Max Burton 6000 1800-Watt Portable Induction Cooktop

by Max Burton

Product Features

• 1800-watt portable single-burner induction cooktop heats instantly
• 10 Power levels; adjustable heat levels range from 140 to 450 degrees F
• Cookware detection and overheat sensors prevent scorching and injury
• 180-minute timer; push-button control panel with LED display
• Measures approximately 14 by 12-3/5 by 2-1/2 inches

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 14 x 12.6 x 2.5 inches ; 8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000MVN1M6
• Item model number: 6000
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (195 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,132 in Kitchen & Dining (See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Sleek and efficient, this induction-powered cooktop brings the comfort and health benefits of home-cooked foods to the office, dorm room, cabin, or anywhere in need of a portable heat source. The 1800-watt appliance features a large burner and adjustable heat settings, with a temperature capacity that ranges from 140 to 450 degrees F--perfect for everything from gently soft-boiled eggs to hearty soups, stews, and more. Convenient to transport and simple to use, the unit heats instantly when needed, while its cookware detection and overheat sensors prevent scorching, heat-related injury, and damage to pots and pans. Even more, the appliance provides a 180-minute timer that aids in properly cooking all dishes, reducing the risks of overcooking, burning, and waste. For added safety and less excess heat in the kitchen, the cooktop stays cool except where it comes in contact with the pan. Other details include a user-friendly push-button control panel with an LED display, a compact design, and short legs for secure placement on a countertop or table. Please note that the unit only works with cast iron, carbon steel, magnetic stainless steel, and other stainless steel with magnetic properties. It does not work with aluminum, glass, 18/8 or 18/10 stainless, or copper cookware. The ETL-listed induction cooktop measures approximately 14 by 12-3/5 by 2-1/2 inches.

Product Description

Induction cooking is a safe method of cooking because there is no open flame or hot cooking element. Additionally, our Induction Cooktop has more heat settings than others on the market, offering greater flexibility in cooking.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

299 of 303 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Induction Cooking 101, August 15, 2010

By 

Music Lovers (Oregon) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Max Burton 6000 1800-Watt Portable Induction Cooktop (Kitchen)

As an experienced cook with many years of cooking with Induction under my belt, I would like to share my experience, and clear up a lot of bad information propagated by some well meaning, but totally unqualified people who have submitted comments about the Max Burton 6000 Induction Cooker. I am also an Electronics & Mechanical Engineer, giving me additional insight into some of the issues being discussed.

First off, this Induction Cooker is a tremendous bargain, comparing favorably with products many times its cost. It is truly an 1800 Watt (input) Induction Cooker. Induction Cookers cannot be compared in any way to simple hotplates that use a resistive heating element. Electric hotplates, similar to conventional gas and electric burners are at best around 50% efficient. The wasted heat simply goes into heating your kitchen and makes your stove and cookware handles scorching hot. Induction Cooking is typically 80-90% efficient. Remember that even though the Max Burton 6000 is a great value, it is still a light duty, "entry level" Induction Cooker (NOT for continuous commercial cooking use). If it is used properly, it should give years of reliable service. Even though I own a big Wolf commercial gas range, Induction hobs such as this have become my cooking "weapon of choice".

You can consider the following to be "Induction Cooking 101". This will help cooks who are new to Induction Cooking get a quick grip on the basics:

Cookware: Your satisfaction with Induction Cooking is directly proportional to the quality of your cookware. The cookware MUST have the following two characteristics:
First: At least the bottom must be ferrous (in other words, a magnet must strongly "stick" to it). Hint: Take a magnet with you when searching for cookware.
Second: Your cookware must also be a good heat conductor of heat. Induction cooking only generates heat in a 5-7" circle in the bottom of your pan. The heat conduction characteristics of the pan allow the heat to travel outward and up the sides of the pan. If the pan is a poor heat conductor, you will have a small hot spot in the center of the pan, and the rest will be relatively cool. The best cookware is triple-clad (magnetic stainless steel outside, aluminum or copper center layer, non-magnetic stainless interior cooking surface). Vollrath "Tribute" cookware is my favorite (not inexpensive, but really performs great!!). Next best is a laminated pad or "cap" on the bottom of a stainless pan (similar to the totally triple-clad, but doesn't conduct much heat far up the sides of the pan). Cast Iron and Enameled Cast Iron works fairly well for slow cooking and braising, but in spite of popular belief, it is not a great conductor of heat, and can exhibit hot spots if used at high heat settings. AGAIN, Induction Cooking has no radiant energy, nor a gas flame to heat the sides of your cookware. Your cookware MUST be a good heat conductor!

