt) ceramic cast iron Dutch oven works fine.
I’ll also be buying Ikea’s little microwave. It only has two knobs: time and heat level. I don’t use all the bells and whistles on my current microwave. I like simple, efficient appliances.
For the 40 bucks or whatever it was, it is absolutely fantastic! More powerful than my big gas stove. When I move into a new place I will definitely make the switch completely.
@@jelle7224 nothing is more powerful than the stove gas
which ikea model do u have
@@BlackMamba-lt8oe It’s the TILLREDA
Portable induction cooktop.
It’s big and sturdy, well made.
I just noticed on their site that this model is a little different, no timer. still looks the same.
@@SuzanneWho it is made in china not usa, where is yours made
When we needed to replace our stove we decided to go Induction. It is the best way to cook these days. Remember the old saying "If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen." Well with induction, the kitchen never gets hot.
For about 10 years I've used a portable induction cooktop that I bought for 60 dollars at Costco. Despite it being underpowered at 900 watts, it boils water quicker than my conventional smooth top range and what I love about it is that I can quickly adjust the power and set it to cook at a particular temperature, making it useful for frying foods with hot oil, for I never have to worry about cooking at the wrong temperature. My only complaint is the extremely small magnetic coil which only heats up a small area under my cast iron cookware which makes for a small effective cooking area.
They are also perfect for small studio apartments.
I so appreciate America's Test Kitchen!!! Always check out your videos when I am thinking about buying a new piece of kitchen equipment. Thank you for your excellent reviews!!! You are all fantastic, but Lisa, you are my favorite!!! Keep up the GREAT work!!!!
Great to see Lisa back at it again with another equipment review!
A pro for induction is better interior air quality; there's a link between gas stoves and childhood asthma.
A con for induction is there is sometimes a hum sound generated by the pan, which might be annoying.
The hum of our Duxtop drives my kids nuts. The frequency is too high for our 50 year old ears to hear, but younger people seem to hate the sound.
I bought a Zavor portable induction burner ~6 months ago. I love how efficient and responsive it is. I love that, compared to my gas cooktop, there is never spill over heat around the edge of the pot/pan to make it uncomfortable to stir what's in the pot/pan. I dislike that the induction coil is small which causes the center of large pans being much hotter than the edge. Surely there is a portable induction burner with a large coil that doesn't require taking out a second mortgage. I would happily pay two or three times the cost of the cheap units for more uniform heating of large pans. I'm not willing to pay ten times the cost of a cheap unit.
There’s a good video, but as a building manager I have to point out a couple of things that either you left off, or that are important to know if things have changed.
We use electric stoves in our building, we don’t have gas. As a result our choices are coil burners, glass top coils, or induction. The biggest problem with any glass top stove, is maintenance.
As an aside, it’s important for people to understand that just because an electric stove has a glass top does not mean it’s induction. There are modern coil type stoves that have glass tops as well. These look very similar to induction, but do not have the feature where they are not hot to the touch. These ones can work with any kind of pan just like regular coil or gas stoves.
In any case, the care and maintenance of a glass top stove is different than for anything that has iron grates like you would find in a gas stove top.
First, you have to use the right kind of cleaners. From what I understand, an abrasive cleanser can cause the glass surface to become cloudy, discolored, or otherwise damaged. In addition, because these are glass tops, if you drop a pan onto the surface, it is possible to crack that glass. Replacing it can be very expensive, in some cases as much as either a coil electric stove, or even the glass top stove itself. At least that’s what I’ve been led to believe.
As a result, it’s very challenging for an apartment building to have any kind of glass top stove whether it’s induction or direct heating. We are testing one in one of our units, but it is very risky to do this.
