Last Update: 15th Sptember, 2018

1. Electric Induction Cooktops 30 Inch

The Electrolux EW36IC60LS induction cooktop is the larger 36-inch version of the EW30IC60LS. At under $2,200, this cooktop is by no means cheap. But what a prospective buyer may lose in financial solvency, they will gain in useful features and truly impressive performance. Jun 26, 2018 - Top 7: Best Induction Cooktop Reviews. Frigidaire FGIC3067MB 30' Induction Cooktop; 2. Whirlpool W5CE3024XB 30' Black Electric.

The 30-inch KitchenAid KICU509XBL (Est. $1,800) is another well-regarded induction cooktop worth considering. It's not been reviewed by Consumer Reports, but this induction cooktop gets a glowing review at Reviewed, including Best of Year and Editors' Choice honors -- and a perfect 10 score.

Buying the best Induction cooktop can be a tedious process, you need to put in hours of research keeping in mind your requirements. It’s not as easy as going to one store and buying it.

There’re too many choices, variations, features, and the risk of becoming an incompetent product owner is very high if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

We make it easy to decide better cooktops with our in-depth research and many testing done across our website.

Below is the summary table which shows the top 10 best induction cooktops, 2018.

This is quite a long article, click in the Table of Contents to read listed induction cooktop reviews or the section you want to read.

Table of Contents

• 2 3 Best Single Burner/Portable Induction Cooktop
• 3 The 2 Best Two-burner Induction Cooktop
• 4 The 5 Best 36″ and 30″ Induction Cooktop
• 5 Budget Friendly Top Rated Induction Cooktops
• 6 What If I don’t need High-End Induction Cooktops?
• 8 Induction Cooktop Pros and Cons
• 10 Concerns about Cookware

For your convenience, we have done in-depth Research, gone through various Induction cooktop reviews and Feedbacks from end users and consumers. We have also looked into various resourceful and reliable Consumer Reports and many highly rated cooktop brands that are readily available in the market.

We also personally use some of these best rated induction cooktops so that our reviews are unbiased and also have a dedicated set of authentic users that contribute to the reviews.

As per our research and findings, listed below are the Brands & Models in three categories size-wise that we highly recommend if you are looking for the best and the most efficient Induction cooker. We hope that your search for the right cooktop ends here.

For your ease, we have handpicked the top performers in each available category along with details on how we meticulously arrived at our ranking:

Why have single burner Induction cooktops become such a hit? If you have been looking for the best single burner induction cooktop, then I am sure you have heard many a good thing about it and even have experienced the goodness of it.

Yes, it is ideal for use on the go, perfect for patio and backyards and even indoors. You can also be assured that you can cook a wide variety of dishes without any setbacks because of the cooktop which makes it even more well-liked.
Because of this popularity, the market is flooding with thousands of single burner induction cooktops too. How then do you find the perfect one for you? What features and categories do you look out for? We simplify it for you here.

First of all, a good single burner cooktop supports portability. It is neither too heavy nor too bulky and you should be able to lift it easily without much effort.

Secondly, a good single burner induction cooktop has high heating capacity on the high end; many cooktops lack in this category. A cooktop that can deliver fast cooked food is necessary because one may need to cook more than one dish and waiting for one item to be done is cumbersome if the heat is too less and takes up way too much time.

Finally, a cooktop that cools down fast is another important category. Since people usually put these cooktops away after use, it is ideal that the cooling period is relatively short. Additional features such as pan sensors, overheat detector, easy controls, relatively long power cord, and easy maintenance are areas that you can keep an eye on.

Comparisons table for the 3 best portable/single burner induction cooktop.

NuWave Platinum 30401, #1 Pick

This latest single burner Nuwave induction cooker is a powerful cooktop. The maximum power level is 575°F beating the 450°F trend of most portable induction cooktops. The temperature can be adjusted in 5 degree increments, making it easy to control temperature very precisely.

What we really like is also the ability to control power outage with the new NuWave Platinum 30401. Just at the push of a button you can adjust the power outage to 600 watts, 900 watts, 1200 watts and 1800 watts. This make the cooktop suitable for any home and more importantly to conserve energy.

