The Best Portable Burners: Induction, Gas, or Electric? | Gear Heads
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- Опубліковано 12 тра 2024
- An extra burner comes in handy, but which style-gas, electric, or induction-is the best choice? Hannah and Lisa test models priced from about $12 to about $110 to find the very best. On our wish list: plenty of cooking power, excellent temperature control, simple operation, and easy maintenance.
Buy the Imusa Electric Single Burner: bit.ly/3EwKAxc
Buy the Grill Boss Dual Fuel Camp Stove: bit.ly/3Z7N6BY
Buy the Duxtop Induction Hot Plate: bit.ly/3ZcMOtz
Buy the All-Clad Stainless Steel skillet: cooks.io/2D1JWbN
Buy the Breville | Polyscience Control Freak: bit.ly/3SkVNqi
Follow Lisa on Instagram: / lisam_atk
Follow Hannah on Instagram: / hannah_crow. .
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Thanks for showing what happens when you detach the canister incorrectly. I think showing mistakes really helps me learn. Wish ATK would do that more often.
👏👏👏👏👏👏
I agree. We all learn from our mistakes-and if we're smart, from _other_ people's mistakes.
I learn more from mistakes than from successes…so helpful! 😀
There is an entire rabbit hole of youtube videos about this very subject. You see someone fidgeting around, struggling in a how-to video and then the scene just suddenly cuts and everything is magically fixed
Detaching the propane canister 7:17
VERY important note for using an extension cord with any electric appliance that heats up: the cord’s wattage rating MUST exceed the wattage the appliance uses. If not, you risk poor performance, damage to the unit, even a fire. We rearranged our kitchen and needed a short extension cord run for the new countertop location of our espresso machine. Since it is rated at 1500w, I went out and got a cord rated at 1850w. Thanks for all your great reviews. I think I need to add an induction burner before our Carolina summer hits.
Don't use anything smaller than 12 gauge cords
That's why kitchens are required by code to have an outlet every 4 feet, so you don't need more than a 2 foot cord on an appliance and no reason to even think about using an extension cord.
@@counterfit5 high amperage cords are expensive. It totally depends what you're trying to do.
7:18-7:36: Thank you for including this experience. If someone with Lisa’s experience makes this error, I CERTAINLY could. Now that Lisa has shown us what not to do and why, I am more likely to remember this step.
👍👍👍👍👍 - this video is invaluable simply for the safety part - where Lisa takes the propane feed line off the wrong end first. VERY VALUABLE INFORMATION. Thanks. So happy you included that.
I got one of those single electric burners during my kitchen remodel, when I was without a kitchen for 3 weeks or so.
When my dad was in a nursing home, this device was GREAT for warming home-made meals we "kids" would bring for dad.
This kind of thing is so simple but so useful to have. We've used variations on this type of appliance for years on vacation, when the stove doesn't work, etc. I have non electric options that work when the power is out too. It's really nice to know what to do and not panic if there's an emergency or if something breaks. We even have a camp toilet lol. Other people in this complex had to walk across the property to another unit to use the bathroom when they had plumbing issues but we can just put our camping stuff in the bathroom.
I've known a lot of people who have had their stove break, but they couldn't afford a portable burner or a new stove. It sucks. I'm lucky I was able to get something before anything like that happened. And that I discovered how useful they are before I put my stuff in the back of our storage unit lol
I live in Miami. We have lost electricity countless times during Tropical storms and Hurricanes. Butane gas is the only option. I highly recommend the gas burner. It's always a little scary putting the canister in and removing it. And I only use it outside on a TV tray table. I make simple meals and it does the job.
do you find it's cheaper to run / more efficient than just using a BBQ? I guess not all of them have the hob/pot burner. We use charcoal here, and the grid is reliable enough we never really worry about losing power.
@@josephs2581
Hi. For me it's not about being cheaper. We can lose electric from 2 days up to three months from a Hurricane disaster. Remember if there is no electricity there is no refrigeration. There is no point in charcoal because that would take to long to make breakfast or lunch. Many a time your just trying to get something hot to eat or cooking what you could find at the grocery store that day. You don't need leftovers because the ice would melt overnight. I've gone through this so many times that I now have a pantry section called Hurricane food.🤣🌀
@@sunflowerbaby1853 that's true - lots of love from Ontario, our grid is reliable but you never know when disaster hits. I was mostly thinking about propane vs butane specifically since we used to use propane when we had a gas grill.
