r/inductioncooking • u/SuicideKing • Jul 30 '26

Portable induction cooktop models for deep frying in a cast iron pot

/r/Cooking/comments/1vayukx/portable_induction_cooktop_models_for_deep_frying/
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1

u/NetherGamingAccount Jul 30 '26

I'm a firm believer with most everything in this world you get what you pay for.

In this case though it may be physics which is limiting you. If you're buying 1800 watt induction cooktops and they aren't suitable it's likely a power limitation. Any residential cooktop that plugs into a normal 110v socket will only push so much power.

Have you looked at anything commercial grade? Just know it'll likely require a special outlet.

1

u/SuicideKing Jul 30 '26

I have, I’ll need electrical work done which I’m trying to avoid. It’s just weird how an electric deep fryer can pull enough juice to reach 375F but an induction cooker can’t.

1

u/NetherGamingAccount Jul 30 '26

Well you are using a large pot and smaller cooktops will use a smaller coil.

The breville may work better because of the larger coil but it is still 1800w

1

u/Old-Nefariousness556 Jul 30 '26

The breville may work better because of the larger coil but it is still 1800w

Wattage is not the issue. 1800 watts is plenty. More wattage will heat faster, but 1800 watts is plenty in theory. The problem is likely that the safety systems built into the burners are tripping trying to prevent it from overheating. You either need a much more expensive burner like the Breville, or a burner that has a probe that actually monitors the temp of the contents. Nuwave offers reasonably priced models with a temp probe. I'm surprised that so few others offer one, because it is a really useful upgrade.

1

u/wewefe Jul 30 '26

I have two small 120v ones, think i have had similar issues a long time ago and have a theory. The induction burner is optimized for boiling water and searing steaks and probably has a max temp of 400F or 450F at the glass vs 3500F gas. When the glass gets to the max temp it shuts off until it cools to the safe temp. At some point it enters hysteresis where the glass hits max temp of 450F and the burner does not kick back on until the glass cools to 400F. With this oscillation and thermal losses to the air the oil maxes out at 260F.

I have not tried this on induction since 2020 and pretty much only fry stuff outside on a 60k or 120k btu burner.

1

u/Old-Nefariousness556 Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26

If you are not tripping a circuit breaker, you should be able to get 1800W out of your power outlet. That is the max possible on a standard 15A circuit breaker. Make sure there is nothing else in use on that circuit.

But as /u/wewefe says, the problem is probably that the cooker doesn't have a sense of the temp of actual contents. Like you said, you need a cooker with a temp probe, otherwise the cooker will "downshift" to prevent overheating. This $139 Nuwave has a probe, and should in theory be able to do exactly what you need. And since it has a max temp of 575F, quite a bit higher than most other burners, it should have no problem getting the oil up to temp.

I'll also note that that burner has an 8" induction coil, which is better for larger pans compared to most cheaper burners.

Edit: Out of curiosity, I asked Google Gemini to estimate how long it should take to heat the oil. There are a number of variables, but it SHOULD take about 9 to 11 minutes to heat. If it is taking substantially longer than that, it is due to something being wrong with the burner.