I found a tabletop induction cooker at the thrift store few years ago for a good price. While I like using it to cook pasta, I have a hard time using it for anything else like cooking rice, stew or steak because despite all the temperature/power buttons, it seems to pulse full on and off as a way to control power. To me, cooking something at medium power is not the same as pulsing full power 50% of the time. So I figured it's one of 3 things:

1) The thing is partially broken, which is why the previous owner donated it (possible, who would want to donate a $100+ appliance if it still worked)

2) Being an older model, that was the technology at the time (I think most likely)

3) That's just how induction cookers work (I don't think this is the case)

Today I came across a good deal on a new tabletop induction cooker I'm debating buying, but I want to know that it doesn't have the same limitations as my current one. I want to ask if someone who has owned an induction cooktop from way back (say, mid '90s), was it pulsing on/off as a way of controlling power? And if I buy a new one today, will it be possible to cook stew and rice, ie, instead of pusling full on/off, it actually holds a some power level constant.