There’s one other thing you didn’t mention, in addition to being more efficient than the other types of stoves, it’s worth noting that moving to any kind of electric stove whether it be induction or coil, puts out less fumes into the environment. Some environmentalists are lobbying to end the use of gas stoves entirely. This is because electricity can be modularized, and even if today your city might be using a coal fire plant for electricity, it can easily be changed over time. The only advantage today of a gas stove is usually price. Not the stove itself, but the fuel. Gas is often significantly cheaper than electricity. And there are some who would argue that over the entire power chain, the gas is actually a more efficient use of energy.
That all said, unless modern glass top stoves are using the latest high-tech glass that we find on our phones, it’s unlikely that the issues that I’ve described can be overcome. And even if they are using gorilla glass or something similar, it’s one thing to have 5 to 10 in.² of that, it’s quite another to have several square feet of glass as a surface that you put a heavy pot on. Meaning that it would make such stoves incredibly expensive, and again, out of the reach of most apartment buildings.
What's needed is some advancement in style to affordable coil stoves without glass. The design of current coil electric stoves without glass hasn't changed since probably the 1970s. This is unattractive to most renters; this means that they will often go for apartments with gas stoves instead.
There are some commercial coil stoves available which have a better, if more industrial, aesthetic. However, these are 2-3x more expensive than an expensive glass-top induction stove, which themselves are already 2x as expensive as a coil stove. Seriously, $10K for the cheapest one I found.
This means that they are far out of reach for anyone except the most expensive rentals.
My parents' home is 27 years old and has had the same glass top electric stove/oven the entire time and the glass top has had 0 issues. It's easy to clean with just a dish cloth warm water and dish soap. It's withstood drops on its surface and scrapes with minimal visible scratches. I've lived in several apartments with electric coils and gas grates that are newer and much worse for wear: warped grates and crooked coils creating uneven cooking surfaces, coatings on grates being dissolved on whichever burner is used most. And of course, they're much more difficult to clean which creates its own dangers. The scratches on the (metal) surface of my current gas stove are way worse than the glass one I grew up with, partially because the flame of the gas stove burns food onto the surface and then requires much more to try to clean off. Plus electric coils on some models can be unplugged from the rest of the heating elements if moved --like when you're trying to clean under them.
I think glass tops can be plenty compatible for apartment buildings. But there are more small and cheap (quality and price) options on the market for coil and gas that make them more attractive to landlords.
@@linzeeb4 i'm happy that your parents have had a good experience. However, as owners, they both are more likely to care for the appliance properly, as well as pay for damage.
We have 44 units, and half change over every 18 months. this means the odds of the kinds of damage I describe are far higher. fixing coil ones is easier and cheaper.
Well at 70 I jumped in with both feet and bought an induction top stove. I nearly burned my egg this morning so now I am back on youtube trying to find tutorials.... I am determined.. I love the safety of this process and as I age that is a great incentive. Also reading the manual that came with the stove. Did buy an induction cookbook but nothing beats personal experience.... I am rooting for this to be a great experience.... I need a young energetic tech saavy individual to start a blog to teach us about this technology...... Anyone? Anyone????
My NuWave cooktop finally died after 7 years of using almost daily. It’s a portable unit with temp increments of 5* and low, med ,med-hi, hi and sear. I only ever used the sear(550*) maybe 3 times. I found I don’t need that hinof heat for anything(pizza in the oven only😂). I use med (275* on mine) for eggs, sauté, heating and even ground beef. 375* med hi, is used for frying and cooking chicken or steak and hi 450* for my tea kettle which whistles in less than 5 minutes. Hope this helps…
Berta: the nice thing about induction is the quick response, either hotter or cooler. I put my eggs on approx 360°, them immediately lower the temp. You could also add a little warm water to the pan. With induction, like other burners, it depends a lot on which kind of cookware you’re using.
Gas stoves use a lot of fuel which gets burned off in the atmosphere (and your kitchen)😎. I love my IKEA burner. I put my 4 qt Dutch oven filled with yummy stuff on, set the temp (200°), set the timer and walk away. It’s like using a slow cooker.