@@josephs2581
Now a propane grill would be superb in this situation. You could start cooking right away. I also keep hurricane pots and pans. The gas destroys the bottom of the pans.
Let me encourage you to get something sturdier than a TV tray for cooking on. Those things are so unstable!!! You can easily snag a toe behind one of the flimsy legs and tip the whole thing over, hot burner and food and all! You don't need a bad injury from a burn during a hurricane aftermath.
I am ordering the grill boss right now. I like the option of using either butane or propane! Thank you ATK for educating us always!
Very few of the portable burners are certified by UL or CE for indoor use. Also you can find canisters with a safety features to prevent explosion when it is overheated.
It's worth noting a potential danger with induction cookers/burners. If you have a pacemaker fitted you should try & cook with your chest as far away from the ring/rings as possible as the magnetic field can cause havoc/damage a pacemaker. Also the more powerful the ring or number of rings going can increase the range of the field. Also, if you are shorter in stature you are likely to have the pacemaker nearer the field. 🧑🍳🍳💔
If you have a pacemaker presumably you were told these things.
@@zachansen8293 Depends on when you had it fitted/replaced. Home induction hobs weren't really a thing 10-15 years ago & some pacemakes have that long a battery life. You are told to stay away from strong magnetic fields, but many people don't necessarily know how an induction hob works, so wouldn't know the dangers. So it's worthwhile warning people about it. There are a few things in houses that can affect them, TENS machines, bathroom scales that pass a current through your body to determine body fat & some of the really strong magnets used for various things should either not be used or kept far away from the unit.
Thanks for telling us this
I have both an induction and propane burner that I use while cooking in my outdoor kitchen. I prefer the induction for low and long cooks like stews and stocks and the propane burner for high heat searing and wok cooking. I prefer cooking outside and these are a must have for me.😊
Same on all counts.
I've heard propane burns hotter. I feel my home butane gas range doesn't get hot enough. Do you think a small portable propane burner like the one in the video would be hotter?
@@absolutelynobody3837 It would be good to know this. (I thought propate burners were cooler than normal gas stoves.)
I love and appreciate that you reviewed all types of available burners. You gave recommendations on the best of each type and let people decide which is best for them, given their unique situation. Thank you ATK.
Love my Duxtop! Been using it for almost a year now and it's been great. I'm only cooking for two, so the size limitation is not really an issue. I haven't touched a 12" skillet in years.
I have the Duxtop and a portable induction hob from IKEA. The only thing the Duxtop might be better at is holding the lowest temperature. The IKEA burner is ~$50...a very solid value.
I ran a coffee shop that sold bubble tea and we used the Nuwave PIC induction burner and it was great. We had to make boba twice a day and it would boil an 8qt stockpot in about ten minutes and we never had any issues with it. It was ~$80 and came with a decent non stick frying pan as well. Highly recommend.
I recently bought one as a just in case option while deciding if I want to change to an induction cooktop. I also bought a diffuser for it, so I won't have to commit to new cookware yet.
Early days.
I have an extensive cookware collection I want to continue using. Would you provide some basics on the diffuser you bought?
@@msr1116 - I looked on Amazon for an induction diffuser plate. I chose one that cost about $20 and can be used with non-magnetic pots and pans, ceramic, glass, and other hard surfaces for cooking. I chose the one that is 9.45 inches.
I've only used it a few times (found a pot that wasn't magnetic and wouldn't work with an induction single burner I'd recently bought. I put the diffuser on the single burner that wouldn't work with the pot, put the pot on the diffuser, turned on the burner, and it started working.
Less than $30 to not have to replace my pots and pans.
@@zinaj9437 . I really appreciate your quick reply, thank you ! I'm trying to decide between a portable induction cooktop and a better quality hot plate. As we all do, I have my favorite go-to pots and pans that I just can't part with yet.
