3 of the Best Induction Cook Top Portable for Your Needs
Everyone needs a stove top. That’s just a fact of life. Do you remember as a child being told to not touch the hot stove eye? Naturally, you learned that by touching it, you would get burned.
One of the best known advantages to induction cook tops are their ability to cool down immediately after a pot is removed from the range. Pretty much, that is the single best quality that sets it apart from other stove tops. (However, it should be noted that there are several other great qualities for the induction cook tops.)
In this article, we will provide you with the information you need to know before purchasing these technologically savvy cook tops. In fact, we will graze through many of the best induction cook top reviews, ensuring that you have an idea of what to expect and how other people have reacted to the product.
1. So, what is an “induction cook top”?
It’s really a fairly basic concept. Whereas traditional cook tops use radiant or thermal heat conduction, induction cook tops use magnetic induction. Wow, what a tongue twister!
According to Wikipedia, the induction cook top works when a magnetic flux is created. This continuously magnetizes the cookware or pot. As for the pot, well, it treats it like a transformer. Pretty cool, eh?
Since the pot is considered the transformer, whenever it is removed from the source of heat, or the cook top eye, the heat quickly dissipates. It’s like magic!
Not only does the heat quickly dissipate once the pot or cookware is removed but the cook top also heats up significantly faster than the traditional stove top.
Keep in mind that induction cook tops don’t react and heat up any metal pot or pan. It only works for induction cookware. The induction cookware manufacturers always stamp on the box if it is “induction friendly” or “induction-capable”. Typically, these cookware products are generally known as “magnetic cookware”. Doesn’t that give it a “space age” feel? We think so.
2. What are some of the purposes?
You may be wondering what could be the purpose in purchasing an induction cooktop.
For starters, it’s a much friendlier cooktop for the presence of small children. Granted, the while an induction pot is on the cooktop, the eye will be hot but you don’t have to worry about the cooktop being hot when nothing is on it. Yes, you read that correctly.
The eye automatically shuts off when a pot is not sitting on it. Again, it goes back to the magnetism and transformer details. It just isn’t going to work if the transformer is not on top of it.
Since most of these cook tops are mobile and easy to move from place to place, they are very beneficial for those that enjoy camping. If you have a camper that’s equipped with electrical outlets, it would be a product to consider trying.
We have heard of students relying on these portable cook tops while away at college.
Many students have stated that the cook tops made it easier to cook meals while confined to a tiny space. In fact, several have expressed their joy in cooking more as it doesn’t take as long to boil a simple pot of water!
3. Top 3 best induction cooktop reviews
1. Let’s take a look at Duxtop 1800-Watt Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner 8100MC
DUXTOP 1800-Watt Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner 8100MC
On Amazon, this particular induction cook top is available in the color of gold and black.
You can look at it here. http://www.amazon.com/1800-Watt-Portable-Induction-Countertop-8100MC/dp/B0045QEPYM/
This unit requires the use of induction-capable pots and pans. It will not work if you place a non-magnetic pot on the cook top’s surface. Some examples of induction-capable cookware are cast iron skillets, stainless steel pots that have a magnetic bottom or enameled steel.
What we like about this listing are the thorough details listed about the product. Concerning the basics, it uses 120 volts and 15 amps of electricity. (Don’t worry; that’s standard.)
It’s very lightweight and easy to transport with its compact size.
The control panel is digital. It has a digital timer that provides time increments that count from 1 minute all the way up to 170 minutes.
The control panel also gives options for the user to control the temperature. There are 10 temperature ranges for this particular cook top. (Most have 8 temperature ranges.) It allows you to manage and maintain temperatures from 140 degrees Fahrenheit to 460 degrees Fahrenheit.
Not to boast but the Duxtop 1800 also has 10 power levels that range from 200 watts to 1800 watts. Again, most induction cook top burners have only 8 power levels.
As with most induction cook top burners, this one has an auto-pan detection.
It will automatically shut off the heat after 60 seconds if it doesn’t detect a pot or pan.
Finally, the cook top has incredible technological warning systems. It has a programmed diagnostic error message system and a voltage warning system. (With the voltage warning system, it simply alerts the user to low or high voltage.) The Amazon listing also states that it is ETL approved.
There are plenty of reviews for the Duxtop 1800. Most of them are positive. The popular praise that customers have given it is the ability to heat up so quickly. For many, it has deterred them from the traditional way of cooking. It’s something worth looking into for there to be such a long list of positive reviews.
As for the negative feedback, it mostly consisted of customers complaining about the high heat burning their food. Some complained about the cook top shutting off automatically while they were in the middle of cooking a meal. However, with practice, many of them learned how to cook properly with the induction cook top.
2. Prepare yourself for this long product name: Gourmia GIC100 Multifunction Portable 1800 Watt Induction Cooker Cook Top Countertop Burner with SmartSense Auto Detention, Timer, Temperature and 8 Power Level Controls
Gourmia GIC100 Multifunction Portable 1800 Watt Induction Cooker Cooktop Countertop Burner
Phew! What a long-winded product title!
This burner has the highest star rating of the 3 we are sharing with you. It seems to be not only the most affordable but the most dependable.
To us, it looks like it would be well worth the money.
