does it's job well, even for arts and crafts
This hotplate is compact, affordable and a good value, and offers great control over heat. I bought it for its solid, flat plate, which is much easier to clean and much more stable than exposed-coil heating elements, which tend to rattle around in their drip pan. I bought this not for cooking purposes, but for arts and crafts -- I use it in my studio for steam-setting dyed wool in a canning pot, and also for heating wax and encaustic paints. The "warm" setting and exceptional control over temperature is especially helpful for heating wax and encaustic, which have very low melting- and flash points. While an electric griddle might be a better option for precise temperature control, this hotplate is generally pretty well-made for its price and has a good, multipurpose heating element.
A BIG FLOP
We thankfully tested this unit out before using it in our camper. I wanted to ensure that it would work well for cooking simple meals and heating up canned goods. I also wanted to make sure it wouldn't get too hot underneath the unit and damage our new laminate countertops.
The unit wasn't level when sitting on our granite kitchen counters. It was about 1/4" too high on one leg. We removed a rubber cushion, and that solved the problem (though we shouldn't have had to remove a protective cushion in the first place). Strike ONE.
After 30 minutes on the HIGH setting, a pot of water (about 1 1/2 quarts) was 190 degrees. The unit would cycle on and off (the light would be on, then turn off) without reaching the boiling point. STRIKE TWO.
The other HUGE problem with this unit is that there is no heat shield to prevent the heat from reaching the countertop. We used a thermometer to check how hot the granite countertop became and were shocked that it...
Fast heating
I recommend this good burner. This stuff is small --doesn't take much space -- and easy to carry. By my experience, when I turn it "High" (4 degrees: Warm, Low, Medium, High), it takes less than 10 minutes to boil 1 liter water (the time spent may not be the same depending on several factors). I think it should be suitable for people who don't have a kitchen or want to travel with a portable electric burner.
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