I was in the same position of wanting to try out induction before deciding on a stove. I bought a Salton portable unit at Costco and a frying pan and saucepan from IKEA and they were . . . fine: I was neither overwhelmed nor sorely disappointed by how they performed. That being said, I was heading down the road towards an Electrolux slide-in induction range when the spouse decided that we should go vintage, so we now have a 70 year old red O'Keefe & Merritt. Pretty much the antithesis of the Electrolux! Still considering a 220v outlet and plug-in induction unit as part of the slowly-evolving remodel though.

I second the Salton from Costco as a decent unit that will show induction being a viable alternative to gas. I have one in a spare cubicle at work for brewing my own ibrik coffee and it's impressive how fast it heats the (and also how easy is to clean up the occasional spill-over).

I bought a single induction burner a few months ago. It's Aroma, that I bought from Amazon.

It cooks very fast and stops cooking just as fast when I lower the temp or turn it off. NONE of my Cuisinart cookware works with it, but my cheapie pots and pans do. As is always recommended take an ordinary frig magnet with you when you go shopping and test the Bottom of the pot.
The magnet sticks to the sides of my Cuisinart but not the bottom :(

There is a fan that comes on for about a minute once you are done cooking, but it's so quiet, I have to really listen in order to hear it.

I use mine on my stove because I can use the vent, or even outside on the balcony. I do put it on a cutting board, as a reminder so that I don't accidentally turn the burner on!

Thanks for the ideas. I will have to check out the Costco options for the induction unit as well as that cookware.

We had an OTR mw that also failed and has been removed. We are considering our options for venting. We thought to put in a chimney style XO vent, but there is a soffit which runs around the tops of our cabinets that prevents that option... short of a kitchen remodel.

I perfectly understand my wife's desire to test the method before committing. I am hoping an inexpensive portable unit will provide a reasonable test of this method of cooking.

Objectionable noise (admittedly a subjective term) will not present induction in the best light if the portable unit is not similar enough in function to an induction range. So I hope to find a unit and cookware that will demonstrate induction in the best light and which will most closely approximate using an induction range.

I am not interested in putting in another gas range without solving the venting issue first. OTOH, I have no qualms about using an induction range without venting being in place.

Edit: I just checked Costco online and it says the Circulon cookware is no longer available.

This post was edited by speedlever on Sun, Sep 7, 14 at 9:36

We bought an inexpensive single burner Duxtop from Amazon a few years ago to try induction cooking and see if we like it. It's been great! Suffice it to say our old electric cooktop rarely gets any use these days because we use the DT 95% of the time.

Yes there is a fan noise but we never find it objectionable or loud.(And my DH wears hearing aids.) It only stays on for a minute or so after the unit is shut off. That's to cool the magnet I believe. We will definitely be converting to Induction when we buy our next cooktop.

As for pots and pans, I bought an inexpensive set of stainless clad - I think they are Kitchen Aid - and they have been just fine. I think Duxtop has their own set out which is reasonable priced. Remember, all that matters is if a magnet will stick to the bottom of the pan, then you can use it with an induction cooktop.

Here is a link that might be useful: Duxtop Portable Unit

If you live near an IKEA, for testing purposes, try their 365+ pots and pans - really inexpensive, so no loss if you decide against induction. I use mostly Tramontina all-clad (from Wal-Mart) but I still have a 1 qt pot from IKEA just for small amounts of liquid.

For getting a portable induction unit most similar to built-in or range, consider the number of possible settings. Most ranges and cooktops have 19 "steps" for settings. Some portables only have six or seven. Those six or seven might or might not be adequate for your cooking.

Just to add some clarity to the point about cooktop/pan noises, I've noticed the same small amount of it with nearly every inexpensive residential portable induction cooker I've tried over the years (tried as in used at a friend's house or played with at a store demo). These included units by: Aroma, Eurodib, Fagor, Iwatani, Salton, Sunpentown and Waring. To me, the noises and levels were no different than with the Max Burton I've had for a couple of years.