I have two Iwatani butane burners. I use one outdoors for camping. They both hold a low simmer as long as you are not outside in gusty winds. They also produce 12,000 BTUs on high. The one thing to know about butane fuel is that it is not good for use in temperatures below freezing. Propane is better for cold days outdoors, but will eventually freeze up if you don't keep the fuel warm.
I second the iwatani stoves! They are fantastic if you want to do Korean bbq or hotpot in the middle of your table. There are no wires for people to trip over and it’s great for a low heat setting. While propane is cheaper, I don’t want to mess with extra tubing.
Iwatani had wind screen built in? I had no stove way before this review, so had been watching their cook tops used in videos during lockdown to see the brands used in homes. Noticed one use of Iwatani and waited during supply chain backlogs for months for one. In the meanwhile, I ended up getting a Cuisinart electric and an induction. (Turns out mokapots are a challenge on all 3. Induction also has a minimum to detect, gas needed a surface to balance, electric says unsafe if too large. Got another metal surface with a handle to buffer support the moka pot therefore too.)
I also have an Iwatami and I really like it!
Iwatani also has the warming plate to keep the butane bottle warm which let’s you use the whole bottle.
@@Ma_Bause big moka pot on induction and small on electric. Soto310/340 is a way to go if you are camping. We use biscuit cutter for wind screen here
Those style of gas burners are almost universally found in Korean homes (primarily for tabletop cooking Korean BBQ). The problem I’ve found with mine is that the power of the flame diminishes significantly as the butane starts running low (but based on the weight of the canister, well before they’re empty). I’ve always wondered if that had to do with the quality of the burner or the fuel canisters (both of which I’ve always bought at our local Korean grocery store).
It's due to the loss of pressure from the drained fuel canister. Propane acts the same way.
Also because the remaining fuel cools down as the pressure decreases.
Butane and propane evaporates from liquid to gas. As it does, the liquid gets cold. As the liquid gets colder, it doesn't evaporate as easily. That is what causes the drop in pressure. This becomes more prevalent as the amount of fuel decreases, less surface area to absorb heat from the tank.
The same thing can happen with full size propane grills, especially with all burners on high.
Don't know why no one is saying so, but if you keep the canister room temp, the flame will not decrease.
Don't want to get it too hot to touch, obvs, but keep it from getting frigid
@@horseshoe_nc FYI: Sublimate means from solid to gas without passing through a liquid state. Evaporate is from liquid to gas.
I believe that the coil in that Duxtop induction burner is just a 4" coil. I found that burner totally unsuitable since I usually cook in a large skillet. I bought a Max Burton #6600 XL portable induction burner. It has a 9" coil and did a much better job. I'm still using it. I've noticed that manufacturers of portable induction burners REALLY do not want to specify the size of the coil. Beware.
@Michele B I shall. My hope is that some manufacturers will see the market opportunity and offer portable induction with coils designed so that the heated area closely matches pan size.
I have an older model Duxtop and it's been great. I've used it for probably 5 years now with no issues. I have a super tiny kitchen space so it's actually my primary cook top.
I used one every day for a couple years (sitting on top of my previous, awful glass-top electric). It worked great and I never had a single issue.
Thank you! I was just thinking about taking a camping trip this summer. Now I know what to bring. Perfect timing.
Thank you! Finally, the Imusa brand gets a review!! It is a staple in Hispanic kitchens because of their quality products especially in pots & pans!😍👍🏼💕
And moka pots and pseudo lower bar espresso machine.
Strange that the “winner “ has a million limitations.
@@avalon449 Coincidentally, aptly titled movie, "Some Like it Hot," ends with "Well, nobody' s perfect." lol
@@avalon449 Should've seen the competition---truly terrible. Even with its limitations that little Imusa burner was good.
@@Ma_Ba 🤣👍🏼
I have a huge gas range I have been weaning myself from to use less gas when cooking for just the two of us. I have been using a two burner duxtop for most instead, and did splurge on the control freak which is an absolute dream. I think in a fantasy kitchen I would have a line up of four control freaks (for big parties). I am not replacing my range because it still works great but I like having cut back significantly on gas. Also, the kitchen doesn't get so darned hot in summer. The control freak is my favorite cooktop of all time.