Yes you can preheat an empty pan (if you follow my directions)!. First a little information about the way your Induction Cooker senses the temperature of your pan. The heat sensor is located under the glass/ceramic cooking surface. Because of the thickness of this surface, it takes a finite amount of time for heat from the bottom of the pan to "soak" downward through the cooking surface in order to reach the temperature sensor. If you select a high heat or temperature setting initially, the pan will quickly get screaming hot before the heat sensor "knows" about it (a phenomenon called "overshoot"). The remedy is to start your pan in the "temp" mode at a low temp. setting (like 180°F). Once the pan, cooking surface and temp sensor has stabilized (you will hear a clicking sound as the cooker cycles the power on and off), you can advance to higher settings in a similar way and get on with your cooking.

I have read the comments about some users developing cracks in the top surface of the plastic housing to the left of the display & keypad. This is almost certainly caused by using cookware that laps over the edges of the cooking surface, or using very high heat settings, The flat part of the bottom of your cookware should not exceed 10 1/2" inches.

Unless you are bringing a pot of water to a boil, resist the temptation to cook at the higher heat and temperature settings unless it is really necessary. Remember that Induction Cooking pumps an astonishingly great amount of thermal energy into the BOTTOM of your cookware. Make sure that you and your cookware are up to the task!

The only big gripes that I have with the Max Burton 6000 is the INTOLERABLY LOUD BEEPER and the incredibly stiff, cheap power cord ("MAX", ARE YOU READING THIS??!!). As a qualified engineer, I have already "reasoned" with the beeper. . .

Happy Cooking! Bob Ziller

238 of 243 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A mixed review, March 2, 2009

By 

Brian Leeland (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Max Burton 6000 1800-Watt Portable Induction Cooktop (Kitchen)

There's good news and bad news. I bought this unit as a training unit to check out the technology and have a good extra hob on hand for times when we strain our kitchen resources. The intent is to eventually equip our kitchen with an induction cooktop for energy efficiency.

The good news is that the technology works as advertised. It's remarkably quick and has plenty of power despite running off a normal power outlet. The bad news is that on this unit the heating element (if that is the correct terminology) is only about 7 to 8 inches across. It worked fine when we made soups, though we did notice that only the middle boiled or simmered. However, when frying, the limitation of the element size became a problem. We used a lodge 12" cast iron skillet to fry fish. The center of the pan put a beautiful tan on the panko, but the outside of the pan was relatively cool, requiring that each piece of fish be flipped to four positions before it was properly cooked.
We tested the unit by wetting the bottom of a cold pan and watching how it dried. The center bubbled and dried, but the outer bottom was only warm to the touch. I thought perhaps it was defective, but other reviewers have commented on the problem.

I notice that most of the units on the market do not specify the size of the heating element. Whether this exposes a problem with the technology or is just marketing avoiding a problem with inexpensive units I can't tell.

I am hopeful of the technology, but returned this unit because of it's limitations. If you only use smaller pans, or rarely, if ever, fry, I recommend it.

As has been mentioned before the first unit arrived broken.

67 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this technology!, January 4, 2007

By 

S. Thiele (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

What a find! This lightweight cooker is quite a workhorse. It boils water faster than my professional-grade Viking, and I can control the heat as quickly and precisely as I can on a gas range. From simmer to sear, it does it all. I teach cooking to kids, so I especially like that it's safer than other cooktops--no flame, and the surface stays relatively cool (there's some heat transfer from the pot, however, so you still need to be careful). Two drawbacks: you can only use induction-compatable cookware (anything that attracts a magnet will do), and you need a very reliable power supply, because this little guy requires a lot of juice.