E200A

I previously had an early model of induction cooker that worked fine for several years until I dropped it, so I was glad to get this new one that had more features. This Duxtop E200A is working great for me. It has plenty of cooking/power levels to give me good control over the cooking temps. I am concerned about electric devices that are rated for high watts because of the possibility of tripping a circuit breaker. Although this has the capability to use high watts, I have tested it and I know that when it is first turned on, it is at the default level 5, which is only 700 watts when using pots that cover the smaller circle. I have measured wattage at higher levels with these approximate results: Level 6 is 850 W, level 7 is 1000 W, level 8 is 1200 W, Level 9 is 1400 W. The power used at each setting is higher when using pots that are the size of the larger circle on the cooking surface. I usually use levels 8 and below and after the initial heating, I am using levels 5 and lower. Any setting less than 5 still uses a peak level of 700 watts, but it starts cycling off and on in order to achieve the reduced cooking power. The touch controls are very responsive, so only a quick light tap is needed. It does have a "lock" button, but that only works to prevent accidental temp/power settings while it is turned on. The lock button does not work when it is turned off, so it cannot prevent it from being accidentally turned on. The solution is to unplug it when not in use, which also eliminates the few watts of electricity use that continues if it is left plugged in when not in use. The fit and finish of the external surfaces of the item is great. I have no sharp or rough edges and every part is perfectly aligned. The flat glass top surface is easy to clean, but make sure it is unplugged before wiping the top surface or you may accidentally turn it on when wiping over the on/off button. This is more expensive than many portable induction cookers, but I wanted one that did not have the plastic covered control buttons, and I want a surface that is very easy to keep clean. After a few months use, I have no complaints about this product and I highly recommend it.

I really like this. It looks good and handles large, heavy pots, which is my main application. There are two operating modes: 1) constant heat input; 2) constant temperature. I expect to use the former most of the time but was curious how well the latter would work. The instructions that come with the unit explain that the temperature being measured is within the glass cook top surface. Thus, even if that is being controlled accurately, the temperature inside your pan will be somewhat lower. How much lower will depend upon the type of pan you're using and its contents -- how well they conduct/convect heat. My experimental conditions: a 6 qt pot about 12 inches diameter, thin metal wall, filled halfway with water. I varied the temperature setting from a low of 140 to a high of 220 F. I allowed it to come to constant temperature each time I changed the setting, then measured the water temperature using a digital thermometer. Observations: the temperature was always MUCH lower than the set point, and the error increased as the setting increased. For example, with the setting at 140, the water temperature was about 120. With the setting at 180, the temperature was a little over140. With the setting at 220, the water was far below its boiling point. Once the temperature reached the set point, however, it seemed to vary little, suggesting that the cook top is doing a good job of holding its measured temperature constant. I was thinking I might use it in a dyi sous-vide system, but I will have to calibrate it for my setup and it's impossible to make fine temperature adjustments. (The settings have a minimum gap of 20 F.) Still, better than nothing, which is what I had before! When the unit is on, a fan runs continuously. The noise is comparable to having your kitchen exhaust fan running at a low speed -- not terrible but not silent.

My first one was from a thrift store. Loved it but it was all plastic and melted, cracked and broke after a year. That one only had power level (which I prefer) and not temp settings. 2nd one was new in box at a garage sale and only had temp settings. After 18 months the plastic coating labels over the buttons cracked and fell apart, exposing holes down into the circuitry. Both of them seemed to be "tuned" for a pan they came with that I never got. They would start off really strong and I found myself needing to increase the power after a while or they would stop cooking. Like the unit "believed" it was heating up a pan and then didn't need to work so hard to maintain temp.... but in reality it got too hot and then too cold. THIS one seems different so far. It has power OR temp settings with minimal buttons. I mostly use power, it starts off at 5 out of 10 when you turn it on. I have not noticed any funny activity where the unit tries to guess and maintain a certain level of heat. The only thing that confused me was when you turn it off... it doesn't turn off. Instead it runs the cooling fan at high speed (usually a little louder than when it was cooking) and flashes HOT on the display. You cannot stop it unless you unplug it and any attempt to turn it off will only cause it to start it's cooling cycle over. Once I figured out it was supposed to be doing that, then it was OK. I knew just to let it go.... but I find it unnecessary to warn me it's hot and run the cooling fan on high. The cooktop surface does get warm but not like an electric stovetop. Maybe you could burn yourself on this thing after a long cook time but so far it's only gotten very warm. Not a big deal anyway.....

