I have one of these.

I love it.

it is a real cheapy but works a treat.

2 things I like about this one - the display shows the power consumption in watts - so you can select between 200 watts and 2000 watts; and the sloping front means even if a big pan overhangs the control panel, it won't cook the control panel as the touchpad slopes down away from the cooking surface.

It's a cheap way to try induction and see if you like it.

That Ikea one was my other choice, but I live 3 hours from the nearest Ikea store.

They are stylish and I like how they can hang on a wall.

 $59 in Australia.

$49 in USA.

Benefits of Induction

CookTek® induction systems are faster and more efficient than both gas and electric. They are easy to control for precise heating and unmatched results. The induction cooktop surface remains cool to the touch for lower risk of injury and easier cleanup. CookTek® induction systems offer significant energy savings, lower utility bills, and provide a cooler, greener kitchen. How Induction Works Induction heating devices work by applying an alternating electromagnetic wave to magnetic cookware, such as stainless steel or cast iron pans. The metal molecules are attracted in different directions as the current alternates. Heat is generated from resistance and other physical processes caused – or induced – by the wave. CookTek® induction systems are 94% efficient, meaning that 94% of the energy consumed is delivered to the pan. This is unmatched by gas (typically 35%) or traditional electrically-powered cooking devices (typically 50%). As a result, induction cooking devices release less heat into the room, use less fuel, and save energy.

...have been showing up at the thrifts and Rich got me a nice one for downstairs for either $10 or 12. Once I pull it out, I'll see if I want to give it counter space next to my 7qt. air fryer!

I have a good amount of Calphalon tri-ply which is not induction-friendly, but also have a good amount of Le Creuset and other brands of enamel over cast iron, so it'll be worth it to have it down here. 

Upstairs we have a Miele combi-set with a single induction coil unit next to a 2-burner smooth top. When the local experience center was closing, I got one of the smaller induction cooktops (27" IIRC) for $50 because no one wanted it. It should drop right into the hole where the combi-set is now, once we get around to it!

Chuck

I've used induction in a few places, particularly friends' homes, but basically, most of my experience is with the induction equipment I have at home, which are a Max Burton portable burner and a free-standing Electrolux range.

The Max Burton portable is interesting in that it has a timer and also lets you choose between a power setting (10 equally spaced levels, I think) and a thermostat setting, which keeps a preset temperature for you -- more expensive models let you set whatever temperature, but my model, which cost all of 65-ish bucks, if I remember right, has only 6 pre-set temps, I think. If I remember right, one of them is 350F and the other is 250F, which are very practical for frying and pressure cooking. The downside is the cooling fan noise and, since it plugs into a regular outlet, it can only use 1,800W.

The range is a very different animal. It doesn't have a thermostat or timer for the burners (although I'm told you can buy Miele-level stuff which will give you that), but it has 4 burners of different sizes/power. Power control is very fine from LO-3.00, in .2 steps, then fine from 3-7, in .5 steps, then from 7-HI/PowerBoost it goes in jumps of 1, with something like 23 steps total, not counting PowerBoost). PowerBoost shares power between the front and back burners, 2 "zones", one left and one right and you can only use powerboost for something like 10 minutes, and it switches down to Hi automatically after that. (Incidentally, different brands and even different models in the same brand may have different features, check them out if they are important to you.)

One of the things I've seen people struggle with, when they came to cook at my home and were not used to induction is precisely what people described above -- the size of the pot/pan matters a lot. Most of the induction burners solve this "problem" by not turning on if the pot/pan is too small for the burner, and my range seems to do that too, but it's more "tolerant" of smaller pots than a lot of brands, but if you put a "small" pot (say, 6") on the 10" burner, it will take a surprisingly long time to come up to boil, despite the fact that that is the most powerful burner and can get a gallon of water boiling in no time flat with a wide pot.

Another thing that surprises people the most with this range is what I often tell them: do not leave anything unattended on PowerBoost ever. In fact, when they first ask me for a demonstration, they are often startled that I do not need to "pre-heat" anything: I just start on powerboost for a few seconds, drop the oil and/or butter in the pan and it immediately starts melting, then I drop the power to "Hi" or even lower and start cooking. You can actually finish an omelette or scrambled eggs before the toaster is done with the bread.

I would choose the pots carefully: not only the bottom sizes need to match one of your burners closely for maximum efficiency (a lot of people paid a bunch of money for woks and got disappointed, "wok" work is better on induction by either using a wide frying pan or getting a specialized induction wok burner) but you want to consider the inertia of the pot/pan too -- cast iron will take longer to cool down than something more like all-clad, and those aluminum pots covered in "ceramic" or teflon as a non-stick with a very thin stainless steel bottom to couple to the induction will heat up or cool down fastest.

Not sure if among the responses we have answered all you wanted to know, so please do ask whatever you want to know and we may be able to help.

Sarah, I don't have problems cooking on regular resistance coil elements, but to avoid waste heat and lighten the load on my older range surface units, I use induction to bring pans of food to cooking temperatures then move them to a surface unit that I have turned on to low or medium low to finish cooking.  It is so much more efficient to bring a pan of frozen vegetables to a boil in about 60 to 90 seconds on a 3000 watt induction unit where the heat is being created in the base of the pan than to have the same pan on a resistance element of around half that wattage which is forcing its heat into the pan and giving off a percentage of its heat to the space around it. 

People moving from gas to induction have more of an adjustment than thinking people used to electric cooking because the old 5 and 7 heat switches gave percentages of heat so medium high was 50% of high and on down the line so with an induction unit with 20 power positions, 10 is medium high, 4 or 5 is medium 2 or 3 is low and 1 is simmer, depending on the wattage of the unit and the quantity of food.  People who do not know that  wind up with pans that are too hot. Because of the power and efficiency, almost no cooking is done in the upper power levels, once large amounts of water, for example, are brought to a boil, although they are great for keeping water boiling when blanching stuff for canning or freezing.