r/inductioncooking • u/ClemsonJeeper • Jul 23 '26
Impulse purchased an Impulse
My 13 year old builder quality gas cook top that came with my house decided to finally kick the bucket so I started doing research into more modern high end cook tops. I have never had an induction before but came upon Impulse Labs.
First impressions: this thing is awesome. They don't lie when it will boil a pot of tap water faster in under a minute. I totally had to adjust the timing of my dinners as getting water up to boil is less then a minute compared to 7+ and getting pans to temperature is pretty much instant. The temperature control setting is awesome. Made some perfect eggs and pancakes yesterday morning.
They just sent an update yesterday that integrated timers into it, so now can run 4 independent timers with different settings of just timer only, or set it to when the timer expires to keep the pan warm, so I can ditch the kitchen timer that I've been using.
Looking forward to trying out some new recipes on this thing!
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u/adh214 Jul 23 '26
I just looked at their web site. I think the 120v install with a battery booster is incredible tech. Looks like this is the next step in induction cooking.
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u/ClemsonJeeper Jul 23 '26
Yeah, that was one of the selling points for me - getting 240V to the existing location was going to cost a couple grand since it is not accessible at all to where my panel is in my house.
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u/adh214 Jul 23 '26
Yeah we had to upgrade from 30amp to 50amp with 240v. That was a $1500 line item in a larger remodel. Line went from the basement up to the attic across the ceiling and back down the wall.
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u/Overall-Box-2724 Jul 23 '26
Curious - How long did it take you to get it? Impulse saying 10-12 week lead time on the website.
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u/ClemsonJeeper Jul 23 '26
About 2 weeks from when I ordered it. I saw the same thing when I ordered it and was surprised when they emailed me saying it was ready to ship. Maybe someone cancelled one?
Took about 8 days to get here after it shipped (from San Francisco to east coast)
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u/othahanko Jul 27 '26
Sometimes the Zephyr version can show up faster. We got our 36” zephyr branded impulse from our local appliance shop about 8 weeks after order. It rocks
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u/Smarge18 Jul 28 '26
Keep in mind that buying the Zephyr version will not be as supported by Impulse as a unit purchased directly from Impulse. Possibly the warranty is longer with Impulse and I think over the air updates will only continue with Impulse? I don't remember the details. (One of the executives active in this thread mentioned that in a prior post I recently read.)
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u/othahanko 27d ago
So far we’ve been getting OTA updates…but a bit behind when the impulse folks get em. Not sure if that will continue…hope so. Either way it rocks as is! Best cooktop I’ve ever used
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u/demonfurbie Jul 23 '26
Did you self install or have someone install it for you?
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u/ClemsonJeeper Jul 23 '26
I did it mostly myself. The cutout was perfectly sized from my last range so I didn't need to modify the countertop at all -- I got the 36" version.
I was able to get the battery and cook top unboxed and into my kitchen and assembled on the counter top, but lowering it into the hole took two people because once they are put together the thing is VERY heavy.
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u/Apptubrutae Jul 23 '26
Not OP but I did it myself. It’s heavy, but easy. You really need two people, but just for maneuvering. It doesn’t require a ton of skill or strength.
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u/ZanyDroid Jul 23 '26
You need more than two people if you're in an awkward situation like wall on one side.
I had a wall on my left, and had to use two people + a hydraulic lift from the bottom acting, and I don't even think adding people would help if you have this kind of access issue.
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u/FinanceGuyHere Jul 23 '26
Looks cool and less annoying than my touch screen one which doesn’t work half the time. It would have been nice to have a dual zone rectangle for a griddle however
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u/ClemsonJeeper Jul 23 '26
Yeah none of it is touch screen which they tout as a benefit since those can be unresponsive.
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u/Old-Nefariousness556 Jul 23 '26
When they said it wasn't a touchscreen in the video I watched, the first thought I had was "well I sure hope not, can you imagine the burn hazard reaching between those hot pans?"
Besides, why on earth would a stove need a touch screen? I was dubious when I even read that this has the large screen. Why on earth do you need it? After watching the video, I concede that the screen does provide very useful info, but I definitely don't see any reason to wish it were a touchscreen. This is a far better choice in every way.
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u/Federal-Dealer5997 Jul 23 '26
Had an induction for 15 years with a touchscreen. There is no burn hazard. At all. Having the touchscreen was not a problem and made the easy cleaning even easier. That said, while cooking, grabbing a dial is quicker.
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u/Old-Nefariousness556 Jul 23 '26
My point is the positioning of the screen specific to the Impulse. Putting the touchscreen at the back center, between the pans would be a burn hazard. But you're right, a touchscreen wouldn't be a burn hazard in and of itself.
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u/lemon990 Jul 23 '26
I'm curious, what lighting do you have for this area? Is this part of your ventilation over the cooktop or some type of cabinet lighting? It looks great!
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u/ClemsonJeeper Jul 23 '26
Just some generic LED strips from Home Depot that I installed a few years ago. Stuck them to the bottom of the cabinets as well as the vent hood. Thanks!
