Portable Induction Cooktop

[urnmor]

I am looking to purchase a portable induction cooktop for home and also to take in the AS. So I was wondering if anyone has used one while camping and if so how do You like it.

Thanks

John

[flygrrl]

I am also looking into a 2 burner countertop-inset induction cooktop for my AS resto. They have pretty good reviews online. A little steep at $450 on Amazon and apparently they split the power between elements so you can't have both on high at the same time, but very energy efficient and safe.
I too would like to hear from someone who has one before jumping in and buying one.
Leonie

[GeocamperAS]

Bought this one last year. Used it all camping season. Worked great. However, it draws up to 12 amps on high. So we could not run anything else on the same circuit.
I also use it at home for my home brew.

[dkottum]

We have been using a New Wave portable for little over a year, about 5 months actual camper use. Works very well, gives off almost no heat but heats the cookware (and food) only by induction. It's our primary cooktop, and we can use it outside if we want.

Several power settings, on high it takes 1300 watts at 120 vac so in a 30 amp Airstream you can maybe use the electric water heater and the induction cooktop at the same time, but little else.

[Pams72]

We have one and love it. We have been out on three trips so far, still in the aluminum tent phase with no gas lines. We used the portable induction burner to cook meals works great. When Pam bought it we did have to get a few pans. We used a magnet to see which ones we had that would work with the induction burner.

[Foiled Again]

New Wave - cheap but good. Works fine with nesting pots & pans from Camping World. Maintains temperature very well.

Definitely not for boondocking without a generator though.

Great for hot food at a potluck.

Paula

[Ramble On]

Bought one of these at Sams after Christmas. I have only used once, but not camping. Plan to take it with us the first camping opportunity. Heats up incredibly fast.


Sam's Club Mobile - Tramontina 6 Pc. Induction Cooking System

[Silver Goose]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

New Wave - cheap but good. Works fine with nesting pots & pans from Camping World. Maintains temperature very well.



Definitely not for boondocking without a generator though.



Great for hot food at a potluck.



Paula

NuWave sells 2 models of their induction cooktop. They get a lot of flack about the sales techniques used on the 800# in their infomercials and website particularly with S&H fees and pushing accessories. The most common model is 1300 watts and is the model often found online and in the big box stores. They also sell an 1800 watt model. They look identical and operate exactly the same except on High the extra wattage will sear better and bring something to a boil more quickly, but it may be more likely to trip a breaker in the trailer on High if other loads are present. If used at home or in the clubhouse, the higher wattage may be desirable. Note: The power consumption can be reduced by dialing down the setting. Medium High on the 1800 watt model is roughly the same as High on the 1300 watt model.

We've also found it works great as a warming plate to keep something at the right temp without cooking it further at our potlucks.

Amazon carries both, the high watt model is about $40 more.

[Foiled Again]

Dear Silver Goose, thanks for bringing up the S&H and upsell/cross-sell issues with the Nu-Wave. Any internet "deal" seems to have that "just pay for separate shipping and handling." The pans they sell are actually pretty good, but the "retail value" is B.S. You do get on their e-mail list too, but still I've seen other units for a lot more money that weigh a lot more too.

I had one, gave the second to my niece, then wrecked the old Safari - and thought the Nu-Wave had bit the dust because it made a funny noise whenever I turned it on. So I bought two more and when they came I unscrewed the bottom of the "broken" one and found a loose piece of plastic in the fan. Once removed the old unit functioned fine. So now I have 3 working ones. I've used two at a pot luck, and maybe I'll get all three going for Alumalina.

As for the 1800 watt unit, if I'm going to sear anything it's going to be done outside so as not to par broil the Airstream's interior. I use a volcano cooker - and the 1300 watt unit is plenty fast enough for anything I've cooked on it. I can use it like a slow cooker for chicken noodle soup or stew, like a griddle for pancakes or blintzes, like an electric skillet for hamburgers, etc. What I really like is the ability to set the thing to come on at 7:00 AM. The screaming teakettle is my alarm clock, and I can have pour-over coffee within seconds of becoming vertical!

Paula

[flygrrl]

Big shout out to all those great folks telling us of their experiences with the induction cookers. I think they are a great idea. Should I need to sear anything I would probably stick to my little Weber BBQ, and just do the carbs and veggies on the cooker.
Thanks again to all of you.
Leonie

[urnmor]

Flygrrl

I also looked into the two burner however decided it would not fit my needs in our kitchen at home. As to the AS it will just be another tool in my kitchen, however, I am thinking it will be our primary means of coooking in the AS.

The one that i decided to purchase was the Volrath pro., a single burner It is expensive but not the most expensive and what sold be on it was the knob that allowed me to increase the power in very small increments, which is very hard to do on our electric stove at home.

