Looks The Part, But Lackluster Performance... -
This ceramic hot-plate looks the part, and I cannot denny that it works very well, but it provides no more heat than a standard coiled hot-plate, and in fact when turned to the larger 1500W heating setting (larger diameter), the outer rings do not heat up to the same degree as the inner rings. This creates center heat zones in any pots or pans over 8" in diameter, and is very noticeable in pots 10" and larger... The unit also cycles on and off, to stabilize temperature, but sometimes when you are shooting for high heat levels it can be very frustrating...! After a year of use, the markings (indicating temperature settings) around the dial have started to wear off, and the ceramic top element is very hard to clean, even with the specialized ceramic cooktop cleaners on the market. Good amounts of elbow grease are required to keep this puppy clean! Overall, this unit looks the part when cleaned—impressive. However it's German made guts really are no better than a $17.95 basic hot-plate in terms of performance. If you need something modern looking and impressive—and are willing to scrub and work to keep it clean—this unit will work well. For most it's just too expensive for its level of lackluster performance, and you should look at more reasonably priced units.