Are you planning to get a new portable induction cooktop, but have no clue what to take into consideration while buying it? In this buyer’s guide, we will tell you all the factors you need to keep an eye on, to make sure you add a functional and durable appliance to your kitchen.
What to consider when buying a Portable Induction Cooktop?
Power
The power of the portable induction cooker is one of the main things to consider when selecting the best portable electric stove.
Many believe that the higher the Wattage setting is, the more effective the stove becomes. In fact, the opposite is true. a High-wattage portable induction cooker is unquestionably more expensive because it consumes more electricity and power.
When deciding which wattage rate to use. Consider the number of your family members and the size of the cookware you intend to use.
For example, if your family consists of 2-3 members, a 1700-Watt portable induction cooktop is an excellent choice. While, for 4 to 5 people, choose an 1800 watt. and gradually increase the wattage rate as the number of members grows.
You should also take your home’s power supply into consideration before purchasing a portable induction burner. The majority of homes have a standard 230-240-volt power supply with 30 or 50-amp circuitry.
If you are unsure about the power supply, consult an electrician to help you choose the induction stovetop that will work well with the power supply.
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Cookware
When buying an electric cooktop, you should make sure that you have the suitable induction cookware that goes with this type of induction stovetop.
In fact, most of your standard cookware will work perfectly with this portable cooktop. However, you must ensure that they are made of dense metal.
Control panel
Most induction stoves now include a digital control panel. That displays the basic and straightforward settings. You should get the induction burner that has a control panel’s signals and buttons that are user-friendly and simple to understand.
Timer
The majority of induction stoves on the market include a pre-programmed cooking timer. This means the stove will turn off automatically when the timer ends.
This feature allows you to cook any dish without worrying about overcooking it if you are bust to turn the portable induction cooktop off.
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Child safety lock
The child safety lock option is helpful if you have kids. It will lock the entire control keypad, so that any kid press any button, it will not respond.
Furthermore, if it has a touch system, the cooking process will not be interrupted if you unintentionally touched it.
Most induction stoves have an auto shut-off feature. That turns off or lowers the temperature in case of overheating. Or removing a pan from the cooking surface.
Shape
The majority of portable induction cooktop types are designed with a flat cooking surface made of glass or ceramic materials.
The advantage of this flat structure is that it prevents the induction cookware from slipping.
But there are also some shape variations such as a rectangle, square, and circular. To give you various options to choose from.
Quality of the induction coil
If you’re looking for a low-cost model, the wattage range will most likely be between 900 and 1350 watts.
You will get a cooking surface built with a heat-tempered or ceramic glass on top. With a body made of plastic and aluminum. and a PCB panel for lower wattage.
When choosing this type of induction burner, any power instabilities may have an immediate impact on the motor’s functionality. That is why I would recommend ensuring that the induction stove has a copper induction coil. to increase the cooktop’s longevity and performance.
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Sensors
The majority of recent induction stoves on the market include few sensors to make cooking an easy task. Here are some examples of these sensors:
- Heat sensors that operate automatically
- Automatic pan detection
- Safety sensors
- Automatic cut power.
When deciding which induction stovetop to buy, it is best to go with these sensors to improve efficiency. And the functionality of the cooking process.
They will also help reduce power consumption and ensure your safety while using this unit. Most induction stoves have an auto shut-off feature that turns off or lowers the temperature setting. when the pan is removed from the cooking plate or got overheated.
It regulates the temperature of the cookware’s bottom. So if you leave a pan on high heat, the temperature setting changes to prevent damage to the bottom of the pan or the surface of the cooking plate.
The length of time required to activate the safety cut-out is determined by the stove’s heat setting.
Auto heat-up makes the cooking plate warm up to a higher temperature. And automatically reduce to a preset temperature after a predetermined amount of time.
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Cookware Recognition
The induction stove will not work if there is no pan or an inappropriate pan used on the cooking plate.
In addition, if the pan is removed from the induction plate, a dysfunctional symbol will appear on the display screen and disappear once the pan is returned.
Warranty
Just like any other appliance, choose an induction cooker that offers a warranty.
All in all, the warranty of an induction cooker is one or two years. But the longer the guarantee is, the safer you’ll be.
What are the types of induction portable cooktops?
To make sure you get the best induction stove. You need to know the different types of induction cooktops that are available on the market. These types are:
Built-in cooktops
This electric cooktop type can be installed directly on the kitchen countertop. it has a large selection of cooking plates that are ideal for large families with many members. The only disadvantage is that this type is not portable.
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Compact and portable induction cooker
this type has a single cooking plate that will suit you best if you are a bachelor or have a small family. It is easy to clean and very lightweight.
Freestanding Induction cooktop
This type is versatile. They can be installed between counters, and are simple to clean and use. These stoves have the advantage of having an electric oven.
So you need first to consider the width of your kitchen counter and the available space. to get the cook that is best for your kitchen. you don’t always have to go for a traditional gas cooktop, which takes up a lot of counter space.
Final thoughts
Who said that an induction hob or an induction cooktop is a bad idea? in fact, sometimes an induction burner is so much better than the regular gas cooktop.
And after knowing How to Choose a Portable Induction Cooktop, we expect you to buy the best induction cooktop available on the market!