Thank you for mentioning that induction can interfere with medical devices such as pacemakers and insulin pumps. That's a shame, because I think seniors especially would benefit from the safety of induction versus gas, but they're also more likely to have such medical devices.
Copy of a response to another comment with the same topic. but this might be interesting:
I have did take a look at this topic a while ago. I don't want to say research.
And what i have learned is:
The implants mentioned will react to induction cook tops.
Most of them can be read/programmed using magnetic fields.
However by design they have to be shielded against EMP.
I don't want to go into details as i am not an expert. But barcham is right that people with implants have to be carefull.
How carefull depends on the model of the implant and of the cook top.
During "taking a look" i found out that the range is between ~8 in and ~2 feet (20-60 cm) from the active cook top.
And this is a conservative estimate. Which we should use because lifes depend on it.
If you wouldn't use a conservative, life saving estimate: don't put your implant on the cook top.
Most induction cook tops have multiple security measures in place: shielding/projecting the electric field so it mainly affects the pot.
only active if a significant amount of fero metal is within a few inches (1-3). then this metal (pot) will shield the field
having only some small magnetic coils active and not the whole cooking field if smaller pots are used
So it is important to consult your doctor/the manufacturer for information's about the implant. Not everyone can help here sadly.
And the manufacturer of the cook top. Again not everyone can help.
So better be safe then sorry, inform yourself before getting an induction cook top . If not enough information available don't buy.
I love my induction cooktop but I always lift my pan to toss the food. They need to program in a 30 sec delay before it shuts off so it doesn't constantly go off and on when you lift the pan to toss.
I lift my pans during cooking too, especially early on when I'm spreading oil, but the heat retention of even a modestly decent pan is well enough for it not to be an issue.
Regarding the thirty second delay, every induction range, cooktop, or countertop unit I've read about, and the Duxtop countertop I own, are indeed programmed that way.
I suspect you may not quite be understanding how induction surfaces work. It's important to understand that having no pan over the coil area means there is nothing to send the power to, and the controller merely senses that and goes into a pause mode, of sorts. As long as you replace the pan within thirty seconds, cooking will resume immediately. The only difference is that power isn't dumped into the air like it is with resistance electric or gas cooking surfaces. Beyond that time, the controller will shut down that cooking area so that cooking will not resume if the pan is repositioned; but thirty seconds is a long time to hold a pan of partly cooked food in your hand, and you probably wouldn't do it anyway, so a thirty second delay should be more than sufficient. Even if you did leave a pan off the coil for thirty seconds, restarting a cooking area takes two seconds anyway, so there really is no loss.
@@julianopificius6910 with my burner as soon as you lift it starts beeping and gives an error code. I just don't want it to beep unless the pan is off for 30 sec. I know exactly how induction works. I'm an engineer.
@@rockys7726same as mine, no 30 sec delay
I love induction cooking. I’m never going back to electric. I have a dual element portable unit sitting on my stove now. When I need to replace it or my stove I’ll get an induction stove. Just beware of very cheap portable units without enough power/temperature settings. I found it hard to use one with only 6 settings. It seemed too cool or too hot.
I sit my Duxtop single unit on my stove too - it's logical, as the surface is right there, under the range hood :-) If I'd known I was going to do that in advance, though, I'd have bought their twin coil unit to experiment with.
Oh, and the Duxtop 9610 units are adjustable in half steps to "10", which has proved to be an excellent compromise between power resolution and button-mashing (no fancy slider on this countertop unit). I do use the half steps, though, and would want that in a full size unit.
I just recently bought the duxtop model to use for fondue nights. All of my stainless cookware is actually duxtop too and they're really solid and were a downright bargain. I plan to use it to make deep frying a little more hands off with the in-built temperature control.
I wanted to try out a portable before converting our built-in cooktop to induction. I bought a Nuwave PIC and it operates by setting a temperature. Unfortunately, it does that by turning the coils on and then off. Very annoying when trying to fry potatoes or a steak. You get everything frying just right and the coils turn off and the pan goes immediately cool. I then bought a Duxtop which allows control either by temp or power level. By using power level control, you can set the heat much like a gas stove and get constant power. I've since bought a Bosch built-in and even my wife, who grew up cooking in a family restaurant with gas, admits she likes cooking with induction.
