duxtopPortable Induction Cooktop, Countertop Burner, Induction Burner with Timer and Sensor Touch, 1800W 8500ST E210C2

I bought this to try out induction.I seriously disliked my ceramic top electric stove and was looking to replace it with a high end gas range with an upcoming kitchen renovation. However, the amount of "waste heat" you get in a kitchen from gas always bugged me and I've seen more and more positive things about induction.So, I bought this unit to see what I thought about it before making my final decision on what my new kitchen range would be (Gas or Induction)My wife and I tried it out for about a month and it was so much better than the old electric cook top that we pretty much used this exclusively unless we absolutely had to have two or more burners going at once.Cooking with induction is just as responsive as gas (turn down the heat, it goes down immediately, crank it up, it cranks immediately) and this cook top even plugged in to a wall outlet (just a 120v circuit) boiled a whole pot of water in under 1/2 to 1/3 the time that the standard electric stove did.Yes, we had several good pots and pans that were not induction compatible - we knew that going in but we were so happy with this burner that we decided we could commit to full induction.Ended up buying a Frigidaire Induction range and are very happy with it.However, that's not the end of the tale here - we still find this cook top to be useful - we had a bunch of friends over for a dinner get together the other week and used this as a convenient "fifth burner" and then switched it over to being a warmerThe temperature specific control is a feature even our full induction range doesn't have (the ability to set this unit to a specific temperature instead of just 1 to 10) .. it's really really useful for holding /warming a dish of food for serving thought the night at a safe temp but not burning it.The unit stays pretty cool to the touch and we're about to switch back to using it for daily cooking while the aforementioned kitchen renovation takes place (we liked Induction cooking so much that we bought the new stove before hand since we could buy and swap out the stove right away without waiting for the renovation to run a gas line.So, this is as much a review of induction cooking as this burner but .. if you're looking for a decent countertop burner, this is way better than a classic electric model and the induction cooking is powerful enough for daily cooking. The unit is easy enough to keep clean and we can stow it away in a cupboard when not in use. It's great for an extra burner when your stove is extra full (like managing holiday cooking etc) and it serves very well as a chafing/warming burner due to the temp setting.

I bought this specifically to use with a Presto 23 Quart Induction Pressure Cooker for mycology.Cooking inside created unnecessary heat and unwanted odors, and my crappy electric stove had neither a timer nor good temperature control. This was the solution! Here are my comments and tips . . .- The diameter of the actual induction cooking ring is 8.5", whereas the base of the Presto is 8" . . PERFECT! Note that the Presto's diameter of the cooker is wider, but the actual BASE that makes contact with the cooker is 8" which matches this cooker ideally.- The timer function works great! No more burnt batches from forgetting to watch it. For those wondering what is the maximum time . . The timer has a maximum duration of 170 minutes. If you don't set the timer, it will automatically turn off after 120 minutes. While some may find this auto-shutoff annoying, I think it is great because even if you forget to turn on the timer you won't overcook your grain bags (or food).- You can adjust the cooking level after you set the timer, which is great if you want to adjust up or down. I noticed reviews on other cooktops that didn't allow for adjusting the temp or level after setting the timer. Fortunately this one does. After experimenting a bit . . . I heat it up on Level 10 until the water is boiling; then I put the pressure cooker lid on; then I set the power level to 5.5 and set the timer, including an extra 15 minutes as it takes about 15 minutes for the pressure to build up to 15psi (depending on ambient temperature and elevation). You could also just wait until it reaches 15psi and then set the timer, but I just like to get it set and forget about it. The level 5.5 seems to work perfectly to keep the pressure at 15 PSI and the valve wobbling just right, and yet I have also tried lowering it to 4.5 after it is already wobbling, and it seems to be fine and still maintains 15psi . Of course ambient temperature and elevation could change the timing; I have been using this outdoors at 80F and at sea level. I wouldn't say this heats up to 15 PSI quickly, but 1800 watts is about the most powerful you are going to get in this type of cooker.- Note that you MUST have a pressure cooker that specifically states it works with an induction cooker, because most are 100% aluminum and aluminum does not work with an induction cooker unless it has a steel bottom.- The power cord is a generous 5 feet long, making it fairly easy to connect without an extension cord.- I like that the power levels are in half-steps, not just whole numbers. For those who want to know, the unit starts at 200 watts at the level 1 power setting, then increases 100 watts for every .5 of temperature increase all way up to 10. So you actually get double the expected "10" levels to fine tune your cooking.- One word of caution about starting off at Level 10 . . . Remember that induction heats the metal, and the hot metal cooks what is inside the pressure cooker. I have melted a few grain bags and even cracked a couple ball jars by leaving it on Level 10 too long - This heats up the metal HOT, so I've learned to either start on level 7 or maybe start on level 10 for just 10 minutes and then lower it. This is not a problem with the cooker of course, this is just a tip for my mycology friends.Overall, the cooktop works great. It suits my needs, and so far I have had no issues or anything I could complain about. Helpful?