AMZCHEF Double Induction Cooktop with Griddle review – Cooking with electromagnetics

REVIEW – Here at The Gadgeteer, we’ve reviewed induction cooktops in the past. I reviewed the Sunmaki 316 single-burner cooktop and Danny Welsch reviewed a two-burner model from AMZCHEF. We’ve discussed how fast they are, how they don’t heat up the kitchen since induction cooking only heats the pan, and how convenient the instant on/off heat can make cooking easier and more precise. We’ve also talked about how you need specific cookware that is ferromagnetic, like steel or cast iron. AMZCHEF offered up another two-burner induction cooktop for review. Same 1800W, same two burners. So, who cares? I do, and here’s why: this one is designed specifically to support a long and wide griddle, making this a triple-threat cooking weapon. The AMZCHEF Double Induction Cooktop with Removable Iron Cast Griddle Pan gives you three cooking choices. Single burner? ✔ Double burner? ✔ ✔ Griddle? ✔ ✔ ✔

What is it?

This is a two-burner countertop induction cooktop. It cooks by using an electromagnetic field to heat the cookware directly without heating the cooktop. In addition to the two independent burners, this cooktop can work as a large griddle by synchronously controlling both burners to heat the entire griddle pan. With a model number of “FS-IRC121G“, I expected 1.21 Gigawatts of power, but no, it only produces 1800. The cooking might be fast, but there won’t be any time traveling.

What’s included?

• AMZCHEF Double Induction Cooktop
• Cast iron griddle (on top of the cooktop)
• Griddle lid
• Silicone hot pads
• Manual

Tech specs

Design and features

The design of the AMZCHEF Double Induction Cooktop with Griddle is straightforward. It has a glass top with the two burners highlighted with graphics. All the controls and displays are on the front, from left to right: Power on/off, griddle/lock, timer, burner #1 indicator, burner #1 temp/power (flame with LED), burner #1 setting dial, burner #2 indicator, burner #2 temp/power (flame with LED), burner #2 setting dial.

When you plug the unit in, the two displays indicate “C” – I’m not sure what the “C” stands for, but that’s what it shows. Once the unit is turned on, the displays initially show “C0” – the burners are in temperature mode and at level 0 or off. You can cook in either temperature mode or power level mode. The unit defaults to temperature mode when you turn it on. The levels are displayed with a “C” in front of the level. Turning the individual burner dials moves the level through C0 – C7 temperatures as follows:

Pressing the flame button switches between temperature (C) and power level (P) mode. Turning the dial in power mode cycles through power levels 0-9 as follows:

Note that while each burner can produce 1100 watts, the unit can only produce 1800 watts total, so as you go beyond level 7 on one burner, the other will automatically step down to keep the power output at 1800 watts. It is a shame that when running a single burner it can’t produce the full 1800-watt output. That would sure boil water faster.

Pressing the Griddle button puts the cooktop in griddle mode. This is specifically made for the included griddle pan. Both dials control the entire griddle, acting like a single, large cooktop. It only operates in temperature mode as follows.

Long-pressing the griddle button (which is also the lock button) turns on the touch lock. When activated, it locks out all of the controls except the power button and changes the displays to an “L”. If you then turn off the power, you can’t turn it back on without long-pressing the lock button (griddle button) again to disable the lock. Unplugging the cooktop and plugging it back in also releases the lock.

The timer button lets you set a cooking timer, automatically shutting off the cooktop when the timer expires. That is a feature you don’t find on most stoves with cooktops.

The power cord is attached to the back. You can also see the exhaust vents for the cooling fans. The induction coils inside the unit do produce some heat and a robust cooling system shuttles air across them to keep them cool. The fans start when the unit starts. They run for around a minute or so after the unit is turned off.

Speaking of the cooling fans, we can see the input vents for the cooling fans on the bottom of the cooktop. There are also six non-slip rubber feet that keep the cooktop from sliding around.

The included griddle accessory is robust without being overly heavy. The non-stick surface feels sturdy and covers the entire cooktop. The areas above the burners are very slightly indented. The underside has contact pads that rest on the induction cooktop burners.

I didn’t take specific photos of the lid because, well, it’s a lid. It has a top handle.

Assembly, Installation, Setup

The AMZCHEF Double Induction Cooktop with Griddle comes fully assembled. Before use, it is recommended to wipe it clean and wash the griddle.

Performance

I started fiddling around with the cooktop and griddle. It defaults into individual burner temperature mode when it first is turned on. Pressing the flame touch control for each burner toggles that burner to power mode. Here, I have the left burner at max temperature and the right burner in power mode and turned off. You can also see the LED above the flame touch control illuminated indicating that the cooktop is in burner mode rather than griddle mode.