I have been 100% happy with my PIC GOLD. I have not had the turn off experience you describe. Doesn't yours have a timer?
@@roberthart9886 I didn't say it clearly. My PIC doesn't shut off, it cycles on/off to maintain temperature like what's called a bang/bang controller similar to old heater controllers that cycle on when the temp is too low and then cycle off when the temp exceeds the set point. It's fine for heating water and soups or simmering where an average heat is good. My PIC is terrible for trying to get a crisp skin on fried potatoes or a crust on a steak. Even my cast iron pans respond too quickly to the off portion of the cycle.
get the portable one that IKEA makes its about 50$ and it works great. i have had one now for close to a year and i love it
what is the name bro
Bought an induction hob last year. It is amazing so much more efficient than an ordinary gas or electric hob.
Hi there Here's a top tip if you didn't already know. If you buy Induction Adapter Plates you can still use your favourite Cook wear pots and pans ect on the induction cooker . Thanks for sharing your video 👍✌️ ❤️🌍
Thank you for sharing this knowledge ❤️ from Johannesburg South Africa 👍
I have no idea why this showed up in my feed but so glad it did. I’ve been wanting an induction cook top. Thanks for the video.
You most certainly can lift and toss your ingredients on an induction cooktop, even portables.. Most if not all of them give you approx 25-30 seconds before the burner shuts off. And who spends 25-30 seconds tossing a pancake or anything really.. no one.
One big disadvantage of induction cooktops is their material: the top is glass. If you shuffle your pans around it gets scratched, and you have to be careful with heavy pots and pans or you might accidentally break it. I've had my induction stove for two years, it's already full of tiny scratches. And unless you use a glass cleaner or a microfibre cloth to wipe it off it's always going to have streak marks.
Halogen stovetops have the same "issue", it's still much easier to keep clean than oldschool electric or gas.
I’m on my second glass top cooktop, and I love it! This one is my first induction. Fast, efficient, easy clean-up… and yes, wiping down with a ceramic cooktop cleaner is far easier than cleaning the nooks and crannies of a coil electric or gas cooktop. I’m not overly careful with my pans, and am still far from the level of abuse that would be needed to break it. Don’t be afraid of new things.
@@capers72424 I am also on my second glass cooktop, because the first one fractured when a dutch oven full of soup slipped out of my hands and fell on it. Still worked though, but was already ugly. The slightest move of a pan could scratch the glass surface, and since it was gloss black it was impossible to keep clean. That one had electric coils, the new one is induction. I chose a light grey colored one so streaks and dust wouldn't show so easily, but it's already scratched and those scratches can't be cleaned off, doesn't matter how hard i try. I would have bought a gas stove but unfortunately my house isn't connected to the gas line.
@@hobotify interesting! Maybe I got incredibly lucky…
Get a cover
I love my Duxtop cooktop. I think every kitchen should have one.
I have the Duxtop Portable Induction Cooktop that is recommended as the best buy and I would echo everything mentioned. It is great, works well but it does have that smaller 6" heating surface. The only issue it has created for us in a year of use is when I want to cook something in my wok, which could use a much wider heat source.
Woks are singularly useless with induction. The heat is only at the point the pan touches the surface, and boy does it get hot!
Thanks for the feedback!
Thank you.
I got mine (iSiler) from Amazon for $50 dollars it has 5 stars and thousands of positive reviews... And it is extremely beautiful.
A stove far out performs either of my two induction burner units.
My Burton has been a very dependable stove for 3-4 years now.
The more recently purchased one, Duxtop, works, but it keeps shutting off and HOT flashes on the control screen. Boiling water is hopeless. I’m worried it’s not warranted still. But searing fish or other foods so far has been adequate.
