Induction Cooktop

[Mike H]

We're looking at various induction cooktops to replace our old coil top. While there are a number of 120-volt one- or two-burner tops on the market, a 120-volt, 3-burner is a bit hard to find (lots of 240 volt).

I did find one (made by True Induction) that seems to get around the issue by having one plug for the two smaller burners and a second plug for the large burner (each requiring a 15-amp breaker).

Has anyone heard of this brand? Are there any other 3-burner 120-volt induction cooktops out there?

 

[FWT]

One additional thing to look at. The ones I’ve seen have a max wattage to be used at the same time. You can’t run both / all at full blast at the same time. More burners might just split max wattage more ways. May or may not make a difference to you.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

How often do you need 3 burners? I have 4 here at our dirt home and virtually never use more than 2.

 

[SteveK]

How often do you need 3 burners? I have 4 here at our dirt home and virtually never use more than 2.

I will add we have three burner and the chef complains about how crowded it is and usually not possible to use the third burner due to pot and frypan desired sizes. Any upgrade will be two burner

 

[Marco Flamingo]

Induction is also spooky fast. Removed pot #2 might not cool down before pot #3 is cooked. If so, only takes seconds to reheat.



You only need one working burner. That is why I have two.

 

[Comodave]

We have never used more than 2 burners either. We like the extra space on the countertop.

 

[Benthic2]

Have you considered a 2 burner unit and then a portable single gas burner. You can keep it stowed away until you really need 3 burners and you'll also have a non electric burner for when you don't have ( or want ) access to electric power.

Something like this:

 

[DavidM]

We have had a four burner induction stove at home for 5-6 years. I can count the number of times we have used three burners on one hand and never four.

An inexpensive propane burner for the occasional time you need three burners makes a lot of sense. I installed a two burner 15A, 120V induction cooktop on our boat. It automatically shared power between the burners to keep from exceeding 15A.

Less than $200 on Amazon.

David

 

[Mako]

Have you considered a 2 burner unit and then a portable single gas burner.

Those portable butane cooktops are great, especially for having Korean BBQ on your table. However the butane bottles leak after being punctured so always store them outside (ventilated), similar to propane tanks. Also since they will leak themselves empty when put away, try to buy smaller bottles, so less waste.

 

[Adopo]

Induction is also spooky fast. Removed pot #2 might not cool down before pot #3 is cooked. If so, only takes seconds to reheat.



You only need one working burner. That is why I have two.

Yeah seems like something that good would cause cancer lol. Voodoo!

 

[OldDan1943]

Assuming you/we can sort and make a decision on 2 or 3 induction burners, what will you/I do about the current oven?

 

[catalinajack]

Have you considered a 2 burner unit and then a portable single gas burner. You can keep it stowed away until you really need 3 burners and you'll also have a non electric burner for when you don't have ( or want ) access to electric power.



Something like this:

That butane unit is what we used in conjunction with a two-burner induction cooktop. It came in handy, once-in-awhile. It was unusual to need more than two burners. The fuel cannisters last a lot longer than one might think.

 

[rslifkin]

I can't say I use more than 2 burners at a time very often, either at home or on the boat. If we had an oven on the boat use of the 3rd burner would likely become even more rare.

 

[Dwk]

Butane stove

If considering purchasing a butane stove spend the extra $$ on Iwatani brand made in Japan. The burner surface allows for larger pans and the BTU is greater than others plus the build quality is superior.

 

[bowball]

Unless you want diversity in fuel sources, why not get a portable induction cooktop in 110 volt? Only $120 on Amazon. This Duxtop is the highest rated one by Wirecutter. 1800 watts. 11.4"D x 14"W x 2.5"H

 

[OldDan1943]

An additional induction burner, there may be a problem with power. I bought 2 burners one is at home. The other MIGHT be in the boat’s storeroom. Never used them.
Remember the generator’s capacity is the limiting factor.
I not sure where folks are getting the needed electric. I have 3X4D AGM dedicated house batteries (#4 4D is for the main engine and bow thruster)
Assuming you have a 3 burner electric stove, the standard microwave Dont plan on using the oven.
That is “it” for the 6KW generator.
Assuming you have a 1800 watt inverter, you have to shut down almost everything to use it and then, only briefly.
Of course, all this goes out the window if you want to use an A/C when away from the dock.

And the solution is??????? Buy a gas stove? Ah but like most of us, we do have a gas grill. Assuming we dont try to cook a meal underway, sandwiches, cold drinks and if you are quick, reheated or cold coffee.

Ah yes, life is full of challenges SMILE

 

[bowball]

An additional induction burner, there may be a problem with power. I bought 2 burners one is at home. The other MIGHT be in the boat’s storeroom. Never used them.
Remember the generator’s capacity is the limiting factor.
I not sure where folks are getting the needed electric. I have 3X4D AGM dedicated house batteries (#4 4D is for the main engine and bow thruster)
Assuming you have a 3 burner electric stove, the standard microwave Dont plan on using the oven.
That is “it” for the 6KW generator.
Assuming you have a 1800 watt inverter, you have to shut down almost everything to use it and then, only briefly.
Of course, all this goes out the window if you want to use an A/C when away from the dock.

