I’ve only used it once so I don’t feel like that’s enough to say “I can’t live without it” but I was impressed. I put it on an outside table and used it to cook breakfast this morning.
Breakfast
It has quite a few settings – Boil Mode, Deep Frying Mode, Stir Frying Mode, Stew Mode, Milk Mode, and Soup Mode. Each mode, except Milk Mode, can be adjusted within quite a range of temps. I started with Stir Frying Mode and the default is 464°. That little cooktop gets HOT! I about scorched my bacon before I realized that it was really hot and turned it down. You can adjust that mode anywhere from 140 to 464°, within 10 levels. I think lowest is 140 and one adjustment up is something like 165° (I don’t remember exactly).
140 to 464 is pretty much the range for all modes. Milk Mode is different. I’m not sure I understand the purpose of Milk Mode. It brings the temp up to 140 and then reduces the temp to keep the contents of the pot warm.
Breakfast
Anyway. I fixed breakfast and it was great and the house didn’t smell like bacon!
Here’s a link to the Aldi page where you can read more about it. Aldi’s price is $34.99 and it’s a special deal for this week. A reader asked how the price compares to those at Amazon. Of course, the same brand isn’t at Amazon but most of them that I saw there were in the $40+ range.
I think I said in the blog post this morning . . I cook a whole lot of stuff outside and the induction top is great because we have so much wind that often I have a hard time cooking with gas outside. I think I’ll use the heck out of this thing.
Tonight we’re having fish that I want to blacken so I would have done it on the gas burner outside but instead, I’ll use the induction top and see how that works. I think it will work just fine!
Janice says
I bought a portable induction cooktop last year for canning small amounts such as 1/2doz. jars of jam. I loved it. It didn’t heat up the kitchen like the regular stove. I’m certainly glad I got mine.
Swooze says
I bet milk mode is for yogurt making
Judy Laquidara says
Maybe but you usually heat it to 180 and then cool it down to about 110 for yogurt making so the temps on the hot plate don’t seem to be the same as any yogurt I’ve ever made.
Erin says
Glad you’re liking it Judy. We used these for our catering company sometimes. Just be careful not to place anything too heavy on it. A couple of ours cracked that way.
Judy Laquidara says
Thanks! I checked and the total weight, including the pot, cannot exceed 33 pounds. I doubt I’d use it even for a small canner so hopefully I won’t put anything too heavy on it.
Teri says
Thanks for the review! I think I’ll get one!
Marilyn Smith says
It is not in our local ad for this week at Aldi (Palm Springs, CA). I did find it on their site but can’t order online. I may ask for one for Xmas from the kids. Have a friend in Tahoe who loves her’s and rarely uses her commercial Wolf Range anymore!
vivoaks says
I got one of those induction heaters for myself a couple of years ago (the expensive ones like they advertized on TV for awhile) and I use it just about every day. My stove has cast iron burners (electric) and they take forever to heat up and cool down. With the induction heater I put my cast iron pan on it and within 30 seconds it’s hot. On my stove it takes 3-4 minutes….. Not even close!! So that’s why I love mine. I got one for my daughter too, but she hasn’t even used it…. I thought it would be good for when she and her family go camping – set it up on the picnic table and you’re ready to go! Love mine!!
Judy Laquidara says
I’ve used mine for every meal since we got it and I love it. I love that I’m using it outside and any grease splatters or strange odors are not in my house. It heats up so quickly and cools down quickly, has a very wide range of temps . . probably more than on my gas stove.