It may be reassuring that Jasdip, gigelus2k13, and AvatarWalt all have Saltons or Aromas and none seem to have even noticed the sounds I mentioned or, at least, none found them noticeable enough to even mention. Same with Sippimom and her Duxtop, too.

Ooops, maybe now they will notice now that I've called attention to them. Oh well. Sorry ;>)

So, consider how unobtrusive those sounds must be and take the absence as an added bonus to getting a range if you find you like using induction burners.

As for getting hobs or pans from Costco, be aware that the stock at Costco.com is often different from what is in the stores and vice versa. Not all stores carry the same items, either. The Costcos in my region have never carried any of the induction hobs. They do carry the Circulon Premier Pro pans and they had some when I was last there a couple of weeks ago.

Costco.com now seems to have the 13-piece Circulon Premier Professional set on sale $159. Try this link:

http://www.costco.com/Circulon%C2%AE-Premier-Professional-Hard-Anodized-Nonstick-13-Piece-Cookware-Set.product.100104723.html

Curiously, the Costco.com website does not mention induction although the boxes for the ones in our local Costco do say "induction" on them and the Circulon website says induction, too. Odd.

For recommendations on other brands, you might try searching the Cookware forum here as well as on Chowhound. IIRC, there were recommendations in additon to IKEA, Circulon and Tramontina.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Sun, Sep 7, 14 at 14:18

Great info!

I found the Costo link after all. Not sure why that one link said it was no longer available.

Well it sounds like most any portable 1800w induction cooktop will work as long as I avoid the blister buttons. None appear to be overly objectionable in fan noise or operation, best I can tell. I cannot find the MB 6000 unit on Amazon.

I also found the portable induction info on theinductionsite.com. Very helpful.

What is the largest practical pot/pan size I can use on these portables? 10 inch (measured across the top)?

I use my largest pan - a 12" base Tramontina with no problems at all. I also have a large dutch oven that I use for cooking/steaming veggies, pasta, etc.

And the only noise I've ever noticed with our DT is the fan running. If we mistakenly put a NON-magnetic pan on the burner and turn it on, it will beep. (It's telling you "wake up, wrong pan!") or if you take the pan off the burner without first turning it off it will beep ("hello! there is nothing to cook on me!")

If something boils over, it wipes right off the surface. No special cleaner needed. Just a damp rag. I'll quit my blabbing now. Enjoy yours! :)

...What is the largest practical pot/pan size I can use on these portables? 10 inch (measured across the top)?

As sippimom says, you can use 12-inch diameter pans, or greater if you want. The consideration is that the heat may not be perfectly even across the base. With the $100 portable induction burners, you get heat patterns rather like you would with a 6" diameter radiant electric coil burner. No big deal for boiling or deep-fat frying, but maybe a concern with searing and stir-frying if you don't like stirring your stir fry.

How about a 13" or 14" diameter 20-quart stockpot/canning kettle? That's what a friend of mine used when he borrowed my MB 6200 for some homebrewing. He was pleased enough to get one of his own. His wife and kids are pleased, as well, because he can take the portable unit to the garage and not tie-up the kitchen as he used to.

Maybe you were asking a different question, maybe about design? Apparently, there some other brands that have very sleek designs where large pans can soften plastic fascia where they overhang the glasstop surface. I think I read about this in a brewing forum, but I can't find the post nor can I remember the offending brands or models. That does not seem to be a problem with the MB or the the Duxtop, On the MB 6200, the cooktop glass sits proud of the top of the unit and the top has metal trim on the face where the control surfaces are. No risk of melting plastic casing by contact (or near contact) with a hot pan sitting on the cooktop surface.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Sun, Sep 7, 14 at 18:26

My Aroma has a slanted front where the controls are. They are easily accessible and it's not in the way of large skillet/pots.

More great info!

Now let me share some info. I went to Costco today just to look around. I found the Circulon 13 pc set listed for $149.97... plus the $40 coupon... and picked the set up for $109.97!

There were no portable induction cooktops in evidence. None at Sams Club or Target either. The only one I saw was at WalMart. It was a $99 Nuwave with the blister buttons. No thanks.