And the solution is??????? Buy a gas stove? Ah but like most of us, we do have a gas grill. Assuming we dont try to cook a meal underway, sandwiches, cold drinks and if you are quick, reheated or cold coffee.

Ah yes, life is full of challenges SMILE

Excellent point I hadn’t thought of. (Wouldn’t a three top burner have the same issue over a two top as well?)

 

[rslifkin]

Quantity of power available has to be factored in, for sure. That's why I haven't put my stove circuit on the inverter at this point (although I may in the future to allow 1 or 2 burners to be used).

We have a 3 burner coil electric stove. 1100 watts per burner, so 3300 total for all 3. On shore power (2x 50A/125V legs) we've got plenty of power. Our generator is good for 6.5kw, which is enough to run all 3 stove burners, the water heater, and let the batteries do some charging, plus a bit of margin (we're at somewhere around 5.7kw for that load). If the batteries are full or we only need 2 burners, there's enough excess power for the microwave or one of the A/C units.

 

[Porgy]

One has to manage power like always. I don’t run the microwave, coffee maker and toaster simultaneously. Likewise I wouldn’t have three induction burners on full blast at the same time. Not a big deal.

In addition to having rarely used more than two burners at home and never more than two on the boat, I have never had three burners on high at the same time. Most cooking is done at medium or low for any length of time. And with a 9Kw generator I probably could run every single thing on the boat limited only by loads running through the 2.8Kw inverter/charger.

My grand plan would be a large bank of LFP and a second stacked inverter/charger with it inverting the induction stove. I don’t use the oven much but would consider a convection version that may or may not be inverted. I have no interest in being required to run the generator in order to cook.

 

[OldDan1943]

One has to manage power like always. I don’t run the microwave, coffee maker and toaster simultaneously. Likewise I wouldn’t have three induction burners on full blast at the same time. Not a big deal.

In addition to having rarely used more than two burners at home and never more than two on the boat, I have never had three burners on high at the same time. Most cooking is done at medium or low for any length of time. And with a 9Kw generator I probably could run every single thing on the boat limited only by loads running through the 2.8Kw inverter/charger.

My grand plan would be a large bank of LFP and a second stacked inverter/charger with it inverting the induction stove. I don’t use the oven much but would consider a convection version that may or may not be inverted. I have no interest in being required to run the generator in order to cook.

Re: your grand plan.
Lots of healthy batteries, generator to charge them, more wattage inverter, for a start

Convection oven, they need space to install. That is why they are primarily counter top.

Don’t let me discourage you or your attempts, just keep us informed of your attempts.

 

[Patrick4002]

we use a 4 pit plate

we never use the 4 the same time, but its handy to have different size of heating zones, in the low sunny season we switch the plate to the generator, in the summer on solar power with the house battery (we have a 18Kw battery pack)

we purchaced a standerd home plate they are not so expencive
Best regards,
Patrick

 

[Simi 60]

Portable induction is the go for us.
And used outside

Because of the insane heat they make we can't use it inside due to the amount of smoke.
A fair amount of our cooking is in a wok
Normal gas burners have never been able to get hot enough
But induction gets the "wok hei" happening

We still use the gas inside for rice and any other cooking style that does not require insane temps.

 

[socalrider]

Portable induction is the go for us.
And used outside

Because of the insane heat they make we can't use it inside due to the amount of smoke.
A fair amount of our cooking is in a wok
Normal gas burners have never been able to get hot enough
But induction gets the "wok hei" happening

We still use the gas inside for rice and any other cooking style that does not require insane temps.

Can you share what style of cookware you use to get a wok super hot on an induction stove? What transfers heat from the element to the wok? I always assumed you'd need to use gas & that this would be a potential downside to induction, but apparently it's the opposite!

Thanks!

 

[Mako]

Funny, we've never been successful with induction and a wok. My wife uses our restaurant single burner (125k BTU) outside for that.

 

[Simi 60]

Can you share what style of cookware you use to get a wok super hot on an induction stove? What transfers heat from the element to the wok? I always assumed you'd need to use gas & that this would be a potential downside to induction, but apparently it's the opposite!

Thanks!

A $13 flat bottom carbon steel Aldi wok
https://www.aldireviewer.com/aldi-serving-up-the-crofton-14-stir-fry-wok-pan/

We also have the cast iron baked enamel cookware from them.
Le Cruiset for $20
https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/event/aldi-special-buys-cast-iron-cookware

Been using them for near 20 years
Cheap, thought they wouldn't last so bought 3 lots of woks and cast iron.

