Nuwave Portable Induction Cooktop Review
What do you do when your glass top range is broken and your new one doesn’t come for two weeks? You head for the basement and find the portable induction cooktop your husband bought years ago and I never was interested in trying! What in the world was wrong with me? This gadget is wonderful and I decided to give you a review about it.
You can’t put just any pan on an induction cooktop to cook, however, you don’t have to buy pans that say they are only for an induction cooktop. Cast iron pans (I have plenty if those) or any black metal or iron pans work as well as stainless steel pans if the base of the pan is a magnetic grade of stainless steel. Place a magnet on the bottom of your pan and if it sticks it will work.
I have plenty of stainless steel pans too, but how did I figure out if they will work other than using a magnet? I filled one of my large stockpots with water to cook pasta and it gave me an E1 error code. My husband checked the manual and it said the pan wasn’t the right kind (I didn’t use a magnet). We tried the other stockpot pan I have and it worked!
According to Good Housekeeping an induction cooktop is powered by electromagnetic energy that’s only activated by the iron in the cookware. When the iron makes contact with the active heaters, the iron particles agitate causing the pan to heat up quickly. This is different than what happens with an electric or gas range because a transfer of heat from the burners to the cookware does not take place. Instead the pot or pan heats up while the cooktop remains cool and safe to touch. They take no time at all to cool down and clean up easily.
Pros:
Because of the way the induction cooktop works, the pan starts to heat more quickly because you don’t have to wait for the burner to heat up first.
They also offer precise temperature control, are more energy efficient and maintain a cool cooking surface since only the pan gets hot which helps to prevent fire hazard and the risk of burns.
It doesn’t emit gas into the air and won’t catch objects, like dishcloths, on fire because it only heats items with iron particles in it. It also turns off when the cookware is removed and cleans up easily.
Cons:
Induction cooktops are generally more expensive than electric or gas cooktops.
They require a specific type of cookware, cookware must be flat and not wobbly, food gets done quicker and can burn if you don’t use a lower heat so you have to learn how to cook on them.
My biggest con is that it is a glass top similar to my glass stove I broke and can scratch. However, mine is portable and smaller than a range top so I don’t really care if it scratches but I don’t want to break it!
Do you have an induction cooktop or do you think you would ever buy one?
http://www.InDianesKitchen.com
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My husband bought one and loves it (I’m not allowed to use it😏)!
Hey if he is going to make dinner, no problem! Hahaha
handy dandy hubby Diane 👏👏👏👏👏
Yes occasionally he gets it right! It just takes me years to admit it! 🤣😂🤣
Lol soooo funny Diane and true.. 🤣🤣🤣
Very useful, and this one stylish too. Thank you for the information. Have a nice week! Michael
Thank you Michael you too!
Thank you very much, Diane! Enjoy your weekend, and keep on surprising with wonderful postings. Michael xx
Thanks for the post, Diane. I’d never heard of this.
It is wonderful Janet. I have 2 and I will definitely be using them again in the future! Who I the world ever figured out this way of heating up a pan? Had to be a scientist.
Ha! Pretty funny. We keep an office apartment in our apartments we own in the basement and that is JUST the induction cooktop thing we have there. That, a free standing convection type oven, and a microwave. You really don’t need another thing. The oven bakes chicken and works nearly as well as any big range. The induction burner thing like that one (ours looks exactly the same), cooks eggs and bacon and boils water in a flash. We didn’t have to buy it since my dad had one he never used. It’s amazing how you can do things. Up at camp, we do have a propane double GE oven, but we used to get by with a woodfire with a grate (great stuff), a charcoal grill, an old gas grill we could use like a stove top (you could also do that over the woodfire and grate with cast iron frying pans) , and a dutch oven, cast iron pot you could use with charcoal and bake in that. We got along like that for years. We finally got a bathroom and regular kitchen when it was our full time residence for five years or so. Now we also have my dad’s house here which is civilized again. Ha. But funny to see your unit there! You will like it and you can also use it for an extra burner at holidays!
