Best Portable Induction Cooktops (With Coil Sizes Compared)

For most people, the Nuwave PIC Titanium is the portable induction cooktop to buy. It runs on an ordinary 120V outlet at 1800 watts, lets you set the temperature in 5°F steps from 50°F to 575°F, comes with a plug-in food probe, and it’s one of the few home units whose maker actually publishes a coil size (8 inches). If you’d rather spend less and keep things simple, the Duxtop 9600LS is the value pick. It has 20 power levels, a 10-hour timer and a 2-year warranty.

If you’re cooking for a crowd or using big stockpots, the thing that matters most is the diameter of the induction coil under the glass. The size of the box tells you very little. A reader on our old extra-large cooktop page made this point, and they were right: on a 6-inch coil, a wide pot boils in the middle and sits still at the edges. Most manufacturers don’t publish coil size at all, so we’ve set out below which ones do, which ones don’t, and what that means for a big pot.

Need more power than a household outlet can give? Skip to the 240V pick, the Avantco IC3500. It’s a 3,500-watt commercial countertop unit that needs a 240V outlet.

In this guide

1. Quick comparison
2. How we researched this
3. Coil size vs unit size: the table nobody else publishes
4. 1. Nuwave PIC Titanium: best overall
5. 2. Duxtop 9600LS: best value
6. 3. Nuwave PIC Pro Chef: heavier-duty 120V option
7. 4. ChangBERT 1800W Commercial Grade: simple controls, stated 8-inch coil
8. 5. Vollrath Mirage Pro 59500P: professional build on a household plug
9. 6. Avantco IC3500: the big induction stove (240V)
10. 7. Duxtop 8100MC: tight budget
11. Buying guide: what actually matters
12. FAQs
13. Bottom line
14. Sources

Quick comparison

How we researched this

We didn’t test these cooktops in a kitchen. We compared manufacturer spec pages, owner’s manuals and spec sheets from Secura (Duxtop), Nuwave, ChangBERT, Vollrath and Avantco, and used independent reviews and patterns in owner feedback for things spec sheets don’t cover. For this category we focused on published coil diameter, maximum wattage and the circuit it needs, how finely you can set power and temperature, the smallest and largest pans the maker supports, and warranty. We checked in September 2026 that every pick is still sold in the US. Where a maker doesn’t publish a number, we say so rather than guess.

Coil size vs unit size: the table nobody else publishes

The induction coil is the flat copper winding under the glass, and it only heats the part of the pan sitting over it. Heat reaches the rest of the pan base by conduction through the metal. The printed ring on the glass and the overall size of the unit are not the coil. Neither is the “maximum pan size”, which is only the widest base the maker supports.

What the table shows:

• The biggest boxes don’t publish coil size. The Vollrath and the Avantco are the largest units here, and neither maker states a coil diameter. Their 10¼-inch maximum pan size is a limit on the pan, not a measurement of the coil.
• The coil sizes that are published are the maker’s own figures. We found no independent measurement confirming Nuwave’s or ChangBERT’s 8-inch claim, and at least one Titanium owner has doubted it. Independent reviewers who looked at Duxtop units described a coil of roughly 6 to 7 inches, but Secura publishes no figure.
• Wattage matters as much as coil size. An 8-inch coil at 1800W puts the same power over a wider area than a 6-inch coil at 1800W. It spreads the heat more evenly, but it doesn’t add energy. Only the 240V unit adds energy.

1. Nuwave PIC Titanium: best overall

This is the one for someone who cooks seriously on a portable burner: searing, deep frying, holding a sauce, or running long simmers with the probe. It offers the finest temperature steps of any 120V pick here, and Nuwave states an 8-inch coil.

• Power: 1800W max; selectable 700W, 1500W or 1800W (useful on weak RV or dorm circuits)
• Voltage: 115–120V household outlet
• Temperature: 50–575°F in 5°F steps; five presets (100, 200, 300, 400, 575°F)
• Probe: plug-in food probe; target internal temperature 50–480°F
• Timer: up to 99 hours 59 minutes, in 1-minute steps; programmable cooking stages
• Pans: 3″ minimum; Nuwave says up to 10″ wide, with the outer edge heating more slowly
• Warranty: 1 year

What’s good

• 5°F steps let you actually hit a simmer or a frying temperature, not just get close.
• The probe can hold a pot of liquid at a set internal temperature, which is useful for stock, beans or frying oil.
• The wattage cap lets it run where 1800W would trip a breaker.