With a larger heating surface of 9.5 inches and 12.3 inches of total cooking surface, you will have no problem using most of your bigger pots and pans. The cooktop is engineered to give an average lifespan of 13 – 15 years.

If you’re someone who likes to prepare varieties of dishes, this cooktop has the feature to program and save up to 150 recipes along with 50 pre-programmed recipes.

What I don’t like is that unlike other cooktops it won’t resume heating after a standby mode when you remove a pan. You need to press the start button to resume heating. With too many control buttons and features it can look overwhelming for some folks.

Secura/Duxtop 9600LS, #2 Pick

Duxtop 9600LS is an upgraded version of its popular 9100MC and 9300ST model. It became available in the market sometime in the mid of 2016. It is an ideal choice if you want to know what induction cooktop is all about at its best or if you are looking for the best portable induction cooktop.

We like the 20 temperature ranges starting from 100°F to 460°F. They are mostly accurate, and controlling the temperature is easy with this potable cooktop with 10°F increments.

The challenge with most portable cooktop is low temperature cooking or steady simmering. This cooktop seems to be better than any of the portable cooktops we have tested so far. There is very little chance of overheating food.

The fan is not as noisy as the previous model. Also, the fan continues to run for some seconds even after the unit is turned off to cool down the cooktop. This is an important feature if you want your cooktop to last longer. The LCD display is easy to read, a better improvement as compared to the LED display of its previous model.

My concern is the high pitch squeals at max power, but again this is a common issue with low budget Induction cooktops. Overall, this is a nice powerful cooktop and value for money.

Secura/Duxtop 9100MC, #3 Pick

Secura or Duxtop 9100MC portable induction cooktop is a simple yet very practical cooktop. You won’t get all the bells and whistles of its latest counterparts, but heats up really fast and cools down quick. It’s easy to operate with fewer functions, designed for fast cooking and value for money.

This is an 1800-watt cooktop with 15 temperature settings. The temperature range is 140°F – 460°F with increments of 20°F in the first 11 settings, and increments of 30°F in the last 4 settings.

What we really like is the controls placement being separated from the heating surface. A flat surface cooktop is not always suitable for small cooktops, you might accidentally move over controls and damage them while cooking with large pans.

What we don’t like though is that it makes a considerable buzzing sound generated by the electromagnetic field which is louder than our other picks.

Not a fancy looking cooktop, yet the controls works great and you won’t have any problem cooking. Presently, this cooktop has 1900+ customer reviews on Amazon and most vouch for it.

If you’re looking to buy single burner cooktop you’d also like to read reviews for the latest 5 best portable induction cooktop.

Have you ever speculated why your 2 bedroom apartment with a small kitchen has a jam-packed 4 or 5 burner cooktop with literally really tiny counter space? Do you even use more than two burners for day-to-day cooking?

Well, won’t it make so much more sense to install a 2 burner induction cooktop and then have more counter space? It’s true that some people naturally gravitate more towards cooking and may have 4 or 5 burners, but not everyone needs such a big cooktop.

Here are a few things to look out for while choosing your best double induction cooktop. Since a double burner induction cooktop is inherently smaller than their 30 or 36 inched counterparts, ensure that the burners are not too closely located.

In the effort to save space, you may end up with a cooktop that can accommodate only one big pot at a time or with two smaller pots touching each other as you cook. It also helps to have one burner bigger than the other for quick heating as well as for bigger pots.

Keep an eye out for easy control layout and responsive controls too. Two burner induction cooktops are predominantly in style for installation in holiday homes such as cabins or a lake house. A few people even install 2 burner induction cooktop beside their gas range to get the best of both worlds.

Comparisons table for the two best 2 burner induction cooktop.

True Induction TI-2C Cooktop, #1 Pick

If you are someone who doesn’t do all that much cooking or is a fan of one main dish a meal, then True Induction TI-2C Cooktop double burner cooktop may just be what you need. If saving space or maximizing it is your key focus, then a two burner induction cooktop is clearly going to be your saviour.

It’s true that one does not have the luxury of multiple burners when preparing dishes in a two burner cooktop, but that need not be an issue at all, especially since induction cooktops are incredibly competent with focused heating. Temperature ranges from 100°F to 450°F, with and increment of 30°F.

