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[okie smokie]

Has anyone used one the many induction cooktops to sear either prior to a slow cook, or at the end of a fast cook (i.e. steak).  Reason for asking is that they are portable and could be used outside to finish steaks for those who don't get good sear temps with their pits. I have a new Isiler single and it will produce pan temps over 460* and really sears well.  With my new Stampede, I really don't need to use the induction cooker, but wondered if any PF's with the older Traeger type pits have tried this method.  Advantages are:  They are fairly cheap to own.  They use a whole lot less energy, and do not produce excess heat, since only the pan heats up, and are easy to clean. 

[yorkdude]

Have never tried them but it is really neat technology but don’t know if we want another item to find a place to store it.

[okie smokie]

Have never tried them but it is really neat technology but don’t know if we want another item to find a place to store it.

Good point.  Not sure we will keep this one as the heat was variable over the pan bottom, and not very accurate for the settings.
Addendum:  We notified the seller and he refunded my money, so that is that for now. I note that the many units on the market are not as advertised and reviews are mixed with 10 to 20% electronic failures.  The one I bought had the best reviews, but still was not stable.  So much for that!  Thanks for the input.   

[glitchy]

I bought a Duxtop a while back for two things, first to try out induction in preparation for replacing our electric stove down the road with one and to sear meat outdoors. I've yet to do the second part of that. I seared a few steaks indoors on it this past winter, but I don't have a lot of experience with pan searing as I've cooked almost every steak I've done over past 20 plus years on a grill of some sort (stretching that definition to include a George Foreman we had in an apartment and use sometimes when it's really bad weather). In my opinion it did OK, but it felt like it struggled a little to keep a bigger cast iron at those temps, especially once the steaks were added.

My daughter HATES the portable cooktop because of the noise it produces, but wife and I like it, especially when boiling things that are only in a few cups of water. I'm really hoping that a 220 induction range will be quieter and have more power for keeping a big cast iron really hot and boiling bigger pots of water.

[Hank D Thoreau]

I use a Weber 2100 portable gas grill. This is the one that uses a camping bottle. I got the retrofit kit so that I can use a large bottle.

This is my go to gas grill and griddle. I reversed seared a tri tip tonight on it...and last night also. It is great for vegetables.

It started as an extension to our kitchen. Now it has bumped itself above the stove in the kitchen hierarchy.

[LowSlowJoe]

I bought a single burner, counter top , induction burner about 10 or more years ago.  I mostly have used it to boil water, to make large pots of things like chili or spaghetti sauce... It's not the high temperature features that I use it for most, it's for it's ability to simmer the large pots of sauce and chili, without burning it.  My professional style gas stove just didn't work well for simmering things.


  Anyway...   I don't do much searing on my induction cooktop thing, but it's easily capable of it.       And, I personally will probably own one and/or have one somewhere handy for the duration of my life.  They are just so versatile and useful for so many things, and they really can be purchased pretty cheap these days.     Now my first one  ( NuWave ), only survived about 7  years or so, using it maybe 3 or 4 times a month...  My second one, a "Mr Induction" ( next best thing to a Mister Fusion I guess ), is still working, but the LED display doesn't show all it's elements...    I do own another, that I've only used a few times, I keep it around just for backup, or to use away from home , etc...   I think my 3rd one , was one of these "copper chef"... I can't say much about it's reliablity, just because I don't really use it much, as it's currently only serving as backup to my aging Mr Induction.

Yup, I'll own one for life... just to convenient to not have around.