Cookaholics Bulletin Board

I started this thread for Amy, and anyone else interested in it, since we hijacked the "1mm" thread, and now it will have its own.

I got that Max Burton 6000 that CI rated a best buy a few years ago, and have had no problems with it. Unlike the one Paul has, this one definitely has more than three levels - 10 listed, and while I can't say for sure about the highest ones, the lower ones change immediately when I switch from 1 to 2, 2 to 3, and so on, and they don't pulse to get the lower levels - I see the simmering constantly. I must say that I don't use it for searing meat - that I do on my gas burners, as the heat seems to be more in the center in large pans, but it does have a high output. I tested it when I first got it, and boiled 1 gal of water in my pasta pot, and it boiled in just over 14 min. I could boil it that fast on my 20k burners in the same pot, but only with the heat turned up to a point where the gas was coming up the sides of the pot about 2" - still not max, but not as high as I turn it, and it takes just under 16 min., with the burners turned up to wehre the gas is just coming up the edges. So the high heat is definitely high! As for simmering, this is where I use it all the time. Cooking lentils in it frequently, I find 1 is low enough in a 2-3 qt pan for a gentle simmer, with 2-3 good with the lid off for a fairly fast simmer, to gook some liquid off, and here is where I can see it is not pulsing, like many electric cookware things do.

The temperature setting isn't really accurate, but I don't really need that. I tried it, just to see, and the 210 is a very fast simmer, which is higher than the 1, and probably 2 when it stabilizes. The 140, closer to 180-190, could probably be used for a slow cooker, using a heavy DO, but I never tried it. In this mode it does pulse.

Hope that helps. The main reason I use this thing is that I don't want all that heat going into my kitchen in the summer, after I just paid to cool that air. Still, I need my gas for all that stir fry, but then, there's my big kahuna outside!

I had one also and was pretty happy with it. I got it so I wouldn't have to deal with the horrible electric cooktop in my old apartment. I'm on gas now and haven't decided if I'm going to sell it or not.

Pepperhead, just wanted to let you know that y'all here are a bunch of enablers!

We're simmering a batch of chili on our Max Burton this afternoon. This is sort of a trial run to see if we want to go all-induction on a new kitchen cooktop/stove. The biggest issue probably is that we have a few MC2 pieces and they don't work on induction. The good news though is that the cheap bottom-clad cookware that we really wouldn't use on gas (because the flame reaches around past the clad bottom) works great on induction. So I picked up a couple of saucepans and a nonstick skillet this morning.

So far this is a great prospect. It's very unusual to be browning meat and have the top of the pot cool to the touch. And I agree that the 210 setting is a bit higher than I want to use for a simmer and 150 isn't high enough.

EDIT: Check that. It bubbles at 150 as well.

Tuesday Morning has All-Clad induction burners at $100.

Welcome to the dark side. My induction burners have a feature I love, you can set a burner to a timer (any burner but only one at a time). This is great for the pressure cooker. The new electric ones do this as well but the cool down time is still long.

Mary, I guess your PC is not aluminum. Mine all are. I guess I will have to can on an outside burner.

I got both my pc after I got induction. I don't have one big enough for canning, I have never seen one here except for an electric a friend has.

Mary

thanks, Mary.

Does anyone have an induction cooktop & has found a good way to use lg aluminum stock pots or pressure cookers? I also do water bath canning.

TIA

Kathy,

They do have those induction interface disks for about $40. I never thought about getting one, but then, I only have a burner, and still have my gas range, so I really don't need one. It seems that the pan would not be very quickly responsive to changing the heat when using one of those, but for something like a pressure cooker or stock pot, as you mentioned, it may be worth the cost for somebody switching over entirely to induction. I have only seen 8" ones. Any info on these things warping?

Kathy,

I just replaced mine when I went to an induction cooktop. Fagor Duo makes induction compatable PC's and pressure canners. I also have a cheap coil style electric burner that I got for about $20 that I thought I might use with my non-induction cookware, but I never use it. It might be an answer for you though if you wanted it for your aluminum pots. The induction disks are about $99 (Canadian pricing). I decided against one because I was concerned that they wouldn't be that responsive.