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Nerdy Science in the Kitchen

Best Hot Plate for Boiling Water

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Which hot plates are best for boiling water when you don't have access to the stove?
Which hot plates are best for boiling water when you don’t have access to the stove?

When you have big group of people to feed and need more than the four burners on your stove, a hot plate can be a great way to keep your sauce warm or your casserole piping hot. Switching out pots can be a real hassle, and the area beside your stove can get cluttered fast. Having a hot plate on your countertop lets you free up some precious space.

Hot plates are also super versatile. You can move them into the dining room or even onto the table. As they don’t use a naked flame, they are very safe. If you are a college student in a studio apartment, or you find yourself traveling a lot with work, a hot plate can also be a great way to boil water for coffee or Ramen.

Best Hot Plate for Boiling WaterFavorite Features
BergHOFF Tronic 13" Touch Screen Induction Stove Top1. BergHOFF New Model 1800 Watt Portable Touch Screen Induction Cooktop Stove constant temperature maintenance; easy cleaning; child safety lock; fully programmable
Max Burton #6450 Digital LCD 1800 Watt Induction Cooktop Counter Top Burner2. Max Burton 6450 Maxi-Matic Deluxe 1800-Watt Induction Cooktop versatility; heat sensors that prevent overheating; automatic shutoff; small and compact; easy to store
Duxtop 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner, Gold 8100MC/BT-180G33. Duxtop 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner portable and good for travel; affordable; compatible with other induction cookware; auto shutoff if no cookware placed on it within 30 seconds

Induction versus Electric Coil

How long it takes to boil water is a great indication of how efficient your hot plate is. Two of the most popular types are the electric coil and the induction plate. Induction plates are usually more expensive, but they are safer than those that use electric coils.

Induction hot plates boil water by using an alternating magnetic field, which causes metal to heat up to very high temperatures. Electric coils, on the other hand, use thermal conduction and retain their heat even after you turn the power off. As a result, they’re more likely to cause an accidental burn.

Induction cooking requires the correct cookware. Learn about omelette pans suitable for induction stoves.

Top Picks

boiling ramen noodles
A sight familiar to college students everywhere. Those instant noodles aren’t going to cook themselves!

There are many different models on the market today. I’ve looked at some of the best when it comes to boiling water as efficiently as possible. Here are a few I particularly liked:

BergHOFF New Model 1800 Watt Portable Touch Screen Induction Cooktop Stove

Starting off at the top end (and with a price tag to match), the BergHOFF Cooktop stove is a hot plate that performs very well. There are few other hot plates that maintain as consistent a temperature.

BergHOFF New Model 1800 Watt Portable Touch Screen Induction Cooktop Stove, Single Countertop Burner

View on Amazon

When making tea or coffee, it’s important that the water comes to a quick boil (particularly if you’re not 100% sure the water you’re using is free from harmful bugs). It’s also important to allow the water cool a little so that the coffee grounds or tea leaves do not release an overly-bitter flavor into your brew. Thankfully, the soft LED control panel on the BergHOFF offers accurate temperature measurements.

The flat surface of this induction model allows for great magnetic conduction, and it’s very easy to clean too! The BergHOFF boils water twice as fast as as regular stoves. For an induction hot plate, that’s pretty much as good as it gets. If you can get past the price tag, you need not look further.

This is the most up to date stove available today. It offers an excellent way to be safe in the kitchen and it comes with an additional burner. It has the following characteristics:

  • It has multiple protection designs that remove the accidental risk burns. It is convenient and straightforward, and it’s fully programmable with an LED control panel.
  • The 120 volts plug enables you to enjoy warm temperatures from 150 to 450 Fahrenheit when connected to power supply.
  • The child safety lock in this unit gives you added protection.
  • No energy is lost when using this unit since it’s all directed to the cooking vessel by the magnetic field. It can detect the size of the cookware base and adjust itself to minimize energy loss.
  • It is safe, fast cooking method and it’s easy to clean. The product is versatile and is excellent at entertaining, and you can use it as an elegant and stylish centerpiece on the table, for parties and as an extra cooking zone in the kitchen.
  • The product is easy-to-use, and you can clean it by wiping it with a damp cloth.

Max Burton 6450 Maxi-Matic Deluxe 1800-Watt Induction Cooktop

Dropping down quite considerably in the price department is the Max Burton 6450. This model sacrifices very little in terms of performance. With a temperature range of 140 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, the Maxi-Matic Deluxe is one of the most versatile models I looked at. On full power it will boil a liter of water in less than five minutes, which is not too shabby at all.

This is a sturdy machine, but the 8 lb weight may be a drawback if you’re planning to travel with it. On the upside, once you have it in place you don’t have to worry about it sliding around.

Overall, it makes for a great heating surface, whether you’re cooking on a table in the garden, or keeping some of your famous BBQ sauce hot beside the grill.

The Max Burton Deluxe cooktop is comfortable to use, comes with great design, portable and is known for its convenience, lightweight and portability.