The up-to-date innovations and features of the True Induction TI-2C double burner cooktop make it an easy pick for many homemakers. We love the power sharing technology which allows splitting wattage between the left and right burner, the burners can run at 100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, 50/50, etc. Max power outage is 1800 watts.

The True Induction TI-2C Cooktop is a free standing unit that sits on any outlet, whereas The True Induction TI-2B Cooktop is designed for counter insert as well as countertop for a price difference of $30.

There are two things I don’t like with this 2 burner cooktop; the lowest temperature is 150°F and it doesn’t have safety lock feature.

Compactly built, some even consider this cooktop as portable. Heat distributes so evenly that you never have to worry about burnt corners or cold spots and as per our experience, this is our best 2 burner induction cooktop in the market these days.

Read Amazon’s customer reviews from more than 150+ real buyers here.

K&H Domino INDV-3102, #2 Pick

Do you want things done in a zippy? If so, you can be rest assured that Domino INDV-3102 won’t disappoint you with a max power output of 3100 watts, 1850 watts on each burner. That is like owing two powerful single burner cooktops. But, you can only own this cooktop if your electrical power outlet can handle 240 volts.

At first glance, it looks like there are only 9 levels of temperature settings and not 17. More temperature controls means more precise temperature control which is a prerequisite for any good cooking experience. Though you get just 9 temperature settings, with each power button you get 2 power levels – low and high. You can switch back and forth every time you press a button.

The body is made of scratch resistant ceramic glass. It’s easy to clean and designed to last long. You can use as a free-standing unit or install in countertop. The fan is not as noisy as was expected for a 3100 watts cooktop.

There are two designs available to choose from, a vertical placed controls and horizontal placed controls. Vertical one is slightly smaller and cheaper by $10 or so.

However, this cooktop is not plug-in and start using like other portable cooktops, unless you have a 220 volts power outlet. Most of the countries households operate on a 220-volt standard, but the standard voltage in the United States is 110/120-volt. You may need to buy 220-volt to 110-volt adapter or do some wiring works for installation.

The price is a dealmaker for the powerful burners, overall quality built and good performance. I’d say K&H (Kitchen and Home) Domino INDV-3102 is perhaps our best if not our second best two burner induction cooktop in 2018. If you’re looking for our second best 120 volts induction cooktop, then checkout NutriChef PKSTIND48.

Here is another supplemental readings on the latest best 2 burner induction cooktop.

Note: If you’re buying Induction cooktop for the first time, keep in mind that Induction cooktop and Electric cooktop tend to look every similar in the 30 and 36″ size segments.

There invariably is high contention for the best slot in 30″ and 36″ induction cooktops because size wise, it is ideal for many kitchens. If you are scouting for cooktops that enables you to do a lot of multi tasking and heats food up fast enough to prepare a small banquet, then you will naturally have to go for a cooktop with 4 or 5 burners.

Electric Induction Cooktops 30 Inch

But that is just the tip of the iceberg. To get the ultimate best for your needs, just having a cooktop with 4 or 5 burners is not going to be the straight-out solution. What kind of cooktop do you place your bets on then? You invariably need something that can perform its core function well—cook.

Cooktops with lots of bells and whistles sound incredibly awesome and fancy, not to mention appealing, but do not be carried away. It is true that features are what makes a cooktop friendly for use, and is something that you need to focus on to get the ultimate hassle-free cooking experience.

However, focus on the heating capabilities of the cooktops first. The heat on the upper high should go very high for cooking large amounts of food swiftly and the lower end should be low enough to leisurely simmer delicate savories. Once you find a cooktop with satisfactory heating options, check how responsive the cooktop is to the controls.

Generally, heat changes in good cooktops are instantaneous which prevents lots of burnt or overcooked food incidents. The next thing you should focus on is how sturdy the stands of the cooktop are. If you are going to install it into a counter top, then this may not be that big an issue but otherwise, ensure that the stands are very stable. Unstable stands do not last long, especially if you are going to do a lot of heavy cooking.

Once you have these basic requirements covered, then it is time to focus on aesthetics and other features. While it is impossible to state which finish is the best, it is advisable to go for something that is easy to clean and fits your home décor too. Depending on your budget, knock yourself out on the features that appeal to you.