What to watch out for

• A recurring owner complaint is that at low settings it cycles power on and off rather than holding a gentle steady heat. Owners report that dropping to the 700W setting smooths this out.
• Owner feedback on fan noise is mixed, and the button layout takes some learning.
• The warranty is 1 year, against 2 years for Duxtop and Vollrath.

Check price on Amazon

2. Duxtop 9600LS: best value

This is the pick for everyday boiling, sautéing and extra-burner duty when you don’t need 5°F precision. It has a sensor-touch panel with 20 power levels, a proper 10-hour timer and a lock, and Secura backs it for two years.

• Power: 20 levels, 100W to 1800W
• Voltage: 120V, 15A outlet (the manual asks for a dedicated outlet)
• Temperature: 20 preset settings, 100–460°F
• Timer: up to 10 hours; Boil and Keep Warm (140°F) shortcut buttons
• Pans: flat magnetic base at least 5″ across
• Warranty: 2 years on Secura’s product page (an older printed manual lists 1 year)

What’s good

• Twice the power steps of the Duxtop 8100MC, so low simmers are easier to find.
• The child lock blocks every button except On/Off.
• If Power mode overheats a pan, the unit switches itself to Temperature mode.

What to watch out for

• Coil size isn’t published. Independent reviewers describe heat concentrated in the center, so wide pots will heat unevenly.
• Duxtop’s own manual says the temperature reading is only an estimate, because the sensor sits under the glass.
• Top temperature is 460°F, which is lower than Nuwave’s 575°F sear setting.

Check price on Amazon

3. Nuwave PIC Pro Chef: heavier-duty 120V option

This one is for people who want Nuwave’s temperature control in a tougher shell. Nuwave says it passed a 1.5 ft-lb drop test, and its Amazon listing calls it NSF-certified and commercial-grade. It has the same 8-inch coil claim as the Titanium, but no probe.

• Power: 900W, 1500W or 1800W
• Voltage: 120V, 15A
• Temperature: 94 settings, 100–575°F in 5°F steps; six presets
• Timer: up to roughly 100 hours; up to 10 programmed stages (per manual)
• Pans: 3″ minimum; up to 11.4″ (the width of the unit)
• Weight: 8 lb
• Warranty: 1 year

What’s good

• Fine 5°F control and a 575°F sear setting.
• Its manual supports a wider pan (11.4″) than the Titanium’s does (10″).

What to watch out for

• The NSF claim appears on the Amazon listing, not on Nuwave’s own product page. The manual we read, for an earlier model number, is marked “for household use only.” Restaurants should confirm certification before buying.
• It costs more than the Titanium but has no probe.

Check price on Amazon

4. ChangBERT 1800W Commercial Grade: simple controls, stated 8-inch coil

This is for anyone who mostly boils, stir-fries or runs big pans and wants four buttons rather than a menu. ChangBERT states an 8-inch coil, NSF and ETL approval, and certification to the UL 197 commercial cooking standard, which is more certification detail than most home brands publish.

• Power: 10 fixed levels, 400W to 1800W
• Voltage: 120V
• Temperature mode: none listed. This model is controlled by power level only.
• Timer: up to 360 minutes
• Size and weight: 11.8″ x 15.8″ x 2.6″, 7.65 lb; ChangBERT says it supports up to 100 lb
• Warranty: not stated on this model’s product page

What’s good

• The 8-inch coil claim suits 10–12 inch skillets and wide pots better than typical 6–7 inch coils.
• Stainless body, and a load rating suited to heavy stockpots.

What to watch out for

• Without a temperature mode, you manage frying and simmering by power level alone.
• ChangBERT sells several similar-looking models with different controls. Check the listing says 10 power levels and a 360-minute timer.

Check price on Amazon

5. Vollrath Mirage Pro 59500P: professional build on a household plug

This is a foodservice unit for catering, demo cooking or a home cook who wants the finest power control on 120V. Vollrath lists it as NSF- and UL-certified with a 2-year warranty.

• Power: 1800W; 100 power levels
• Voltage: 120V, 15A, NEMA 5-15P plug, 6 ft cord
• Temperature: Temperature mode 80–400°F; Vollrath says Power mode reaches roughly 80–525°F
• Timer: 1–180 minutes
• Pans: flat base 4¾” to 10¼”
• Size and weight: 14″ x 15.25″ x 3″, 13.4 lb
• Warranty: 2 years

What’s good

• 100 power steps make it easy to hold a steady simmer.
• 18-gauge stainless steel case, variable-speed knob, and a “HOT” warning after shut-off.