How fascinating, you figured it all out! There were many times I could have used these (he actually bought two) at holidays! I just never thought about it…lol It’s funny because I have tons of cast iron including 2 Dutch ovens. The only way I have ever cooked with them was on and in the stove. Last night I fried me a steak in my cast iron pan on the induction cooktop. Sometimes we get set in our ways until something happens and we have to change.
Interesting, I never saw this appliance.
OMG Bernadette it is wonderful! It is so strange the way it works and the burner doesn’t get hot. I guess you can buy an entire cooktop with the induction burners. I never knew that either.
Yeah or get by with things differenly than you think. Works fine down there and we didn’t have to tie up an apartment for when we are there. Just use it in the office. We do have a small bathroom in there and a futon/sleeping situation. And now we can cook.
Sounds perfect!
What’s old is new again! This looks like a nice alternative while you wait for your new stove to arrive. 🙂
I’m just glad I thought about it! Still packaged new in the box….lol He actually bought two. There have been many times I had wished I had more burners, never thought about these then. 🤣
It sounds like a good choice when the young ones are around. I wonder if it would be a good choice for when I travel. I sometimes get rooms or units that just have a microwave, so this would be a good thing, but I would have to bring my own pans. Something to think about.
That is a great idea Carla! My husband bought a heavy fabric carrying case for ours too.
Thanks for the review Diane….I’ve always wondered about them.
You’re welcome Joni!
That’s a great idea – I’m thinking I’d try it, but Ihave nowhere to move on my counter-top as it is since I got the crockpot and right now since I have an invasion of tiny black ants, I have nothing but Terro traps and the crockpot is sitting on a table in front of the sink … no words. It looks easy enough. Your husband is thoughtful!
He bought 2 of them but I just had no interest in cooking on a portable burner when I was use to a stove. There were many times I could have used them but never tried. I guess it took my broken range top to figure that out…lol
They are good in a pinch now while you wait on that new stove and get used to it.
Yes I have only needed one and it has been a life saver!
My cousin just installed this type of stove and although she had to buy all new cookware, she loves it! She says the heat is easy to control? I have gas and I’m sticking with what I know! Had no idea you could get a portable one? Very cool! Might be fun to try? C
I wouldn’t buy the stove type because it is also a glass top, I would probably break it and they are much more expensive than a regular glass top. She is right though, for some reason they don’t boil over and even my portable ones work perfectly with many heat settings. My new stove came today so the induction burners went back into the basement but I will be using them anytime I need the extra burners. Stick with gas if you’re dropsy like me…lol
I had no idea there had to be a magnet to use these. You learn something new every day! 🙂
Oh no Michelle, a magnet just tells you if the pan will work on the burner. If you don’t have a magnet the burner gives a error code if it isn’t the right kind of pot or pan.
Oh ok! That makes sense! 🙂
I didn’t realize these existed. Filing that info away for the future…
It was wonderful and will be perfect when I need extra burners. It is so fascinating the way it works.
What a handy gadget to have – clever husband you have! I’ve seen these before and always wondered how it would perform … thanks for the review!
You’re welcome and guess what came today? My new stove!
Ohhh, happy days! Enjoy your new stove 😀.
Wow Diane, I found this to be really interesting! Although, admittedly, I did get a chuckle out of the fact that you had to go find this gift from hubby in the basement. I’m sure he got some mild satisfaction out of the fact that “he done good” after all. Ha ha! 😀
I’ve heard of these little gadgets and wondered if they were any good. Thank you for sharing your experience with it. We typically use cast iron in our home (my hubby’s favorite) so this would work. The benefits of this portable induction cooktop are pretty neat!
Sorry to hear about your previous glass-top stove though. 😞 I had one literally explode because it wasn’t sealed properly and we lived in a high elevation. Talk about scary! I hope you love your new stove and make some of your best recipes yet. We’ll be looking forward to seeing them! ♥ Lots of love headed your way!
I have had THAT VERY ONE in use for YEARS & it’s still going strong! Best invention – ever!
It really is the best invention and it amazes me how it works.