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Warning to anyone thinking about buying one of those portable induction cooktop ("just to see what all the fuss is about"): if it plugs into a standard 120V soc

Warning to anyone thinking about buying one of those portable induction cooktop ("just to see what all the fuss is about"): if it plugs into a standard 120V socket, it's probably not going to boil water any faster than your existing stove! In fact, mine boils even slower than my electric stove. Apparently, the portable ones only go up to around 1800W. If you want to experience the true boil-the-oceans power of induction, you have to get a full range that runs on 240V; those can draw closer to 7000W. Granted, you can still benefit from the precise temperature setting and the ease of cleaning, but don't expect it to be an apples-to-apples comparison.

azalemeth 5y ago
120V is only standard in a part of the world. It's much more helpful to talk about power -- where I am 3 kW is limiting on a standard socket, at 230V. What is it for the US (I don't know!) Note -- electric hobs and ovens are often wired into far far chunkier circuits and the high efficiency of induction is a big boon. It's wonderful to cook on -- all the responsiveness of gas, none of the pm2.5. It's just a shame that per kWh, electricity is a lot more expensive.
- tedunangst 5y ago
  Somewhere around 15 amps is almost always the limit for basic circuits, making voltage an easy proxy for available power.
  - Kon-Peki 5y ago
    This house I just bought (in the US) has a really odd kitchen that includes a gas cooktop combined with an electric double oven. It's wired directly to the breaker box in the basement with a 35-amp fuse.
    - com2kid 5y ago
      Oh wow that is... backwards. I'd want an induction cooktop and a gas oven! The gas oven solely so I can do the broil thing and get a good sear from direct flame.
      - brewdad 5y ago
        How often do you broil? I have an electric oven and probably use the broiler about 3 times every two years. Everyone's cooking styles and needs are different, I guess. It's never been an issue for me. If I leave the oven door ajar, the broiler will stay on and do it's job. An electric oven works far better than gas for baking however which is something we do regularly.
  - snoopen 5y ago
    Do you have a source for amp standards? My limited search suggests much of EU have 10A plugs. Also here in AU our standard is also 10A along with our NZ family.
    - ars 5y ago
      In the US ranges typically come with 50A 240V outlets - and as much as that is, it's actually not enough to run the oven plus all 4 burners at the same time. A low end range has 16K BTU for the oven, plus 4 10K burners = 56,000 BTU = 16.5kWatt. But the 50A outlet can only deliver 50 * 240 * 80% = 9,600 watt.
quasarj 5y ago
You either got a shit induction cooktop or an amazing electric stove. Maybe both? I have an 1800W portable induction cooktop and while it's not perfect, it's definitely way faster than my electric stove. At least 5x faster at boiling water, I'd say.
- lfowles 5y ago
  Same experience, I grabbed an 1800W induction cook top in January to test the waters for an inevitable range replacement. It has bubbles forming at the bottom of the pot before the normal stove even gets an empty pan hot. Since then it has had a permanent spot in the kitchen, in fact I can't remember the last thing I used the regular stove for... It also helped me find out that my kitchen counter outlets share the circuit with my fridge. The breaker quickly tripped when I was making toast, boiling water, and the fridge compressor cycled on!
kasey_junk 5y ago
I have 2 of the duxtop’s linked in the article as my only range. Before going to this setup I tested them against my gas range and they were 2 to 3 minutes faster at boiling water. The issue with the portable ones is the quality differential. You’ve got extremely cheap ones that are more plate warmers than cooking appliances and you e got the control freak that is a piece of future tech. But if you get ones that a caterer would use they tend to do the job.

azalemeth 5y ago

120V is only standard in a part of the world. It's much more helpful to talk about power -- where I am 3 kW is limiting on a standard socket, at 230V. What is it for the US (I don't know!) Note -- electric hobs and ovens are often wired into far far chunkier circuits and the high efficiency of induction is a big boon. It's wonderful to cook on -- all the responsiveness of gas, none of the pm2.5. It's just a shame that per kWh, electricity is a lot more expensive.

tedunangst 5y ago
Somewhere around 15 amps is almost always the limit for basic circuits, making voltage an easy proxy for available power.
- Kon-Peki 5y ago
  This house I just bought (in the US) has a really odd kitchen that includes a gas cooktop combined with an electric double oven. It's wired directly to the breaker box in the basement with a 35-amp fuse.
  - com2kid 5y ago
    Oh wow that is... backwards. I'd want an induction cooktop and a gas oven! The gas oven solely so I can do the broil thing and get a good sear from direct flame.
    - brewdad 5y ago
      How often do you broil? I have an electric oven and probably use the broiler about 3 times every two years. Everyone's cooking styles and needs are different, I guess. It's never been an issue for me. If I leave the oven door ajar, the broiler will stay on and do it's job. An electric oven works far better than gas for baking however which is something we do regularly.
- snoopen 5y ago
  Do you have a source for amp standards? My limited search suggests much of EU have 10A plugs. Also here in AU our standard is also 10A along with our NZ family.
  - ars 5y ago
    In the US ranges typically come with 50A 240V outlets - and as much as that is, it's actually not enough to run the oven plus all 4 burners at the same time. A low end range has 16K BTU for the oven, plus 4 10K burners = 56,000 BTU = 16.5kWatt. But the 50A outlet can only deliver 50 * 240 * 80% = 9,600 watt.

quasarj 5y ago

You either got a shit induction cooktop or an amazing electric stove. Maybe both? I have an 1800W portable induction cooktop and while it's not perfect, it's definitely way faster than my electric stove. At least 5x faster at boiling water, I'd say.

lfowles 5y ago
Same experience, I grabbed an 1800W induction cook top in January to test the waters for an inevitable range replacement. It has bubbles forming at the bottom of the pot before the normal stove even gets an empty pan hot. Since then it has had a permanent spot in the kitchen, in fact I can't remember the last thing I used the regular stove for... It also helped me find out that my kitchen counter outlets share the circuit with my fridge. The breaker quickly tripped when I was making toast, boiling water, and the fridge compressor cycled on!

kasey_junk 5y ago

I have 2 of the duxtop’s linked in the article as my only range. Before going to this setup I tested them against my gas range and they were 2 to 3 minutes faster at boiling water. The issue with the portable ones is the quality differential. You’ve got extremely cheap ones that are more plate warmers than cooking appliances and you e got the control freak that is a piece of future tech. But if you get ones that a caterer would use they tend to do the job.