Best Cooktop Hot Plate Reviews 2018
We understand it can be a tad bit confusing to choose a hot plate. With so many different features, safety options, and sizes, it can get a bit overwhelming; this might cause you to buy a product that isn’t the right fit for you because you weren’t well informed. So, we’ve decided to help you out a bit, because we’re nice like that. We have done all the hard work for you in terms of research, and have come up with a list of our top 5 hot plate brands and a favorite product from each, so you can get a greater feel for what each brand has to offer. We’ve also selected a vast range of cookers, as we understand that everyone will have different tastes and needs in this department. You’re welcome.
(Updated May 9, 2018)
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How Do I Choose the Best Cooktop Hot Plate?
A major advantage of using a cooktop hot plate is that they bring you another cooking worktop when you need it, allowing you to cook for more people than usual when the family decides to show up out of the blue! They are also ideal for travelling when you need to rustle up some grub in the middle of nowhere; they are a great money saver in this respect as well. If you don’t already know, a hot plate is a portable source for not only heating food, but cooking it as well. They are often used as substitutes for larger kitchen appliances but can be just as useful when used alongside these products, too.
If you have a small kitchen or live in a student dorm, then a cooktop hot plate is going to be just what you are after. They are more compact in comparison to other cooking equipment, and are lightweight and relatively inexpensive. If you are off camping but still want to make a slap-up meal then we couldn’t recommend buying a hot plate more!
Differing from
slow cookers, hot plates are able to make a wide variety of foods in different cooking styles such as frying, boiling, or sautéing. Whereas appliances such as
pressure cookers and
rice cookers are ideal for heating, hot plates can do heating while cooking in a variety of different styles.
There are two different types of cooktop hot plates that are available to you: electric and induction. Although both the products are powered by electricity, an electric hot plate uses a coil or iron plate to transfer heat to your pan. An induction hot plate, however, heats the pan using a magnetic field instead. Induction hot plates are often considered to be safer than electric due to the fact that they are able to cool down quickly. However, they are a lot pricier than electric versions and require specific cooking equipment too. This is something you will definitely want to consider before choosing your best cooktop hot plate.
Price
The main thing that is going to affect the cost of your cooktop hot plate is whether you decide to choose induction or electric. At first glance the price range may not be all that different, but induction hot plates can only use specific pans and pots, which may add to the overall cost. Although induction cooktops are more energy-efficient and often include more features, this isn’t to say that a less expensive product such as an electric cooktop won’t get the job done just as effectively. Electric cooktops still include everything needed to cook a slap-up meal, so this decision is going to be totally based on your own personal preference.
Another factor that will affect the price of your hot plate is how many plates you will need for your cooking purposes. A 1-plate hot plate is going to be cheaper than a 2 or 3-plate Hot Plate, so think about how many you will really need before making your selection.
Features
When choosing the right hot plate for you, it can sometimes be a little overwhelming due to all the different features hot plates can include. A lot of what is available will totally depend on how much you are willing to spend, with the more expensive products featuring a lot more add-ons.
With all hot plates, however, there are a few key features that you should definitely look out for. These include:
- Level of Wattage
- Temperature Range
- Non-Skid Feet
- Number of Power Settings
- Timer
- Number of Plates
- Power Button
Although not all cooktop hot plates will include these features, these are definitely factors you should consider when making your final decision.
Construction and Design
The wattage level in a cooktop hot plate is a crucial factor as there is such a variety in wattage levels between hot plate products. The wattage is basically the level of power the product gives out, which is important when it comes to temperature; high wattage often means you can reach higher temperatures when cooking. Therefore, we suggest looking for a product that has a decent wattage level. With temperature ranges, you want to look for a product that has a variety of temperature settings as well, which will allow you to cook a combination of foods at one time.
Non-skid feet is a particular feature that we recommend investing in as it makes the whole process of cooking safer and more stable. It also allows you to cook on a variety of different work surfaces without worrying that your hot plate will move and fall on the floor.
The feature that is probably most important when selecting your product, however, is the number of plates the hot plate actually has. If you are just using the hot plate as an extra hob when you run out of appliances in the kitchen, then a standard one-plate hot plate should suffice. However, if you are using the plate for travelling purposes and this is your only piece of cooking equipment, then a multiple-plate hot plate will probably be the better option for you.