So after reading some reviews over at Amazon, I'm looking at spending a few more bucks and going with the MB6400. But I need to see what my friends here at GW have to say about it before I push the purchase button. ;)

Great deal on the Circulon. THe 6400 looks like a refreshed 6200 but I have no clue on the differences between the MB 6200 and 6400. Anybody know anything about the latter?

There was a review by John Meyer who had owned both the 6200 and the 6400. He seems pretty knowledgeable.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/AK3PQZZ656VOD/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp

I went ahead and ordered the 6400.

Measure the pot diameter at the bottom, not the top. Jw, you gotta mention this important fact.

And yes, in actual use of induction you can successfully use a larger diameter pot on a smaller hob. No problem. And also use a smaller pot on a larger hob although I don't know the parameters.where you cannot. And you don't have to position the pot too perfectly on the hob. It will work.

There are many threads re induction pots. Google search for them. Don't use the gw search engine,,,it doesn't work well.

Interesting read in that link. That John Meyer is a genuine appliance geek.

A point that struck me as as bearing further comment here was that he was surprised to find that his little Max Burton unit would heat water faster than the biggest burner on his Thermador gas cooktop, an 11k BTU burner. Actually, his MB induction burner has at least 10% more effective power than his 11k BTU gas burner. (There are postings here and across the web on how to convert Watts to BTUs or vice versa, and on figuring in the relative inefficiences of gas and induction burners. Basically, you divide BTUs by 3.4121 to get Watts or multiply Watts by 3.4121 to convert to BTUs and then figure that induction delivers 84% of rated power to a pan while with gas, it runs between 33% and 40% depending on make, model, and a host of design factors.)

Anyway, the point is that we sometimes pooh-pooh the limited power of the portable induction cooktops but, for folks like the blogger, the Max Burton actually might be a step-up over their present gas ranges/cooktops.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Mon, Sep 8, 14 at 16:40

Westsider chides me for forgetting to say explicitly what I have often said elsewhere which is that it is the pan base, not the top diameter, that matters for getting the most even heat on a pan on an induction burner. Mea cupla. Westsider is correct about this and it does need to be taken into account. That's a point I had in mind earlier post in this thread when I mentioned that using pans with larger diameter bases on these portable induction units is rather like using large diameter pans on 6-inch diameter radiant electric burners. There may be difficulties with even heat that you would not get with larger diameter induction coils. John Meyer's blog/review has some discussion of this point, as well, and his longer discussion bears reading.

I was kinda surprised that his Thermador only had an 11k burner as the top dog. I may be mistaken, but I think my old Magic Chef 6498vtv has a 14k burner.

According to theinductionsite.com, gas-cooker BTU/hour figures equivalent to induction-cooker wattages is figured by this formula:
BTU/hour = kW x 7185

Using that formula, an 11,000 BTU gas burner =1.53kW induction cooker.Those numbers are a little different from yours. (about halfway down the page on the link below).

Here is a link that might be useful: From theinductionsite: how induction works

Regarding the pan size discussion, I was mostly inquiring as to the maximum practical pan size for use on the portable cooktops. From what I've read, minimum size doesn't matter. But perhaps too large a pan will not work well.

I know there are physical dimensions given for the unit itself, but have not seen anything about the cooking area on the unit.

I looked up how to measure cookware and saw that it basically relates to lid size... or the inside diameter of the top of the pot/pan. Of course when I measured some of mine, I got some weird numbers that I would not expect to see marketed, so I assume there's a fair amount of rounding in the business.

I've also read the hob is around 6.75 inches on the portable units... and I've also read that it's about 4 inches. Go figure.

The discrepancy between reports on the size of the induction coils is indeed a "go figure" kind of thing. Mindful of Red Green's mantra -- if ain't broke, you're not trying -- I have managed to suppress the urge to disassemble my MB to see "how it works." :>)

The 6.75 inch figure more or less corresponds to the diameter of the boil pattern that I see in the bottom of a pot of water on the MB. To me that suggests that 6.75 inches is the effective size of the induction field although the induction coil could be and likely is smaller than that.

