> I still lust over the Viking induction hob, but I'm not about to pay >$600 for
> it. So... following the earlier discussion here, I ordered the Wolfgang Puck
> induction hob from HSN, for 99.95 minus 15%% for a coupon. It took a little over
> a week to get here.
>
> We quickly found out that very little of our cookware will work with it. All my
> Griswold cast iron is, of course, fine. And, as expected, none of my copper pans
> work. My two Tramontina clad saute pans are fine, but a similar clad 4-qter is
> not. My All-Clad 1qt. saucier and 4-qt. pot are fine, but the 7qt. All-Clad
> pasta pentola is not, and I had really wanted to use that one for deep-frying.
> 8;(
>
> It works great. Straight power control (400, 600, 800, 1000, 1400 watts); time
> control; and temperature control, from 150 to 400 deg. F in 50 degree steps.
> Initially, I was disappointed that it didn't offer 25 degree steps, particularly
> 325 and 375, for frying, but that turned out not to matter.
>
> The "mat" that comes with it is just an induction-ready heat diffuser. It works
> well with all types of cookware setting on it, whether the cookware is induction
> ready or not, even my ceramic teapot.
>
> Last night, we deep-fried two batches of hush puppies. We put a piece of
> parchment paper over the entire top of the hob, for ease of clean-up -- perfect.
> The warm up is very quick, with no overshoot.
>
> I set it to 400 degrees, and we started dropping batter five scoops at a time as
> soon as the oil reached 380 on the infrared thermometer. Through eight batches
> of puppies, the oil remained between 368 and 375 at all times. I never had to
> drop the control down to 350, as I had expected I would.
>
> It was great -- no extra heat in the kitchen, no mess (a little scorching of the
> parchment paper from the hot pot), and a perfect result. We are sold.
>
> A big thank-you to whomever it was who first mentioned this unit.
>
> -- Larry