Remember the time when you desired to remodel your entire kitchen and the renovation took a toll on your energy, and pocket because you had to buy tons of takeaway. In that hour of crisis, you may remember wishing deeply and regretting not buying a portable stove to relieve you of your miseries.
A portable electric stove can be the saving grace in a myriad of situations- when you’re shifting to a new house and your kitchen isn’t ready yet, you have little or no kitchen space to set up a full stovetop, you’re living in a dorm or are constantly travelling.
They are lightweight, easy to set up, and easy to operate. Most have great temperature and timing controls, thus helping you ensure you have a steady temperature and a lower cooking time. Even if you have a full working stovetop in your kitchen, it is always helpful to have an extra stove handy- when you are entertaining a large number of guests and you need to get things cooked quickly!
The portable electric stoves are also helpful for cooking in the summers- no suffocating temperatures in the kitchen and no overheating of the walls, etc. Just easy, fun-filled cooking!
Best Pick
The Cuisinart CB-60 is our best pick because it is an attractive looking, double burner packed with a lot of features, greater user controls, and superior heat distribution.
Budget Pick
The Duxtop 8100 MC is our budget pick because it is an extremely affordable single burner with multiple features, digital controls, and superior heating system.
Quick Comparison: Top 8 Best Portable Electric Stoves
1. Cuisinart CB-60 Cast-Iron Double Burner
Highlighted Features
This double burner from Cuisinart is not just attractive looking but also very functional. It has two hot plates, made out of cast iron. The entire body is made of brushed stainless steel. The unit also has indicator two sets of indicator lights- one green and one orange to notify when the thermostat has heated up right for cooking.
Pulling 1800 watts together, one of the burners works at 1300 watts and the other works at 500 watts. The second burner cooks very slow and is just good for buffets, keeping soups, etc. warm or for simmering. The main burner heats up decently and evenly and is even good for frying.
It has two separate temperature controls, each having up to 6 levels. For regular cooking, 3 or 4 is just fine while the higher levels are for deep frying. The smaller burner attains very low temperatures, even at the highest level. This is really just best for emergency situations during kitchen renovations or power shortages. But it takes an extremely long time to even heat up. Users have reported the knobs being glitchy after several months of usage.
Pros
Cons
2. Duxtop 8100MC 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner
Highlighted Features
This unit from Duxtop is excellent value for money. It is packed in with versatile features. The unit has a digital control panel, with the buttons being very responsive and bordered in gold. A lot of the temperature control is intuitive. It requires 1800 watts for working but has nine additional power levels as well. It has ten temperature ranges, up to 460 degrees. Moreover, it has an incremental timer starting from 1 min.
The unit will shut down automatically after the timer is off. The unit has an exhaust fan that makes a low noise when it is running. Also, it has pan detection which will turn of when the right cookware is not placed above it. The unit heats up very well and starts from level 5, but you can easily adjust it according to your requirement.
The con side is that the low setting doesn’t really work: this unit is not for simmering or keeping food warm.
Pros
Cons
3. Elite Cuisine ESB-300X Maxi-Matic Single Burner Electric Hot Plate
Highlighted Features
This single burner from Elite Cuisine comes in two variants- a rectangular stainless steel one and a circular black one, both very attractive looking. It consumes 750 watts of power. The coil is not securely fastened and wobbles a lot; there is a danger of the cookware titling or sliding of the surface. On the other hand, cleanup is easier because the coil can be lifted.
The heating is rapid and it attains high temperature, despite the low wattage. You can boil water in just ten minutes and even if you cook close to an hour, there is no heating up of the air around and consequent suffocation. It is very portable and compact: ideal for short-term use. However, this is not a durable unit. The materials are inferior and deteriorate over time: at one point, the coil may heat up just one side.
Pros
Cons
4. Duxtop LCD Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner 9600LS
Highlighted Features
This single burner from Duxtop is not just powerful and attractive looking but also packs in a hoard of unique features. It has twenty power levels (100 to 1800 watts), twenty temperature settings (100 to 460 degrees) and a built-timer that can go up to 10 hours of cooking!
This unit is pricier than a lot of available stovetops but the excellent build quality, the great user interface, greater control in terms of temperature and power and more accurate temperature justifies the price tag. The heating for this unit is not even, sadly- the center (5-inch circumference) heats up very fast compared to the outer region. It works well for cookware up to 8 inches in diameter but larger cookware will not get the desired heat.
Pros
Cons
5. Weleyas Portable Electric Induction Cooktop Countertop Single Burner
Highlighted Features
This 1800 Watt single burner from Weleyas features a copper heating coil, with an adequate diameter of about 19cm, housed inside the smooth glass cooking surface. It has a full touch sensor control design and no additional display panels or dials.
There are eight available temperature settings-at 40-degree increments- and nine power levels. There is an LED light notification system to notify about a set temperature. The unit also features auto pan detection and error messaging system.
It heats up very fast- it will only take a couple of minutes to boil a cup of water. The heat distribution is great. The glass surface is smooth, no ridges, and easy to clean. The controls are responsive- light tapping and some intuitive learning will help you make it work like a charm.
This simplistic unit is easy to operate, but make sure you use compatible cookware. The fan of the unit makes a little noise when running, but not one that can bother you. It may also be a bit small for some users. Also, the unit features no simmer or keep warm options.Pros
Cons
6. Avalon Bay Portable Induction Cooker Cooktop Countertop Burner, IC100B
Highlighted Features
This 1800 Watt single burner from Avalon Bay is an excellent value for money. It features a built-in timer, digital display, and a dial for increasing and decreasing the temperatures.
