Can anyone recommend a temperature-controlled induction hob?

[andrewducker]

So, I really wanted an induction hob. And I really wanted it to be able to hold a stable temperature. After all, if you've got something that delivers heat (in this case an induction coil) and something that measures heat then it should be trivial to set things up so that the temperature is swiftly raised to that level and then held there pretty perfectly. Or so you'd think...

The first issue I hit is that the vast majority of induction hobs that claim to let you set the temperature read that temperature using an infrared sensor. One that's under the glass hob surface. Glass isn't transparent to the wavelengths of IR that let you measure temperature, by the way. Which means that what you're actually measuring the temperature of the glass under the pot. Which gives you a lag of 5-10 minutes, which is obviously completely useless. So you can instantly exclude about 90% of all portable induction hobs that claim to let you set the temperature.

That being the case there are two options for how to measure the temperature. Either with a temperature probe or with an exposed metal thermometer in the middle of the hob (that sits on a tiny spring so that it touches the pot but doesn't hold it in the air). So, let's have a look at the options there:
1) The Breville Control Freak. Just amazing, works perfectly, incredibly precise, would love to have one. Is £1,400. So, no.
2) The Njori Tempo. A crowdfunded cheaper version of the Control Freak. Looked very cool, but suffered from Kickstarter Syndrome, where they clearly couldn't help tweaking things all of the time, expected to use the Kickstarter money to create an initial version so that they could get the money together to do a proper production run, ran smack into issues trying to talk to Chinese electronics manufacturers in the pandemic, and eventually went dormant about three months ago. So, no.
3) Klarstein Cook n Roll. This one uses a temperature probe, and is made by a reputable-looking German manufacturer! Who then turn out to be lying about the size of the heating area. Despite claims of a 26cm surface, the induction coil is only 10cm wide. Which means that it will end up superheating the central part of your pan and not heating the rest of it at all. So, no.
4) Cusinart Tasty. Looks pretty good. Would ship from the USA. Isn't actually made any more. In order to control by temperature you have to use an app. So, no.
5) Tokit. Some lovely reviews, and looks like exactly what I want. But...if you look at the 1 star reviews you see that a fair chunk of people have real issues with them breaking, and in a couple of cases it seems that it's not watertight, which is kinda essential for a device you're going to want to boil water on without being electrocuted. So, no.
6) Salton - looks good. Except for being slightly lower wattage than the headline says. But is another US import, which is a bit of a pain, because it means that if it does die on me then it's not easy to get fixed. It's the current front runner though, as being the only one that's a not-ridiculous price, won't kill me, and doesn't require an app to set the temperature.
7) Caso TC 2400 - looks awesome, only available in Germany, 10% of the reviews are "It didn't work". *sigh*

So, if anyone can recommend an induction hob with a temperature probe which actually makes direct contact, and won't kill me, doesn't cost over a grand, and I can buy from a UK supplier then I'd appreciate it!

Comments

[channelpenguin]

The same thing has annoyed me (but not to the point of doing the research you have! I find induction WORSE than the old "coil" electric rings that at least you could set to "full volume" until things boiled then turn down. Instead of waiting twice as long because the damn thing switches itself on and off and on and off instead of just staying on full.

I'd be happy with a hob that lets me dictate a FIXED input energy, but gas seems the only game in town for that. Which I have. Plus extractor hood that goes up an actual chimney :-)

I can't comment on the Caso hob. I had a Caso microwave/grill that was awesome for 6 months then fault with a short circuit that killed it. So the reviews may be right.

[danieldwilliam]

I would be surprised (delighted but surprised) if you could find one at a price much below the Breville offering.

Reading through your description of what you want it sounds like quite a fiddly thing to do - therefore pricey.

[fub]

What's your use case? Why do you need to keep something on the stove at a (configurable) temperature for prolonged periods of time?

[ninetydegrees]

I can't recommend portable hobs as I've always had cooktops but, in my experience, induction in general already does what you want it to --raise the temperature more quickly and maintain it at the level you need. Unless the device is badly made or has too few settings (let's say less than 10) so you can't do a gentle boil vs a rolling boil or a low simmer vs keeping something warm, it's a matter of learning which setting works for what you wanna achieve.

Off Topic

[lsanderson]

When I moved into this house, a couple of years ago, it had an older apartment-sized gas stove in it. The main burner had a temperature probe in the middle of it that contacted the pan, although I don't remember how the knob was calibrated. It ain't exactly new tech.

[movingfinger]

If your ideal induction top is 1400 and your limit is 1000, and if you don't need this immediately, would chucking a couple pounds a week into a jar (I know, no cash, but doing it cash might be easier to keep it apart) for a while help you bridge the gap? If you need it now, though, that doesn't work, of course.

I do not have induction, but this is a critical piece of household happiness, so if there is a really good one out there, it is worth waiting to install that rather than anything else IMO.

[gingicat]

Huh, we use a laser temperature gun on pans for things that need to be cooked precisely (we have a gas stove). Now I want to see if it would work for induction.

[matgb]

So, um, yeah. I've been hoping/waiting for the prices to come down for ages for one of these
The Control °Freak™ Induction Hob - Sage Commercial by Polyscience® | sousvidetools.com
Tim Heyward wrote a rave review of it and plugged it in a guardian Q&A, etc (I can find the latter not the former, think it might've been on fucking instagram linked from his twitter).

It think it's the commercial brand of the Breville but that site has it for £999 not £1400. Regardless, it's meant to be really good.

I want it for deep fat frying where exact temperature control for different types of thing is useful(chips want high, pakora low, where high is >200C and low is ~160C). Jennie wants it for sous vide stuff, especially soft boiling eggs, plus also stock making where "just below boiling for 8 hours" is really useful

So, um, if you do get one let us know if it's as good as the hype?