A hot plate is a convenient and inexpensive cooking solution for those having a small and busy kitchen. Not just small kitchens, but people use hot plates in studio apartments, college dorms, RVs, or any other space that doesn’t have a full-sized stove. But, many people with large and well-equipped kitchens also use hot plates because they like the idea of using an extra burner occasionally.
You will find most hot plates running on electricity, but some use gas and other types. Contrary to the general perception that hot plates can only be used to make soup or heat leftovers, hot plates can help cook a variety of food items to perfection, provided you have used the right type of cookware. To determine the most suitable hot plate, you can check out consumer reports best hot plates along with a useful buying guide.
Reviewing 5 Best Hot Plates
1. Elite Gourmet Countertop Coiled, Electric Hot Burner ESB-301BF
This hot burner boasts adjustable temperature control, which allows you to cook at a wide range of settings. The hot burner has 5 temperature settings, which include low, medium, high, warm, and off. With this hot plate, you can cook any meal quickly, thanks to its incredible power, which is around 1000 watts.
The hot plate is made of heavy-duty cast iron, which ensures faster cooking along with effortless cleaning. The company has provided a cool-touch base along with non-skid rubber feet in this hot plate to ensure stable cooking. The presence of a power indicator light lets you know when the appliance is on.
2. Ovente Electric Single Infrared Burner, Ceramic Glass Hot Plate Cooktop BGI201S
Cooking in this cooktop is anything but difficult, thanks to the infrared technology it incorporates. This technology ensures fast and even cooking of food. Another notable feature of this hot plate is its compatibility with all cookware including Calphalon cookware. However, to obtain the best results, you should use flat cookware having a size equal to the size of the plate of the burner and a weight of up to 11 lbs.
The hot plate has a sleek crystallite ceramic glass top along with a stainless-steel housing, which makes it look beautiful with any countertop. Just as easy as cooking on this hot plate is, cleaning is as easy. It won’t take you more than a minute to clean the appliance. The company provides a 1-year warranty on the product against all manufacturing defects and workmanship.
3. Techwood 1800W Hot Plate Portable Electric Stove Countertop Double Burner With Adjustable Temperature
Have a look at this hot plate, which consists of two burners of 1800 watts each. The hot burner features a couple of thermostatically controlled heat settings that allow you to cook several types of foods like soup, grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, vegetables, warm sauces, and many more. So, if you have an electric griddle, then you can use it with this hot plate. It features an extra burner that helps keep the food warm. You can use this hot plate with any type of cookware including cast iron frying pans, aluminum pans, copper pans, and non-magnetic stainless-steel pans.
The appliance has a compact and flat design that makes it ideal for studios, work, RV/caravans, camping, and everyday use. Consider it as an extra cooking appliance in your busy kitchen. The hot plate comes in a stainless-steel housing and has non-slip feet that keep it stable. The company provides an 18-month promise on this product that covers all manufacturing defects.
4. Duxtop Portable Countertop Burner Induction Hot Plate With LCD Sensor
Have a look at this portable induction cooktop and a hot plate that comes with a digital LCD sensor-touch control panel to let you select the right cooking settings. The hot plate features a safety lock key as well, which you can press for 3 seconds to activate. You can select fast boil and keep warm buttons depending upon what you wish to do. The compact and lightweight design of the hot plate makes it easier for you to handle and store it. The appliance also comes with a built-in count-down digital timer with 1-minute increments of up to 10 hours.
You can change the temperature starting from 100 degrees Fahrenheit to 460 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also choose the power levels from 100 watts all the way up to 1800 watts. You can use this hot plate with a wide range of cookware, such as stainless-steel cookware with a magnetic bottom, cast aluminum enameled iron, cast iron, and steel. The appliance incorporates auto-pan detection, which shuts down the unit automatically after 60 seconds if it detects no cookware or if incorrect cookware is detected. Other safety features in this hot plate include low and high-voltage warning systems and diagnostic error message systems. You will get a 2-year manufacturing warranty on the product.
