Waring Pro ICT100 Professional Induction Cooktop

• Induction cooktop with electromagnetic technology for fast heating
• Consumes 85-percent less energy than conventional burners
• Heat stops automatically 45 seconds after removal of a pot or pan
• Simple touch controls include On/Off, 7 heat settings, and a 99-minute timer
• Measures approximately 13-1/2 by 11 by 3 inches; 5-year limited warranty

Excellent product:
I bought this to test induction cooking prior to making the investment in a new induction cooktop. It works great! When I first received it I did some basic testing to compare to my radiant cooktop (which is 16 years old). I won't go into my test results except to say that everything convinced me that induction is the way to go. What was particularly impressive was the time for water to stop boiling (10 seconds for the induction vs. 2'30" for the radiant). This would be great for a hot plate for a college student. The fact that the surface stays cooler than a regular hotplate and that it won't even turn on if there is no pan on the burner would make it much safer. I also use it when cooking with my 4 1/2 year old grandson since the surface remains so much cooler than the radiant cooktop. Even after replacing our radiant cooktop I am sure we will find a use for this. If I don't give it to my daughter we'll probably use it as a hotplate for parties, etc.

Questionable Performance:
I bought the Waring Pro portable induction cooktop to use with two different induction ready cookware sets that I've got...One of those sets is the Lustercraft multiclad waterless (carbon steel layer in base) cookware and the other is the Infinite Circulon set...I recieved the unit this week and am just using it for the first time this weekend with both of my induction ready cookware sets. As mentioned both of my cookware sets are supposed to work with induction cookers... Just to be certain, I've also done the magnet test with the bottoms of both sets and both do grip a magnet tightly, so I know there is enough magnetic material in the base to make induction work... That said, when cooking with the Infinite Circulon set the Waring Pro works just fine, however the same cannot be said for the Lustercraft. When the Lustercraft cookware is used the Waring Pro does not work properly...The contents of the cookware do not even get remotely warm even after 10 or more minutes of what appears to be normal cooking.. The Waring Pro does not shut down when using the Lustercraft cookware (which would be a normal sequence if it did not detect a suitable cooking material in the cookware being used) but it does continue to beep intermittently (about every 10-12 seconds on low power) and continuosly while in operation...As higher cooking ranges are selected the beeping frequency increases (about every 2-3 seconds on high power), but again the unit does not shut down and gives every appearance of cooking at the power level selected. With the rather scant users guide there is no mention of this beeping condition, therefore is relatively useless for any troubleshooting insights. At this point I would be hesitant to recommend this unit...My unit may have a defective cookware detection circuit or the design of that component may be faulty, but in either event I would expect it to operate the same for both induction ready cookware sets... I will be returning this unit and will select another brand after a disappointing experience with this Waring Pro...

Defective unit or production problems?:
This will not work with cast iron, not even the using exactly what is pictured on the cover of the box! Tried with Lodge and several different Le Creuset skillets, grills and pots. It just beeps as an error indicator of no pot, and then turns itself off. Obviously my unit is defective, but since I see another review on here with a similar problem, I have to wonder if they have a production problem here.

Mine doesn't work:
I wanted to add a "buyer beware" to the other reviews from people who had problems. I have a kettle that passed the magnet test. Right out of the box, I tried to heat water in the kettle. It seemed to cook for a few minutes and then shut down completely. None of the buttons responded. The water was warm, at best, and I had to unplug it to get it to reset. This happened in every one of several tests. I like the induction concept and may try another brand.

Works great:
So I got this cuz I'm a nerd, love new technology (well its not actually new but rare here in the States) and hate my electric cooktop. This is 1,000,000 times better. The speed at which things heat up is excellent and its super quick to react to changes in power output. Its great if you want to take it outside and cook something there as you might want to say if you're deep frying. There is no ventilation which could be a problem for some, it doesn't bother me much. I've tried bringing it to my cooktop's ventilation but theres no place for it to sit flat plus I need an extension cord. But basing it simply on cooking and how it performs, this is great and evenly matched with gas. Except you can't cook things over an open flame of course but then theres a benefit, no added wasted heat to the area. The glass surface does not get hot BUT will become warm or hot simply due to the hot cookware sitting on top of it. You can put a towel between the two to alleviate this but the towel can become burnt. The glass isn't quite as nice looking as brand new but its held up quite well. Clean up is a snap. It seems to be making more a of a pronounced buzzing noise but nothing terribly annoying. All in all, a powerful, portable cooktop (though you do need an electrical outlet nearby) thats great for tabletop, outside or if you're just one person.