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rockies
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# Posted: 22 Jul 2015 22:20
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I've seen the info-mercials for both, and I'm considering them because of their supposed very low electricity usage. I did read some complaints about the oven because the plastic dome kept cracking, but maybe that was for older models. The cooktop/hotplates look very good, though, and would certainly save energy over a regular electric range or propane stove.
Question #12 in their "Faq" section covers the wattage used. They say 1300 watts is what is used on the highest setting.
Anybody used them?
http://www.nuwavepic.com/
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groingo
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# Posted: 23 Jul 2015 09:50
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Saving energy over a propane stove....I'll take that bet and raise you, propane stoves when combined with cooking know-how are unmatched but sometimes when I get crazy my old Sharp mini 400 watt microwave can do some amazing things too.
In off grid life, 1300 watts of anything is a lot!
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creeky
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# Posted: 23 Jul 2015 10:06
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I have a single burner induction cooktop/hot plate. I would use it more but with the propane stove it just doesn't come out of the drawer that often.
One thing to watch is the idle draw. I saw a report that one model draws 60 watts on idle. I haven't tested mine.
They match up well with lithium batteries. When I switch over I will look at installing the/or/a induction cooktop permanently.
One thing I do like, particularly in the summer, is that if I want to slow cook something, and the sun is shining, I can leave it on low and do up a batch of chili say. and the burner heats the food not my studio. while with propane. i get a lot of extra heat in the air which, when it's 34 degrees outside and I'm running a/c. well. that's a good thing.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 23 Jul 2015 14:37
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Yeah, I was looking at those induction hot plates initially, too! One of the first things I learned was that there are a lot of different brands out there. NuWave isn't the first and, from what I've read, they really rip you off on the shipping charges -- especially if you go for the "second burner free!" offer. It isn't free. They hike up the "shipping and handling" charges so high that you're actually paying for the thing.
The energy used by them scared me off. There are induction cooktops that use less energy but they're all rather gluttonous. If you have a lot of solar storage, then it would be awesome! I'm steering away from nearly all small appliances because, in my mind, the energy they use doesn't justify the watts of solar I'll be producing that they're consuming. I'd rather use those watts for bigger things when I can accomplish the same thing in non-electric or no electric ways.
So, I'm with Groingo and will go with propane. For me, a better kilowatt splurge would be a small convection microwave oven that uses even fewer watts than one of those little cooktops but does a LOT of things -- toasts, bakes, microwaves, etc. -- super fast. I've found some that use 1100 watts.
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Mtnviewer
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# Posted: 23 Jul 2015 15:35 - Edited by: Mtnviewer
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I use an induction one burner cooktop. I got it from Costco Online on sale. Yes on the highest power setting, they will use high watts. I've seen them rated at 1100-1500 watts. On lower heat settings they vary from a few hundred watts up. I DO NOT use it via my batteries but only when I run my generator. The models that I have seen also have a fan, so they are not silent but not loud. I have not tested the phantom load but will.
From my experience, my induction hot plate is FAR BETTER & SAFER than an electric coil hot plate or even propane. Eg. it does not damage the induction unit or wiring if there are boil overs. With induction cookers clean up is easy & electronics are protected. Mine has a cooking timer, which I use a lot, so less chance of over cooking something!!! Mine simmers better than electric coil hot plates have but it does so via cycling power up & down, not by constant low watts. Mine has general and temperature specific heat settings, but mine is not completely temperature variable. Mine has a boil dry sensor, so should be MUCH safer if I totally forget that I'm cooking something. The surface around the pot stays cool & there is FAR less to zero fire hazard or of injury. So I use & would recommend them for these reasons over electric coil hot plates (I HATE THOSE) or even a propane stove, which I still have but rarely use.
While they can use a lot of electrical power, they don't have to, I don't use mine on the highest setting very often which is around 1200 watts. But it heats water pretty quick on high. Induction can be more "efficient", as the magnets heat the pot directly, so less heat is wasted when by-passing the pot, as happens with oversize electric coils or with a propane flame. Similar efficiency as a microwave for direct heat going to the food. But the running power for induction is still hundreds of watts, so still significant for my batteries alone.
Besides safety, I also prefer electric induction vs. propane, because in my off grid situation, propane is an expensive but ONE USE fuel, meaning that it only creates heat, either to the pot or the room. Whereas if I use my generator to run the induction single cooktop, then as well as cooking, I get the batteries charged & I can use the rest of the generator produced power to run or charge other appliances or lights or whatever I want, so I get far more uses out of a volume of fuel than I can with propane. I think that I get better value from the diesel or gas fuel running the multi use generator. Here, propane is only a little less cost than gasoline or diesel fuel & as mentioned, it only produces heat (& fumes).
So while induction still can use a fair bit of electricity while cooking, OVER TIME, it can be more efficient overall when cooking & a hell of a lot SAFER than other alternatives.
