Fagor Portable Induction Cooktop

Fagor Portable Induction Cooktop

I've had this cooktop for 3 months now and I'm really pleased with it. I bought it to see if I liked induction enough to spring for a whole cooktop when I replace my stove. All but one of my pans worked on it (if you have aluminum cookware you will need to go shopping). I mainly use All-Clad stainless, Lodge cast iron and Chantal enamel on steel cookware. I have an iron, flat bottomed wok that works great with it. It is FAR superior to a hot plate or extra burner. This little unit has become our main stove. I could see using just one or two of these in a cabin, kitchenette, dorm, etc. I've been pleased with my Fagor pressure cooker, so that's why I chose this brand.

What makes me happy:

-incredibly quick response, I think as good as gas

-less heat in the air makes the kitchen more comfortable and cooking is safer

-no charred mess from spillovers etc. Really easy to clean

-fabulous low temperature setting that is barely more than warm. It will melt chocolate beautifully on the lowest setting. No more fiddling with a double boiler.

-I like the timer feature. When the timer ends, it turns off the unit. That's a boon for a distracted cook.

-It's harder to burn things with this cooktop than with gas or electric. Partly because it's so responsive, but I really think it does a better job of maintaining a consistent temperature.

Things you should know:

-as another reviewer noted, there is a hot spot in the middle where all the action is. If you use a really big pan, you'll see where the heat is concentrated. However, I haven't had any actual problems with this. It heats even large pans quite well even though it says somewhere in the manual to use smaller pans.

-if you lean on the front edge it will tip. Sounds dumb, but I've done it.

-there's a brief learning curve to the touchpad controls. Maybe 3-4 days of having to think about it and now it's second nature.

I really hope that induction cooking gains a wider audience in the U.S. It's a fabulous technology that's ready for mainstream consumers.