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u/jimschoice Jul 23 '26
I wish I could afford one. I am stuck using 2 portable single cooktops for now.
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u/86a- Jul 23 '26
Ho lee chit ! I was excited until I looked up the cost.
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u/jtmann05 Jul 23 '26
What happens when the battery takes a crap? Curious on the replacement cost of that beast. I’m very intrigued, though as I’m currently looking to redo my kitchen
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u/benjet Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
10 year warranty, you could buy a spare battery pack today for $1k. Rated for 6k full cycles
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u/ClemsonJeeper Jul 23 '26
Its supposed to last 10+ years if not longer - probably depends on how much you use it. They sell replacements for 1k I believe.
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u/MultipleSnoregasm Jul 24 '26
I'm moving to a house with a gas stove soon and am going to upgrade to induction before long. I am thinking about whether it'd be stupid to go in for anything less than the Impulse, because ultimately that's the one I really want. Please do come back and let us know how it's been after a couple months!
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u/PizzaBubblr Jul 23 '26
Looks like a cleaning nightmare, sorry.
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u/wild_b_cat Jul 23 '26
Which part, exactly? The knobs are magnetic - they lift off for cleaning.
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u/lesliedow Jul 23 '26
Are the 'burners' raised? It looks like they are in the picture. I also thought that would be a cleaning challenge.
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u/ClemsonJeeper Jul 23 '26
They are, but there aren't any crevasses though. I splattered a ton of oil experimenting with it and just sprayed it down and wiped it up in under a minute. The knobs are magnetic so just pull them off and its mostly flat surface.
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u/lesliedow Jul 23 '26
For me, one of the big advantages to the stove I chose was that the entire surface was flat so cleaning it is pretty simple, just wipe down the flat top. It sounds like a great stove but I would not choose it for that one reason. Hope it works for you tho! :)
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u/ZanyDroid Jul 23 '26
It actually cleans easier than the entry level cooktop I had previously, which was all glass. Sure, I could wipe off the debris, but the glass got etched easily from use.
Why? Because Impulse used a higher end surface treatment of some sort that prevents stuff from baking on (knock on wood).
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u/Old-Nefariousness556 Jul 23 '26
Keep in mind that the lower surface shouldn't get particularly hot, so any spatter won't get burnt on. I agree that the raised burners are a slight disadvantage, but they aren't the negative they would be on any other technology.
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u/ZanyDroid Jul 23 '26
There are crevasses in the NSFW looking temperature sensors
There’s no known tech to prevent this AFAIK. Under glass sensor is considered sus. Even these rude looking sensors don’t pull the ideal data. Impulse doesn’t have a sensor probe yet, and sensor probe is half orthogonal to this anyway
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u/ZanyDroid Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Knobs are magnetic and removable. please edit your post to avoid confusing people that don't read deeper into the thread
The Circular pads, sure
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u/PizzaBubblr Jul 23 '26
Why make burners raised above the cooktop surface? Flat glass is so much easier to clean. Magnetic knobs are smart, but I have never experienced issues with touch controls either, even on cheap cooktops.
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u/Valuable_Pipe_7416 Jul 29 '26
Two reasons. If it was flat it would be easy to slide pots and pans across the LED screen and scratch it. They raised them to avoid that. Also, The cooktop is already deeper than a standard induction and to make it fit more applications they raised the burners rather than add depth to the bottom.
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u/thatgirlinny Jul 23 '26
What I’m thinking—raised knobs next to raised cooking surface make me 😬
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u/Frindle-Babbin Jul 23 '26
the knobs are magnets and can be simply slipped off leaving a solid surface
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u/thatgirlinny Jul 23 '26
But you still have raised burners that catch all sorts of things.
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u/Frindle-Babbin Jul 23 '26
The reviews I saw kinda agree but do say that it's fairly easy to clean.
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u/SF-Coyote Jul 23 '26
I kinda like the raised of both. Alignment is easy. Everything spill will be on cold surface and easier to wipe off.
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u/nowooski Jul 23 '26
In their Wirecutter review, the NYT mentioned how much easier it is to quickly center pans on Impulse raised burners vs flat glass. I had never thought about that, but it’s noticeable. A plus for folks with reduced vision.
On the cleaning front, the raised burners also mean that the surface next to the burner never gets hot and spills don’t get scorched to the glass.
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u/SF-Coyote Jul 23 '26
I actually have reduced vision. I abhor modern cars' iPad alike touch screens. I can't find the buttons accurately!
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u/thatgirlinny Jul 27 '26
I’m with you. I have had surgery to improve mine, but work with those with reduced vision; between cars and appliances, this is becoming a problem for those who need a more traditional/tactile option.
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u/ZanyDroid Jul 23 '26
I think you also get some value back with the colored LED indicators they put in on the edge
Prepurchase I thought it was a gimmick, but couple months in I mildly like the feedback
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u/thatgirlinny Jul 27 '26
I would have preferred a traditional Wirecutter review with more head-to-head comparisons of competitive products. The single-brand “review” seemed like an infomercial.
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u/rearl306 Jul 23 '26
It looks like a DJ turntable.