Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The Duxtop 1800-Watt Portable Sensor Touch Induction Cooktop 8300ST v.2011 has become the only burner I use... I bought this to replace my Breville electric wok, which, although great for stir-frying, died (ruptured heating element) after only 2 years of service. I had become very attached to the excellent heat-producing capacity of that wok, but want to stay away from non-stick surfaces in future cookware for health reasons.. After much research, (and a *miserable* purchase of a Sunbeam stainless steel wok which amounted to little more than a warm salad bowl on legs) I decided to take the plunge and go for this induction unit used in tandem with my trusty old carbon steel wok. The heat performance for stir-fry has been as good as the Breville, but combined with the wok-hei flavor of the old wok, and being able to heat the wok to smoking without fear of toxic fumes, the overall wok-cooking pleasure of this combination is even higher than the Breville. Additionally, it provides FAST boiling of water..Generally, 2 quarts of water will boil in 2-3 minutes, as opposed to 10-15 minutes on my electric stove... It has been wonderful this summer to heat coffee/pasta water and never have to worry about heating up the house with residual heat from the burner, since induction cooking produces no residual heat once the unit is turned off. We also bring it outside to deep-fry fish to keep the smell from permeating the house. It does an admirable job at wok deep-frying, and maintains a very constant temperature...Our trout, pompano and red snapper all develop a crispy, crunchy exterior and maintain a moist, juicy interior with minimal-to-no tending, so long as the unit is set to 1200 watts. My only qualms about the unit are basically just nit-picky ones. First, when the unit is plugged in (as it is permanently in my home) the power panel flashes a row of horizontal dashes that look disconcertingly like an error code. Maybe the idea is to remind you to unplug it, but since my outlet is in an inconvenient location, and this is my permanent cooking surface, it just sits there flashing 24/7, and using unnecessary electricity. Second, when things overflow, such as pasta is inclined to, and the water gets onto the smooth-top glass surface, the cook is NOT able to shut off or adjust temperature/wattage of the unit using the touch pad, as the water must somehow interfere with the touch pad's electrical response. Therefore, in order to stop the disaster, you must either unplug the unit, or remove the messy pot, wipe up the spill, then adjust temp/wattage/turn it off. Not a big deal if you have the presence of mind and a place to quickly move the boiling pot to, but in a panicky spill situation, it can throw you for a loop... Third, and this is really no big deal, the unit's cooling fan makes a sound very similar to that produced by a microwave oven while cooking, and for around 1 minute afterwards...Combined with the exhaust fan and all the action in the pan, the overall decibel-level can be perhaps more lively than some noise sensitive people would prefer. Again, the sound is not really that bad, and sounds just like a microwave, but it is something to know. These small things aside, the Duxtop induction cooktop has revolutionized my kitchen.. I now eschew my 4 burner stove, even for multi-dish meals, in favor of the Duxtop, knowing that I can heat the pan basically instantaneously for stir-fry, cook the main dish, then switch pans and make boiling hot soup in the *same time or less* than simply heating water on my regular electric stove.. This is a wonderful appliance. Convenient, affordable, versitile and low-profile. I am very grateful to have discovered it... UPDATE: Oct 6, 2011 This unit continues to amaze with its ability to stir-fry, deep-fry, and heat large pots of soup quickly, but for pancake/griddle type applications, it is frustrating. The 4" diameter induction area heats a cast iron griddle quickly in the center, but leaves a very cool area toward the edges of the pan. Pancakes cook unevenly, and omlettes are impossible...For even griddle cooking, even a cast iron griddle on my electric range does a better job...Still-this is a fantastic choice for most other types of stove-top cooking...