For this review, we also evaluated several specialty burners (all priced over $120) designed for precise cooking, cooking with recipe apps, or working with larger pots and pans. We also tested one double burner and two entry-level commercial burners just for fun. For our recommendations from those tests, see Other good induction cooktops.
Our choice
In our tests, this induction burner was the easiest to use for everyday cooking, with great features and a modest footprint.
The Duxtop 9600LS has the best combination of settings, consistency, features, and usability in its category. It costs a bit more than our previous main pick, the Duxtop 9100MC, but the additional cost provides a more advanced control panel, as well as the ability to cook with more precision and less frustration. The 9600LS offers 20 power settings and 20 temperature settings, the widest range of any burner tested, and it maintains lower temperatures better than the previous pick. Among all the induction cooktops tested, this one was also the most effective at maintaining a target heat or temperature level, resulting in less scorching or spattering and less need to hover over a simmering pot. It has an all-glass interface and a bright LCD screen that is easier to clean and read than that of the previous pick, and it takes up slightly less space on a counter. It also includes several useful features, such as a rare 10-hour timer, as well as lock, boil, and warm buttons, which we found to be extremely useful for everyday cooking.
Budget option
Although this former top pick is not as easy to cook with as our top pick, it’s a great machine for a good price, and its lack of bells and whistles may be ideal for infrequent or tech-averse users.
Our previous top pick, the Duxtop 9100MC, offers 15 power settings and 15 temperature settings. However, during testing, this burner didn’t maintain a set heat or temperature as smoothly as our top pick. Its old-school control panel is not glass, and it uses traditional buttons instead of sensor-touch controls. This model omits lock, warm, and boil buttons, and it’s a little bigger and beeps a bit louder than our other pick. But none of these flaws are total deal-breakers given the 9100MC’s lower price. In fact, this burner might be especially good for occasional or tech-averse users.