What to watch out for

• Coil size is not published. It’s a big, heavy unit, but that doesn’t make the coil big.
• Temperature mode tops out at 400°F.
• Vollrath’s spec sheet says it isn’t meant for aluminum pans with a steel disc on the bottom.

Check price on Amazon

6. Avantco IC3500: the big induction stove (240V)

If you searched for a “big induction stove” because a 120V unit can’t keep a large pot at a rolling boil, this is the category you need. The Avantco IC3500 delivers 3,500 watts, nearly double any household-plug unit. It needs a 208–240V outlet with a NEMA 6-20 receptacle, which most home kitchens don’t have unless an electrician adds one.

• Power: 13 levels: 500, 700, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600, 1800, 2000, 2300, 2600, 3000, 3200, 3500W
• Voltage: 208–240V, single phase, NEMA 6-20P plug
• Temperature: 140–460°F in 20°F steps
• Timer: 0–180 minutes in 5-minute steps
• Pans: 4¾” to 10¼” base; 9¼” recommended; 110 lb suggested load
• Size: 12⅞” x 16⅜” x 4″
• Warranty: 1-year replacement (per the warranty document listed with it)

What’s good

• This is the real fix for big pots: more total energy, not just a bigger footprint.
• Stainless steel housing, built for commercial kitchens.

What to watch out for

• You can’t plug it into a normal outlet, and it isn’t portable in the grab-it-for-the-RV sense.
• Coil size is not published, and 20°F temperature steps are coarse.
• It’s sold mainly through restaurant-supply channels. The Amazon listings we found were from third-party sellers.

Check price at Avantco: Avantco IC3500

7. Duxtop 8100MC: tight budget

This is a basic burner for boiling water, dorm cooking or occasional extra capacity. It’s a long-running model that Secura still sells.

• Power: 10 levels, 200W to 1800W
• Voltage: 120V, 15A
• Temperature: 10 settings, 140–460°F
• Timer: up to 170 minutes in 1-minute steps
• Pans: magnetic base at least 5″ across
• Warranty: 2 years (Secura product page)

What’s good

• Simple push buttons, ETL listed, and low- and high-voltage warnings.

What to watch out for

• Only 10 power and 10 temperature steps, so gaps between settings are wide.
• Coil size is not published, and the lowest temperature setting is 140°F.

Check price on Amazon

Buying guide: what actually matters

1. The 120V ceiling: 1800 watts

A standard US kitchen outlet is 120V on a 15-amp circuit. At 1800 watts, a cooktop draws 15 amps (1800 ÷ 120), the full rating of that circuit. That’s why every household-plug unit here stops at 1800W, and why Duxtop’s manual tells you to use a dedicated outlet and run one cooktop per outlet. Plug it into a circuit already running a kettle or toaster and you’ll likely trip the breaker. A bigger box or a “commercial-grade” label can’t get past this limit.

2. Why 240V commercial units exist

Doubling the voltage lets a unit deliver much more power at a similar current. The Avantco IC3500’s 3,500 watts at 240V works out to roughly 14.6 amps. For big stockpots, canning batches, or woks that need to recover heat quickly, that extra energy makes the difference. The catch is the plug: a NEMA 6-20P needs a matching 240V receptacle on a suitable circuit, which usually means an electrician. If you just need two burners on 120V, see our 2-burner induction cooktop guide. Most double units share one 1800W budget between both zones.

3. Match the pan to the coil, not the glass

Induction heats only the metal above the coil. On a 6- to 7-inch coil, a 12-inch pot gets an intense hot zone in the middle and relies on conduction to warm the edges. That’s why a reader saw pots “only boil in the center.” Three things help:

• Pick a published large coil (the 8-inch Nuwave and ChangBERT units) if you regularly use 10–12 inch pans.
• Use heavy, clad cookware. A thick aluminum or copper core spreads heat sideways far better than a thin stainless or enameled steel pot. Our induction cookware guide covers sets with good cores.
• Keep the base close to the coil size for searing. A 10-inch skillet on an 8-inch coil browns much more evenly than a 12-inch skillet on a 6-inch one.

Minimum pan size matters too. Duxtop needs at least a 5-inch magnetic base, and Nuwave accepts pans as small as 3 inches. Below the minimum, the unit won’t detect the pan and shows an error.

