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Review of the Avanti IHP1501 Induction Hotplate with Skillet

This review was written by Kathy, one of our Online Merchandising Analysts, after testing out the IHP1501 Avanti Induction Hotplate with Skillet during a recent Product Demo Friday at Living Direct.

IHP1501 Avanti Induction Hotplate with Skillet

Pros:

1. Heats up fast. After putting some vegetable oil in the pan, I saw bubbles within seconds. The meat browned quickly.
2. Cooks evenly. Meat also browned evenly and was ready to be flipped at the same time.
3. Uses less energy. I wasn’t able to prove this during product testing, but if it is true, I’m for it. The amount of time it took to cook meat and boil water proved induction to be more efficient than a regular electric stove.
4. Cooktop stays cool to the touch. Frederique was able to remove surface stickers while the unit was on. This will be good for cleaning up inevitable spills and boil-overs.
5. Timer function. When I get to the point of knowing exactly how long it takes to cook certain food, a timer can be programmed to turn off the cooktop. Less chance of burning and liquid evaporation when steaming veggies.
6. Almost no assembly. The cooktop was ready to use out of the box. The only assembly required attaching the handle to the skillet.

Cons:

1. Only compatible with iron or steel cookware. I would have preferred a medium sized saucepan rather than a skillet to be included. A saucepan would have been more versatile, and easier to cook soups and other products with liquid. The included skillet seemed to be cheap quality. Buying new iron or steel cookware to use with the induction cooker is going to expensive. A magnet has to be able to stick to the bottom for the cookware to be usable on the induction heating element.
2. Controls are confusing. There’s a button for mode 1 and another for mode 2. You have to consult the owner’s manual to find out what 1 and 2 are. FYI 2 is for frying and 1 is for everything else. Why didn’t they just call mode 1 cook mode and 2 frying mode?
3. Contrary to rumors, it takes more than 3 minutes to boil water actually takes 6.5 minutes for water to boil. That’s still pretty fast.

Visit CompactAppliance.com for more information or to purchase the IPH1501 Avanti Induction Hotplate with Skillet.