Nuwave Precision Induction Cooktop

11 years ago

My experience...

Saw the ad on TV... For $99.99 you buy one induction cooktop get the second one free and the Ultimate Cookware Set is free ( 3-1/2 qt Stainless Steel Pot, Stainless Steel Steamer, Glass Lid, Fondue Insert and 8 Fondue Forks ) and a 9" Perfectgreen Frying Pan as well as a 10.5" Perfectgreen Frying Pan ) all free for shipping and handling only.

Well, yes the second unit is free BUT the shipping and handling is $40.00!

And yes, the cookware is free but the shipping and handling is $70.00!!!

What I got was one Precision Induction Cooktop ( PIC ) and the Ultimate Cookware Set but no frying pans for $159.99 ( $99.99 for cooktop & pot and $59.90 for shipping and handling !!!!! ) The rest of the order was backordered.

Before I took anything else out of the box I grabbed the manual ( Oh, got the Recipe book/manual and a DVD ) and began to read it... You can't put the PIC on a metal surface.. I wanted to use it on my SS cooktop as a replacement for a bad burner... To disconnect the unit you must "turn any control to off".... Wait a minute there is NO off button on the unit... Never use any pot bigger then 9' on the PIC... Wait a minute the 3-1/2 qt pot is 9-3/4" and they want to send me a 10.5" frying pan.

On my first call I got the usual barrage of options and, naturally, the last one was the one I wanted.... After a full 15 MINUTES of Nuwave commercials I hung up... For the next two weeks I called the same number and only got a fast busy signal... On Monday ( 7-23 ) I called again and got a recording saying the number had been disconnected!!! ( Yes, I checked and tried again, same thing. )

BTW, in the meantime I tried the PIC with a cheap pan ( about 7" wide ) I got from Aldi's and it worked like a charm... ( you have to press the Pause button twice before removing the pot and unplugging the unit or the magnetic waves shoot all over the place )... It boiled about an inch and a half of water in about a minute... Worked great for beef stew, seared the meat on the Max/Sear setting then powered down to 200 degrees to simmer the meat and cook the rest... I was pleased that the PIC didn't heat up the kitchen, the entire surface of my 30 year old electric cooktop seems to generate heat across the most of the 45" by 22" surface every time I have two or more burners going... Oh, and I tried boiling 3 qts of water in the 3-1/2 qt pot --- After 30 minutes at 500 degrees it only came to a simmer ( tiny bubbles on the bottom of the pot. )

Anyway, today, after checking out a couple of their websites I found another 800 phone number and called... The pleasant woman I talked to couldn't believe that I was having so much trouble calling the 1-855 number and tried while I was waiting... After three attempts and getting the same fast busy she profusely apologized and put me on hold... She came back about a minute later and tried again, success, she got through, hung up and tried again... While she was going through the answering machine options she was asking me if I heard what was going on... She could barely hear me so she hung up and ask if I wanted her to call again, get me where I needed to be and let them talk to me or just call myself... I thanked her and then called myself...

I got through on the first try then AFTER A FULL 30 MINUTES OF COMMERCIALS I finally got a live person... The obviously haggard young woman listened to my complaints, tried to tell me that the 10.5" frying pan and 3-1/2 qt pot were actually only 9" across the bottom, then asked for the order number when I told her I wanted to cancel the rest of my order... I could tell she had gone through the same complaints many times... She told me that the $159.99 would be the only charge to my credit card and thanked me for my order.

Have I learned my lesson... YES!... Never buy anything from a TV ad that states you get a lot of free stuff for shipping and handling only.... $110.00 is NOT free.

More importantly, find out what can be used on it and where it can be used.

Rita

Comments (14)

jadeite
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Rita,

Can you return this and get your money back? $160 is not a bargain for a single induction unit. From your description, you aren't getting much power.

Cheryl
ritaotay
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Any metallic pan with a 7" bottom works just fine... I'll just chalk it up as my dumb mistake for the year... And spending any more money to ship it back will make me feel even dumber...

Thanks for your concern though...

Hugs,
Rita
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lbpod
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I'm not trying to make you feel 'taken advantage of', but
you were. People that 'reguarily' fall prey to these 'infomercialls' are at the bottom of the food chain.
Face it....... you got $crewed,........ buttom line.
But, you have learned a very, very valuable lesson.
Take advantage of any legal action that you possibly can. And I hope, and pray, that you succeed.
There are induction 'hotplates'on the market for less
than $60, (I've got one), and yes, it did come with a
pan with a cover. Caveot Emptor.
compumom
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Continue to so what you've done here--- expose their scam across the Internet. Post on Facebook, other review sites etc.
See the link below-- you're not alone in your dissatisfaction!

Here is a link that might be useful: Nuwave reviews
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Don't be too hard on yourself.

May not be the world biggest bargain, but now you have a useful appliance for use for a long time.

I see people are selling their extra unit for $100 on eBay.

I seem to understand that the PIC does not have an "Off" switch?

You can get a switch/outlet from HomeDepot to replace a standard duplex outlet, so that you don't have to plug.unplug the unit all the time.

$2.50 and 15 minutes of work.

dcarch

Here is a link that might be useful:
gourd_friends
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
If there is a danger of magnetic waves shooting everywhere, is there also a warning for people with pacemakers? Sounds like there should be something like that........
I appreciate your post, as I was considering ordering the package.
Jan
lindac
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Did you pay with a credit card? Call them and cancel the charge.....then you will hear from NuWave in a hurry....and demand return postage.
Linda C
arley_gw
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks for sharing your experience. Seems like every TV ad these days says, "2 for 1! just pay additional S & H" which turns out to the real profit center.

