Induction cooking is a hot topic at Tom’s Guide, and we love getting our hands on products to review. However, we also recognize that while cooking with induction delivers excellent results and is easy to use, many people are still reluctant to make the swap to induction. and are hesitant to give up their gas range or electric range.
If you are nervous about investing in a built-in induction cooktop, there's a great solution. A portable induction cooktop offers a more affordable option and serves as an excellent compromise. You’ll get the chance to try out induction cooking before making a big commitment — and enjoy extra cooktop space when you’re entertaining a crowd, like during Thanksgiving.
Imagine no more juggling pans to get everything cooked on time. Below is our current lineup of three portable induction cooktops we’ve tested, along with pros and cons of each — to help you decide which is the best fit for your needs.
Best budget — $74
Pros
- Great price
- Easy to store
- Two color choices
- Great for outdoor adventures
Cons
- No temperature probe
- Noisy
- No power boost
We’re big fans of IKEA at Tom’s Guide, and appreciate how the Swedish brand makes stylish furniture and home goods at affordable prices. However, it’s not as well-known for its kitchen appliances, even though it has an extensive range — including refrigerators, microwaves and even a portable induction cooktop.
While IKEA's built-in induction cooktops start at $599 for the FLACKSTA, the brand has made induction cooking more accessible with its portable version, the TILLREDA, available for $74 at IKEA. Even though the Amazon Basics portable induction cooktop is a just $51 at Amazon, IKEA beats Amazon on style — which isn’t surprising.
Although IKEA’s induction cooktop is on the affordable side, I wasn’t disappointed with its performance. It doesn’t have the extra features of the Smeg or Breville, but at this price point, that’s to be expected. Plus, it gives you the chance to try out induction cooking before you buy a built-in version at a much steeper price. Whether you decide to upgrade or not, you’ll still have an extra cooking zone when needed
The TILLREDA portable induction cooktop takes on a cube-like design. While it’s not as sleek as the Smeg version, it's still compact. It also comes with two color options — a white or black base. I also like that it has a hook, so you can hang it up above your countertop, saving valuable counter or cabinet space if storage is limited.
The touch controls are very basic — it has a childlock, an off/on button and the temperature is controlled by ‘+’ and ‘-’ buttons. This all makes it super easy to use. If you place the wrong type of pan on the surface (they need to be magnetic), a ‘U’ icon will appear on the display, so you won’t be second-guessing why your induction cooktop isn’t working.
What impressed me most about this portable induction cooktop is despite its price it’s still just as responsive to heat adjustments as other induction cooktops. However, because it doesn’t offer the power boost function, it will take a whole minute longer than Smeg’s portable induction cooktop to boil a one liter of water. You might be waiting a few more seconds, but you’ll be saving over $400.
Read the full IKEA TILLREDA Portable Induction Cooktop review
Best for most people — $480
Pros
- Power boost
- 9 power levels
- Temperature probe
- Touch controls
- Sleek design
Cons
- Expensive
Smeg’s portable induction cooktop isn’t cheap at $480 from Harrods, but it gives you a good taster of what you’re missing out on.
With Smeg’s portable induction cooktop you get a sleek, lightweight appliance with a matt black surface and brushed silver aluminum surround, and touch controls. It’s also incredibly easy to set up — just plug it in. What’s more, you get two options with the control, either a slider control or touch +/- buttons.
One of my favorite features is the power boost function, which is perfect for boiling water fast for your pasta or vegetables. You’ll pay more for this feature, but once you’ve used it, it’s hard to go back.
You also get three cooking modes — Keep Warm, Barbecue, and Fry. And you can check the temperature while your food is cooking, with the option to set an alarm when it reaches the desired heat. It even includes a built-in temperature probe, which saves you relying on a separate meat thermometer. I found this super helpful for checking the temperature of a variety of foods, including melted chocolate.
I’d previously used a built-in induction cooktop at Smeg’s test center, and found the portable version just as responsive regarding heat control. Additionally, the portable appliance features an automatic switch-off function. The Keep Warm function will run for two hours, power level nine will switch off after 90 minutes, and the unit turns off after 30 seconds if no pan is detected.
Overall, it’s an excellent appliance with far more functionality than you’d need for a camping trip, but it would make an excellent additional cooking surface, or be ideal for a compact kitchen or small apartment.
Read the full Smeg Portable Induction Cooktop review
Best premium — $1,499
Pros
- Heats up super fast
- Multitude of settings
- Temperature probe
Cons
- Expensive for a portable cooktop
- Small pans can be difficult to register
The Breville’s Control Freak Home portable induction cooktop might have a strange name and its price might make you freak out . At $1,499 at Breville it’s one of the most expensive portable induction cooktops on the market. However, when Tom’s Guide’s U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Mike Prospero, tested it during a kitchen refit, it convinced him to buy an induction range as his next major appliance upgrade.
However, it doesn’t look as sleek as Smeg’s portable induction cooktop. In fact it’s quite chunky, and instead of a touchpad for temperature control it has a knob. But while it’s a heavyweight in the design department, it packs in a lot of functionality — including an HD touchscreen display screen that not only shows the current temperature but also allows you to select the ideal cooking temperature for specific foods.
Whether you’re cooking meat or fish, you can enter your food type and choose a preferred method, like poaching or searing. The cooktop will then automatically set the optimal cooking temperature. I’m beginning to realize why it’s called the “Control Freak”. Of course, if you want to do things your way, you can use the manual setting by turning the control knob.
Prospero used the Control Freak Home settings when cooking eggs and steak, achieving perfectly cooked eggs and a beautifully seared crust on his steaks. He was also able to make good use of the temperature probe to ensure his proteins reached a safe internal temperature.
And while he was impressed by the cooking results — especially how quickly the pans heated up and maintained a consistent temperature — he did notice a few pitfalls. For a pan to register on the cooktop, a small sensor needs to be depressed, and he found his smallest pan had to be repositioned a few times before it registered. He was also surprised to discover that there wasn’t a setting for boiling water, even though there were presets for other liquids, including boiling sugar.
It is a high price to pay for a portable induction cooktop, but using the automatic settings does take the guesswork out of cooking.
Read our full Breville Control Freak Portable Induction Cooktop review
The verdict
If I were choosing a portable induction cooktop out of the three above, I would rule out the Breville Control Freak Home straight away. Why? At close to $1,500, it's incredibly expensive for a portable option, and I’d prefer to use that budget towards a fixed appliance.
However, out of the remaining two, there’s no doubt that the Smeg portable induction cooktop is the best product. The power boost function is excellent, and the temperature probe is another big bonus. Plus, it's a third of the price of the Breville.
With that being said, it is still pricey for a portable cooktop, so you need to think hard as to whether it’s the best choice for you. Nonetheless, if all you want is to get a feel for induction cooking, and at this stage aren’t worried about any fancy extras, then you can’t go far wrong with IKEA’s TILLEDRA portable induction cooktop at $74.
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