Secura 8100mc Review – Pros and Cons

Have you been looking for a spare burner for your kitchen? Maybe you want to buy a gift for a family member who has limited cooking facilities. Why not check out this Secura 8100mc Review on a countertop burner which is safe and easy to use and would make a useful addition to any kitchen. We’d like to go over the pros and cons of the Secura 8100mc induction countertop burner so you can decide if an induction is the type of burner that you’re looking for.

Check out the Secura 8100mc if you’re looking for a portable, safe cooking option.

Secura 8100mc Review

The Secura 8100mc is 13 x 11.5 x 2.5 inches in size and is light enough to carry around if you want to use it when on holiday or as a spare in your kitchen. It’s a nice looking unit that wouldn’t look out of place on the worktop but would fit nicely in a drawer if it’s just for occasional use. This is plugged into a normal electrical outlet which makes it very portable.

The Secura has a digital control panel which you can use to set the timer on the unit. You can cook by power level as there is10 power levels from 200 -1800 watts, or you can set the temperature you want to cook at if you know what it is, you can choose between 140F – 460F. The induction cooktop works by electro magnetic energy, which reacts with the base of the pan creating friction in the molecules which in turn creates heat.

This means that you need pans with a magnetic base to get the heat reaction. The clever thing about the Secura 8100mc is that it has a sensor that detects if there is a pan on the cooking surface and if it can’t find one within 30 seconds it shuts off. It has a ceramic top which is easy to keep clean and because the heat comes from the pan spills don’t get chance to burn onto the top. Now I’d like to discuss what in my opinion are the most important pros and cons.

Pros

#1 – Fast Cooking

One of the benefits of an induction burner is the fact that the heat reaction is instant. The hotplate can detect the base of the pan as soon as it touches the surface and the magnetic field will transfer energy into the metal of the pan which causes it to heat up. The temperature can be controlled with complete accuracy by adjusting the magnetic field via the digital control panel. This is great if you’re deep frying with hot fat and need the temperature to be spot on. It’s very quick to boil water which isn’t usually the case if you’re using a portable cast iron hotplate.

#2 – Uses less energy

The Secura 8100mc uses electricity but it doesn’t heat in the same way as an electric hotplate. That is heated using direct heat which heats up the pan, which heats up the food. Heat is wasted around the edges of the pan into the room. On an induction hotplate the base of the pan heats up so no heat loss around the edges. The heat is instant and adjustments happen quickly so you don’t have to wait for the cast iron plate to cool down or heat up to the correct temperature. The heating surface adjusts to the size of the base of the pan, so if you use a smaller pan you don’t get heat wastage around the edges. It’s an efficient cooker which doesn’t waste energy.

#3 – Safer to use

The problem with electric hotplates is the heat in the plate can burn you if you touch it accidentally. It also takes time to cool down when you have finished using it. The benefit of an induction countertop burner is that the heat is generated with the pan itself so the minute you remove the pan from the cook top there is no more heat generated. It might be hot to touch at first from heat transferred from the pan to the ceramic but it disperses quickly. The cooker is also cool to the touch around the edges even when it’s cooking so there is less likelihood of an accidental burn. If you have children or elderly relatives living with you it’s a safer choice to have on your worktop.

Cons

#1 – Requires specific cookware

An induction burner works with electro magnetic waves and to be able to do that it needs to react to a magnetic pan base. You may already have suitable cookware and it’s easy to check with a fridge magnet. If you have to purchase new pans then it’s worth taking your fridge magnet with you to double check. You can buy pan sets from Amazon.com which are made by Duxtop who also make the Secura 8100mc and these pans can be used on any type of cooker.

#2 – Can be a bit noisy

The induction cookers can make some noise which people find a bit off putting. It can create a humming sound, which can differ depending on the type of metal of the pan or the size. There is also a cooling fan inside which can add to the noise.

#3 – Cost

If you are going for a full hob it can work out quite expensive to buy. The portable burners are more in the affordable price range for most people. You can get quite a range for under $100 but the Secura 8100mc comes in under $50 cheaper than expected.

Conclusion

In this Secura 8100mc Review we’ve tried to pick out the best bits and the worst. At less than $50 this induction countertop burner is not overly expensive. It’s a good portable size, it’s easy to keep clean and can easily be moved around as you need it. The speed of the cooking and the safety aspect are features worth having. Although there are some cons they are outweighed by the positives in my opinion.

You can buy the Secura 8100mc at Amazon.com