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jakkom

New Circulon single induction burner

jakkom
16 years ago

For those who want to try out induction before committing to an entire cooktop - this got a quick review in the San Francisco Chronicle food section this week:

"Induction burner. Until recently induction burners were mostly available to caterers and professional chefs, but we've been seeing them make their way into the home cook's kitchen. Sur La Table sells one by Viking for $499.95, but we decided to try a less-expensive model just released by Circulon ($250 at Cooks Boulevard in San Francisco).

The burner, which fits on a counter or small table, uses electromagnetic energy to turn stainless steel pots into a heat source. It can boil twice as fast as traditional gas or electric stovetops. We found that the 13-inch glass-ceramic burner was not only easy to clean, but it also cooked evenly. It has seven cooking temperatures, and can be used to keep dishes warm or kept tableside for buffets. We liked using it with Circulon's 7-quart lock and strain stockpot ($100 at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Macy's)."

Here is a link that might be useful:

Comments (8)

  • klaa2
    16 years ago

    You forgot the link.

    Anyway, while this is a good idea for those who want to try induction before going with a cooktop, keep in mind that if it plugs into a 20 amp 120 volt outlet, it's not going to be anywhere near reflective of the power of one thats hardwired.

  • jakkom
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Actually I did include the link the first time, it even showed up in the Preview, but GW with its usual quirkiness apparently dropped it. Link to full article is below.

    And the unpleasant condescension of klaa2's comment is one of the big reasons I'm starting to dislike posting on this forum. I personally don't have any interest in induction, but was posting this in case it might help someone. It makes me sorry I even bothered.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Link to SF Chron Gadgets article

  • klaa2
    16 years ago

    What exactly did you find condescending in my post? Having a bad morning?

  • gizmonike
    16 years ago

    We purchased a Sunpentown Mr. Induction single burner induction unit to try out induction. In the past on this forum, some who have tried this have complained about the wimpiness of this unit (compared to the hardwired ones using 240 or high BTU gas)--hence the warning. However, our Mr. Induction was every bit as powerful as our then electric small burners, so we were thrilled with it. We're even more thrilled with our hardwired induction (240 power) that we now have. We are still using our Mr. Induction as a portable unit, most recently to cook sukiyaki at the table, which is lots of fun.

  • plllog
    16 years ago

    Mr. Induction is also more powerful than my current gas cooktop and more subtle. Whichever one you choose, it's worth trying the method of induction cooking before making a decision. I learned about it on these boards and researched it all over the 'net, but was convinced by Mr. Induction, knowing that its results would be wimpy compared to the real thing.

    Thanks, Jkom51, for passing the word about the new unit and keeping the discussion going.

  • brachl
    16 years ago

    Jkom51, thanks for the info. I have been planning on buying an induction cooktop, and your post made me consider getting a single induction unit to try it before I commit to such an expensive purchase. (Of course, I should have thought of it myself from reading all the postings, but I didn't.) Your posting has inspired me to buy one this week, so I can finalize my appliance order--thanks!

  • ginnytrcka
    16 years ago

    I've been researching the portable units to give it a whirl. Some of my reading stated that a 1400 watt unit is like a 10,000 btu gas burner, 1800 watts like 15,000 btu's. It seems like the 1200 watt units are better at simmering, using for parties, etc., but will get a meal cooked if it only takes a little longer. Compared to 8600 btu's, I think.

  • brachl
    16 years ago

    I bought the Circulon last month. Here's our experience with it so far:

    Pros:
    like the ability to control (9 levels) and time

    works very well once heated up

    ease of cleaning up

    Cons:
    noise -- it's loud enough that DH said he does not want an induction cooktop unless we can find one that is significantly quieter than this

    speed of heating up: it is not as fast as I expected, although my expectations were probably based on what I had read about hardwired cooktops and therefore not realistic