5. CUSIMAX 1800W Double Burner Portable Cooktop Hot Plate
Cusimax brings to you an electric double hot plate that is compatible with all types of cookware. You can use this hot plate with ceramics, aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron, and glass. This is an infrared cooktop with each burner having a power of 900 watts, thus allowing food to heat quickly and evenly. You will like the presence of a couple of independent temperature control knobs, which you can use to turn off and on the burner. Independent double burners allow you to cook different foods simultaneously.
This is a highly versatile unit, as you can take it anywhere and use it to cook any type of food. For safety, the company has equipped the hot plate with an auto safety cut-off function. When the set temperature is reached on the hot plate, it automatically cuts off for a few seconds and takes the temperature back to its original setting to avoid overheating and other damages. Since it is made of a stainless-steel body, it is easy to clean.
What Is A Hot Plate?
A hot plate is any device that heats a pot or pan. Also referred to as a burner. They are found in absolutely all US homes, even if some are integrated into the oven in what is called a stove.
In general, the hot plate is 60 cm long and has four heating zones. This is the image that we have of it at least because the students and a very large number of Americans are content with two small electric plates. And there are a few rare larger models. In short, there is absolutely everything. And despite some very small models, they are still large cooking appliances.
How To Choose A Hot Plate?
Several criteria make it possible to know which hot plate to buy to be completely satisfied with your expenditure. Here they are, starting with the most important and ending with the most personal.
Energy
Is your hot plate connected to the gas or the electric circuit? This is the main difference to consider. There are also mixed plates combining the two systems.
Type Of Plate
You can choose a single electric, induction, glass-ceramic, or gas hot plate. This influences the price of the device, the power consumption, the speed, and the precision of the cooking. Each category is described in more detail below.
Number Of Households
This involves looking at the number of cooking zones or burners on the appliance. It varies from 1 to 6. In some cases, especially with induction, two burners can turn into one big one.
Cleaning
The maintenance is conditioned by the coating. It can be made of glass (preferred material for induction), stainless steel (easy to clean), enamel, vitroceramic, or cast iron (top of the range really appreciable).
Setup
Settings and power-up can be done with touch or mechanical buttons. They are more or less accessible and visible.
Features
Hot plates are equipped with a wide range of features these days, which include a timer, safety lock, start-up booster, extendable cord, etc.
Dimensions
The measures and the format are conditioned by the number of hearths. In an already installed kitchen, make sure that the new plates fit in the space reserved for them.
Price
Each criterion profoundly modifies the prices. Thus, we can equip ourselves between 20 and several thousand dollars. For a good ceramic hot plate, allow at least $70. For induction, it takes more than $150.
What Are The Different Types Of Hot Plates?
There are five types of hotplates. Today, the one that everyone praises the merits of is the induction hot plate, but it also has small flaws. A quick overview of each of them:
The induction hot plate heats up very quickly with low power consumption. Then it cools almost instantly. On the other hand, it requires specific pots and pans and therefore requires changing all your kitchen equipment.
Vitroceramic hot plates heat up less quickly, but they also have a fairly low power consumption.
Technically, gas hot plates are the most interesting for precision and speed, but they need to be connected to town gas or to buy gas cylinders.
Electric hotplates are appreciated by those who have no space. Indeed, they are small, they can be placed on a table, on the terrace, in a motorhome, etc. All you need is an electrical outlet. On the other hand, the cooking is long and the plates cool very slowly.
Finally, there are mixed hot plates, which combine electric hot plates and gas hot plates on the same support. The interest is to be able to cook even during a punctual cut of gas or electricity.
Final Verdict
There are only benefits of having a hot plate, so if you haven’t bought a hot plate yet, then you should get one today. Just pick a hot plate from consumer reports best hot plates and place an order. You will like cooking in such a small and lightweight cooking appliance, which you can take anywhere outdoors as well.