Performance and Ease of Use
In our opinion, induction cooktop hot plates are the easiest option as they are safely designed and use high-end technology in order to heat and cook your food. However, they do need to use specific pots and pans, which make them slightly more inconvenient and more expensive. If you are careful with these products, then an electric hot plate is just as good, but watch those fingers!
Both induction and electric Hot Plates are incredibly easy to care for and can be wiped down (once cooled down) easily. These types of products can’t be washed in the sink or shoved in the dishwasher, but you probably knew that anyway!
Both types of hot plates also require minimal (or no) assembly and are incredibly easy to use with just the turn of a dial or the click of a switch.
What is the Best Cooktop Hot Plate?
Right, so after browsing through our products, you should have a better idea about what it is you’re after in your new cooktop hot plate. If, however, the products we have featured don’t quite suit you, there’s no need to panic. We have purposely chosen brands with a large selection of products, so you can have a nosey through their other hot plates, too. All that’s left to do now is choose your favorite and plan your next get-together with friends.
Our Top Choice
We love the fact NuWave PIC Portable Induction Cooktop is eco-friendly and easily portable for outside use. It comes with 6 different pre-programmed temperature settings and a power rating of 1500W for different kind of cooking. Prefer a cooktop with a less power rating (1300W) but with the same design? We thought you might love the
NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop.
NuWave PIC Gold 1500W Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner, Gold
NuWave Cooktop Hot Plate 30211
Features
NuWave is a kitchenware brand with a huge variety of products to offer from convection ovens to pots and pans. It has been around for quite long to understand what you need for your kitchen, so there’s no doubt you can trust it.
The NuWave PIC Portable Induction Cooktop is one in many things, perhaps more than just a cooker. Engineered to precision in terms of ergonomics, this induction cooker conserves space by adapting a circular design scheme. The designer behind the appearance and shape of this PIC did well to eradicate space that serves no cooking purpose.
When it comes to User Experience (UX) the cooker has an interface with programing technology where you can set commands for your favorite cooking procedures. The NuWave PIC will do the thinking for you. What’s more, this PIC does well to serve more than just one purpose. It comes with a delay function which you can make advantage of incase you want to set a later time for cooking your meals. It can also act as a warming station for your food both at home and elsewhere.
NuWave PIC has a precise temperature control with a range of 10 -575 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperatures are adjustable in 10 degree increments. And as if that’s not enough, it also comes with 6 pre-programmed cooking presets to get you going. It is also known to save up to 70% of energy, a feature that is exclusive to this model and brand only. What method of cooking you intend to use, simmer, and deep-fry, sauté, slow-cook, boil or even barbeque, the NuWave PIC has it factored in.
Best Value
We were very impressed by the range of features Secura’s 9100MC Induction Cooktop Hot Plate had to offer as well as its clever safety features. However, if this product gets you a little hot under the collar, you may want to check out Secura’s equally impressive
8100MC 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop Hot Plate.
Secura Duxtop 9100MC 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop Hot Plate-1 Pack
Secura Cooktop Hot Plate- 9100MC-1 Pack
Features
Secura has been a leading manufacturer of small appliances in America for a number of years, selling over 8,000,000 units under the Secura and Duxtop brand names. They’re renowned for bringing their customers high quality products not only in the kitchen, but in health, beauty, and fitness, too! With Secura’s main focus on the easy usability of their products and well as the use of high quality materials while emphasizing affordability, it’s not surprising that the brand is so popular today.
We chose to feature Secura’s Duxtop Induction Cooktop 9100MC for to the brand’s overall popularity and the product’s incredible reviews online at Amazon. This particular hot plate has over 15 power levels ranging from 200W-1800W as well as a temperature range of 140-460 degrees Fahrenheit. This thing lets off some serious heat! The digital control panel built into this hot plate is lightweight, and allows for easy handling, storage, and portability. We also loved this product’s built-in countdown timer, which ranges anywhere between 1 and 170 minutes. This clever little product also has auto-pan detection with a diagnostic error message system and a low-high voltage warning system, so you don’t have to worry about burning the house down.
If you are a fan of the Duxtop brand, this product is also compatible with both Duxtop cookware and other induction-ready cookware. Built to North American Electrical Standards, this product will last you a lifetime. However, in the unlikely case that this hotplate does happen to experience a problem, you can rest assured that you can get it looked at or replaced with the help of its 1-year warranty. Secura really knows how to look after their customers!