On the converson formula, I'll defer to the TheInductionSite.com's simpler and more elegant formula over my cobbled together kludge.

As for the cooking area, the answer is, it depends. The glass on mine is 9.8" deep x 11.5" wide. The outer pan circle markings are 9" in diameter. That apparently represents the largest pan base recommended for even heating. (Although, as noted above, you can use much larger stockpots and have them work.) The next circle marking inside is 4.5" in diameter. That apparently represents a recommended minimum pan size. The center circle marking is 2" in diameter. It ha squiggly loops drawn inside of it, and seems to be just be a logo. Does that help?

This post was edited by JWVideo on Mon, Sep 8, 14 at 20:43

Yep. Thanks for those numbers.

Just out of curiosity, I looked at the OM that's available for both the MB6200 and the Duxtop 8300ST (haven't found one yet for the MB6400). The Duxtop OM was much better done than the MB6200. That being said, it seems you could almost substitute one OM for the other. ;) Same error messages, same power numbers, same wattages, etc. The timer appeared to be the same too with increments of 1 minute.

BTW: there will be a minimum size. For my CookTek, it's around 3.5".

I don't think I have anything that small. But I'm curious why there might be a minimum size pan. I thought the hob just heated up the size it detected?

Okay, dug out the pdf of the Operating Instructions for my MB 6200. The fine print on page 2, section 3, item 3, says: "3. Minimum bottom diameter of 4”; Maximum recommendend diameter of 13."

Minimum size is the estimate of the smallest pan base for the sensors to recognize sufficient magnetic mass for the inductors to start heating up the pan. It is basically a safety thing. You don't want burners heating up small things you might lay on the cooktop surface. If you leave a spoon or an 8 oz. steel measuring cup (or your cell phone, etc.) on the surface (because it happens to be the one clear spot in a busy kitchen) or just pass your hand over the surface while you are wearing a magnetic metal bracelet or ring, the inductors don't come on to heat it up. There is not enough magnetic mass to trigger heating. (Another safety feature is that the burner shuts itself off in a short time if the sensors to do not find a suitable pot or the pot is removed from the burner for a time.)

Somewhere here there is a thread in which several posters talked about getting tiny Moka pots to work on induction. (Maybe it was a couple of threads, but I can't get them to turn up in a search right now.) Anyway, if memory serves, SeattleLandlord had a 3.5" diameter Vev Vigano moka pot which was too small to work on his Max Burton portable but had enough mass that it did work on the 5" burner of his recently acquired Elextrolux freestanding induction range. That seems to be about the limit in small pan sizes.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Tue, Sep 9, 14 at 12:25

Well that certainly makes sense. Guess I won't put my tin cup on the IC to heat up my coffee. ;)

I should have the MB6400 tomorrow. When I get around to it, I'll update this thread with my observations, if anyone is interested.

I remember reading about IC users putting something between the IC and the stove top, when using half the stove as a working place for the IC (so as not to heat up the cast iron grates, etc.)

Any idea how thick a spacer I need to use? Would a 1/2 inch thick nylon/plastic chopping board work? Or is this a test and see type thing?

No spacer needed --- though a cookie sheet, sheet pan, polypro cutting board, etc. may hold the unit steadier and also may help catch spatters and save cleaning the grates and stove top. The cookers are supposed to be shielded below so the field won't go down to heat your stove's grates.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Wed, Sep 10, 14 at 21:54

OK, good to know. Thanks.

The new MB6400 arrived today. Looking through the user guide, I see it calls for a minimum base diameter of 4.5 inches and not more than 1.5 inches above the induction plate.

It also says that a pan with a 4.5 to 6 inch base will reach a max of 1000-1200 watts but a pan with more than a 6 inch base will reach higher watts.

The temp mode has 15 settings and range from:
Simmer:100*F
Low: 125-150*F
Med-low: 175-250*F
Medium: 275-325*F
Med-high: 350-400*F
High: 425-450*F

I haven't got any further than unboxing it.

One more thought on a difference in using portable induction cooktops and built-in induction cooktops and ranges.

