Sunpentown MicroComptuer Induction Cooktop

1. ( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jul 31 2008

   Before I bought the Sunpentown cooktops, I cooked with the Athena Max Burton for about a year. I liked it so well that I bought 2 of these to replace my gas stove when I remodeled my kitchen. I debated long and hard about these vs. a built-in cooktop. In many ways the built-in would be more suitable and better looking and way more expensive, but it lost out on the simple fact that they don't have timers. I had gotten used to being able to get something cooking nicely and then setting a timer to cook 5 more minutes, or 45 more minutes, or whatever, and I wasn't willing to live without it. I even use the timer for asparagus - I put the asparagus on and set the timer for 3 minutes. Then the cooktop turns itself off and beeps me so even if I'm doing something else my asparagus doesn't overcook. On Max power, the pan heats up really fast. I find that I do most of my cooking between medium and max, but the low settings work really well too. I love magnetic induction and I'm happy with these units. My only gripe is the glossy black finish, which shows every bit of lint, every finger smudge, every splot of oil. The Max Burton was a matte white and didn't show all the splotches. I realize that most of the built-ins and a lot of the countertop models are the same glossy black, but it's not an easy maintenance finish.

2. ( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jul 29 2008

   First off, I assume you're already informed about induction cooking--if not, try google or wikipedia. I'm just reviewing this particular unit: Attractive overall, it has a glass/ceramic top that seems durable, but I haven't pressed my luck. The blister micro-switches aren't my favorite--touch would be better--but they work well at least while the product is new. You get 20 power settings, but my "kill-a-watt" meter (also from Amazon--it's great) reports that settings 1 to 7 are actually 10-second on/off cycles of the power at setting 8. Setting 1 is on for a couple seconds, then off for the rest of the 10 second cycle, and repeat. Settings 2 thru 7 are similar, with increasing "on" and decreasing "off" durations. Setting 8 draws about 350 watts, and is the lowest setting that stays on continuously. Settings 9 through 20 draw increasing power up to 1250 watts at maximum. I haven't found the temperature settings to be useful, but maybe that's just my cooking style. For induction-capable cookware, I used 3 frying pans from Ikea ($20 to $30 ea) and 3 assorted pots (1.5L, 3L, 5L) from various local retailers ($15-$40), as well as the pan that came from Sunpentown with the package I bought. All worked perfectly. This is a 120V plug-in countertop unit, which means it's portable enough to take outside to the patio for slow-cooking certain the smelly foods that I don't want in the house. But it's highest power setting is barely half what is possible with a 220V built-in. Compared to an ordinary radiant hot-plate, this unit seems expensive, but compared to an induction built-in, it's a real bargain.

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