A few things to note about induction cooktops for those that are not well versed:
They are not silent. All of them should have a cooling fan, as the cooking surface does get hot from the pan being on top of it.
The size of the coil is one of the most important things, but most companies and models dont mention the size of the coil at all. The price of cooktops increases exponentially with an increase in coil size.
It directly causes your pans to heat up. Instead of creating a heat source for your pan to sit on, your pan itself is the heat source. Because of that, it is extremely efficient, and does not heat up your kitchen much at all. Your pans heat up in a flash as well, you dont have to wait nearly as long to bring things to temperature.
I'm looking for an induction cooktop. Are there any that you like?
@@ShannonTaylor-ht3xmOne of the advantages of the Brevill mentioned by some of the other commenters is the quietness plus feedback probe for precise worry free cooking, reliability, etc
I had a really hard time getting the temp settings right on my duxtop because they were so different from my stove. It's not just that the markings are different but that the thermostat operates differently. My duxtop has only wattage or temp settings and i believe the max heat is higher. It was just really frustrating, constantly switching the level up and down and thinking it's going to burn or be uncooked in the middle (meaning uncooked rice)
Especially helpful on the gas burner. I've seen them used in videos and did not know enough to make a purchase. Practical details, shared here, were just what I needed.
I didn't see mentioned the probe included with the Breville Control Freak that brings the precision it is capable of to an even greater level. Imagine deep frying or candy making where you don't have to keep checking/adjusting the temperature... I don't have one yet, but it's on my list.
keep an eye out for sales. It goes on sale usually in the summer when they have a black friday summer sale and again around regular black friday and before christmas.
I use butane burners when competing in chili cook offs where we have to make the chili on the spot. It's true that they can't get low enough. I use a metal trivet to add space between the flame and pot. It's also important to use a windscreen.
Thank you for these tests. They have answered several of the questions I've had about induction cooking and if it's right for me. Thank you also for the deeper dive into this topic than is standard fare for cooking demonstrations. Nice job.
I'm glad you covered the safety tips for the gas burner. I just bought one for the first time ever and I wondered if it was alright to leave the canister in the stove and the size of pots to use on it. Thank you!!
I have a couple of butane units I bought on sale at GFS a few years ago and I love them. I keep one in my work truck for hot lunches and the other at home for emergencies and big meals.
That little episode that you had that happens to the best of us you're golden.😊
Would have been an interesting data point to compare the relative cost to boil the same amount of water using the same pan between electric, induction, butane and propane.
With a good induction burner, induction will always win this contest because it's the most efficient. It will also boil the water the quickest.
You ladies rocked this review, so helpful and informative!
yay! I have the Duxtop and it is a workhorse. I appreciate some of the insights that will help me use it more efficiently ! xoxo
I bought IKEA Portable induction cooktop for only $50 and it's great, try it. The Breville is crazy expensive. For $1500 I can buy the whole Induction cook tops with 4-5 burners.
Would love to see a reaction video by the ATK team responding to the comments. We typically enjoy ATK's reviews and often base my buying decision on them. Having both an induction stove and a Iwatani burner, I have to say that the benefits of a burner are not representative of my (or many of the other commenters) experience. Main reason for having a separate burner: BTUs! I cannot fry or sear or wok anything reliably with our 1200W induction stove. Also, our Iwatani burner has so many safety features that I don't have any concerns about leaking butane or cans getting too hot when used indoors.
Lmao American are under represented for their 110v electricity in ATK. Most induction are 2000W+ outside US.
I have an older Max Burton butane burner I bought at the Goodwill over 15 years ago and while I don't use it often, it works great for using my wok at the very least. However, agree, best to have some kind of ventilation for it nearby if you use it indoors or outside.
If you are having issues keeping it low enough, I think there are metal shields that can be placed to lower the heat even more on those.
I've seen in campervan videos that the small camp stove propane canisters can be refilled from a larger BBQ propane tank by using an inexpensive adapter kit. This would save a lot of money and avoid problems related to disposing of the canisters. The canisters have almost doubled in price over the past 2 years.
No! This is a dangerous practice and should never be done. The dark green Coleman type of 1 lb propane cannisters are not refillable. It may cost more but buy the refillable 1 lb tanks, which are designed to be refilled. Don't take chances with your rig going KABOOM!