The NutriChef Portable Dual 120V Electric Induction Cooker Cooktop come with two circular top panel heating zones as well as a digital LCD display to make your cooking fast and fun. Want a cooktop with similar quality and functionality but comes with a single burner? Here’s an option you should consider checking out :
NutriChef Portable 120V Electric Induction Single Burner Cooktop.
NutriChef Portable Dual 120V Electric Induction Cooker Cooktop - Double Burner with Kids Safety Lock - Works with Stainless Steel Pan & Other Magnetic Cookware
NutriChef Cooktop Hot Plate PKSTIND48
Features
NutriChef is a household name. It basically sells almost anything that you would need in your kitchen and more so you’re dining too. Not only is quality a guarantee at NutriChef, durability and function is their primary focus. So this means you can expect nothing but the best from this reputable company.
Cooking just got more fun with the NutriChef Portable Dual 120V Electric Induction Cooker Cooktop. This exclusive cooker brings you the best of experience with two heating zones, which have independent temperature configuration zone settings with a digital LED screen to display all the information. Different modes of cooking are just at the touch of a button. From the look and the design, you can tell that it’s very versatile and compact too. And there’s more. This cooktop comes with a lock that prevents your kids from accessing all the functions of the cooker.
The Cadco CSR-3T Cooktop Hot Plate introduces an 8-inch high-speed tubular element that heats up quickly, allowing you to get you food ready quickly. Want a cast iron hot plate that more compact in size to save space? Check out the
Cadco KR-1 Portable Cast Iron Hot Plate.
Cadco CSR-3T Countertop Hi-Power Single 120-Volt Hot Plate
Cadco Cooktop Hot Plate CSR-3T
Features
With a very committed team of technicians, designers and support team, Cadco has been able to keep up its innovativeness coming up with effective solutions to the needs of this ever growing industry. Its innovativeness can be displayed in Cadco CSR-3T Cooktop Hot Plate.
This cooktop hot plate comes with a high power single hot plate and high speed 8 inch tubular element. It also features a Robert Shaw thermostat which has infinite heat control so as to achieve your desired temperatures. This CSR-3T Countertop has an indicator alerts in case you forget to switch off the burner, so you never have to worry about leaving your burner on. When it comes to cleaning it just a simple wipe and you are good to go.
We loved the simplistic style of the Cuisinart Single Burner Hot Plate with its handy safety settings and portability. However, if you love a larger model with a single burner, you can get the
Cuisinart Cast-Iron Double Burner.
Cuisinart Cast-Iron Single Burner, Stainless Steel
Cuisinart Cooktop Hot Plate CB-30
Features
Cuisinart specializes in everything to do with the kitchen and your cooking needs, supplying a wide array of products including bakeware, blenders, countertop cooking appliances, and dinnerware. By partnering with chefs all over the world, the company is able to create products that really work and make your cooking experience that much easier. The award-winning brand has been bringing us affordable products that are of the highest technology in their field for some time now, and we’re looking forward to what they have to offer us next!
This Cuisinart Single Burner Hot Plate heats up quickly and is able to retain much of its heat throughout the cooking period hence saving you energy and keeping your food warm after cooking. Its coil-less iron plate top is not only easy to clean, it is also very durable. This hot plate will definitely balance your kitchen making it look complete and elegant. Its portability and aesthetic design makes it fit for any place without a kitchen.
When it comes to cooking and warming food, the Cuisinart Single Burner Hot Plate has a 6 setting temperature control system that will enable you to effectively choose the mode of use of this appliance. The different temperature control set will make your experience seamless and also almost autonomous. The ready and safety indicator lights help alert you when the cooker is ready for use and also incase left on.
Get the Best Cooktop Hot Plate of 2018!
Hopefully this has given you a little insight into the crazy world of cooktop hot plates, and you have a better understanding now of what you’re after. If the particular products we have chosen to feature aren’t for you, not to worry! All of our selected brands have a huge array of products to choose from, and all you have to do is browse through their other collections to find a hot plate that’s ideal for you. So start flipping through those cookbooks; it’s time to plan a feast!
Our Top Choice
NuWave PIC Portable Induction Cooktop
Best Value
Secura Duxtop Induction Cooktop 9100MC
NutriChef Portable Dual 120V Electric Induction Cooker Cooktop
Cadco CSR-3T Cooktop Hot Plate
Cuisinart Single Burner Hot Plate
