The Sunpentown and other similar units are OK and widely available in stores and online. It's important to realize that these are 120 volt low power plug into the wall appliances that won't set any records when it comes to boiling water or anything else. Very useful getting your feet wet and in a temporary mini-kitchen setup when a kitchen reno hits its stride.

Buy one or two additional cheap small induction compatible pots and have fun! In the link when they talk about using aluminum, they mean an aluminum pot or frying pan with a magnetic steel layer either bonded to the outside bottom or inside the aluminum casting. Always use a magnet to check your old cookware before buying new cookware for use with induction. If the magnet sticks to any of your smaller pots etc, they should work. If the magnet won't stick on the outside bottom when you are shopping, don't buy it. And keep the magnet away from your credit cards!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunpentown Mr Induction

We bought a commercial unit on Ebay: it was pulled out of a Subway restaurant after Subway abandoned the idea of on-site cooking. Was great during our kitchen renovation and we still pull it out on Thanksgiving etc when our 6 burner range is inadequate.

By far the best resource I found for induction cooking was the one I've listed below. Extremely comprehensive and will give you a great introduction before you actually start spending.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Induction Site

Try this website which reviewed 3 of them as their preferences - different pricepoints, which is nice.

Here is a link that might be useful: Supentown/Viking/Burton units reviewed

I bought a reconditioned Viking from the refurb center down south somewhere. It's 1800 watts, which is the most you can plug into the wall. It cost a little more but I wanted enough power to really give me a good idea of the technology. I'm sold on it; there will be an induction cooktop in my kitchen after the renovation! (but not a Viking--power, yes, knobs...nope... :-)

Have fun,
Cj

Sunpentown. I bought two of these back when living in a rental apartment w/cheap landlord who refused to fix the stove some 3+ years ago. Both units still work great today and sit on top of my glass-top stove at my home where they serve as my primary stove. After cooking on induction, there's no way I'd ever use a glass-top stove. These units should not be confused with the cheap-o single-burner hotplates. The cheap hotplates are only good for keeping food warm. I don't even have problems with high-temp recipes with the induction units.

Yes, the Sunpentown's measily 1200 watts are slow for boiling large pots of water, but I've not really found it to be that much slower than the builder-grade glass-top stove.

I keep saying I'll replace them with something better when they die, but 3+ years later and they're still my primary cooking appliance. As a bonus they're portable, so they've occasionally been used on the back patio, dining room table, even at the office. For the $150 or so I paid for each of them I've easily gotten my money's worth out of them.

If these die, what would I replace them with? Probably a Cooktek. I can't see the Viking, particularly their price and the lack of a temperature-based control and lack of a timer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunpentown SR-1881