I’ve had this plate for 9 months now, so I think it’s about time to give a review. Pros: - Easy to clean, just wipe it down. No messing with the ceramic coils or picking up an extra piece like for gas stoves. - Changes temperature even faster than gas. This is one of the main advantages of cooking induction, and we love it. It makes all our dinners go by faster as we can cook hotter without as high risk of burning. - Does not make the kitchen hot. All of the heat gets transferred into the pan, so the food gets most of the heat. Compare with a gas or electric coil stove, and there is tons of heat loss into the air. We could cook on here even on a 100° F / 40° C day and still not add more heat to the kitchen. - Can be a great eco-friendly option. Instead of inherently using a fossil fuel as your source of cooking (especially with recent high gas prices!) you just plug it in. If you live in an area like Seattle where 100% of your energy is renewable, or if you pay for green energy like you can in California, then that makes this perhaps the most environmentally friendly way of cooking. - Very inexpensive in terms of reliable induction cooktops. - Extremely portable. Clean it and take it anywhere with an outlet and you can cook. - On levels 1 and 2 you can have a pasta sauce being kept at a food-safe temperature but not much hotter than that, i.e. minimal risk of sauce bubble and splatter. Cons: - Whenever you lift a pan off, as one often does with woks, it starts to beep loudly and it takes a second to find the pan after you set it back down. - Small saucepans might not be able to cook on here. Especially if you are on heat level 5 or below, it has trouble connecting to the small pans. Also, if there is any oil on the surface, like if you are frying, that can mess with the connection. Not that you should be cooking with oil underneath your pan. Generally if you work on a clean stove it will connect, but if you have a small pan and are cooking on a low temperature, it often disconnects and beeps and then reconnects every few seconds, only to do it again some time later. It’s probably the worst thing about this pan, but this only really applies to pots less than 8 inches / 200mm across. - Only compatible with certain pan types — I expected this to be much more of an inconvenience than it actually is. Most pans these days are induction-compatible. Ceramic pans from Target have the metal thing on the bottom already and are compatible with this, as are cast-iron, enameled cast-iron, stainless steel pans, and copper core stainless steel pans. - It can get really hot. You might not expect the same level of heat initially but if you have it on 8.5-10 just the pan by itself, in a couple of seconds it is up to temperature. I once was griddling fresh tortillas on there and I mistakenly used a black rubber turner spatula on the highest heat setting. It legitimately melted the end of the spatula and I had to end up throwing the pan away. That being said, this is also kind of a positive in a way because it shows you how powerful it is, and I just made a stupid mistake. - It doesn’t boil water as fast as I want it to. Even on 10, I feel like it takes over 10 minutes, especially if you don’t have a lid on your pot. Generally I use my electric coil stovetop for boiling water while making the pasta sauce on the induction plate. - This might be obvious but sometimes you want a flame, like for roasting marshmallows or charred peppers. Also, you make burritos with large tortillas often, you might find that most of your pans are slightly too small for the job. Would I buy it again? Yes, but honestly, I think next time I’m going to go with a whole induction stovetop. All in all, the conveniences of induction largely outweigh the problems I have experienced, especially since one of those is really my own fault. For around $100 you could do a lot worse.