I do agree if you are going to sear food it would make sense to do it outside to keep the odors down inside the AS as I am not sure the fan would work all that efficiently

[mefly2]

Works great - faster at boiling water than the microwave.
DW really likes it!

[PhilipKS]

Your old cast iron pots and pans work fine on the new wave, too, so you don't have to buy the new stuff unless you are concerned about weight (or simply want new 'stuff'). My Grandmother's old Dutch Oven with matching frying pan still see heavy use!

[Remax gal]

I love, love, love my portable induction cooktop! Lightweight and extremely pleased! We use outside for making pancakes, frying bacon, hamburgers, well...almost everything. We do use our Weber and love it as well, but I will sometimes cook the sides on the induction or if we are traveling from place to place and just staying the night somewhere, it is pretty quick and very easy cleanup to take out the induction cooktop.


Laura & Tom

[rodsterinfl]

I bought a Duxtop model after going to a rally mini workshop on induction portables. They were actually selling Max Burton brand but I applied my newfound knowledge to shop and save a a few dollars. They are great but the wattage is critical for it to perform as advertised (cook faster, boil sooner). There are 1300, 1500 and 1800 watt portables out there and they are priced accordingly. (that info from the workshop) They all are heat safe with no super hot surface. I learned quickly that mine has two modes heat and temp. Interestingly when you use the thermostat while on heat, the numbers change but it is actually disabled- it is for full blast boil water, etc. HEAT. By the reviews that confused quite a few purchasers as they assumed it operated like a regular stove- set the number, etc. The other mode is for controlled temp. Also, mine does not allow for any pan. In fact, I went through four different pans before finding something that worked on it- even those marked induction (two anyway) did NOT work. The magnetic field has to have enough mass to work. Cast Iron works as does AllClad and others with heavy bottoms- I found. I even did a published temperature test on the thing with boiling speed. Very HOT technology! I have used it at the kitchen outlet and also on the outside awning side outlet. The induction cooktop and the flash oven are most likely what will replace future home cooking- IMO. I am MORE impressed by the oven which is simply like a toaster oven but with no preheating for ANY item and about 35% faster cooking.

[Silverbee]

My induction portable cook top (Max Burton brand model 6200) is great. It is rated in the top 3 for best portable induction cook tops. Here is the review:
"This deluxe induction cooktop by Max Burton has a 1800-watt motor providing 10 power levels and 10 temperature settings ranging from 140 to 450. Equipped with digital display, push buttons, Max 6200 also has a 180-minute timer and automatic shut off feature.
Users favor it for its safety features such as overheat sensor, in line fuse, and cookware detector. It has finer control for very low temperatures and is great for every kind of food."


I use it all the time. Mostly outside.

[urnmor]

I greatly appreciate all of the info on induction countertop ranges. Our new induction cooktop came yesterday. It is the Vollrath Mirage Pro 1800 watt countertop range. I justifeid it by saying I can use it on the AS and also in the home as an addition to our electric range. I told Claire I needed to to test out induction before we bought a new stove to replace our electric smooth top.

I have used it twice once for spagetti and once for making steel oats oatmeal. I can honestly say it brings water to a boil quickly, however, it may take a while to learn the various temp settings.

I also found out that my cuisart pans are not compatible however our all-clad pans are. I will just have to remember to bring one or two when traveling. In the end I beleive I am going to enjoy cooking on it just need to find a place to put it.

[Foiled Again]

I surely looked at the really good induction burners before I bought the cheapo cheapo Nu-Wave ones.

My thinking? Disposable if I decide I don't like it, or if it blows up after six uses. So far, I have one that survived a rollover wreck and two more I bought because I thought that the one that went through the wreck was getting ready to die. (took the bottom off - a piece of trash fell out of the fan - problem cured).

Airstreamers generally have a bit more money and loads more taste than the average RV user - and we like a certain style and elan with everything. But I wouldn't carry Gray Poupon unless I really liked the flavor better than Gulden's... and sometimes the less expensive option is just fine. I plop my Nu-wave into a wicker waste basket when I travel. If I'd spent $400 for one, I'd have to do way better than that. And mine is only 1200 watts - so it doesn't heat water quite as fast or blow the 30 amp breaker if the heat pump comes on. And the Nu-waves are LIGHT. Weight adds up, and I'm always finding that more wants to come IN than wants to go out of the Airstream - so while I must continually fight the hoarding gene... I can make a few intelligent choices here and there. One is that I never need more than 3 rolls of paper towels or 4 rolls of "bathroom stationery" at a time. Goodbye Sam's Club and Price Costco.

Paula