  • It has a uniform length, breadth, and height, elegant, sleek and has a stainless steel body. The product offers comfort, especially in a small kitchen, dorms, and patios.
  • It has heat sensors thus it guarantees perfect meal because there is no worry of overheating when the temperature is set.
  • The cooktop gets heated quickly when you set the temperature thus it offers a swift cooking method
  • Its performance is excellent compared with electric cookware and gas.
  • It is easier to cook using this product since it comes with a 180-minute timer that lets you attend to other house chores.
  • It cooks fast, and when you’re done with cooking, the power shuts itself down hence saving time and energy.
  • It comes with a protection fuse to protect it in case of overvoltage thus increasing its lifespan.
  • It’s small and compact allowing it to fit on shelves and in drawers at ease.

Racking up those frequent-flyer miles doesn’t have to mean fast food. Learn which containers are great for bringing your lunch on-the-go.

Duxtop 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner

If economy is top of your list of priorities, check out the Duxtop. One of the features that impressed me was its ability to sense how big the pan of water is and to adjust the size of the heating area accordingly. This saves on power and ensures that the device is efficiently heating the water.

Duxtop 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner, Gold 8100MC/BT-180G3

View on Amazon

The Duxtop achieved a boil in just less than seven minutes, which is enough time to let you get some vegetables chopped for your noodles or boil-in-the-bag rice.

If you want to purchase a countertop burner that’s portable or traveling and you’ve heard about the heating done by induction process, then this is the product to have. It has the following features.

  • It uses the standard 120 volts with 15 amperes of electrical supply that is standard in all homes. It’s small in size and light in weight thus allowing the user to handle and store it at ease.
  • It comes with a digital control panel that consists of countdown timers to control the heating and time required to get your meal ready.
  • The product is compatible with other induction cookware such as cast iron and stainless steel.
  • It comes with the auto-pan protector that shuts it down after 60 seconds if no cookware is detected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it necessary to use any cookware with an induction cooktop?

The best cookware to use with an induction cooktop is the one made of ferromagnetic material. Usually, the manufacturers can come up with a reliable cooktop if required. In case you use cookware made of non-ferromagnetic material, it won’t interact with the cooktop. Even if it interacts with the cooktop, the heat supplied is not sufficient to cook your meal thus forcing it to function at high power. Consequently, the cooktop gets damaged. The advanced technology has led to the production of iron plates that helps in interaction with the cooktop.

Can the radiation of the induction cooktop affect human health?

The induction cooktop functions by radiating electromagnetism and people have raised concern about the harmful effects it possesses. Scientific research has shown that the radiations do not have an impact on human health. The technical experts have shown that the radiation can have little influence on human health in people with heart problems.

What is the effect of radiation on food prepared using the induction cooktop?

The electromagnetic field generated by the cooktop cannot have an effect on food being cooked. It exists on the surface as well as a few millimeters away from the surface of the cooktop. Therefore the radiation doesn’t affect the food or human. Experts have certified that the cooked on food in the cooktop cannot be exposed to toxic substances.

What are the contrasting features between an induction stove and an electric stove?

The induction cooktop and electric stove differ in the way the heat is generated for cooking your food. Although the induction stove is too cold to the touch even after turning it on, it’s mostly safe to use when there are children at home. However, an electric stove is a source of severe burns. It uses a heating element that consists of the chrome element lodged in porcelain insulation. The element is placed in an empty iron coil. The nichrome element produces heat that is transferred to the iron coil which is consequently used to cook the food in your pot. On the other hand, the induction stove utilizes an electromagnetic field to generate heat in the ferromagnetic pots, stainless steel pots and iron pots. Cooktop made of non-ferromagnetic material doesn’t conduct heat required to cook your food.

How economical is the induction cooktop in terms of power consumption?

People get worried about the power bills at the end of the month when using the induction cooktop. An assumption is made that cooktop with a high power rating will consume more electricity compared to other available electrical appliances, and this is wrong. A time-saving factor should be considered since the cooktop has a high power rating. Besides, to the induction cooktop, the bottom of the cookware receives the heat generated hence energy is not lost thus making it more efficient and less energy is lost.

Boil and bubble without the toil or trouble.

Each of these models performed well and boiled water in less time than it took to watch a few YouTube videos. Once you’ve seen how handy they are, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without one.

Image credit via Flickr Creative Commons: Scott A. and David P.

Kitchen Professor author
About the Author: Bryce Heitman

Bryce is not a real professor, but he's real nerdy in the kitchen. He's been barbecuing, chopping, and generally blazing food for many decades. He thinks there's definitely a better spatula or utensil out there that hasn't been invented yet.

4 thoughts on “Best Hot Plate for Boiling Water”

  1. Hello
    Do you know of a quality dependable electric hot plate,
    not induction, to boil water for
    French Press when traveling.
    Thank you

    Reply
  2. Do you know of a high quality
    dependable electric one burner hot plate . Not induction. To boil water for coffee, French press.
    When traveling.

    Reply

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