Here, you can see both burners on and at different power levels.

I hit the power button to turn everything off. The display immediately changed to “H” indicating that the cooktop was hot. It remained on until the top cooled below 140°F and then it flipped to a pair of Cs.

All this is great, but what about cooking?

My main reason for wanting to test this was to replace the aging griddle my wife uses for cooking pancakes. She’s had it since college and we’ve been retired for six years. You can do the math. I put the griddle on the cooktop, turned it on, and hit the griddle button and we were up and running.

I set the controls to C4 or 356°F. After 60 seconds, we hit 250°F, and 290°F after 120 seconds. After 4.5 minutes, we were topping 450°F. I’m no math major, but 420 > 356°F. Hmm…

I turned the controls down to C3 (320°F) and we got to cooking some chocolate chip pancakes.  Again, I hope you all appreciate the work I do for you!

I was a little concerned because the temperature didn’t seem to be very consistent across the griddle, but we kept going. As you can see, my worries were unfounded, as the pancakes came out perfect.

The pancakes were nicely golden brown and perfectly cooked.  If you look closely at the controls, you can see the LED illuminated above the griddle button (second from the left) showing that it was in griddle mode. The LEDs above the flame buttons are extinguished, also confirming that griddle mode was active. Both displays were identical as well. When I turned either knob, both displays changed.

My wife cooked up another pancake and tossed an egg on for good measure.

As a griddle, it worked great!

A few days later, we tried it again – this time…burgers. Once again, it performed flawlessly.

I got curious about the odd heating pattern. I had measured the surface temperatures with the laser thermometer that came with the Revolve Pizza Oven. I decided to give it another go, measuring a little more precisely with the Teslong Thermal Imaging Camera and see what was going on. In the interest of time, I sped up the video so it plays at 3X normal speed. I placed temperature icons on the center of both burners and in the center of the griddle. What you’ll see is that of course, the burner areas heat up first. Then, that heat spreads across the body of the griddle. The temperature exceeds the set point by a lot, but then, falls back once the pan is warm, maintaining a more balanced temperature across the griddle.

I started the griddle at C1 and once it stopped heating (but before it stabilized), I turned it to C2 – you’ll see my hand and the titles. I was concerned that it was overheating on all settings, but once I left it for a bit on C2 and the pan was hot across the whole surface, the temperature stabilized near the set point. In addition, there was nothing on the griddle. Placing food on it will also balance the temperature.

One thing that would be nice is a light, a beep, or some other indicator when the griddle reaches cooking temperature. Even the old griddle that she got in college more than a few years ago beeped once it got hot. It beeps whenever you hit a button or turn a dial, so not having it beep when it reaches the set temperature seems like a missed opportunity.

Don’t forget, beyond being a great griddle, this is also a double burner induction cooktop. Like other induction cooktops, it heats the pans quickly and the heat immediately stops when it is turned off. Having two more burners for cooking is pretty handy, as long as we make sure we use the correct cookware.

One thing to note is that unlike cooking on a traditional stovetop, cooking with this cooktop isn’t a silent process. Remember those cooling fans? Well, they run the whole time you’re cooking plus a minute or so after you’re done. They aren’t overly loud, but they aren’t quiet either. It’s just something to be aware of, especially if you use it in a confined space like a camper or efficiency apartment.

What I like about the AMZCHEF Double Induction Cooktop

• Heats fast
• The griddle setting does a great job of heating the entire cooking area
• The timer feature is nice
• The griddle pan cleans easily and is dishwasher-safe

What needs to be improved?

• Not having an “at temperature” indicator seems like a big miss
• A single burner can only produce 1100 watts, not the full 1800 watts the cooktop can produce
• The fans are a little loud

Final thoughts

I’ll sum this up easily – the AMZCHEF Double Induction Cooktop with Griddle is very nice. It comes with a griddle, so it is a great griddle right out of the box. It is also a great cooktop provided that you have the requisite cookware. This would be a perfect addition to a traditional stove for those times when you don’t have enough burners. It would also be perfect for a space-limited space like a small apartment, a dorm room, or a camper. The addition of a griddle pan makes it even more versatile. Granted, I wish it would put out more power in single-burner mode and that it provided some notice when it hits temperature. But those two little things aren’t enough for me not to think we’ve found the replacement for our aging griddle. That might be heading to a dumpster soon!

Price: $179.99
Where to buy: Amazon and AMZCHEF 
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by AMZCHEF. AMZCHEF did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.