The Breville PolySci is something I’m very interested in, but it’s so costly.
I’m recently divorced, which is why I’m using these things and not the amazing Induction stove top in my kitchen. The wife took that, she doesn’t like to cook but scored the amazing kitchen I built her (us) in 2017😢
One thing you can do so you can use any cookware out there is to put a piece of stainless steel on the burner like a heat induction since it reacts to the magnets it will heat up and heat any cookware.
Yes, and there is a handful of three-ply (just like an induction ready pan bottom) "adapters" available on Amazon. I have one, and it works well: not as good as a directly induction-compatible pan, of course, but it allows you to use your existing pans, and they're excellent heat spreaders/tamers for making delicate sauces :-)
Extremely helpful. Also clear and concise. Excellent!!!!
0:42 also work with copper and aluminum, but most cooktop can't detect it.
some induction cooktop can be used with Al, Cu and 304 stainless steel.
even food wraped in aluminium foil.
I found the duty cycle to be an issue with one portable induction cooktop. The item would turn on and off for relatively long periods making cooking difficult.
Which one, pray tell? My Duxtop 9610 doesn't do that.
May you add the playlist in description please
I use one all time. Really love using on back porch when doing bbq or a fish fry. I use a cast iron and stainless steel. But always us a mat when using cast-iron. This helps preventing scratches and spills. Also is easier to clean up. Just take mat and put in dishwasher. My current house design has both induction and gas, incase power is out.
The Breville Pollyscience is worth every peny, and then some. I sometimes consider buying a second.
Well if you want to, please let me know and send it my way so I have a way to cook in the storage, please and thank you.
I have been cooking on a Vollrath Mirage Cadet induction burner for a few years. It's a commercial induction burner, so there is no warranty for home cooks, but it's been a rock solid, powerful, and very controlled way of cooking for me. It's a good middle ground between the inexpensive burners and the PolyScience.
Really glossed over one of the biggest downsides - the power settings. With gas you have an infinite number of settings between off and max and I often make small adjustments to the heat. With the induction cooktops you might have 10 settings. Depending on what you're cooking, that can be very frustrating and it's why I'll never buy one. Just imagine having 10 accelerator settings on you car. Nope.
Good job, cousin. i always get a kick out of seeing a McManus on ATK!
I actually saw a demo on induction at my electric utility about 30 years ago and bought a portable burner cook plate back then. I loved it and used it until about 2 years ago when it finally quit working. I will buy induction cooktop next. All of my pans are stainless or cast iron. All but 2 of them work on induction so I will just need to buy a couple if new saucepans when I switch.
Thank you. I was curious about them. I have seen them in the minimalist lifestyle vehicles.
Induction is where it's at for most.
Quick, cheap (bought a 4 burner unit cost me Under $400 Australian 8 years ago.)
The biggest barrier for me to switching to an induction stove is the glass top. It seems it cannot hold large heavy pots of stock or soup, and you cannot use it for any type of large batch canning, whether water bath or pressure canning. If they ever figure out how to support the weight of these, I'm 100% onboard with switching, but I don't really see how they will be able to construct them out of glass that is thick enough to support the weight, and still allow for a strong induction connection without such a stove costing tens of thousands of dollars. I also want a stove to have a slide away oven door like the Neff stoves that are not available in the US and Canada. They are owned by Bosch and they don't seem to want to enter this market, and their patents are iron clad so no one else can make something with the same feature.
While i cant speak to all the glass used in all the stoves. There is glass that can support a truck on it let alone a 8qt stockpot.
My grandma did have one break on her 15 years ago when this was all new. But my grandparents are notoriously frugal, to the point it often bites them in the but with cheap equipment.
I have seen these used in professional environments, although I don't know what brands or products.
While I don't know exactly what your talking about with the Bosch stoves. My ideal stove is separate from my ideal oven. I would like 2 ovens, often I find myself 1 oven short.