How do you think they get propane in them to begin with?
@@timfahnestock1099 You can refill small tanks of course. But if you read my comment - don't refill the dark green small ones. Use the light green ones that say REFILLABLE ON THEM. Got it? If you refill the wrong tanks they can go KABOOM! It is not refilling but the tank itself. WRONG TANK = KABOOM!!!
I have a gas stove and I got the duxtop a year ago. It's a game changer. Really good for quickly heating up pots of liquid, steaming, keeping food warm. It frees up my gas stove for other tasks
I'd like the gas burner for power outages. But I've been known to forget to turn my stove off after cooking a meal, so the induction with the timer really appeals to me. Frankly, I'm not much of a cook and think a full size range is wasted on me, and I would love to just go with a burner like one of these plus a convection toaster oven. I do have other appliances like instant pot.
One other thing that's great about the Duxtop is that it has a finer adjustment than some other induction burners. Most go from 0-10 by 1's. The Duxtop goes by 0.5's. We cooked on it exclusively for about a year and switched to induction when we remodeled our home. I don't think I would like induction if I didn't have the finer control.
Really good episode! We live in FL. We missed Charley, but was here for Irma. We lost power for about two hours with that storm. So we got very lucky there. However, we weren't so lucky with Ian. We were without power for six days after Isn came through. We do have a grill, but its not good for everything. A gas burner would have helped out a good deal! Now I know a good, recommended brand. Thanks!
Just bought the Grill Boss from your Amazon link. Got it before they jacked up the price like they usually do after ATK rates it the best!! Can't wait to get it!! Melaney from SoCal
I love my Duxtop which I use in my RV because I prefer cooking on induction over the RV’s propane stove. I did buy a different brand butane camp stove for power outages but haven’t had a chance to try it yet.
The thing about induction need specific pans is correct 99.9% of the time but there is one model by Panasonic that can work on all metals. Called “Met-All” the tech uses normal induction but at much higher frequencies. Not only does it work in all metal but the high frequencies means the induction “sound” is gone because it’s so high pitched you can’t hear it. I bought one a while back on clearance…. Which points to the problem.
It was a commercial production only and didn’t seem to take off at all. I bought mine 60% off and it’s not for home use as it needs a 20 amp, 240 circuit. Most people only have that much power in their laundry room.
I use a Tefal single burner induction hob with a 13amp plug on UK 230V ..... don't see the problem!
Iwatani makes butane burners with a wider cooking area so your pan is not hanging over the fuel canister section. I have their eco model which uses less fuel but gives higher output.
I also have an IKEA induction burner - nicest one I’ve used.
Thanks for the great video. RV’s stoves are notoriously underpowered and frustrating. Having a dual fuel would greatly improve my cooking! Of course, only outside. Appreciate the safety comments plus pros/cons for each model. Well done!
Great video! Thank you for this valuable information ❤😊
I bought a portable induction burner to even see if I wanted to later buy a full sized induction cooktop, I loved induction so bought the cooktop when replacing all my kitchen appliances.
What a great video ! I'm going to buy one of those butane ones and I was looking at that dual-fuel ones. Thankfully, you reviewed it here so I'm going to buy that one. Thanks a bunch !
You guys are the BEST! Just the kind of current information I needed.
Have the older model of the Duxtop, very good, never had a problem.
that duxtop burner got me through a kitchen remodel. it wasn’t great with a big pan around the edhes, but overall works well
I have a 15,000 BTU portable gas burner from Chef Master like the one shown in the video and it sits on top of my electric coil stove 24/7. I use it multiple times a week and often more than the regular stove. It is awesome if you need the convenience and control of gas but are renting (like me) and electric stoves are your only option. It also makes it possible to finally use my cast iron skillet and wok with a flame that evenly heats the entire surface! The only task that it sometimes has trouble with is the keeping the flame on a consistent low when the butane starts to run out, but other than that it is a very handy device, especially when the power goes out!
My favorite electric induction burner is the Tramontina I got at Costco. It comes with the pot and lid. It’s big enough roomy for big pots it’s nice and flat stable. Thank goodness that all my stainless steel pots I buy at Marshall’s are all induction stove top! But I love Tramontina electric. I bought a slide in Whirlpool gas stove brand new which I love and want to keep new and clean!! So I use my electric induction more often!
