Portable induction cooktop.

[digimark]

Does anyone have any experience with this:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunpentown-SR-1851-1200-Watt-Countertop-Induction/dp/B0009EXY28/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1249511859&sr=8-4

It's for AC outlet only, of course. But paired with the appropriate cookware, would this be OK for use inside a trailer? Or even desirable?

[starleen2]

How about a small Double Burner Cooking Plate? - less expensive ($30.00 usd)and will do the same job as the induction

[Alfred]

[img]How about a small Double Burner Cooking Plate?

Interesting! I may consider picking up a hot plate, too. Wondering if the residual heat from an electric element (versus a gas cook top that cools off much more quickly) might pose more of a risk in a TD(?)

AL.

[cleonard]

[img]How about a small Double Burner Cooking Plate?

Interesting! I may consider picking up a hot plate, too. Wondering if the residual heat from an electric element (versus a gas cook top that cools off much more quickly) might pose more of a risk in a TD(?)

AL.

That's what is nice about a induction "burner". It does not get hot. It induces a current in the pot above it and the heat is generated inside the metal of the pot. The "burner" stays comparatively cool.

[Miriam C.]

I haven't got the budget for an induction cook top but they sure sound great for a really small space. I have a hot plate but it is slow to heat and stays hot for a long time. Have to be more careful to not get burned.

[digimark]

Following up -- here are the reasons I'm considering a single portable induction cooktop:

1. No carbon monoxide to worry about.
2. Since the cooktop doesn't get hot, you don't have to worry about radiant heat/accidental brush-by contact/something falling on it (non-ferrous) causing a fire
3. Less dangerous if it were knocked over while in use. (You could still get burned/scalded by the pot and its contents, but I don't think it would get hot enough to burn something directly.)
4. Less dangerous to touch accidentally (although woe if you touch it with ferrous jewelry, a fork, etc. Actually, more reading tells me that all of these units have pot detection which prevents the unit from generating a magnetic field unless a pot or similar is sitting on the pad.)

The pictures I've seen show a pot boiling water and ice cubes sitting directly on the pad next to the pot. Although I imagine radiant heat from the pot will melt the ice eventually faster than the room ambient air temp would...

It just generally seems safer than a standard electric coil burner. I wouldn't ever cook on a propane stove inside also.

I found a website http://www.theinductionsite.com/ that seemed comprehensive on the subject.

I'm trying to decide between a Max Burton 6000 (~$95) and a Sunpentown SR-1881S (~$169). Both come with a induction-ready skillet and lid. I'll let you know what I find out when it arrives.