Before you spend thousands, try out induction cooking cheap

As induction ranges become more common, a lot of people are getting curious about them and are looking at replacing their standard electric range with an induction range. So far I have been happy with my induction range but I have to admit, it takes getting used to.

And lets be honest, induction ranges are not cheap. In fact, the cheapest I have seen is $1700 for an induction range and upwards of $4,000 more advanced ones. So it is important you are ready before you take that plunge.

How I learned about Induction cooking

I got turned on to induction cooking in two different ways. First, I had a customer that was a Ramen pop up (Restaurant), and they used portable induction cookers to maintain their broths at the proper temperature without needing a lot of people watching them like you would with gas.

Second, I am married to an asian girl. I joke about that but I have had more hotpot and shabu shabu since I met her compared to any other time in my life. And doing shabu shabu at home can be a lot of fun with groups of people or if you are just trying to get more vegetables in your life.

Now normally, people who do hotpot at home get these little portable butane stoves to use on a table in the middle of the table. Or if you are childless, in the middle of your living room.

They can be great things to use but you can never be sure when you have enough butane around, when it runs out and I don’t like storing flammable canisters under pressure in my home. Add on top of it, I live close to the ocean and the ocean air makes them rust.

Portable Induction Range

So I started looking and found a portable, induction burner. I liked it for several reasons. One, it allows me to use it where ever I want as long as there is a plug to put it in. Two, it hold the temperature a lot more consistent compared to the butane stove I was constantly fiddling with. Third, no worries about a niece or nephew (or curious dog) burning themselves on a hot cooking surface. Forth, super easy clean up.

So I bought one, and for about two years, we used it to make hotpot and I started using it to cook other things. So when we bought and renovated our new place, I got an induction range. In fact this is the exact one I have.

But you can do what I did. Test out for less thank $75 how induction cooking works. Pick up one of these from Amazon and you can test it at home before you shell out several thousand dollars for a new induction range.