I do have a fondness for gas personally, but I do find induction intriguing. It might just be the future, particularly if one owns an EV and solar panels!
@@brandonhoffman4712 Maybe it's time I look into them again. The Neff ovens (a Bosch company) are the ones used on Bake Off. We have nothing like that in the US and apparently Bosch are very protective of their patent. Honestly, it should be mandated for all ovens purely for safety.
@@dr.westwood Just checked them out. Kinda cool, wont lie!
Although the ovens I have fallen in love with look crazy expensive. I have seen them on Americas test kitchen, as well as this Canadian dude that covers seasoning of carbon steel and cast iron cookware.
both of them are using ovens with the smoothest gliding oven racks, like a nice drawer on ball bearings. I don't know the brand.
I like both ideas, if I had access to both it would be a tough pick and may come down to cost.
Thank you and I'd love to hear another budget-friendly option with larger than 6" cooking surface! I see this one is popular among multiple review places but who can stir-fry/sautee well in just a 6" diameter??? For boiling water sounds fine cause the heat spreads.
Iwatani is commercial grade for about $500. I’ve owned one for 21 years now and it works great. High quality. There’s just now way to justify the cost of the breville. Same power.
Only Breville control freak CAN represent induction cooking period. Really wanted a built-in cooktop with 4 of those.. But just too pricey. Now, I'm counting on Vision Infinity Cooktop.
You can buy a 220v 3600 watt portable(can only get to 1800 watt with a 110v) You have to have or install a 220 v outlet. I use one outside for frying fish, turkeys, etc. Paid $119 if I remember right.
I use induction cooking regularly, along with air fryers and hybrid air ovens. I rarely use my stovetop or conventional oven any more. My brand of choice is NuWave. They work and they are affordable.
DISCLAIMER: My comments aren't an endorsement of any particular brand or product. Any mention is for informational purposes only.
I'm literally looking for an induction burner and I'm also in Natick MA!!!!! Thank you!!!
Just got a new Induction cook top to replace our old 20 year old range. Cooking time has litterly cut in half. We prep the food and when we're about to cook we simply turn it on wait 5 seconds and place anything in the pot. Its that fast at pre heating. Making Cuban Coffee was histrically funny. It makes the coffee within 30 seconds. (4cups) 45 seconds (6 cups). That used to take us 10 to 15 minutes before. Steaks are fun as once your at your designed doneness crank up the heat to H and it sear quickly in a minute or so. Only thing learning curve we had was we didn't feal heat off the pans so you assume they're still cool. Don't be fooled they ready to cook nearly seconds after you turn them on. It makes alot of buzzing regardless of what pan you use. We use All-Clad and its not to annoying. Kinda lets you know somethings going on. Go induction. Also the surfaces are differn't size. Make sure you get auto sensing on your next cooktop.
I’ve had a Dux top for several years and used it quite extensively and still working great paid like 50$ for paid for itself many times
Glad you learned how to use it! It burns EVERYTHING for me!
O it can get hot quick I’ve noticed the pan makes a difference
@@mogarcia9755 INSTANTLY vaporized butter in a cast iron pan one day with it. As well nearly set fire to hamburger. It was a crash course in everything NOT to do. Great fun!
getting a single "burner" induction unit is a great idea. While waiting for our kitchen remodel to be completed (including an induction cooktop), we bought a $50 induction cooktop at IKEA. It was a good introduction though I am sure it was nowhere as good as your suggestions.
I recently bought the duxtop because I kept seeing it on Joshua Weissman's chanel. It's pretty great.
We bought a range. love it but don't have any of the problems she mentioned. good, informative video. Thanks. BTW...don't turn your back on 9 boost. It goes off at mach 10
I ran a ice cream/coffee shop that sold bubble tea and we had a Nuwave Portable Induction Cooktop and it was so nice to have to quickly boil pot of water to make boba. My house has an electric smooth top and our next range will be an induction range.
