Product review (4 stars): My second foray into induction cookers. This one is everything I wanted.
I have an 1800 watt portable induction cooker that I bought just to find out what induction is all about. When I realized that the portable was just not capable of meeting my needs I shopped around and found this unit. I waited for some months before taking the plunge as nearly $800 is a lot for an experiment. Fortunately the Ramblewood Green Induction Cooktop has exceeded my expectations.
In a comparison test with my largest gas burner I found that heating one gallon of water to boiling was accomplished with induction in thirteen minutes and the water was boiling with great vigor. My largest gas burner is rated at 17,200 BTU, considerably more than the average of about 13,000 that is found on most home stoves. Oversize burner or not the gallon of water took seventeen minutes to boil and it never did reach the vigorous level of induction.
Appearance is always a factor in a home kitchen and I have not been disappointed with the look of the induction cooktop. The surface is absolutely flat and is made from some kind of glass or ceramic that in some light show some red highlights.
Cleanup is a dream as nothing sticks to the top and nothing burns on as the top never gets hot.
Installation was a challenge. The unit requires a 220 volt source. Get an electrician for that. Cutting into a counter top to get just the proper size was a challenge yet it worked out and the cooktop fits perfectly using the provided (metric) measurements. One note about countertops. The unit has a vent on the front that needs adequate ventilation. If your countertop is thicker than most (mine is two inches thick) that vent will be blocked so some kind of channeling is necessary to conduct away the heat.
My sole minor complaint is that the controls are somewhat unresponsive although I am getting used to it and no longer really notice anymore.