Thanks, have been waiting for this review!!
I really enjoyed this video. I was wondering when the team was going to do one on induction burners.
I bought a Dux Top about a year ago specifically for deep frying on the patio because I don't want the mess or smell in my kitchen.
I had similar problems with it bringing the oil back to temperature.
I ended up using my portable camp stove burner which did a great job.
The Breville is definitely the king of the induction burners, but that price is pretty outrageous.
Some of the commenters stated the Breville goes on sale twice a year
Here in Florida, we occasionally lose power during storms, and that little butane stove in the plastic suitcase is super handy. We fire it up with a stovetop coffeemaker to start, then cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the one burner.
Last time, we were without electricity for 3 days, and it was a champ.
Tip for users, find a decent stovetop coffeemaker, and stock up on unrefrigerated coffee additives, like evaporated milk.
I started doing French press and aeropress coffee specifically to have "boiled water only" coffee for camping and outages/emergencies. Now i make pour over coffee in a clever dripper every day. I love it. Now I have a repertoire of at least 10 ways to make coffee without power. Even have a $17 Bunn filter basket without the coffee machine lol.
It's become my hobby to find new ways to make large amounts of extremely strong coffee by hand. Basically put a smaller amount of almost boiling water on a ton of fine-ground coffee for 3.5-4 min then filter it however you can and add water/ice/milk/whatever.
The Grill Boss gas burner is my choice. It will be great for power outage cooking and outdoor frying; especially for frying fish. It is in my Amazon cart. Thank you for sharing.
Great video, ladies! I appreciated this very much and now I know which model will work best for me (Grill Boss).
I have always had the same complaint about my Duxtop. The burner is so small. When I did a bunch of research, I was really surprised that not a single company had bothered to build an induction cooker with a larger burner and just charge more for it. I would buy it. The Breville has been the only thing available for years now. So odd.
My mother-in-law gave us a Cuisinart electric burner she bought when her kitchen was being remodeled after she was done with it. It was able to handle my big All American canner with the weight of the canner and jars and keep it at a consistent temperature, though I've only canned once since we got it. I had to use that because we switched from a coil top stove to a glass top, and the glass top can't handle the weight.
Outstanding review, analysis, and presentation - Thank you!
This was very helpful in my decision making, I’m used to gas stove so I will go with that for now, I will try the others but it’s the GrillBoss for me!!
I've been waiting for this! Thank you
The opposite goes for attaching the propane canister. Make sure you attach the hose to the stove first before attaching to the canister.
Add an error-segment for that to this video!
You had me on the gas burner style when you said you can take your frying outside! Brilliant!
I bought the Chef Master 90019 Portable Butane Stove 15,000 BTU last week. I chose it over the Grill Boss for the extra BTUs and Amazon customers seemed pretty happy with it. I wanted to have a gas burner in the kitchen so I can use traditional cast iron. And I also wanted to have an option for a power outage. I hope this one tested well!
I bought the same model you have because I couldn't effectively use my cast iron or wok on the electric coil stove and it's a game changer!
@@hammerrox Thanks. I haven't had a chance to use mine yet.
Thank you!! Very interesting. Re-accumulating my set of camping gear so now I know that the gas will work best for me. I've been using gas camping stoves for most of my life so the technology is familiar to me. Easy step up.
I have an old colmen gas camp stove that I pick up at a garage sale about 25 years ago that has 2 burners and still works great for out door use just had to clean it up a bit and I think I only payed about 5 bucks for it .
I have 2 white gas/gasoline Coleman stoves that i got as gifts lol. They're great but I'm always a little scared of pressurized fuel in old metal.
Portable INDUCTION burners have a critical flaw when trying to sear meat at a high heat, especially using a heavy and thick bottomed skillet or dutch oven. There is no gap between the cooktop surface and the flat bottom of the pan, which is more efficient but also does not allow heat to dissepate away from the unit causing it to overheat. I live in an apartment where I want to sear meat on high heat then finish in the oven on low (my kitchen hood is not sufficiant so I do this on the patio). I've owned 2 induction burners and they both would error out and shut down after overheating within 10 minutes. I still use them for other types of indoor cooking (great for hot pot!) but now I use my $20 butane burner when I need to sear and have never had a single problem. This might not be the case with all makes and models, but this was my experience and something to consider.
