3000 Watt Induction for the electrically challenged?

Has anyone tried something like the Max Burton 6530 ProChef 3000-Watt Commercial Induction Cooktop???

At 3000 Watts it sounds substantially more powerful than most available cooktops. But is it enough power for a rolling boil? I do mainly 5 gallon batches (currently utilizing 2 separate pots per batch) and I use stainless steel brewpots.

Right now I have a ceramic top electric stove which takes a very long time to reach boiling even for 3.5 gallons. I'm looking into cooktops because I have no knowledge or skills for DIY electrical projects with regard to heatsticks. I'm also trying to avoid buying a new brewpot but I've seen commercial varieties of heatsticks (midwest supply) that are slightly too long for my current brewpot. Also, I only have 110 volt outlets (I live in a highrise) and I'm not sure if it is important but ALL outlets in my kitchen are on the same fuse. Please excuse my ignorance, electrical issues are all new to me.

I guess my other concern is Maillard reactions. I know that currently my recipes result in darker than expected beers as a result of my electric stovetop setup. Would this be an issue with any of the above?

I've used induction cooktops for other things and, this is of course only a guess, I would suspect that a 3000W unit would be plenty fine. Check your fusebox, though. I know a 3000W cooktop would throw the breaker in my kitchen for sure.

Based on what I know about liquid heat transfer and whatnot (plus my own anecdotal experience stove-top brewing), I am skeptical that a stove can increase maillards and scorching. At various points I've used a nylon bag in direct contact with a small 2000W element in a pot of water and had no trouble. Then again, other people report other experiences that I am at a loss to explain. I have used high-end thermometers to measure temperature at various points in a kettle and there is remarkably little variation because water distributes the heat so quickly. In any event, a induction cooker would theoretically give you more even heating (whether or not it is practically relevant).

Thanks for the response. If a 3000W would throw the breaker for you I am fairly sure it's a no go for me. As I said, I live in a highrise condo. I can't imagine that I have overpowered outlets/breakers. I suppose anything is possible but for $300 I'll probably pass on finding out.

ayoungrad said:

Thanks for the response. If a 3000W would throw the breaker for you I am fairly sure it's a no go for me. As I said, I live in a highrise condo. I can't imagine that I have overpowered outlets/breakers. I suppose anything is possible but for $300 I'll probably pass on finding out.

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It is easy enough to check. Just open the panel and look at the numbers on the circuit breakers. You should see numbers like 20A, 15A, 30A, etc. (and fwiw, I'm in a highrise too, so there's no saying for sure that you wouldn't have better wiring).

It looks like I was a little wrong.

I have 4 breakers for the kitchen.

2 are labeled as StoveTop and are both 20A.

There are 2 others in the kitchen labeled "Kitchen rec. microwave" and "Kitchen rec. + refrigerator" both of which are labeled 40A.

But would that mean I can or just that it may be possible?

Alternatively, is that enough power for running a heatstick AND the stovetop at the same time?

3000W is too high for 20A circuits at 120V.

3000 / 20 = 150


If they happen to be 240V circuits then you are fine. What does the plug look like?


You could probably use a heatstick AND the stovetop without a problem. I would think a 1500W heat stick would be a better choice just to be safe. My guess is that any of the counter-level outlets are on your separate circuit "Kitchen rec" circuit. You can easily check this by plugging a lamp into each outlet and turning off the breakers one at a time to see which breaker connects to which outlet.

I wouldn't use the microwave at the same time as the heat stick, though.

Not sure how to explain what they look like. They look like typical breakers to me. Black squared knobs that can rotate on and off by pushing along a very small, curved horizontal path off to the right side of each breaker.

There is a label on the inside of the breaker door that reads:

MAIN RATING: 120/240VAC, 1-Phase, 3-Wire, 125 Amp Maximum

Oh. Sorry. Just realized you were asking about the plug. My outlet or the plug on the induction plate?

ayoungrad said:

Oh. Sorry. Just realized you were asking about the plug. My outlet or the plug on the induction plate?

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Well the plug fits into the wall outlet, right? Does it look the same as, say your TV plug? Or is it a different shape?

Same shape. That means it is 120?

BTW, my outlets look like my TV outlet. I do not own the heating plate. Amazon's description is:

6530 ProChef-3000 Commercial Induction Cook top is commercially rated with 3000 watts (220 Volts-60Hz). Power requirements 20 amp - 220V AC . Stainless Steel Body with durable commercial grade materials. 13 power levels between 500 - 3000W. 10 temperature levels (140 - 464 F degrees). 170 minute timer, touch screen controls with function lock, Cookware detection, overheat sensor and Auto shut off.

Can I use this in my apartment?

weirdboy said:

3000W is too high for 20A circuits at 120V.

3000 / 20 = 150

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The equation you want to show is 3000/120=25
3000W divided by 120 v needs 25 Amps. Meaning it's a no go on the 20A outlet.

That won't work with the outlet you describe. You'll need 220v outlets for that burner. I would agree with others about adding a heatstick. If you use the 40 amp breaker you can use a 3000 watt heat stick to supplement. That should give you no trouble getting to a full boil.

Nope, look at the website for the Max Burton 6530 ProChef and you will see it is a 240 volt device. From the website:

Power: 3.0 kW
Levels: 13
Controls: pushbutton
Timer: Yes
Features:
· a true commercial-grade unit (approved to NSF-4)
· pot recognition
· overheat switchoff
· 10 temperature settings from 140°F - 464°F
· over/under voltage switchoff
· function lock
· "keep-warm" setting
Size: 15-3/8" wide x 12-7/8" deep x 3-15/16" high
Color: stainless steel
Trim: stainless steel
Voltage: 240
Load: 15 Amperes
Maker's Warranty:
· 1 year, replacement or refund (see documents, below)
Online documents:
· Warranty · Data Sheet (PDF file)
· Operating Instructions (PDF file)
Price: US $265.00
Cost/Kilowatt: US $88

But it looks like the 20A outlets are both for my stovetop. So they are unusable?

