When I was a kid, someone’s mom had a hot plate. I remember it being kinda like the coil on an electric stove and it never got really hot. That’s what I always think of when I think of a hot plate. I don’t even remember them ever using it but I do remember it sitting on the counter and the mom saying it didn’t get very hot.
As we try to decide where we’re going to end up when we retire, I’m realizing that I may not have a gas stove and since I do my canning outside on a gas cook stove, I won’t mind horribly if I don’t have a gas stove. I’ve wondered what I would think of an induction stove so when I saw that Aldi has a portable induction cooktop in the ad this week, I got one.
Portable Induction Cooktop
I just got it yesterday and haven’t used it yet. I’ll have to get pots down from the shop because the ones I use in the house have a copper bottom. I can use cast iron on it too but I have plenty of other pots I can use.
It’s 1800 watts, which seems to be about the max that I saw. I’m anxious to try it. I’ll probably use it more on the porch than I will in the house, simply because I don’t have much space in the kitchen. There are so many times I want to cook things but don’t want to smell them all day and this will be perfect for using out on the porch.
At least I’ll get to see what I think of an induction cooktop.
Cocoa Quilts says
I have an induction cooktop. Love it!
Cilla Tyler says
An Aldi’s just came to a town 20 min away. I haven’t stopped in yet but looking forward to seeing what they have.
Anita says
A few years back, our stove kicked the bucket so we had to buy a new one. The salesman intrigued my husband with the induction cooktop and convection oven (as if my husband did the cooking!). Great technology but…he didn’t tell us we would have to buy all new pots and pans which were rather expensive (in addition for the rather expensive stove), nor did he tell us we would not be able to do the canning because all the canners are aluminum
clad and the induction would not work! I had begun the canning process and soon found out I could not proceed! I had to can whatever it was using the turkey fryer outside, and it happened to be so windy that day that hubby had to build a baffle so my flame wouldn’t blow out! After that we purchased a regular stove and put it on the deck. He had to run a new electric source to the breaker box for that as well! So now I have either a hillbilly kitchen (we live in Ky.) or a summer kitchen – however you want to look at it. I have really come to appreciate keeping all that moisture and heat outside. But I was pretty aggravated about it for a while.
Anita
Judy Laquidara says
I understand your frustration but a stove for me is a big ticket item and I research the heck out of it before buying one. I had never considered buying induction because of wanting gas but I knew about the pot issue. Vince and I were talking this morning about the portable induction burner from Aldi and I told him I couldn’t use the pots I normally use and he said “I wonder how many people will buy that not knowing the specifics about the pots” and I said “only those who don’t do their research”. Most people will not do research before buying an individual portable burner.
The salesman should have mentioned it since it’s a pretty big deal to buy a big stove. It would be pretty frustrating to get a brand new stove and find you can’t cook on it til you go buy new pots. Cast iron works on it and I have plenty of that but I also have extra pots in storage so I can dig out a few of those.
marcie says
That’s great to know about the aluminum pots for canning, as I was just going to ask that! I would like to have a larger burner than the ones on my regular in-kitchen electric stove top.
wanda j says
I got a portable induction on somewhere on TV just because I have a glass top stove and my cast-iron didn’t work on it at all. I hate my glass top. When I turn a burner say on high I want it to stay on at high till I turn it down. Well with glass top it cycles on and off so I can’t get the hang of it. It always boils over then I have a mess to clean up. ( each time I cook even boil water I have to scrub the top with magic eraeser) So I got the induction and use it to cook at high temps and with my cast iron. But the thing has to sit on cabinet top not on stove top so does take up room but it works great. I got hot plate first to use that didn’t get hot enough you are right about that.So give it a whirl..
Teri says
Can’t wait to hear how you like it, especially if you try cast iron with it. How did the price compare to amazon?
Sue in Desert Hills (Phoenix), AZ (formerly in Scottsdale, AZ) says
I have been real tempted to buy one of these portable induction burners but haven’t done it yet. When we moved about 1.5 years ago I wanted an induction stove but the price was cost prohibitive. I then convinced my husband that we needed a gas stove and since we didn’t have natural gas in our new area we now have 2 100-lb. propane tanks. I love the gas. My previous home (we lived there 27 years) had a gas stove and that is what I’m used to. I also looked into the ceramic glass top stoves and was told by many people that they didn’t like them so I stayed away from those. I can’t wait to hear what you think of your new cooktop!
Cocoa Quilts says
I think all of the IKEA pans are induction. I also get some at Marshalls, HomeGoods and they aren’t any more than any other pans. You don’t need All Clad or other overpriced pans.