I love my Chef Master butane burner. 12,000 BTUs and iit has never failed. I am single and it sees a lot of use!
I have an induction burner that I usse with a solar generator. It's portable and works well. It took a while to learn temperature control. I have natural gas on my home stove though I prefer the induction due to off-gasing concerns. I also keep a butane burner in our RV if I want to cook outside. My RV inside stove uses propane and works well. I agree to match the pan to the size of the burner. One thing important to know when using a solar generator is the wattage needed to run the induction burners.
I really hope that more portable induction cooktops come with a coil larger than 5.5-6". The Breville comes with a 9" coil, but many of us don't need extreme precision temperatures so the $1500 price point isn't worth it. A portable induction burner with a larger coil that has a heat setting of 1-10 for $200-300 would be more than plenty for me. The full size induction ranges are amazing and do have larger heating coils, but sometimes I'd rather cook outside on my loft's balcony to not stink up the place.
Unfortunately we're not allowed to use portable gas burners at the lofts where I live and sometimes the gas grills near the pool or the rooftop tanning areas are in use for a long time.
I have a 2-3 year old Duxtop and it is spectacular. I use it mostly for boiling water for pasta. I have a Wolf gas cooktop and my (very inexpensive - like $50 at the time) Duxtop will boil water in about 2/3rd the time of my largest burner on my Wolf. I am hoping that appliance companies will come out with cooktops that are a mix of gas and induction. Good vid. Thx.
There actually is at least one induction and gas combo cooktop from truinduction the catch is that its a 24 inch wide unit mostly intended for rv usage. The went with a mixed design due to the limited power available in an rv.
Thanks so much! Excellent review and instruction for a topic especially timely today. Love your videos-- always straight to the point, expert presentation. 🏆👏A+👍
One of my enormous frustrations with my induction hot plate is the fact that it turns off the instant. I tipped the pan the slightest bit. It's a good hot plate for doing hot pot or other cooking where the pan sits still on top of the burner, but it is less useful for doing hash or stir fry or anything where I need to tip the pan.
I bought an electric burner hot plate, the black one with a solid burner that you showed in this video, not your top pick. It was extremely inexpensive and got hot enough for me. But the entire casing gets very hot. I bought this for use in my travel trailer, and I have to wait for it to cool down before I can safely move it once I am done cooking on it. I'm looking for a replacement.
I'm not buying a gas hot plate simply because my travel trailer has a gas stove and we have a gas stove in our house. A certain family member also is leery of open flame after having suffered a nasty hand burn. I am currently about to try out a double burner hot plate with coil burners. I'm still looking for something that can handle my favorite 12-in skillet, and I'm hoping the larger burner on this one can.
I have the Grill Boss gas burner and, in fact, used it with my wok to make a spicy stir fry tonight. That burner works great EXCEPT for keeping a low flame. I love cooking with gas!
Love portable burners for fondue and hot pot. I have the Iwatami cassette grill.
FYI, Perfect Time For This Video I Wanted An Induction Cooktop Without Buying The Expensive Cookware. I Also Wanted A Dual Burner For Outside Cooking, But Need A Double Eye.Thanks For Showing How This Works, Ultimately I Would Go With The Dual Burner. I Have Cheaper Electric Ones Already That Have Only Lasted Twice Past 2 Years, I Have Not Had A Stovetop Or Oven For The Past 10 Years To Use.
Iwatani butane stove is the best I’ve tried. We use it for outdoor cooking a lot to keep the mess out of the house.
The iwatani 35fw is amazing, it has a magnetic bottle securing, it warms the butane bottle to get all the gas and it's crazy hot for a great stir fry
those gas ones we used to use it for shabu shabu and hotpot on the table
Those Duxtops are dependable as well. I have one that I purchased in 2011 and a 2nd in 2012. I'm waiting for one of them to die so I can finally have an excuse to get the Control Freak, however they're still going strong!
