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Bon Chef 3500 Watt Drop-In Induction Range

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duuude

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I bought this thing only 6 weeks ago, tested it once, and now my wife and I are getting separated and I have to move and get rid of it. It's a great unit for anyone who wants to brew inside, the only thing is that it won't plug into a standard outlet. It needs a dedicated 240 volt outlet with minimum 14.6 amp breaker. I had one installed in my garage right next to the breaker box for really cheap, and I have heard of people doing it themselves too (I was scared of getting electricuted so I left it to the pros).

For those who don't know, induction cookers create an oscillating magnetic field that heats up the bottom of the pot, not the cooker itself. If you look online you can find lots of cool videos of people boiling water in a pot that has a piece of paper or a t-shirt between the pot and the cooker. It's pretty cool stuff. Because the unit doesn't actually produce heat, it is very efficient and safe.

This unit is called a "drop-in" because it is meant to be installed into another surface like a countertop or table, with the controller face attached in the front, but it also has rubber feet on the bottom if you want to place it on top of something for testing, etc. I tried it with 5 and 10 gallons and it boiled in about the same amount of time as with gas. Then I put 18 gallons in my 1/2 barrel pot just to see what would happen and it did come to a boil, but took a really long time and I could only maintain a simmer. I would suggest using it for a 5 or 10 gallon batch.

To use induction, you need a pot that is magnetized. You can check your pot by taking a fridge magnet and touching it to the bottom. If it sticks then you are "induction ready." You can also use Reflectix insulation on the outside of your pot to make your boil happen faster, which I didn't figure out until after I tested this thing.

I bought the unit for $600 and I'm asking for $300 or best offer. I still have the original box with all the packaging, the pamphlet that comes with it, and even a Bon Chef product catalog the distributor gave me. It is a really nice unit that is designed for commercial use and I hope someone will buy it and get some use out of it. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks.

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I think what he means is ferrous (a magnet will stick) not the pot actually being a magnet. So aluminum pots won't work. ;)

From Wikipedia:

Ferromagnetism is the basic mechanism by which certain materials (such as iron) form permanent magnets, or are attracted to magnets. In physics, several different types of magnetism are distinguished. Ferromagnetism is the strongest type; it is the only type that can produce forces strong enough to be felt, and is responsible for the common phenomena of magnetism encountered in everyday life. One example is refrigerator magnets. The attraction between a magnet and ferromagnetic material is "the quality of magnetism first apparent to the ancient world, and to us today," according to a classic text on ferromagnetism.[1]
 
yeah, you're right starrbrew i just didn't say it correctly. it appears to have more to do with the materials used to build the pot and not the process used to construct it.

i also know that my pot bottoms were like a "sandwich" with a layer of alluminum between two outside layers of ferromagnetic stainless steel. the alluminum is for heat distribution i believe.

btw, i just sold this item and i'm on my way to ship it now. thanks to everyone who responded.
 
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