535854 Sun Jul 06 05:56:23 -0700 2008 2 41 Cookware 0 3842033 I've been without a range for nearly ten years (long story) and have been getting along with a couple of hot plates, electric kettle, large toaster oven, and George Foreman grill. However, the hot plates don't boil large pots of water very well, or simmer soup, or get my pans hot enough to brown or stir-fry...worst of all, I've had to stop brewing beer because I can't sustain a boil in my brewpot. A range is not an option in the foreseeable future, so I've been looking into standalone burners and cooktops that have the power to cook decently. Any recommendations in the $100-$200 price range would be helpful. Thanks! Sun Jul 06 05:56:25 -0700 2008 160926 Kinnexa 1 3842267 Short answer: Get an induction hotplate and a turkey fryer. Far less than $200 and you've got all your bases covered. Only works if you can boil your wort outside of course. Long answer: I have an induction hot plate I picked up from an Asian market for $90. I can't say enough good about it. I do have a conventional range but I very rarely use it... the induction stove is my first choice. The price is a bit steep considering you can get a normal hotplate for under $20 but the difference is worth paying for. 90% efficiency means a lot more heat per watt vs. a standard 55% efficient electric hot plate...and the efficiency difference translates directly into not heating the room. To compare (and assuming my calculations are correct)... a standard 1500w hot plate delivers as much heat to your cookware as a 6000BTU gas stove burner. An induction 1500w hot plate delivers as much heat as a 9700BTU gas stove burner. A standard unsealed gas stove burner produces 9000BTU.... There are two limitations on mine: The temp. control only has 12 positions (available 6 at a time depending on "mode", and I haven't completely figured out those modes), and a built-in 2-hour inactivity timer limits long cooking (I can keep resetting it but simmering soup overnight is out). Between my pressure cooker and my haybox I can work around that very easily. I've been to a bunch of Asian markets and almost every one has a different brand/model of the same device ranging from $90 to $140. Some are round, some are square, some have flowers silk screened on a plastic case, others have a stainless steel chassis...some are 1300w, others 1500w. Mine is a Myland, which happens to be square, stainless, 1500w, and on the lower end of the price range. Wattage counts. As for brewing beer... I do full boils w/6ish gallons using a turkey fryer type stove (which you can get for well under $100) set up outside. The induction cooktop might be OK for wort boiling but it would take longer or limit you to partial boils. I did a search and a gas stove is 47% efficient. So... 15K BTUs on paper becomes 7050 which converted to KW means ~2KW delivered. Compare that to a 90+% efficient 1.5KW induction hotplate delivering 1.35KW and you can see that it's in the ballpark but not the best choice. So...with shopping you should be able to do everything for $150. Plus the turkey fryer burners are second only to proper wok burners for woks. Sun Jul 06 08:30:07 -0700 2008 3842033 201424 gimmeflavor 2 3885338 Thanks! I'm beginning to think induction is the way to go. I've heard of several brewers who've gone the turkey-fryer route, but I don't think I'm that desperate, or adventurous, yet! (Too many mosquitoes etc. to spoil the wort, and I ~know~ my cats would find some way to get in on the action.) I'm still looking for ideas/recommendations...still filling my pasta pot a liter at a time from the electric kettle to hurry along the hot plate. Sun Jul 20 10:52:28 -0700 2008 3842267 160926 Kinnexa