First, induction heat settings are maintained by cycling the burners on and off. (Microwave ovens do pretty much the same thing.) I believe the technical terms for this is pulse width modulation (PWM). When the pulses are timed properly, in frequent short bursts, the result will seem indistinguishable from power controlled by, say, a rheostat or, say, a constant low flame from a gas burner.

Most ranges and full-size cooktops have very fine modulations (frequent and fast cycling) which makes it very easy to hold a delicate sauce at the barest simmer or melt and hold chocolate without a double boiler.

The modulation is cruder on the less expensive portable induction cooktops. With my MB6200, the effect seems most pronounced with small pans. For example, today I used a small pot to cook a small amount of old-fashioned oatmeal. The oatmeal requires a low boil for five minutes or so. With the power set to 3 (or temp set to 210), I watched the water and oats boil for for about 5 to 7 seconds, subside for a similar period and then repeat. With larger quantities in the pan or a bigger pan on the MB, I can hear the hob cycling/modulating, but don't see the pulsing boil the way I did with the small saucepan.

Just something to be aware of when evaluating the use of induction with an inexpensive portable cooker.

If you have not already run across the chowhound discussion below, you might want to have a read through.

Here is a link that might be useful: chowhound discussion of portable induction units

This post was edited by JWVideo on Sun, Sep 14, 14 at 13:23

I'll check out that link. Thanks.

Regarding the power cycling, yes, I read that in other reviews. Quoting from John Meyer's review (referenced above), the relative power ratings of the MB6400 compared to the MB6200 are:

MB6400:
*********************************
The amount of power delivered depends on the cookware used.

The following numbers were measured with my four quart All-Clad saucepan.

Level Watts
1 0 - 750 (cycles on/off)
2 782
3 962
4 1140
5 1232
6 1312
7 1402
8 1484
9 1544
10 1623
**************************************

MB6200
**************************************
Here are the power measurements at each of the ten power levels, measured with my four quart All-Clad saucepan.

Level Watts
1 0 - 580 (cycles on/off)
2 0 - 770 (cycles on/off)
3 896
4 1050
5 1120
6 1200
7 1280
8 1370
9 1420
10 1520
**************************************

I see that the MB6400 cycles on setting 1 while the MB6200 cycles on settings 1 and 2.

Today, I hope to have time to unpack the new cookware and test out the MB6400. ;)

Edit: got the cookware unpacked and washed and tried out the MB6400. Using the conversion numbers from theinductionsite.com, I figure the 1.8kW = right at 13k for burner comparison. I vaguely recall that the top burner on the old Magic Chef is 14k (unverified).

I forgot to run a timer (not that it mattered), but I used two similar pots around 9-10 inches bottom diameter with 8 cups of water in each and they both ran neck and neck to the boiling point. That would seem to justify my recall of the 14k burner (and also the calculation for the IC using 1.8kW). I checked temps with a Thermapen and they were very close with the gas range slighly ahead of the MB6400, but only by 5-8**F or so all the way up. For all practical purposes, it was a dead heat and I could not tell which got to a roiling boil first.

The fan on the MB6400 is louder than I expected, but not objectionably so. Is it safe to assume that a slide-in induction range will not have that fan noise?

This post was edited by speedlever on Sun, Sep 14, 14 at 19:36

It is safe to assume that a slide-in induction will not have that fan noise.

I haven't done much with the IC yet other than to boil water and pasta. I hear a bit of buzzing for a short time and the kids say they hear a high pitched noise (which neither my wife nor I can hear).

It takes between 10 and 11 minutes to boil 3 quarts of water in a 8.5 inch (bottom dia) pot.I figure that would be halved on a full size range.

One other objectionable thing I've found is that when changing settings, the IC emits a pretty loud notification beep. Wish there was some way to quiet that down.

I have much more to do. My wife doesn't seem very interested yet.

Let me follow up on our experience with the IC. We've basically done some light cooking on it. I like how it works and personally would like to move ahead with a slide in induction range. However, my wife now says she hears the high pitched ringing and along with the loud beeping of the IC controls, has simply not warmed up to the induction technology as I had hoped.