Fantastic way of cooking without heating up the space you are in, use at home in the kitchen or RV camping, wonderful addition to cooking. The glass top has no seam to gunk up with food if you spill, and the stainless steel edges are very solid. I've read others saying the fan noise, yes there is a fan but the noise is no more than the lowest setting on an oven hood. This unit is a game changer, use you own pots and pans as long as you check them with a magnet, if the magnet sticks to the bottom of you pan, it will work with this device. Cooks like a dream, eggs come out done without burning the bottom, veggies come out perfect and steaks perfect medium or medium rare, again no burning but you do have that nice browning. Induction cooking is the most efficient way to cooking. I put equal amount of water into similar pans cook on our gas range and the other on this induction burner, the gas range lost by almost two minutes. ok big deal but shortening cook time and without heating up your work space is a definite plus. I'd give it 10 stars if I could because this product is made in the USA. Also has a 2 year Warranty.

This Duxtop induction cooktop performs admirably, giving me precise control over the heat intensity. Its user-friendly interface offers various functions at my fingertips, all with a gentle touch. The built-in timer is a convenient feature, allowing for automatic shutdown. I particularly appreciate the immediate response of heat, a departure from the gradual warming and cooling of my conventional electric stove. Beyond the efficiency, induction cooking proves to be an energy-saver. Cleanup is a breeze even when I've had a minor spill—a definite plus. I wholeheartedly recommend this induction cooktop to those keen on upgrading their cooking experience. Just remember to equip yourself with the appropriate cookware capable of induction heating.

UPDATE: I thought, after writing what's below, that the power mode settings would correct themselves with time. (Why did I think that?) Instead, they've gotten worse. Today, again with corn, I set it a 9 to boil, then tried to simmer (I'd have settled for almost-simmer). No setting made a difference, it was boiling at the same rate when set to 4. I've missed the return window, will call Duxtop about warranty repair. I'm not optimistic they'll offer, and if they do, two-way shipping will probably cost more than the unit. I'll update again if there's a reason. I like everything about it except the noise, and that the same power mode settings seem not to work sometimes. Example, boiling fresh corn: I start at 9.0 (HIGH on the instructions) and it comes to a boil rapidly (it's very good at that); then the corn has to simmer for 5 minutes. 2.0 (Simmer-keep warm) never keeps a simmer, so I ended up at 5 (medium-low). Perfect simmer. That time. But not again. Same pot, same amount of water, standard size cobs, never simmer twice at the same setting. It's necessary to experiment until a simmer is attained, which, aside from requiring constant attention, means that at 5 minutes the corn is under- or over-cooked. (I've not tested using the temperature mode, will update this if I do.)

Forced to use traditional electric stoves (condo doesn’t have gas hookup), I thought I’d try induction. This one is high powered and has 20 temperature settings (for more control). Wow, this heats up fast. And so much more heat control than with traditional electric - near instantaneous heat response. This stove has made me an induction convert. Yes the fan is a bit noisy (= powerful), but it doesn’t last long. If the fan prolongs the life of the induction components, then I’m all for a little noise. The power setting button is a bit sensitive...likes to increase two heat settings with a single press, but I’m learning its quirks. The unit is a bit larger and heavier than I anticipated (solid quality product), but my only portable stove comparison are to hot plates or gas canister emergency stoves. Recommended. I still miss gas, but not as much anymore.

Product as described

It's not too loud and very easy to clean. It has 20 levels of power and temperature ranges, so offers precise control for cooking.

This cooktop is really good. It heats my pans quickly and evenly, and isn't too noisy. I love how easy to clean it is and the temperature mode is a nice feature. It also has nice safety features like warning about hot surface and warning about pans that aren't ferrous enough.

Works well

I bought this cooktop to work from a battery-inverter setup. I needed it to be efficient (heat out/power in), which it is. The cook-top sits in a small space, so I wanted it to be compact. It is as compact as I would expect for a bunch of transformers and coils with a fan for active cooling. Lastly since my space is small I am always close to the cooktop. The cooktop is actively cooled using fans. They run while the device is under use and for a few minutes after the top is turned off. They are relatively quiet. Yes the fans make noise but not enough to bother me. For those of you who remember, they are quieter than a 486 cpu tower fan.