IME they are great if using a generator for power, not so much for small battery systems. Similar to a microwave.
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Mtnviewer
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# Posted: 24 Jul 2015 13:24 - Edited by: Mtnviewer
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WOW  I just watched some of the NuWave videos & looked at the website. Talk about misleading & incredibly annoying sales!!!!!! What a horrible company to produce this kind of misleading hype. Capitalism at it's worst. RUN AWAY FROM THIS PRODUCT .... FAST!
On the website, it says or suggests it will save 90% of energy use, then an opening line says US Department of Energy or some such thing says 50% of energy is wasted with electric coil or gas cooking, then on the video someone says it uses 70% less energy. People interviewed say cooking happens so fast, water comes to a boil after "just looking away", blah, blah, blah. At one point it says that you can now get professional results. Well I couldn't cook very well before induction & I still am not a good cook now after 3 years of using an induction cooktop.
So don't believe the hype. It "can" heat pots more efficiently, like a microwave can heat food more directly, but their numbers & hype are not what I experience. Water boils quickly on the highest setting, but I haven't compared it to propane on the highest setting or an electric coil on the highest setting. Maybe one day I will.
But worse, is their energy savings claims in words, video & interviews. Their info is confusing at 50, 70 & 90% savings & a lot of it is just user opinion vs. scientific fact.
I've been using my Eurodib induction cooktop for 3 years for the safety & some convenience features. I much prefer it over an electric coil or propane stoves both of which I've owned for many more years. But induction is not some sort of magic (cause magic doesn't exist  ). It's just a different tool. I have ruined two electric coil hotplates due to boil overs. I also have had too many boil overs with propane & clean up of propane stoves is difficult & messy when it gets down below the propane burner. Boil overs with induction cooktops are easy to clean up & the electronics are protected from liquids. Boil overs are still VERY possible with induction but I'm having fewer of them.
IME, I have NOT realized 50-90% energy savings! I don't see how that is possible. And don't forget you need steel pots that will attract a magnet for induction to work. Aluminum pots & pans for example, won't work with induction technology. Hybrid metals that have a slight magnetic attraction won't be as efficient or work either. So you might have to spend money on new pots that are highly attractive to magnets, which would negate some or a lot of the energy savings. Luckily I already had pots that worked with induction.
Forget the hype & I'd ignore Nuwave just because their website commercials are confusing & maybe deceitful. If it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is. The Nuwave hype is like that, though induction technology does have some benefits worth considering.
For me induction cooking is useful because of it's safety, it's timers, easy cleanup & protected electronics from boil overs. Energy savings? Maybe, but it's not at all obvious & with my being 100% off grid, I am a very concerned with energy savings.
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creeky
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# Posted: 24 Jul 2015 15:12
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Quoting: Mtnviewer induction is not some sort of magic (cause magic doesn't exist )
I'm making ham bone stock today. I have an unbelievable plethora (that's alot) of yellow beans. I was concerned that my bean plants were small. but holy hanna. In the last two days i've eaten two meals out of one bush (I have three) and I still cannot see the ground for all the yellow beans.
so I'm making a soup from my mennonite grandma's recipe. i will be eating a lot of ham and beans for a bit. I will also be freezing some.
here is my induction cooker simmering away.
my solar system has charged the batteries already, so I am on float. The system is using 120 watts to maintain float with no loads.
I have set the induction cooker by temperature (120C as you can see, which means it should be using 400 watts). it cycles off and on. I will post the power usage once the broth is done. but as of now the cooker appears to be drawing about 700 watts when it is on.
update: I just hit the one hour mark. according to my EM100 I have used 340 watts. the 120C mark should be a rolling simmer. but it's not, no boil in fact. I have to use the 150 mark. where I get a slightly too vigorous boil.
I'm not liking the Salton. If I were to buy another induction cooker it will have more temperature selections.
I will point out: The cost to run the cooker, as my batteries are already charged and the sun is out, is effectively 0.
With solar. once your batteries are charged. all power you use until the sun goes down comes direct from the sun. there is no cost. In fact, it's part of getting your money's worth.
This also points to one of the advantages of Lithium batteries. Because they don't care if they are partially discharged, you only need be concerned with maintaining a healthy charge level between say 50 and 90%. this means you can use heavy loads at night and you're not diminishing the lifespan of your batteries in the same way you would be with lead acid.
As I have a lead acid battery pack. I try to schedule my heavy loads for the afternoon of sunny days. I know my batteries are charged and the power I use comes not from the batteries but directly from the sun.
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creeky
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# Posted: 24 Jul 2015 16:07
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Final tally.
Ham bones. $3.40.
Two hours, 740 watts of simmering supplied by my solar system. Free.
Turning the sun into ham stock. how delicious.
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