Did you get your microwave working? I do like using a microwave to heat just one cup of water for tea.

Wild guess: since the small cast iron work and the small stainless don't, it could be that the sensor requires more mass. There has been a heck of a lot of improvement in the 15 years since my little portable was made, but there's still nothing portable like built in induction that I'm aware of (in contrast to the portable two burner coil we use for glamping, which weighs noting but cooks like any old coil cooktop). Congrats on getting the coffee pot make the tea you found.

The microwave is not working, although it is plugged in, and the clock in it works.

After the cabinets are in, I could get the microwave installed (possibly) before the countertops are installed. I also had been using the microwave to heat one cup of water for tea.

I do like the Japanese roasted green tea, but I don't have a lot of it - probably enough to last me while I am here, but I will buy more tea the next time I go to the store, and I am postponing that as much as possible. The roasted green tea seems to have as much caffeine as the black tea that I drink.

The large saucepan weighs more than the small cast iron skillet, and so I do not think that bulk is the issue. I have a 10½" diameter cast iron comal that I was going to use under a pan if necessary, but I don't think that is a good idea.

Tomorrow morning I want to make my grits casserole for breakfast, so that I will have leftovers to heat for subsequent days, although I would have to reheat it in the toaster oven, which takes a lot longer than the MW. I might make a breakfast burrito instead, and it might be nice having two induction burners, since I normally use two burners at the same time when I make this - one to cook the egg(s) and one to heat the tortilla with the beans etc.

I've got 2 small saucepans; one is shallower and wider than the other but the volume is still the same. The smaller footprint will make my induction unit beep. I have to move it around and make sure it stays centered on the magnet source. It works, just not as well as it could, and the bee is annoying.

I don't have induction or a microwave and boiling water on a glasstop stove is slow so we bought our first electric kettle ten or so years ago. I use it everyday for tea and pour-over coffee but it also gives a quickstart to boiling a large quantity of water.

We have the Cosori glass kettle now. The stainless ones are heavy when full.

We have a portable Insignia (Best Buy) induction burner and use a small think necked SS tea kette and it works fine. I will measure in a bit, but I think the diameter of the bottom of the kettle is about 5 inches. It is not heavy, not large.

(Don’t smack me, but you know the bottom has to be ferromagnetic? :::ducking:::)

Yes, I know that the bottom has to be ferromagnetic, and I checked my stainless steel pans with magnets, and they passed the test but still do not work on the Duxtop induction burner. Most of the pans that came with the house (especially the T-Fal) did not pass the magnet text, and so I put them in the garage for now.

It will be interesting to me to find out how the new induction burner that I ordered today compares to my old one.

From what I can tell so far, cast iron pans work the best.

I just ordered an electric glass kettle, which is supposed to be delivered Tuesday. I have wanted one ever since we had them in hotels in Italy and Fiji. They were just so convenient for boiling water for tea.

You are so creative, resourceful and hands-on, I felt sure you knew to check with a magnet, Lars.

That little kettle w have has a 4.5” diameter bottom. DH wakes before I do, so he makes the coffee and doesnt mind hauling out the gear (burr grinder, pour over coffee maker and the kettle and burner. I would head towards an electric glass kettle as you and Eileen will/are use/ing.

I hope you get to enjoy your brewed tea soon while you are renovating. You have such a fine home in CC, and I’m sure you’re looking forward to the remodeling being completed.

Sometimes when my microwave isn't working (but the clock is), I hit Stop and it seems to fix it.

The new Navaris induction cooktop does not work with my stainless steel saucepan, even though I am able to lift the saucepan from the bottom with a magnet. This only increases my dislike of induction because this pan should work.

So I will not be making grits, but I think the ingredients will keep until I get back to L.A. I put the sausage that I was defrosting for the grits back into the freezer. I'm very glad that I cooked the beans and rice before my stove was disconnected because I would not be able to do that now either.

I cannot figure out why my saucepan will not work with the induction burners, but I am done experimenting with it. I will put the new burner back in the box and take it with me back to L.A. and leave the old one here. It will be nice to have the new burner there, but I don't think I will use the old one here, once my kitchen is completed - I simply do not have the counter space for it and I do not have the pans for it. The only time I would probably use it would be for when I want to cook outdoors with the flat bottom wok, and that would be rare. I might consider getting another pressure cooker since my old one is having problems with its gasket. I ordered a replacement gasket, and it did not fit and leaked all over the place, as it was too small by about 1/4" in diameter. That was very disappointing. It might be nice to have a PC at both locations.

I do have a crockpot here, and so I might consider trying to use that for making grits. I might have to boil the water in the kettle to get it started - I've never tried to boil water in the crockpot.

That's a good idea. There is a very good thrift store not too far away in Cathedral City, but I don't want to leave the worker alone in the house. It closes at 6 PM every day except Saturday, when it closes at 5 PM. I could use another sauce pan, but only if it is induction compatible.

I decided to order an induction compatible saucepan from Amazon, and it was only $30, which is in my budget, but expenses are mounting up. I had to pay the emergency drywall repair person $450 on Saturday, and so that took a big bite. I need this saucepan anyway because some of my old ones are damaged and need to be discarded. I have an old aluminum one here (that came with the house) that got severely dented when I dropped it on the floor, and the very old Paula Deen sauce pan that I use almost every day no longer has a nonstick interior, and so since that has mostly rubbed off, I'm not sure if I should be using that pan anymore. It is the ideal size and shape, however, which is why I've kept it so long.

Indeed, you shouldn't be using damaged non-stick, but it's not so bad for someone past likely child producing as it is for those in the midst of it. That is, it does the damage, but it's less important.