You can check it out here. http://www.amazon.com/Gourmia-Multifunction-Countertop-SmartSense-Temperature/dp/B017HX1E0M/
The Gourmia GIC100 comes in the color of white but the cooking surface is black/dark gray. On the control panel, it doesn’t appear as busy as that of the Duxtop. It has a power button, a function button and then a temperature knob. A small digital screen rests in the middle of the buttons.
Unlike the Duxtop which has 10 power levels and 10 temperature settings, the Gourmia GIC100 has only 8 power levels and 8 temperature settings.
The power levels start from 200 watts to 1400 watts whereas the temperature settings start at 140 degrees Fahrenheit to 460 degrees Fahrenheit.
It also has a cooking timer that allows you to set it for up to 180 minutes. That’s 10 minutes longer than the Duxtop timer allots for. (Because we all know that those extra 10 minutes are needed!)
Like most induction cook top units, it has an overheat sensor that causes it to automatically shut down when it becomes too hot.
As for energy efficiency, it claims on the listing that it uses up to 90% less energy than the traditional stove top. This mechanism may help in saving a penny or two on the utility bill…you never know!
It’s also super easy to clean as the cook top surface cools quickly and prevents any spilled food from sticking.
As with most induction cook tops, it requires the use of induction-capable pots and pans. A typical pan will not work on this type of cook top. Be sure to purchase cookware that says, “induction capable”. Otherwise, if you already own cast iron or magnetic stainless steel cookware, they should function on the cook top as well.
Alright, there were plenty of positive reviews for the Gourmia GIC100 as it was nearly impossible to find a single negative review out of 43 of them! The most praised about attribute was the ability to heat up so quickly. Many liked how the temperature settings increased or decreased in intervals of 50 degrees.
As for the negative reviews, we couldn’t find many. One customer was disappointed in the need for an induction-capable cookware. This person didn’t have the proper cookware and returned the product.
Another customer was pleased with the Gourmia GIC100 but made a complaint about the user manual. For that person, there wasn’t enough instruction for learning how to operate the cook top.
Overall, the Gourmia GIC100 was a major success among the customers that purchased it. It wouldn’t hurt to give it a try if you are seeking an induction cook top.
3. Finally, the NuWave Precision Induction Cook Top
When we viewed this listing on Amazon, we were surprised to see it had listed minimal details.
NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop
You can look at it here. http://www.amazon.com/NuWave-PIC-30141-Precision-Induction/dp/B00DP6BJE2/
NuWave is well-known for advertising their products for their ability to cook meals quickly. It’s probably not much of a surprise that their listing doesn’t need many details in the NuWave Precision Induction Cook Top. Confidence in their brand is already there.
Of the details that are listed, it’s said to heat up twice as fast as the other burners.
It boils water in 90 seconds!
This portable induction burner is said to be one of its kind. How so? It’s the only portable burner that can reach the controlled temperature of 575 degrees Fahrenheit. The other two cook tops top out at 460 degrees Fahrenheit and automatically shut down if the temperature goes anything higher than that.
However, the NuWave Precision Induction Cook Top isn’t the best at everything. The Gourmia GIC100 has topped it in one area: energy efficiency. Yes, the Gourmia GIC100 is more energy efficient at using up to 90 percent less energy.
The NuWave Precision Induction Cook Top only uses up to 70 percent less energy. Shocker!
As for the simpler, basic details, the NuWave burner is black. It appears to be smaller than the other 2 cook tops but it weighs slightly more than the Duxtop and Gourmia GIC100. The control panel has more going on than the Gourmia GIC100 with the multitude of buttons, but for some people, it may be easier to have a button for each function. That just depends on the person.
There are plenty of positive reviews for the NuWave burner. People mostly praised about it being easy to use, the plentiful forms of instructions as it came with thorough manuals and a DVD as well as the fast cooking time. Many have stated that they were so pleased with the NuWave that they completely replaced their usual cooking methods with the induction cook top burner.
Unfortunately, there were more negative reviews on the NuWave burner than the Duxtop and the Gourmia GIC100. The popular complaint was of terrible customer service. Some customers expected to receive induction-capable cookware with the NuWave cook top but never received the cookware. Others received the cook top in a damaged condition but were told to simply buy another one. There wasn’t the option for getting their money back or simply having it replaced.
Other unfortunate experiences included customers complaining of temperature failures.
Out of the 371 customer reviews, there are 63 percent of positive reviews. The negative feedback is only at 15 percent. However, it’s always wise to scroll through the reviews and make the decision for yourself.
Overall, the NuWave offers a variety of excellent attributes for its induction cook top.
4. Overall Impression of Induction Cook Tops
Now that you’ve been informed about induction cook tops, it’s your turn to discern whether this is something to place on your wish list or not. It seems to be a great product for anyone that is learning to cook as well as someone who enjoys the freedom of a portable cook top burner.
The features for each of the 3 induction cook tops seem more advantageous than not. Out of the 3 cook tops, the one we would suggest is the NuWave Precision Induction Cook Top
The Gourmia GIC100 had the highest star rating, the least of the negative reviews, offered the best overall in features and was lowest in price. It seems to be the best for your money.