Consequently, to get things moving, we are going to shop for a dual fuel range. Currently, the Bosch Benchmark is high on my list of DF slide ins. Now the challenge is to find one for a close look before buying.

One point that was asked about but not fully explored is pan size hazard. Nominally the inner ring marker has been used to designate the minimum pan bottom size for full field coupling, and the outer ring marker has been used for (among other things) the maximum pan bottom size that assures that the hot pan bottom doesn't heat glass that is over any sensitive electronics, such as the controls. I suspect modern multi-hob units do not have this problem in the spaces amongst the hobs, but could still be sensitive in the control area, so don't let pan bases extend into the control space.

Another safety technique, electronics-wise, is to use silicon pads as spacers; this will keep the pan from directly conducting heat to the glass. There will still be radiant heat transferred to the glass from the pan, but this seems to be less effective in heating it. The cooler the glass, the easier it is to wipe spills, and the safer it is if one mistakenly touches it. I can bring water to a boil, remove the kettle, and briefly touch the glass underneath without hazard. Don't try that with radiant heat or gas burner grates.

In my view induction is the safest approach to cooktop functionality. The surfaces are cooler, there is no gas risk. The only problem for new users once suitable pans have been procured is failing to appreciate how fast a pan can come to a boil, and how energetic the boil can be. New users should not walk away from their cooktops when a hob's setting is high. Slightly more experienced users should not walk away unless they set timers that they can hear where they are going. I still set timers after 7 years of experience.

kas

Speedlever: those low-level ringing and beeping noises are likely to be much less of problem with an induction range or full-size, built-in cooktop. But, for those affected by them, the "less likely" will be of no comfort. Good to find out now.

kas --

Reflecting on the points you made, a couple of additional thoughts occurred:

Using pans larger in diameter that the maximum pan size markings on most portable induction cooktops usually won't overheat sensitive electronics beneath the glass cook surface --- there mostly aren't any close enough to be adversely affected --- and won't be an issue with PICs that separate their control surfaces onto an angled panel like that shown in the illustration of the Aroma unit in jasdip's post. I think the problem will be with the ultra-sleek inexpensive units that have controls and cooking surface all on the same level.

I do not know whether or not silicon pads/spacers would help with those units. I suspect the pads wouldn't provide enough clearance for the plastic parts that characterize the contro surfaces on those less expensive PICs.

One additional and maybe un-obvious aspect of using silicon pads/spacers with PICs --- the spacers would likely keep one from using the alternative temp scale to set heat levels between the limited numerical power settings on PICs. Of course, these PIC's temperatures settings are ... well... let's just say that they are aspirational. :>) Even so, on my PIC, the temp settings allow me to more or less interpolate between, say, setting 2 and setting 3, as though there was a 2.5 setting. The catch is that those the temp settings work with a sensor in the center of the hob and that sensor depends on the pan being in direct contact with the glass. Decouple the pan with silicon pads and the sensor reads way too little heat and the ratchets up the power, overheating the pan.

To be sure, there times when the silicon pad can be useful. Many of the less expensive PICs seem to use a kind of tempered glass for the cooking surface rather than Schott/Ceram, so there is a somewhat greater likelihood of scratching, etching and breaking with rough surfaced pans.

There's just a trade off that does not apply to most built-in induction cooktops. AFAIK, the only built-in countertop induction burners that offer the optional temp scale are the commercial single-unit drop-in units from Cooktek, Vollrath, Sunpentown and Eurodib, which aren't what most us would install in our kitchens. (Might be other commercial units out there that do this, but that's all I happen to know of.)

This post was edited by JWVideo on Sun, Oct 26, 14 at 17:39

Yeah, I figured the beeping noises would not be an issue on a range. Unfortunately, there are no options to adjust the volume of the control beeps on the IC.

That is indeed interesting to learn that the high pitched ringing should be minimized/less than that experienced on the IC.

It sure would be nice if we could have found a functioning demo induction range to try out, but that appears to be a difficult task in my area.

I don't think you mentioned what cookware you purchased. I can say that my Circulon is noisy but my All-Clad is not.