The magnet test isn't foolproof, and the portables are nothing like the built-ins. For comparison, I have a "stainless" finjan, something like a Turkish coffeepot, thin, probably stamped, which is too small in diameter for the size required in the instructions for my built-in, a magnet doesn't stick, and while it seems to have a passing connection to stainless steel, it's a by relation at best, like sixth cousin twice removed. But my Gaggenau turns on with it, and the water in the pot actually gets hot. It makes a truly horrible noise as if Torquemada were using it for a demonstration piece, but it turns on and heats. Mind you, I've only done it as a tester--it's obviously not a happy thing, and I can use the gas if I want to use it. It makes sense that the opposite would be possible. My next guess is that there's something in the cladding that the sensor doesn't like, though the magnet likes the surface.

A thrift shop electric skillet is an excellent idea.

I have plenty of skillets that will work with induction - it's the sauce pan that I need. I tested the old Circulon skillet, and it works fine with the old induction burner.

Anyway, I ordered a new sauce pan because I was already planning to get a new one anyway and get rid of my damaged ones.

I will probably store some of the old pans in the garage for a while, since I have the room, and if I never use them, I will get rid of them. Some of them the thrift stores would not accept - they're pretty picky about what they will take here, and that's why it's nice to shop at them.

I never liked electric skillets because I find the cord awkward, and it gets in my way.

I already put the new induction burner back in its carton and shipping box, but maybe this was premature, as the old burner is temperamental - the buttons do not always work, and so it is difficult to adjust time and temperature.

They make electric saucepans, too. ;)

That would be even worse!

Isn't this like a temporary situation? I can certainly make do with a small annoyance when I know it's not for very long, if it makes the rest of my life a little easier. I have never owned an electric skillet because I couldn't see the point, but if I were cooking in a garage or another temporary set-up, I'd certainly consider it instead of going through all the expense and trouble of what you're doing to be able to use one special pan! But, of course, to each his/her own. Honestly, I'd probably use it as an excuse for take out most of the time! But I think you said you don't do take out?

On an induction cook top, you can use your cast iron pan as a diffusor plate for all your non-magnetic pots and pans.

Or buy a diffusor plate. They are not expensive. Less than $15.00

dcarch

With my previous induction unit my cast iron pans would make the unit overheat. I solved the problem with a silicone mat/pad. it tempered the heat of the skillet and the unit worked perfectly.

I like the saucepan you ordered.

We have an electric smoothtop range with convection assist oven by Samsung. I love it. The cooktop stays shiny, pretty and heats and cools quickly. Prior to that swe had other brands (Frigidaire, whatever). YUCK. The Samsung is well designed and works well and looks great. A Craiglist bargain, almost new for ~ $175. Yippee.

We have a couple of portable Best Buy Insignia brand Induction burners. On sale cheeeeep one summer, so I bought a few extra (for backup and for going away with big family get togethers). We’ve only used the one, others still in box. They will not quickly heat a HUGE pot of water for corn or lobsters (any pan must keep the 2-3 inches of water boiling). Aside from that limitation, we love it. With global warming, we sometimes cook outdoors. *I even bake muffins outdoors.)

The induction is quick and cools off quickly. Surface stays pretty. Heats up quickly.

I hope you like your new setup and get it soon.

The saucepan arrived this morning, and it is smaller than I expected. The description said "2 quarts" but the calibrations on the interior side only go to 1.5 quarts, and so the 2 quarts must refer to the amount of liquid when the pan is filled completely to the rim, just at the overflow level. I wanted a pan that would allow me to have 2 quarts inside for cooking, but I will make do with this pan. It's a very nice pan, and I do have uses for it - I was not buying it just for one special use - I was buying it because I already needed it. Also, I already needed a new portable induction burner because the old Duxtop is wearing out, and the buttons do not work all the time. I'll keep it here anyway, in case I want to use it in the patio and take the new Navaris to L.A. to use with my pressure cooker.

I have a 10½"Ø cast iron comal (which I mentioned on a different thread) that I will try to use as a hot surface for my large saucepan. I had asked if I could do this, but no one responded to that question. Thanks, Dcarch, for that recommendation.

As for annoyances - the biggest annoyance would be getting takeout food, and it really is not necessary. I did buy four tamales at Cárdenas market, and I still have two left. I also bought guacamole there but am now out of chips, although I have corn tortillas that I can crisp up in the toaster oven or on the comal.

The biggest issue I have with takeout food is the cost, the second is that I would have to go somewhere to pick it up (or tip a delivery person), and the third is that I like the food I make myself much better. One exception is sushi, but I would have to drive 5.3 miles to Gelson's in Rancho Mirage to get that, and the sushi is expensive, although we often buy it on a weekly basis.

olychick you were right! My microwave is now working, and all I had to do was to move it to the edge of the buffet, where it was resting on a towel.

I already have the electric glass kettle, but I really don't need it now. I consider this a learning experience, and I'm not sure what to do with the kettle now, since I don't need it and have been getting along without it for decades. I guess I can use it for boiling large amounts of water quickly, and I think I will use it for boiling water for grits that I will make in a pan on the comal on the induction burner. That should give me a jump start.

I make my first meal (other than in my pressure cooker) on the induction burner - a burrito with beans, rice, cheddar, cotijia, and sliced ham on a flour tortilla, and the results were underwhelming. I used my Circulon skillet, which heated up nicely, but it did not yield the crispy results that I normally get when using a gas burner. However, for my first attempt, it was acceptable.

Lars, I'm glad that fixed your microwave. I've had that happen before when I was resetting the clock on mine after a power outage. It stays in 'clock setting' mode until you hit stop or clear. So I had a feeling that was what was wrong.