I have an induction hot plate and use it every now and then; you do have something that's useful, although (not to make you feel bad) there are better deals out there. Sounds like NuWave is an outfit to avoid. Thanks for warning us.

At the link, there's a site that lists and compares induction units. For a countertop unit plugging in to a 15 amp 110v wall outlet, about the maximum power you can get is 1800 watts. (For more powerful units you need 220v.)

I've had a couple of the countertop units, and one thing that is really helpful is having several power levels. One of mine only had five--I'd recommend at least eight or ten. It's not important when you're boiling water for pasta--you're gonna turn it to the max--but sometimes the power you want is in between two settings. (To keep my pressure cooker at the right heat I had to toggle back and forth between two settings.) More settings, more flexibility. (Cooktek has 100 settings, which is probably overkill, but the next induction device I buy will have at least 8) I've never used the Max Burton 6000, but it has 10 power levels, it's 1800 watts, and is available for $75 at Amazon; the 6200 is essentially the same but in a stainless steel case for $86.

Here is a link that might be useful: the induction site
Politics4ever
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I had the same experience as Rita. If you try to return the product after you realize they are not going to send you what you ordered, it will cost you around $100. They keep S&P and you have to pay return postage. This company is totally scamming people. IF YOU HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH NUWAVE, FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE BBB AT THIS SITE: I had the exact same situation. There are so many posts saying the exact same thing. If they think I'm sending them another dime, they are crazy. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you!!!! These people are real scam artists. I did file a complaint with BBB of Illinois. I hope others do the same. Here is the site: http://www.bbb.org/chicago/business-reviews/cooking-utensils/hearthware-in-libertyville-il-33004359/complaints
I already filed mine.
cynic
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Challenging a charge isn't quite as easy as that. You have to go through the proper procedures. BTDT. And the Better Business Bureau is a waste of time. They have NO enforcement power whatsoever. They keep a log. That's all the BBB does. I wouldn't waste my time with it. Any representation that the BBB does ANYTHING for consumers is a scam.

I saw the infomercial and it caught my eye a bit. I don't order from infomercials. I'll buy it in a stoe where I can return it, even if it means paying more, which it usually does, but I think it's a benefit. And also gives me time to reconsider rather than act on impulse.

After seeing the infomercial I went to the website to see what the S&H was on it. I know all about the "pay only S&H bla bla". From what I gathered, the two sets would cost about $140-$150 w/shipping. That makes $70-$75 each unit. I give no real value to the frypan or fondue forks they give, the unit itself is what you're buying. But compared to what I've seen in the past that's not that bad a price. Not the cheapest, but I wouldn't call it a ripoff. I've seen much bigger ripoffs. But I couldn't justify two units and when I looked at it and saw only 5 power levels I knew it wasn't the best of units. They've come down a bit in price. Hopefully they will even ore in the future.

Add-on stuff is usually pure gravy for sellers. Then the REAL ripoff is when any place tries to sell you a service contract they love to push on appliances, sometimes purporting it as an "extended warranty" which is an illegal phrase but I digress.

Live and learn. I don't know anyone who hasn't made a purchase they regretted. No sense beating yourself up over $100 mistake when some lose tens or hundreds of thousands or more.
kathidesertplum
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I just dont understand why you cant find the pans somewheres else except the high dollar pans nuwave offers there has to be a frying pan for the second one you get free.They say if a magnet sticks to the bottom it wooks.None of my expensive supposedly metal and alumiun pans work.were can you buy a cheap pan for these stoves?
arley_gw
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Most of the cookware nowadays will say if it's induction capable or not. You certainly are NOT required to use only their brand of pans. Both of my pressure cookers (Kuhn Rikon and Fagor) work fine on induction. Pans for induction don't have to be pricey; my MIL got a Wolfgang Puck stainless set (several pans) at Sams Club for about $99, and they all work on induction. I think Tramontina (from WalMart) is okay on induction, too. For a pan to work on induction, it needs a certain amount of iron. Aluminum or copper doesn't respond to induction, although if you have enough iron in the pan it may work.

Cast iron, whether raw or enameled, works fine, too.
shambo
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Arley is right. I've bought induction pans at Target, K-Mart, & WalMart, along with TJMax, BBB, (Bed, Bath, & Beyond) and Home Goods. When I first got an induction cooktop about 7 years ago, I kept a magnet in either my purse (away from my wallet filled with credit cards). Whenever I was in a store that had pots & pans, I would whip out my magnet and test the bottoms. I found all sorts of pans that were induction capable and were about $20 each. I still play that game whenever I go to our local stores but rarely end up purchasing anything because I've already got what I need.
vacuumfreak
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Rita, I'm sorry you had that experience. I noticed the commercial for those but Id read so many reviews about the shipping for the free 2nd unit being almost as much as the original cost of the first item with so many as seen on TV items! I really try to wait until the things become available in stores if it is something I really want, but then you don't get all the extra goodies!

However, you are sure to enjoy induction once you learn it! I got my portable unit from JC Pennys a few years ago and even though it is only 1300 watts, I completely adore it!

Anyway, have fun playing and learning!

Nuwave Precision Induction Cooktop

Comments (14)

jadeite

ritaotay
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Nuwave Precision Induction Cooktop

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ritaotayOriginal Author

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ritaotay
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