The best part about this unit is that the mechanism of operation is simple and easy: for senior citizens, this is a wonder product saving them the trouble to frequently use a kitchen stove. Even then, some users report error messaging: use induction compatible cookware or call up the company to send help to resolve issues.
There are 8 temperature settings (from 140 degrees Fahrenheit to 465 degrees) and 8 power levels, starting from 300. The machine makes little noise when operating. It is very easy to clean as well. The heat distribution is rapid and superb.Pros
Cons
7. Weleyas Portable Electric Induction Cooktop Countertop Single Burner, Platinum
Highlighted Features
This portable stove is packed in with multiple features that make cooking fun and easy. It is an 1800 Watt single burner, designed as a stylish and efficient addition to your kitchenware collection. It features a glass cooking surface with blue LED panel and push buttons on a white panel.
There are nine power levels and eight temperature levels, with an indicator light to confirm the selected temperature. The unit also has “Roti/Pancake” mode and “Maximum Power” mode for boiling. The three-hour timer has one-minute intervals and auto pan detection mechanism. It also has a “pause” button.
It is very functional, affordable unit that is also very safe for use-the unit does not heat up at all. Also, the smooth surface makes cleaning very easy. Some users prefer more increments in the lower temperature ranges. Also, when you switch the unit on, it automatically begins at mid power level- you must adjust it as you like.Pros
Cons
8. Vollrath (59300) 12" Mirage Cadet Induction Range
Highlighted Features
This single burner from Vollrath is unique from a lot of portable stoves in the market in the aspect of some additional features it has. The unit requires 15 Amps of current. It has a stainless steel top and plastic bottoms.
The unit has a digital panel to read out temperature. It has twenty power settings (from 90 to 1800watts and twenty temperatures levels from 100 degrees all the way to 400 degrees. It is easy to operate, with the right cookware, and responsive to temperature changes.
The unit is compact and easy to clean. The special temperature memory function of the unit also helps user go back to the last used temperature to cut down the hassle of setting a temperature each time.Pros
Cons
Things to consider before buying The Best portable electric stove
For people who travel frequently, move places a lot, entertain a large number of guests, or do not want to go through the hassle of stovetop cooking every time or are currently undergoing a kitchen renovation, a portable stove is handy to have. While there are many available models, some of them are just flimsy and will break down after only some uses. Research well before investing in one and keep the following factors in mind:
Temperature Settings
This is one of the most important aspects of a portable stove. Not just a wide range of temperature, for flexibility, you will also desire a wider variety of temperature increments.
Most stoves have a range of 140 degrees Fahrenheit to about 460 degrees of Fahrenheit, but it is the intervals that are important. Typically, they have about 8 to 10 intervals, at 20-degree increments. This should give you more freedom and flexibility.
Power Levels
The most common power level for an induction stove is 1800 watts. If it is a single burner, then it has 1800 W to itself. For double burners, one burner (with the larger power, e.g. 1500W, 1400W, etc.) is the main burner while the smaller one (with lower power) is the secondary or additional one.
Smaller ones are mostly used for buffet meals or for keeping food warm or even on a low simmer. The main burner does all the cooking and boiling.
Typically portable stoves have eight to ten power level, at 100-watt increments.
Additional Features
Modern portable stoves are designed to be stylish, lightweight, compact, sleek, and are packed with a hoard of features. Some have indicator lights to alert you that it is operating. Some have individual light notifications for each temperature level.
All stoves will have an exhaust fan. Most models have fans that emit a high-frequency sound that you may be sensitive too: get a replacement if you accident receive any such.
Portable stoves are also equipped with an auto shut-down feature which will turn off the unit when there is no cookware.
Some have LED displays, some have LCD ones. Some have dials or some form of manual temperature control. Others have fully touch sensor controlled panels. A few, more expensive ones, may have various cooking modes- like “Boil”, “Simmer”, “Fry”, Keep Warm”, etc.
Material
Induction stoves are mostly made of ceramic plates or glass plates. These are pretty fragile: be cautious when using heavy cookware or cookware that may scratch it. You may even place a silicone mat to maintain the surface.
The non-induction ones have the heating coil not housed in-it is visible. These may be made of copper or aluminum. For these variants, the body of the stove is usually stainless steel.
Portable stoves are usually black, or silver in color with some or no white parts. They are square, circular, or rectangular in shape and come with a cord, at least 3 feet in length, for plugging in.
Portability
The stove must be lightweight and compact, otherwise, there is no point in getting a portable stove. It must fit in the back of cars, or occupy little counter space. They must be easy to use in the outdoors, for camping, barbeques, etc.
Affordability
Portables stoves come in a variety of prices, starting from as low as $40 and the upper range can be a few hundred dollars to even a thousand dollars or two.
If you are trying induction stoves for the first time, you may want to begin with a cheaper one (say less than $100). Remember, induction stovetops need compatible cast iron or magnetic steel or clad cookware, which will be an additional investment and upgrade.
Non-induction ones are usually cheaper; they may be more durable and similar in operation to regular stovetops. Also, there is no hassle of buying compatible cookware.
Conclusion
Our in-depth article on the best portable electric stove has probably convinced you that it is a handy and functional kitchen equipment to invest upon. Moreover, we have selected the best and most popular portable stoves in the market to help you narrow down your search process.
We have compiled this list based on criteria like temperature control, heat distribution, power, budget, size and dimensions, safety, etc. Since there are so many brands of stoves and a whole range of prices at which they are available, our review will aid you to choose wisely.
Use a different fuel cannister than the Amco brand
Can you Use a different fuel cannister than the Amco brand