Samsung NZ36K7880UG 30″ or 36″, # 1 Pick

Samsung NZ36K7880UG was first available in the United States market in December 2017, and this cooktop is truly a trendsetter for induction cooking. Samsung Appliances did a great job with highly commendable features to make induction cooking the future means of cooking for every home. It is available in 30″ and 36″ sizes.

If you fancy powerful burners, than this is it. The central 11″ burner wattage output is 4,800 watts with Power Boost and 3,600 without boost. Flex Zone is a feature to merge two burners into one to accommodate different pot shapes and sizes, or to use a griddle. This is a cool feature and eliminates the needs for many burners of different sizes.

It comes with 15 power settings for a very precise temperature control, and Digital-analog controls make it even better. With Induction cooktops, we miss the control knobs of gas cooktop which is easier to control temperatures. As a solution, you get removable magnetic knob for your convenience besides digital touch controls. In addition, there is a separate Simmer Control for better simmering results, and a Melt Mode to melt butter or chocolate.

Unlike gas or electric cooktops, it’s hard to make out which burner is on with Induction cooktops. You need a close up view. Samsung has a solution for that too. Virtual Flame LED surface light shines on your cookware when a burner is on imitating that of a gas cooktop.

The Control Lock is a must have feature for your safety, especially if you have children at home or to avoid accidentally turning on the burners which we often do. Cleaning ceramic glass cooktops have never been easier than now with fingerprint resistant finish. It always looks new.

Are you always in a rush? If yes, PowerBoost is your savior. It adds even more power to the already powerful burners to speed up your cooking. With this feature this cooktop boils water twice as fast as conventional electric cooktops.

What’s more, you can even monitor your cooktop from your smartphone, your presence is not always required. It also has Bluetooth connectivity to sync with Samsung hood to automatically turn on when in use.

Samsung NZ36K7880UG is relatively new and yet to pass the test of time. But, as of now it seems to be an ideal choice for a perfect Induction cooktop if you can afford it.

Bosch Benchmark Series NITP668SUC, # 2 Pick

Bosch Benchmark Series NITP668SUC (36 inch) induction cooktop is loaded with innovative features and one of the best induction cooktop your money can buy. It was launched sometime in February 2018, another great addition from Bosch Home Appliances.

The 3 most important things for induction cooking are precision, speed and efficiency. This cookop does that for you, and a lot many more. You can be so precise about the temperature you need for your cooking which makes you a better cook. You can boil water in less than a minute, and it’s very fast. And, it’s much more energy efficient than gas or electric cooking. Let’s get into some of its best features.

Finally, you don’t have to worry about the number of burners or its size with your cooktop. FlexInduction offers multiple cooking options, allowing you to combine two burners into one large zone for large pots, griddle cooking or 3 – 4 small pots. The left two burners and the right two burners are integrated with FlexInduction, an edge over Samsung NZ36K7880UG.

Just like the Samsung’s PowerBoost you get SpeedBoost to further enhance the power level of the burners. To top it, Potsense automatically detects the bottom of your pan on the cooking element for better efficiency.

With most induction cooktops, we are strongly advised to lift pots and pans and avoid dragging and moving on the cooking surface to avoid scratches. Well, with PowerMove you can not only move and drag your cookware but by doing so it changes heat levels into 3 preset power level zones.

The CountDown Timer for each burner is a gem to multitask in the kitchen, no more worries for burnt and overcooked foods.

This cooktop misses out on the knobs and the virtual flame LED lights to indicate which burner is on. We feel that it’s a bit pricey as compared to its counterparts.

Frigidaire FGIC3067MB 30″, #3 pick

Our pick of the best budget friendly induction cooktop is Frigidaire FGIC3067MB 30″.

This cooktop has excellent heat consistency, cooks amazingly fast, simmers instantaneously, and its housing looks absolutely classy on the kitchen counter and will greatly add to the modern look of your kitchen.

Well, as a rule of thumb, we ensure we really like the burners of any cooktop we picked. That is the foremost basic requirement of any good cooktop. This cooktop have the best burners in its price range, powerful with very precise temperature controls. The burners are powerful enough to sear meats, boil water or cook foods much faster than most of the cooktops in its range.

