Expert Review - Induction Cooktop/Single Burner

Expert Review – Induction Cooktop/Single Burner

Model SR-1851C

	MANUFACTURER
	Sunpentown
	OTHER MANUFACTURERS
	Fagor Cuisinart Avanti Products
	COST
	Retail: $150 (though we have found it online for less)
	VENDORS
	Sunpentown Use an Online Search Engine
	DISCLAIMER
	The listing of these products is for informational purposes and individuals must use their own caution and judgment when using these resources. Functional levels and changes in judgment and reasoning are highly variable in people with dementia. Interventions must be individualized and continually assessed because those that are effective for some individuals may only work briefly and may not work at all for others.

DESCRIPTION

This plug-in induction burner cooks without flames or red-hot heating elements, which accounts for induction's extra margin of safety. Induction cooking uses a coiled copper wire just below the cooktop's glass ceramic surface; when an electric current passes through this wire, a magnetic field heats the pan, rather than the cooking surface. Only the area under the pan gets hot, leaving the un-used portion of the cooking surface relatively cool. You can actually put an ice cube on the edge of the glass ceramic top, next to a boiling pan of water, and it will not melt much faster than if it were placed on the countertop. This cooktop model also includes a starter stainless steel pot made of very thin gauge steel – not recommended for frying.

An induction cooktop, whether it's a full size four burner cooktop or a one burner cooktop, may be helpful for use by the caregiver when regular gas and electric stovetop cooking is no longer safe in a dementia household. A person with dementia could potentially cook on this burner, but as it works differently than gas or electric, the caregiver would need to turn the unit on and supervise cooking.

PROS

Automatic shut off

•	With timer use (up to 99 minutes). The burner automatically turns off when the time is up.
•	After two hours. Even if food is still cooking, the burner nevertheless automatically turns off.
•	Pan/utensil detector. If a burner is turned on without a pan on it, or if only a utensil is on the burner, the cooktop powers off after 30 seconds. If a pan is removed from the cooktop, no more heat is produced, and the burner shuts off after 30 seconds.

Overheat protection. The manufacturer states that when the cooktop reaches a maximum of 446°F, it reduces the heat and cycles on and off to maintain this temperature without overheating.

Multiple power levels, including warm, low, medium, and high.

The bottom of the pot is heated rather than the stovetop, reducing the risk of a fire or burn injury.

CONS

An empty pan left for an extended time on a lit cooktop can damage the cooking surface.

You have to be careful of the force used in placing a heavy pot on the glass ceramic cooktop or it could crack.

Only flat bottom cookware made of iron, steel, or enamel can be used. Glass, aluminum, or copper pans will not work.

This cooktop comes with a compatible pan, but the metal is very thin. If you're planning on frying food on a regular basis, use extra care, or better yet - a thicker pan. Induction heats the pan fast, especially a thin pan! In just seconds, we burnt the manufacturer's pan the first time we tried frying, using medium heat and a dollop of a soy-butter substitute. Using the same heat setting and butter substitute, we did not burn our cast iron pan.

There is a small fan in the base of the unit to prevent overheating. Although the sound is minimal, persons sensitive to noise could become bothered by the fan's sound.

The stainless steel pan comes with a (breakable) glass lid – (we don't recommend using any glass in the kitchen.

This cooktop does not have a "hot surface indicator" light that lets you know when the surface is too hot to touch. If this is an important safety feature for your situation, look for another model.

CAUTION

This appliance consumes 1200W. Unless you have ample electrical power, don't run another high wattage appliance, like a toaster, at the same time.

There is still risk of a burn if you touch the hot pot or the burner surface immediately after a hot pot is taken off, though the maximum temperature is still much lower than an open flame or red-hot electric heating element.

A cracked glass ceramic cooking surface shouldn't be used, as there is risk of an electric shock.

If you or the person you care for wears a pacemaker, you should check with your doctor before using induction cooking.

Special Note
If you're concerned about the electromagnetic energy that creates the heat in the cookware, you can relax; it's the scientific name for what we are surrounded by all day in the form of radio and TV waves, wi-fi hot spots, and microwave ovens.