Love it! "This one ACTUALLY boiled water" - you would THINK manufacturers would realize this is important... I almost bought one of those cheapees you said didn't work well, glad I didn't now. I do have a very similar gas burner to your winner (Gas One) that I use. Unfortunately didn't come with a hard case and when the regulator at the end of the hose broke, it took me months to find a replacement... ugh. After using it all summer, I threw it in the garage dirty. I was debating how I was going to get the top clean, but when I saw you lift off the top, I immediately ran out to the garage to see if mine did the same - YES! Thanks for that tip too, mine has schmutz galore and will be soaking in the sink today... I always enjoy the videos you two do - I call you the "Gadget Gals" - Always lots of great information and helpful to me to avoid bad purchases. Thanks very much!!
Ofc Breville's Control Freak is the best! The rest have more or less the same (low) quality.. Unfortunately, Breville's not affordable, a bit dated as well. But if you're still looking something similar, keep an ear out for Kitchen Automatique. Their upcoming cooktop seems to be a promising alternative.
lol Lisa well you. Love the fact you shared your experience. btw .Love the test videos .
Needed this.. thank you
Maybe people who do kitchen designs should start offering a couple 240v outlet for accessories. I know kettles work much faster on 240v and the induction would work better as well.
Wish I would have known about portables when we were having so many power outages from summer wildfires. The BBQ grill wasn't a great option due to the horrible air quality. So we used our gas backpacking stove indoors which while handy, is small and uses costlier isobutane fuel.
welp I'm sold.. deffenently have to go with the duel gass option, I like the flexability of being able to use propane if I have to and the higher responsivness of the flame just feels better. Plus every electric stove I've ever used allways went out, stays cold, too hot, just unreliable.. Gas is the way to go hands down. Great video!!
I have the Duxtop which was the recommended one at the time I bought it.
Two years before the recommendation was a Burton (I think it was an ATK recommendation) which was the first one I purchased as a standalone unit.
My home kitchen was remodeled in ‘17, by myself, and I chose an induction cooktop. Because they were significantly more expensive I chose a slightly less costly GE option. Though the size limit may have been why I chose the one I chose. I can’t really remember.
But when I needed more cooktop space, that’s when the portable unit was added.
It’s great as an alternate cooktop, but not for boiling water. Way slower than the built in one.
Now I’m divorced and in an apartment (wife has the house, she doesn’t cook, so that’s where I am most irritated in terms of what I miss) which has a standard cooktop that is slow and awful.
So I have two induction units that make me a little bit happier.
I’m perplexed that the Burton isn’t rated this time around. It’s been far better across the board than the Duxtop.
I’m not sure what happened. Maybe they just cost more these days.
Very helpful video. I learned a lot from this video.
Thank you, great review!
Induction is like HD TV or SSDs. You do not think you really need it, but once you have it you cannot imagine going without it.
I think those type of gas burners are very popular in SE Asia. I know in the Philippines many have dual propane burners or just use wood to cook with.
That Imusa burner looks nice. I have a gas stove that has pretty much have Medium High and Medium-Higher. Too low, and the stove's burners risk shutting off. Even at too low, it's still very hot, so doing delicate tasks requires a trivet, and still it's very hard to get low heat
If I want to go low and slow, that might be handy, especially if it doesn't have a high wattage rating. The electrical wiring in my place sucks.
Great demo (thank you). Conceptually I like the fuel powered burners, however in my area you can’t toss the spent fuel cans into the trash and have to make an appointment with the city’s hazardous waste department (with a 3 week lead time last time I went)…
Pro tip. With a pie pan full of woodchips the little electric burner can be used to make a cheap makeshift smoker. Just build a suitable enclosure and a way to support the meat.
Nice trick with the money, but if I'm going to check if it will burn, that is, I'm not sure, let's agree that starting with George rather than Andy is the saner alternative :)
LOL. The other thing we learned from that trick is that with an induction stove you can put sheets of parchment or silicone baking mats down on the stovetop and cook right through them, and nothing splatters on the stove. Easy cleanup!
Very informative! Thank you!
Thank you for this video!! 😊
I want an electric burner to help lower gas usage as natural gas prices skyrocket during winter months. That Imusa sounds great. Thanks for the info.