I thought I mentioned the Circulon cookware but don't see it mentioned in a quick glance back. Well that's interesting to know. Too bad. We like the Circulon cookware and that was our test shot with induction.

Rats.

I used a Cosi cooktop when deciding. It did make cycling noises.

My Wolf does make some buzzing and cycling noises with all cookware and I have at least one of everything except circulon

One thing to try is to move the cooktop near your exhaust fan as I can barely hear the noises with the fan running.

Another thing to try - play with your lights. Some lights enhance sounds.

Pans in our kitchen - not a set but eclectic pieces
All Clad, LeCr, staub, CIA, calphalon(yes, they do make a SS that works), ScanPan, DeMeyere , etc

They all work, they all make noise but gas also makes noise. The noise is more noticeable when the pans are cold as the layers need to warm up.

I love staying cool while cooking so it is worth the trade off.
I love cooking on my induction despite the noises.

After living with my Miele induction range, then having to move due to a job transfer, and only have gas was horrible. I bought the Duxtop 1800w and use it for most cooking. As soon as I buy a home, it will be full induction for me.

My pans are Scanpan, All Clad, Le Cruset, and Circulon. I haven't noticed any different noises from any of them. They all work well.

Hey, I'm with you guys on induction cooking. I wish my wife would join me, but she knows what she likes and It is what it is.

I've got a similar mix of pans as scrapula -- in fact, the exact same brands. On my MB 6200 portable, the Circulon isn't any noisier than the All Clad or LC. (My trusty old Scanpan, alas, is not induction suitable.)

FWIW, when I got a chance for some hands-on time with a GE PHB925 induction range about 2 1/2 years ago, I brought the Circulon set with me. I really didn't notice any noise at all from them. I remember some faint 60 cycle humming but that might have been from the store's lighting fixtures rather than the stove.

Anyway, I've been using that that Circulon set constantly since then. It has been as good a non-stick set as I've ever used on my gas ranges. So, speedlever, no loss in buying it, especially at the price you got.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Tue, Oct 28, 14 at 18:03

Oh yeah, the cookware is fine and my wife actually likes that. We needed some new cookware anyway. At least this way we have the option, should the occasion arise.

Iac, sometimes the smart choice is not necessarily the smart choice, if you know what I mean. ;)

Also, I'm gonna keep the MB. You never know when it will come in handy.

I have an old (and now discontinued) but fairly high-end Viking PIC. I bought it when I had a cheap electric range in a rental house. Now that I have my own kitchen with a lovely gas, I still use the Viking PIC frequently. It's cleaner and faster, and offers just as much precision as the full-sized gas range. I have All Clad, le Creuset, and a sturdy old Lodge cast iron skillet, and I have never had any issues with noises coming from the cooker. From what I've read, these noises can be caused by cheaper (less well clad) cookware and/or uneven pan bottoms. I suspect the problem might be worse on less expensive PICs too, as the internal parts are probably more prone to vibration.

I think uneven pan bottoms are often a culprit because of the nature of induction cookers. They heat so rapidly that it's easy for pans to warp. I suggest people with noisy cookers inspect their cookware for warped bottoms, and move on from there. ;-)

FWIW, your Viking unit was outsourced from Luxine. It seems that Viking stopped selling their PIC while talks were underway for acquisition by Middleby. which had acquired Cooktek, the other American maker of portable and commercial induction cooking equipment. In the meantime, Luxine was acquired by Vollrath and its products are now sold under the Vollrath brand.

The current 120v versions of Vollrath PICs are:

* the 59500 Mirage Pro (which has 100 power settings and sells for between $460 and $550, depending on the seller), and

* the 59300 Mirage Pro Cadet (with 20 power settings) which seems to have been derived from the old Viking PIC but now seems to sell for around $250.

Anybody interested in models in those price ranges can find informative reviews at the CenturyLife site. Their review is here for the Cadet and here for the Mirage Pro.

The same site also reviews Secura's competitor for the MB 6400, the similarly featured Duxtop 9100MC. Formerly priced the same as the MB6400, the Duxtop has recently been priced on Amazon at under $90, sometimes as low as as $70, which is about half the current asking price for the MB 6400.

