Induction burner recommendations

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madmotts

madmotts

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I have a cheapie induction countertop burner that I’d like to consider upgrading. I don’t know the features/price/quality tiers so I’m thinking some folks can chime in on. I’d like to put an ~12” on it
 
Control Freak for high end
Vollrath makes a good unit for the price
 
cooktek used to be the best but once they were bought and relocated to dallas their customer service and warranty service went way downhill
 
Obviously the Control Freak is at the top of the heap for 1800W portable units.

Vollrath is good but they don't honor the warranty for home users. That said, I really like my Mirage Pro and have had no problems with it. The best things about it is the 100 power levels and the fact that it is controlled with a knob. It also works well at the very low end of the temperature range (they advertise its chocolate melting abilities).

Cook's Illustrated recommends the Max Burton Digital Induction cooktop. MB also offers a larger version (model 18XL) that has a bigger induction coil, but CI found that it was too powerful at its lowest settings for delicate things like fondue. But if you are going to be using larger cookware and don't need very low temps, it's a good choice.
 
Haven’t used a Breville, but Hatco is the best I’ve tried and way better than Vollrath. Even for a pro kitchen Vollrath doesn’t support those units very well compared to Hatco. I’m sure the Breville has all kinds of cool and handy features and settings but for a guy like me who just wants a power dial the Hatco does the trick, and it does have a probe and programmable interface so you can hold a critical temperature, or automatically boil then simmer, etc.
 
I have used 2 Dipo DCP23s as my home cookers for the last 6 years. They only have 17 settings, but that seems to be enough for me. They also come with a temperature probe so you can set temperatures and use them like a water circulator. Never missed a beat, crazy powerful, glass seems un-scratchable - definitely recommend. They are commercial so might be overkill for home cookers (for some).
 
Appreciate the input. The harsh reality of the price of entry. Looks like it all starts around $550+-. the bigger pan size is a less of an issue for those units.

It appears there are few if any in the $200-300 range. So I guess the Max Burton XL appears to be the one. At least it has a dial...
 
I am looking something for my big pots 30-34 cm. What is the biggest size you can get?
 
I haven't found any of any kind anywhere with a bigger coil than 7" even if they're called a 12" or 14" size... That runs on 120V US power. The 240V models do have bigger coils but it wouldn't be proper to recommend that someone get one of those and rig it up to a transformer like I did.
 
GorillaGrunt said:
The 240V models do have bigger coils but it wouldn't be proper to recommend that someone get one of those and rig it up to a transformer like I did.
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Makes me wonder if there might be cases where getting a large one of those and just running it at half power might be better than an undersized one at full power.
 
It is. Something like 5% faster side by side on a water boil test and larger coil so more even pan heating. However - i can’t say one way or the other whether this is a safe thing to do if you are careful and watchful, or whether I’ve just been lucky with my instances of all the variables. And I don’t even leave the transformer plugged in when I’m not near it.

i would recommend the 3600W burner as the best choice for home or professional, but the proper way to do it would be to have an electrician install a 240V circuit. Cost about $500 at work and next time I’m living in a space I can modify like that I’m going to have that done - the current setup is a hack for a rented apartment in an old building. But seriously it is absolutely worth every penny compared to 1800W.
 
Either I'm misunderstanding you a little, or you misunderstood me a little ...

I intended to wonder if just using a plug adapter (not a transformer) with a large 240 model could be better than using a smaller diameter coil that was made for 120V. Maybe you answered that in a way I didn't catch, but you seemed to be discussing transformer the whole time.
 
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Ohhhh. No you can’t do that, just change the plug out or use an adapter, because it needs to be supplied the correct voltage. Especially because it has computer components. The transformer allows it to turn on and operate by supplying it with the right voltage; then you can’t run it above 50% because it would then draw too much current and exceed the rated amperage for your wiring, receptacles, etc. and blow fuses in the best case scenario. However twice the voltage at half the amperage is the same wattage, so a 3600W running at 50% is the same power as an 1800W at maximum. You don’t get any theoretical benefit over the 1800W unit using it at half power (slight advantage in practice, probably from the larger coil) but I already happened to have the wrong unit around.
 
I forgot they had computer components. Absolutely no go. Thanks for clarifying.
 
DavidPF said:
I forgot they had computer components. Absolutely no go. Thanks for clarifying.
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The computer components likely would not be a problem, they will be running at faaaaaaaaaar less than 1800 or 3600 watts and at faaaaaaaaaar less than 120 or 240v. The system will already have a transformer in it for those pieces. And there is a fair chance that it's a universal, multi-voltage solution, because most of the off-the-shelf components to build into systems are. It's a moot point, as the main coils are going to be the issue.
 
My 32qt. stockpot has about a 12.5” diameter base (13.25” rim), heat ring on the glass stove is about 11” so it works OK with a bit of overhang, but I was surprised to hear so many induction are much smaller (9” would work for the 18qt. pot 2nd from bottom).

any suggestions for a unit that could accommodate the larger base? I see even the iwatani 2500w says max 10.5”. Not sure if the glass tops are recessed within the metal frame (so the pot wouldn’t contact) or if there’d just be some overhang (which I imagine could damage some electronics). I’d think if using a smaller coil I’d want to be mindful of sudden temperature changes to avoid warping the large base.
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sumting like that yes....

But seriously, if you need to find space for what I consider LARGE pots and pans surely you want the content to be heated within a reasonable amount of time?

I have no clue what our current (pun intended) induction stove puts out but I LOVE being able to bring 6 Liters of water for pasta to the boil in like nothing.
 
MarcelNL said:
I have no clue what our current (pun intended) induction stove puts out but I LOVE being able to bring 6 Liters of water for pasta to the boil in like nothing.
Click to expand...

That is the best thing about induction. The first time I had one it boiled 2 liters of water in like 2 minutes, and that was 10 minutes before I was ready for that.
 
exactly ^that.....cooking the past sauce, starting to boil water and finding out I should have waited another 10 minutes or so:oops:
 
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MarcelNL said:
but surely you want some more power than 2.5Kw:oops:
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I haven’t had enough coffee today yet to know if this is a joke (?), but I thought the smaller 1500-1800w might not be enough for my largest stockpot (which I concede won’t be used very often). Eventually I’m probably going to go with a gas range but have a portable induction burner(s) to accompany it. Even with my current glass top electric stove, I have a portable iwatani butane stove which is nice to use in various parts of the kitchen with the stove is crowded.
 
Hey @GorillaGrunt (or anyone else) do you still recommend the Hatco? Current pricing on the 240v is in line with Breville’s 120v control freak. Has anyone else tried both?
 
The Control Freak is 20% off thru mid-December. I picked one up from JB Prince. The advantage there is sales tax.

Ultimately I picked it over the 240v Hatco because running a new outlet where I’d need it would be a pita and things like tabletop hotpot would be impossible with the higher power unit. It’d be ridiculous to run 240v circuits everywhere. Not sure why Hatco claims FOH for it.
 
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