So much nicer than a gas stove. No fumes, much faster, doesn’t heat up the room. And they blow away a conventional electric burner. Only problem is the small heat spot on the portable burners when frying or sautéing, although that’s not an issue when using the burners to boil water or make soup.
I have a gas stove and bought a counter induction burner years ago. Cooking for one, I almost never use the gas stove, as the induction burner is even faster. At the very start, I learned that not all "induction ready" pans are the same. On the same induction burner, the better quality pan will heat up much faster, unlike their comments which don't seem to be aware of this.
They advise for induction using a cast iron pan. Sure, that'll be just fine, but anybody KNOWS with their higher mass they will always take longer to heat up. Unless I otherwise need cast iron for a recipe, I never use it anywhere.
Instead, I have a non-stick induction pan that I've now used for about EIGHT years, and it's still fine. Far less wear than from gas or electric.
They say don't pre-heat empty pans on induction or they can warp?? Actually, no difference there from gas or electric. My Ex used to do that all the time on an electric range, and ruined many pans.
I happen to have that Duxtop they showed. Works just fine with 8" pans, even cast iron.
Good Content,GreatTips😀👍🏿
Wish you would have mentioned that many units use on/off cycles (just like electric coils). They don't have the ability to regulate and hold intermediate levels. So a "6" means it's on full power 60% of the time, and off the remaining 40%. I believe the Breville is so expensive because it can hold those power settings precisely.
I believe that's deliberate because it helps avoid boiling over when simmering. The off time helps the bubble collapse. Not only cheap units do that.
Mine has 2 types of settings. One is just straight power, which I use mostly since I rarely do actual cooking on it - just bring to boil or pre-heat, the other one is a temperature setting. Temp setting does cycle a little bit but how often depends on amount of food in the pot/pan and the size of pot/pan as well as how much stirring you are doing.
Wow, I've been waiting to see a review on portable induction units since I can't find an induction range, but spending $1,600?!?!?! hahahaha...no.
I have been using induction-ready, all-clad cookware on my standard glass top stove and they work pretty dang good, although you will have to really reduce the heat when cooking. Even the box for the cookware mentioned that- if it calls for high, better start at medium else you'll burn it. Ask me how I know.
With All Clad, that is true, thus I never go beyond 7 when I start heating up the pan as I can always go lower as I cook, and I cook on an infrared glass top stove (not a fancy one, but it is glass top).
Iwatani for $500. I’ve owned one for 21 years. Commercial grade, high quality, and same power
Exactly my experience with All Clad. I view it as more efficient use of energy…
To me the biggest drawback to induction cooking is the stated fact that to use them full-time you need to forget about tilting your pans or lifting them and develop (more precisely succomb to) different techniques.
I have a portable burner and it's great for bringing pots to boil or even just heating up a pan quickly. Actual cooking is done on the stove though since I have all of the flexibility that I want.
Nah, i have used my induction cooktop for a couple years now, and I lift and flip and stir and do everything the same as a gas stove. It goes off and on very quickly if i move it too high, but will stay on if i just tilt or move to an edge. Not a big deal.
Came to see this based on the thumbnail with various models. Hope there will be a model/feature comparison in the future.
Me too and stopped watching for the same reason. That and the archaic measurement system she uses.
yup me too. I own a Nu Wave one and I like it but would like to get a little nicer one but would like to see many compared.
I love this stuff. Well done!
I use my 10" Griswold on my Duxtop, no complaints.
I bought the NuWave ~ 6 years ago, when they had a 2 4 1. I put one in the garage for smelly stuff and one on my flat top stove. Between the set and forget (timer) I can't imagine life without them
We own four NuWave PIC induction cook tops and love them! We have two and our RV and two that I use regularly in the house.
Lol. I purchased my Rosewill portable induction cooker for less than $25. It is a champ.
I hate my induction stove. It came with the house we bought. Very few of our pans worked. We found out the pans that do work have to be very thick bottomed or they warp. So we had to shell more than what a new stove would be for pans.
why would the pans warp? only if you heat it empty on high.