Don’t overlook the convenience of easy cleaning with any cooktop, which is something we always do after every cooking session. The ceramic glass is easy to clean and cleaning regularly makes the cooktop durable. To top it all, Hot Surface Indicator provides instant information if the cooktop is cool enough for clean up. Just press the on-off button for indications.

We also love the fact that this cooktop comes with features such as Power Assist Function and Express-Select® Controls. Using these features you can set individual-burner timer program. This is great for cooking different dishes with minimal assistance.

What I don’t like is that the complex touch control panels. They have more than one function with some control buttons.

This elegant piece is one of the best in its price range. Frigidaire FGIC3067MB is a good choice for most kitchens without much thought. Whether be it dishing out food for a small crowd or cooking for an intimate meal for two, this cooktop has you all set. Checkout buyers on Amazon sharing their thoughts here.

GE PHP9030SJSS, #4 Pick

GE as a brand is easy to recommend because of their quality products. But we have better reasons to recommend this cooktop – GE PHP9030SJSS Profile 30″. This cooktop is well built, reasonably priced with nearly unparallel performance and features.

You can get the blazing heat you need for boiling, frying and sauté with GE’s powerful 4 burners. The right front burner of 11″ cooking surface blaze with an impressive 3,700 watts. Adjacent to it is the 6″ burner at 1,800 watts.

The left two burners of 7″ size with 2,500 watts features GE’s SyncBurners technology. Once you enable SyncBurners you can control the two burners at the same time, at the same temperature with one control doubling your cooking area when you need it. A great option to accommodate large pan and griddle.

We like the Digital Touch Controls which are very responsive and accurate for precise heating. The black ceramic surface is simple to wipe clean, in addition the stainless steel trim is chic and classy. This cooktop heats and cools off quickly.

Replacing cooktops are always a hassle, but not anymore with GE’s Fit Guarantee. They’ll pay $100 if you don’t get an exact fit for replacement (for any brand) to your existing countertop.

Like most induction cooktop with ceramic glass surface, moistures and steams can make the controls unresponsive. The 7 inch burners are too closely located. It’s not possible to use all the four burners using mid-sized pots and pans.

Empava 36″ Vitro EMPV-IDC36, #5 Pick

If you’re happy with 1800 watts single burner Induction cooktop, you probably don’t need high power output Induction cooktop. And of course, the basic criteria to choose any product are based on our requirements.

And yes, it’s possible to get full fledged Induction cooktop for a price below $500, and Empava 36″ Vitro EMPV-IDC36 is an excellent choice when you’re not bothered about groundbreaking features. This Empava cooktop cooks well and is as functional and efficient as any popular Induction cooktops without a popular brand name.

This cooktop comes with three 2100-watts elements and two 1500-watts elements of different sizes. They are quite powerful burners with boost function to speedup the heating process. There are 9 levels of temperature settings and along with the timer gives you a precise control over each burner. The controls and LED display looks simple and functions are quite straightforward. But the dim LED display is an area of improvement.

The ceramic glass surface looks good but unlike high-end ceramic finish it easily get finger prints. Otherwise, it’s easy to clean and the hot surface indicator is a nice feature to let you know when it’s ready to clean. It has Child Lock for safety measure. You also get automatic pan detector which automatically shuts off the cooktop when no cookware is detected.

This cooktop works very well, and with amazing price value there is no reason why you shouldn’t own it if you are looking for something basic and worthwhile. You get 2 years warranty with this cooktop.

Among many others things, conventional gas and electric stoves, without doubt, are still abundantly in use. However, they are steadily being replaced by an even more efficient, elegant, versatile, and responsive temperature-controlled version in the form of Induction cooktops.

With no more worries about installing gas lines with gas stoves, or issues of temperature inconsistencies with electric cooktops, and not forgetting all the burned pots, food, and your skin, some of the best Induction cooktops are becoming a very favored alternative.

Gas/electric stoves heat the food by applying open flame/heat to the cookware losing some of its heating power in the process (hence you can warm hands while cooking with suck cooktops), whereas Induction cooktops uses electromagnetism to cut out the middleman and heat the cookware itself.