Well and truly a lifetime supply it seems.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

We also use a single countertop induction burner outside. Perfect for boiling crab, shrimp, etc. Too much moisture for inside. Doesn't matter how windy it is on the back deck.

An induction stovetop will heat a wok, but only the flat bottom and about 3/4 inch up the side. So not quite like a commercial gas stove, but definitely better than the little butane stoves that we used to carry. In fact if the steel is thin, it is possible to get it red hot faster than the overheat sensor on the stovetop will shut the burner down.

I have had some success with baking on the stovetop. If you look at Simi 60's last link to cast iron cookware, it shows essentially what is needed. A cast iron Dutch oven and a trivet (that doesn't have to be cast iron). The bread pan or whatever goes on top of the trivet inside the Dutch oven. In order to keep it all hot enough to bake (which usually only requires the low burner setting), you will need to insulate the oven. I sewed a cover out of a new fireproof welder's shield. You can also bake potatoes. I haven't tried rack of lamb yet, but it's on the list. The lid needs to be slightly ajar to keep from steaming rather than roasting.

I store some of my cookware in a little insulated bag similar to what backpackers use to make a complicated meal with only one burner (and save fuel). Cook the rice 10 minutes and put it in the insulated bag. Cook the veggies 3 minutes and put in bag. When the rest of the meal is done 15 minutes later, the rice and veggies are also completely cooked and hot. Works surprisingly well and probably would save some amperage. Not for the "I whine about camping" crowd.

 

[dutch-barge]

If you can not cook on two burners you should ONLY eat out

 

[Pcpete]

I installed a two burner induction cooktop last year and am thrilled. It is wired to our Freedom 25 2500 watt inverter with a dedicated circuit breaker and wires. Several others have converted their electric Princess ranges ditching the burners and keeping the oven. There needs to be a passive vent, so the biggest challenge was what the vent should look like….how about the name of the boat? Hmm, what font? National Marine Exhaust makes a filler, so I emailed the measurements, name of the boat and font and had it in a week. The only thing left is to create a replacement front panel so I can get rid of the disconnected control nobs.

 

[RickyD]

We're looking at various induction cooktops to replace our old coil top. While there are a number of 120-volt one- or two-burner tops on the market, a 120-volt, 3-burner is a bit hard to find (lots of 240 volt).

I did find one (made by True Induction) that seems to get around the issue by having one plug for the two smaller burners and a second plug for the large burner (each requiring a 15-amp breaker).

Has anyone heard of this brand? Are there any other 3-burner 120-volt induction cooktops out there?

I have a True Induction three burner. The big burner is on one 110v and the two smaller ones are on the other 110v line. It worked perfectly for the first three years I owned the boat and I don't know how old the unit is as I didn't purchase it myself. I did have the large burner go out. They told me it was probably the main circuit board. That didn't sound right to me but what do I know. So they sent me one for free. I put it in with no effect. So then they walked me through more detailed testing and determined that I needed a new big burner. So I put that in. It lasted about 3 months and burned out again, or at least it quit. So then they told me I needed better ventilation. So I was able to cut away some wood next to the big burner. I sent them pictures and they said cut some more. Then I cut some more, and they said I need to cut some more. I had to ask, why did it work for several years they way is was. Well I have been distracted by other more pressing issues as normally I can get by easily with the two small burners. Long story is I still have not cut more but I will. Not sure they will send me another one for free but so far they have been pretty good.

 

[catalinajack]

An additional induction burner, there may be a problem with power. I bought 2 burners one is at home. The other MIGHT be in the boat’s storeroom. Never used them.
Remember the generator’s capacity is the limiting factor.
I not sure where folks are getting the needed electric. I have 3X4D AGM dedicated house batteries (#4 4D is for the main engine and bow thruster)
Assuming you have a 3 burner electric stove, the standard microwave Dont plan on using the oven.
That is “it” for the 6KW generator.
Assuming you have a 1800 watt inverter, you have to shut down almost everything to use it and then, only briefly.
Of course, all this goes out the window if you want to use an A/C when away from the dock.

And the solution is??????? Buy a gas stove? Ah but like most of us, we do have a gas grill. Assuming we dont try to cook a meal underway, sandwiches, cold drinks and if you are quick, reheated or cold coffee.

Ah yes, life is full of challenges SMILE

Dan, we never had a problem using our 1,800 watt two-burner induction cooktop while on generator power, or our Breville countertop oven. As you note, the generator is the limiting factor. We had two generators, a 7.7kw Westerbeke and a 12.5kw Perkins-powered Kohler. The Kohler supplied the same amount of juice as did our 50-amp shorepower. The bottom line for us was, when the Kohler was running, we could do anything we could do while on shorepower. Our inverter was 2,800 watts. The oven and cooktop were never used on battery power but the microwave, toaster, and coffepot, yes, no problem, just not all at once.