4. Cookware compatibility: the magnet test

If a fridge magnet sticks firmly to the bottom of the pan, it works on induction. Cast iron, enameled cast iron, carbon steel and magnetic (18/0 or clad with a magnetic base) stainless steel all work. Plain aluminum, copper, glass and ceramic don’t. Some aluminum pans have a thin steel disc pressed into the base. They’ll work, but the magnetic area is often smaller than the pan, and Vollrath specifically says not to use them on the Mirage Pro. If you have pans you can’t replace, a converter disc is a workaround, though you lose most of induction’s speed.

5. “Power levels” vs “temperature mode”

Power mode sets how many watts go into the pan, like turning a gas flame up or down. Temperature mode uses a sensor under the glass to switch power on and off to hold a target. Two things to know:

• The sensor reads the glass, not your food. Duxtop’s manual says plainly that the displayed temperature is an estimate that varies with cookware. Treat the numbers as repeatable settings, not lab readings.
• Most portable units hold low heat by cycling full power on and off every few seconds instead of running continuously at low power. That’s why a recurring complaint is uneven simmering. More power steps (Vollrath’s 100, Duxtop 9600LS’s 20) or a lower wattage cap (Nuwave’s 700W) make it gentler.

6. Noise

Every unit here is fan-cooled, and Duxtop’s manual notes that its fan keeps running after you switch off until the unit cools. Duxtop’s product copy also notes that some cookware makes a high-pitched sound on induction. That sound comes from the pan itself, and heavier, flatter-bottomed pans usually make less of it.

FAQs

What coil size do portable induction cooktops have?

Most makers don’t say. Of the models we checked, Nuwave (8″ on the PIC Titanium, Pro Chef and Gold; 6.5″ on the Diamond and Flex) and ChangBERT (8″) publish a figure. Duxtop, Vollrath and Avantco don’t. Independent reviews of Duxtop units describe roughly 6–7 inch coils. A large unit with a 10¼-inch maximum pan size does not have a 10¼-inch coil.

Are “extra-large” induction cooktops better for big pots?

Only if they have a bigger coil or more wattage, and the case size tells you neither. If you’re on 120V, choose a unit with a published 8-inch coil and use a heavy clad pot. If you need a large pot at a hard, sustained boil, a 240V unit like the Avantco IC3500 is the real upgrade.

Why does my big pot only boil in the center?

The coil is smaller than the pot base, so the center gets direct induction heating while the edges get only what conducts sideways through the metal. Thin pots make this worse. A thicker-based pot, a bigger coil or more wattage all help.

Can I plug a portable induction cooktop into any outlet?

A 120V unit, yes, but at 1800W it uses the whole 15-amp circuit, so give it an outlet with nothing else heavy running on the same circuit. The Nuwave and Duxtop manuals both assume a 15-amp outlet. A 240V unit needs a matching 240V receptacle.

Will a portable induction cooktop work in an RV?

Yes, if your shore power or generator can supply it. Units with a wattage cap help. The Nuwave Titanium drops to 700W, and the smaller Nuwave Diamond maxes out at 1400W. See our RV induction cooktop guide.

Does cast iron work on a portable induction cooktop?

Yes. Cast iron is strongly magnetic. Lift it rather than sliding it, because the glass scratches, and heat it gradually on lower power, since cast iron heats unevenly over a small coil.

What happened to the Breville Control Freak?

It was the benchmark for precise countertop induction, but in September 2026 it was listed as out of stock at Breville and “currently unavailable” on Amazon, so we haven’t included it as a pick.

Bottom line

Get the Nuwave PIC Titanium if you want precise control and a stated 8-inch coil on a household outlet. Get the Duxtop 9600LS if you want a dependable, simpler burner with a 2-year warranty. If your real problem is big pots that won’t boil, no 120V unit will fix it on wattage alone. Either choose a published large coil and heavy cookware, or step up to a 240V unit like the Avantco IC3500.

Sources

• Secura: Duxtop 9600LS product page
• Secura: Duxtop 9600LS user manual (PDF)
• Secura: Duxtop 8100MC product page
• Nuwave: PIC Titanium product page
• Nuwave: PIC Titanium owner’s manual (PDF)
• Nuwave: PIC Pro Chef product page
• Nuwave: PIC Pro Chef owner’s manual (PDF)
• Nuwave: PIC Diamond product page
• Nuwave: PIC Diamond owner’s manual (PDF)
• ChangBERT: 1800W Commercial Grade induction cooktop product page
• Vollrath: Mirage Pro 59500P product page
• Vollrath: Mirage Pro spec sheet (PDF)
• Avantco: IC3500 product page
• Avantco: IC3500 user manual (PDF)
• Breville: Control Freak product page (availability)