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The Induction Site

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Countertop Equipment

Uses

While many homeowners are now installing induction equipment in their kitchens, whether in new construction or makeovers, many others have interest in and use for freestanding countertop induction units—whether because they are renters, not homeowners; or because they cannot at this time do a major makeover; or because they want a portable unit that can operate on the dining table; or because they want a unit that can travel with them; or because they want a unit for a student living away from home. There are now many such units available, and the choices not always obvious. Here, for the convenience of such buyers, is information on home-use countertop units that can currently be bought in the U.S.A.

This page presents information on units intended for home use, as opposed to units specifically made for commercial use—in restaurants, catering, and suchlike high-stress environments. While residential equipment would be a poor choice for a commercial environment, the reverse is not necessarily true—indeed, the only barrier to commercial induction equipment in home use is price—but if you do a lot of at-the-table cooking and want a top-flight unit to grace your dining table, don't overlook the "commercial-unit" possibilities.

Some Thoughts on Countertop Units

Home-use countertop units come in a remarkable range of powers, from a puny 800 watts up to the maximum possible 1800 watts (that is the "maximum possible" because it is as much as a standard household wall outlet can supply, 120 volts times 15 amps). Curiously, there is no real relation between unit power and unit cost—low-power units can be expensive, and high-power units can be inexpensive, and costs for both kinds run all over the lot. That being so, it seems to us just plain silly to not get the full 1.8 kW from any purchase of a countertop unit, and we have now arranged our information display on that criterion.

Farther below, we provide a Table of full-information listings for all countertop units of the full 1.8-kW. Below that, we provide a simple list of all lesser-powered units, with each entry a clickable link to the Amazon page for that unit, for those who want to explore despite our recommendation.

Countertop units differ from build-in units in many ways, but one especially crucial one is the maker's repute. Build-in units are large, complex things, and the great majority are from large, well-known, well-established companies—companies whose reputations can be investigated by the prudent buyer, and for which the data on which those reputations are based are a huge pool. Countertop units are small and simple, and the great majority are from small obscure companies with no established reputation (good or bad) whatever.

There is nothing that says a no-name company's units might not be excellent and reliable performers, but the prudent buyer will try to avoid gambles. The performance differences from one model to another can be examined, but what can never be directly examined is the long-term reliability of a unit; and, associated with that, is the matter of the sort of customer service (if any) available if problems do arise. We thus caution strongly that buyers be wary of companies with no established name or history, many of whom are here today and gone tomorrow. It takes very little to make a deal with some Chinese factory to obtain a bunch of their standard units with no contribution from the listed "maker" except a name to be slapped on the unit's face (what is called in the trade "badging"). A maker that is nothing but a name on a badge has had nothing to do with the unit's design or quality standards, and is unlikely to be able to supply much service if it is needed.

Mind, that is not to say that makers who have their units made in China (or some other low-wage overseas land) all produce mediocre units. Companies that are more than a letterhead can deal with their suppliers for higher-quality components in the making and stricter standards of performance; and they can supply realistic after-sale service.

One easy indicator is a maker's web site. If the maker does not even have a web site, we would stay miles away from it. If it has a web site, go to the inevitable "About" page and see how long the company has been around and the scope of their business. Some guy operating out of a storefront in a mall in southern California is less likely to be shipping and standing behind solidly made units than a large, well-established company with real facilities. Or, if in our "info box" for the unit you find no available product literature or, worse, no warranty data), that is another warning flag. There are numerous sources on line where the prudent buyer can seek out such key corporate information as when a company was founded, how many employees it has, and what annual dollar volume of business it does; we recommend looking them up.

In our opinion, the standout candidate is the Max Burton 6200 (from Aervoe Industries), which is 1.8 kW and yet has a good Cost/Power ratio and a very reasonable delivered price; it's no longer the least expensive, but one thinks of John Ruskin's famous dictum (There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey). We think it stands out because it is a well-specified unit, not a cheapie. It is what we use ourselves, and don't see why anyone would want anything else (but all the products available are listed below). That unit is also available, as shown below, as part of the "6050" package set, which also includes an "induction disk"; we wouldn't use such a disk, but if you want one, there it is. (The Max Burton 6400 model is a true commercial unit, and oriced accordingly).

All the data below are taken from either the maker's web site or, if we have it, the maker's manual for the item. Clicking on a model number will jump you to the details page for that model (from which you can, if we handle it, also order it).

Some Shopping Thoughts

Prices, anywhere they appear on this site, are never more than 24 hours old (but only for units we sell—we have no direct, automated access to prices for those few units we don't yet carry).

We go to some lengths to try to assure that the data we present are accurate and complete, but—as common sense should suggest—we cannot warrant these data, which are presented solely for your convenience and guidance; the makers of the subject equipment are the sole and final source of definite data. So nyah, nyah, all you lawyers.

With larger units, shipping is often free; even when it isn't, it's not any serious part of the final price. But with countertop units, shipping charges—which seem to be largely arbitrary, sometimes as much or more as it would cost to ship an entire 4-element cooktop—can be a significant cost consideration. We include them in the price in the tables below for every unit we sell (which is most of them). These, again, are the lowest total (price + shipping) costs for each unit; there are often multiple sellers for a given unit, and those will each show as a separate offer on our "buy" page for any unit listed here. Often the differences from one to another are quite small, a dollar or three, and you may want to consider other factors, such as seller reputation (there is such information on the "buy" pages) before making a final purchase decision.

When shopping, look at everything. For example, do you want a unit with a "timer" that only clocks at increments of 5 minutes? Not very useful. Is "armor plating" worth well over a hundred bucks to you? Look, and think.

Portables: The 1.8-kW Units

(Note: units are presented in ascending cost/power order, based on total delivered cost (that is, with shipping); units whose display background is grey are dual-element units.)

Gourmia GIC100

countertop 1-element unit

1.8 kW total unit power
(needs 15-Ampere circuit)

· $44.99 lowest base price
· $0.00 shipping cost
= $44.99 lowest total cost delivered
      $25 approximate cost per kW
        (reckoned only on base price)

Product literature (click on title to see it):
·  Instructions

Notes: none.