That's great information, jw! I love knowing the "history" of my products, esp. when I love them as much as I love that old Viking PIC (one knob!). I have read all of those reviews on Century Life (great site!), and some others that recommend the same products, and both seem like they know what they're talking about. I looked at CookTek too but I think that's too much PIC for me. If I ever upgrade, it'll be the Mirage Pro for sure, or if I want a cheapie, it will be the Duxtop 9100MC, which seems far superior to others at that price point. People seem to like the Max Burtons, but I don't see what you get for the extra money over the Duxtop, except maybe a steel frame.

The bigger question is do I trade in my gas stove for an induction when it's time....

I purchased a used Duxtop 8300 to use during our remodel. We are switching to induction from gas. I was surprised at how fast the portable unit is compared to my old gas cooktop (a 10 yr old GE monogram).

I have a NKW 10" portable induction burner from Amazon for about 55.00. I also bought a Cook's clad covered 12" saute pan for about 52.00 on Amazon so I could test this out. I plan to get the Cook set they sell on Costco now that I have seen this one saute pan in action. So far so good. One tip I have learned is to take care of your pots so they don't warp. You want your pans to be flat on these induction. So don't use high heat since this may warp your pans. Don't plunge a hot pan into cooler water since this will also warp the pan and even the cast iron ones.

I won't be buying a bigger stove. I have been burned too many times by the big box store brand names for reasonably priced units. I can't afford to spent thousands on a stove either.

I think this portable induction plate approach is a fine idea. I am surprised more aren't doing it. I was surprised such a thing existed and wondered why I hadn't hear of these before. With these inexpensive portables I am not so worried about using my cast iron pans since if they get too scratched I can replace them but honestly since I will be storing them in a drawer I really don't care if they have scratches. With a bigger expensive unit I would be extremely worried about ruining the top and I would end up spending at least 1,300.00 on one and to replace it would be awful on my budget. Where as I could replace a portable many times over before I reached 1,300.00 again. I also have been burned too many times by big brands and don't feel it is worth the investment to sink so much money into them anymore.

I also ordered a Wolf counter top oven which I have heard great things about. I will probably ditch my older microwave. We are building our cabinets for our kitchen and I am stuck with one aspect of it. I intend to store my NKW, two of them in a top drawer. This way I will have more counter space to use for other things for my smaller kitchen. Also while we remodel the kitchen I can plug my counter top oven and induction plate(s) into any wall socket which will make things less of a hassle. I now can build more cabinet drawers instead of housing a big stovetop/oven. But I also need a better approach for exhausting smoke etc for the induction plate.

My husband is 6' 4" ends up hitting his head on our Broan Allure kitchen exhaust fan. I would like to ditch this fan and put cabinets there and have a slide out exhaust fan or some other alternative. I found this study on basic common kitchen fans enlightening since they never extend far enough out to really capture all the harmful fumes from cooking oils etc.

http://eetd.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/publications/lbnl-5545e.pdf

There aren't that many slide out exhaust fans and not that many reviews and they are expensive for what you are getting at about 700.00 for a Bosch 30" fan. Maybe that explains why there are not that many reviews for them. Not sure they work that well either and local places don't display them.

I am wondering if others who have made the switch to portable induction cooktops and have figured out a way to vent these without using the typical kitchen hood approach. Maybe install a cabinet fan insert box in a upper drawer to pull out over the portable cooktop since I typically cook in the area of where a front burner would sit and most fans have lights in the front and don't do a good job of grabbing the smoke fumes from the front burners per the study above. It is too bad these are not tested and rated better.

One of my grandmothers had a large metal through wall vent above her stove and I wondered if this might be a way around it. Place it between the bottom of the cabinets and the counter top in the area you will use the portable cooktop. Maybe have a pull out of some sort on the bottom of the upper cabinet to prevent the smoke from rising too fast which will give the wall fan a chance to pull it outside.

My kitchen is open to my living room and I really like the idea of a more modern look in a kitchen with less clutter and have the kitchen set up to be more flexible with regards to counter space.