With induction cooking, the result is more evenly heated food, a cooler cooktop, and an overall cooler cooking environment. It’s much safer and increase energy efficiency because less energy is wasted by not heating up the air around the pot, as is the case with gas or electric cooking.

According to the U.S Department of Energy (DOE), induction units have an average efficiency of 72.2%, as compared to 71.2% of electric coil units and 43.9% for gas. Read the article here. If you do your math, you know induction cooking can save a lot of energy as well as money.

Though the percentage of Induction cooktop users are comparatively lesser compared to gas and electric users, upgrades in technologies and downgrades in prices are making them more popular each day.

Induction cooktop is far from being perfect with lots of areas for improvements. Yet, it’s advantageous over Electric cooktops or Gas cooktops in many areas.

Induction Pros

• There is no other cooking method that cooks faster than Induction elements. The power and precision of Induction is much higher and better compared to gas and electric.
• It heats the cookware directly resulting in faster cooking. Induction roughly delivers 80 – 90% of the electro-magnetic energy to the cookware, the reason why you can’t warm your hands while cooking as it won’t give out heat except to the cookware.
• It’s extremely easy to clean with the smooth glass-top surface, no grease catch to worry about.
• Due to efficient and faster cooking it uses less energy and lower energy bills.
• Induction cooking is a lot safer compared to electric or gas cooking.
• They have more features and functionalities, including safety features and features to cook different types of meals and popular cuisines.
• Easy installation, you don’t need to cutout your kitchen counter like gas cooktop.
• It looks clean and trendy.

Induction Cons

• The biggest drawback of using Induction cooktop is the need for magnetic cookware, you may need to buy pots and pans again. You need induction compatible cookwares such as stainless steel, even enamel-coated cast-iron or iron-cast.
• You need power to use Induction cooktop. If you live in a place where power outage is often, then it’s not a good option.
• While cooking it makes a buzzing sound from the electromagnet and the cooling fan underneath the cooktop.
• Precise simmering is a known problem with most budget Induction cooktops. You can’t maintain a low consistent temperature just to keep foods warm – it turns the heat on and off.
• Do you flip/toss pan like a chef while cooking? Well, you can’t do that with Induction cooktop.
• A person with pacemaker will need doctor’s advice before using induction cooktop.

Does Induction cooking cause cancer? Do you need to really stand at least one foot away from the unit to be safe from the Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) emitting harmful radiations? What happens when you touch those pots and pans while cooking?

As pointed out in a well documented article on whether Induction cooking is safe, it depends on who you ask these questions to? Scientist, doctor, layman, or paranoia – answers varies. I’m not being sarcastic here, just saying that it depends.

Just like any modern gadgets and products they emit electromagnetic fields (EMFs) or radiations. But there’s been no conclusive evidence that the radiations emitted with Induction cooking are dangerous enough to leave negative or lasting effects. It only creates more hypes and controversies without much scientific evidences and proofs.

Again, the effects of radiations depend on exposure levels which is directly linked to the amount of power a given radiation has. Most homes will never have that kind of power. If it’s an occupational exposure, the safety requirements are different altogether. So, Induction cooking is quite safe except for people with pacemakers. Some pacemakers can be affected when it is near the burner, within the range of an inch or two. And of course, it makes sense for them to avoid induction cooking.

Will I need New Pots and Pans?

With induction cooktops, there ultimately is the talk about what cookware to use. The hue and cry over induction-compatible cookware is not all that complicated an issue in reality. If you look around your kitchen, you will realize that you have at least a few stainless steel cookwares.

In addition, anything cast-iron works perfectly well even if they are non-stick coated. Most good quality cookwares are cast-iron, unless they are ceramic. In any case, the simple magnet test will help you in deciding whether your current cookwares are compatible or not. Just stick a fridge magnet to the bottom of your pots, if they stick, your pots are good to go.

Click here for those of you looking for the best Induction pressure cooker, we have the best list for Induction compatible pressure cookers in 2018.

If you are going to invest on a whole new collection, this cookware buying guide can be of assistance to you. To quench the curious part of you about more intricate details, you can also take a look at the science behind how induction cooktops operate and how to maintain them to keep them pristine new for a long, long time here.

For any queries or confusion about induction cooktops, we have answers for you in our compiled FAQ section here.