@@nsbioy not necessarily. Cheaper pans can warp very easily on induction and expensive heavy duty ones too if used carelessly. Induction burners tend to cause temperatures in the pot/pan to far exceed the desired or set temperature. This is partially due to the often mismatched coil size to pan size difference, but other factors too. I've seen differences of 100's of degrees F between the center and sides of a pan from an induction burner. Anytime you are unevenly heating a metal there is the potential for warping.
Generally speaking, one should never use the highest settings or the "warp speed" settings on induction. Those settings are almost guaranteeing the warping of one's pan and in my opinion, are completely useless.
@@slugtoenail yep, see my comment above. I believe it is not only valid, but does not at all contradict yours.
@@nsbioyI may have missed it. Is it a different comment than the one asking why they would warp unless you heated them empty on high?
@@slugtoenail not really - same comment. Without heating on high, nothing will ever warp on induction. It can if one insisted on "preheating" an empty pan for a while on high like it is often done for regular electric burners.
From 03:18 : Great information. Thanks very much.
We use one in our motorhome. To offset the use of propane.
Oh that's a great idea!
I actually got one from IKEA a while back. It received a lot of positive feedback in the reviews I read, and have been quite pleased with it myself.
I love mine, and you can use an ordinary plug. As long as the pan is magnetic you can use anything
@@everdinestenger1548 Presently I cook with a lot of cast iron, so no problems there using induction.
@@jonny9884 cast iron is perfect
I think the IKEA burner is terrific. No one ever reviews them. I have one and intend to get another one.
I have a Nuwave Gold model with an 8" coil that I absolutely love. The wattage is adjustable up to 1800 watts. The temp. is adjustable in 10 degree increments, and it also has a timer. I'll never cook on a gas or electric range again. Oh and I have two metal knees and so far so good. Just saying.
Lisa, I've seen some carbon steel users say induction warped their pans and I'm wondering whether this is an issue with the burner, the user, or carbon steel that's lighter in weight/thinner.
The carbon steel react so much with this process and get super hot in seconds. ( really) With a thinner / lighter pan it will warp if you maintain a super hot temp. One has to learn to moderate the setting or change for a DeByers type thickness pan . It makes the most beautifull crust on steaks better and faster than anything.
( Induction and carbon steel user for 10+ yrs. )
@@helenedesmarais8697 Thanks for the information. My skillets are all carbon steel now (mostly Matfer Bourgeat, one DeBuyers) and I've been wanting to get an induction burner but I was worried about it from reading about difficulties others have had.
@@robertsterner2145 I have a Matfer that I think I warped on electric the first seasoning process. Getting a nuwave and a second preseasoned Misen carbon steel. Seems worthwhile. Think they are saying not to preheat empty?
@@Ma_Ba my understanding is that the Misen carbon steel pans, which are thinner than Matter and DeBuyer, are even more precarious on induction.
@@robertsterner2145 Yes, spec says 2mm. I meant to say my Matfer may have warped only on electric because the initial seasoning with salt and potatoes was on high heat. I no longer go very high to sear. Think the suggestions for induction are not to preheat empty with even the Matfer. Will review the video on that info.
I wish you mentioned two more drawbacks that put me off: Noise and temperature cycling. Coming from silent electric stoves, the fan noise for cooling the internals plus the hum from the coils is annoying. And in the models I tried, the middle temperature settings just turn on and off the heating on a schedule. With a pan and a thin layer of sauce, it is very easy to see it starting boil, stop, then start again. The relaxing bubbling at the perfect temperature is replaced by cycling on and off.
Thank you very much. This video is very helpful! I DO have a induction cooker I use often. My only beef with it is, I can't dial in the temp setting I want. It goes in increments of 25 degrees. cutting out, 325, 375, and 450. So I mostly just use the wattage side instead of the temp side.
My Nu Wave portable induction cook plate is my "go to" device. Induction cookware can be found all over the place.