The other 2, I think, and MalFet seems to also think, are 40A at the available outlets in the kithen. Does this seem right?

Thanks SawdustGuy. Guess I won't be doing that.

Can I buy a heatstick or is there a relatively simple DIY for a heatstick that would work for me?

I am good with my hands and quick to learn but, as I said, I have no experience with electrical DIY projects.

IrregularPulse said:

The equation you want to show is 3000/120=25
3000W divided by 120 v needs 25 Amps. Meaning it's a no go on the 20A outlet.

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What I was showing was that it would work at 240V but not 120V.

ayoungrad said:

Thanks SawdustGuy. Guess I won't be doing that.

Can I buy a heatstick or is there a relatively simple DIY for a heatstick that would work for me?

I am good with my hands and quick to learn but, as I said, I have no experience with electrical DIY projects.

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Good catch to the people who noticed it was 220v. With a "pro" name like that, I shouldn't have assumed it was 120v. I've never seen a ready-made bucket heater that goes up to 3000w. There is a long thread around here illustrating how to make your own heatstick, but be very cautious. High current plus water can be dangerous. *Always* use a GFCI outlet (which you should have in your kitchen, anyway).

Yeah, the "very cautious" part is what concerns me. I've been electrocuted before (long, long time ago). Not fun.

Maybe I'll stick with splitting my full boils between 2 pots and allowing for extra time. 6-7 hours is my typical brewday given the need for 2 boils and the time to heat on my stove. IMHO I have made some pretty good beers but it would be nice to shorten my brewday at some point.

ayoungrad said:

Yeah, the "very cautious" part is what concerns me. I've been electrocuted before (long, long time ago). Not fun.

Maybe I'll stick with splitting my full boils between 2 pots and allowing for extra time. 6-7 hours is my typical brewday given the need for 2 boils and the time to heat on my stove. IMHO I have made some pretty good beers but it would be nice to shorten my brewday at some point.

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You are smart to be cautious. Nobody ever got killed by not making a heatstick. You could always get three of these.

Or, if you are feeling very ambitious, you could hire an electrician to come in to install a 20A 220V outlet in your kitchen (assuming that you own your place and that the condo board allows it). Those induction cookers are pretty rad.

Just a warning, you probably can use the heat stick and the burner on the same circuit without the fuse tripping. So if you do want to use the heat stick get an extension chord and find a completely different circuit. Even if it is another outlet nearby, it might be on the same circuit.

Not all pots will work with an induction cooktop. If a magnet sticks to your pot, you should be ok.

The most wattage you'll find an induction cooktop at before it jumps 120V to 220V is 1800 watts. Might be just fine for 3.5 gals.

I would go with a good one, though, cause most of the cheapies don't have fine enough temp control around boiling (they can be like +/- 15 degrees, finest I've seen is +/- 5 degrees). Best brand = Cooktek. Second best = Vollrath. I was going to go for the Vollrath cause the model had a sous vide timer on it and it had fine control of temps (100 levels... still only +/- 5 degrees around boiling temps though).

Most of these have a chip that detects pot size. This can be a problem if your pot is larger diameter than 14".

SankePankey said:

The most wattage you'll find an induction cooktop at before it jumps 120V to 220V is 1800 watts. Might be just fine for 3.5 gals.

I would go with a good one, though, cause most of the cheapies don't have fine enough temp control around boiling (they can be like +/- 15 degrees, finest I've seen is +/- 5 degrees). Best brand = Cooktek. Second best = Vollrath. I was going to go for the Vollrath cause the model had a sous vide timer on it and it had fine control of temps (100 levels... still only +/- 5 degrees around boiling temps though).

Most of these have a chip that detects pot size. This can be a problem if your pot is larger diameter than 14".

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I use a 1800w Max Burton cooktop, my pot is a clad bottom 22 qt. Better Homes & Gardens from Walmart. I boil a full 5 gallons on this cooktop. I have been so impressed by this cooktop, and the best part of it I got it for $69 at Amazon.com. I bought it a few months back and I think the price has gone up. I have insulated the pot which helped quite a bit.

Here's a pic. The insulation was made by cutting up an automotive sunshield I got on clearence at Walmart for $6. The 80 min. to a rolling boil started with 65 degree tap water. When coming out of the mash and starting at 160 the time is much less. I feel like I am getting maximum brewing capability from a minimal investment. Plus the energy costs are pocket change. https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=42850&title=boiling-80-min-mark&cat=500

GW

Thats great. How fine is the temp control working at mash temps? Neat that you can do insulation on this and it works well. Looks like you have it all the way to the bottom too.

SankePankey said:

Thats great. How fine is the temp control working at mash temps? Neat that you can do insulation on this and it works well. Looks like you have it all the way to the bottom too.

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I do my mash in a Coleman 28 qt. cooler with a CPVC manifold. I then runoff 5 gallons of wort to the pot.

After initially purchasing the cook top. I started with a 12 qt. pot, then went to a 16 qt. and was getting a boil in a reasonable of time. Then I saw some posts about insulating the pots, so I got a 22 qt. pot, it now boils in about the same amount of time the 16 qt. pot did without insulation.

The biggest concern is the weight of the pot with 5 gallons of wort on the cooktop. I recall reading somewhere to limit the weight to a maximum of 25 lb. So it appears I have exceeded that amount by quite a bit.

Temperature control has not been a problem, I usually start off at the max setting, occasionally stirring to avoid any burning , the hot spot is the center 4 to 6 in. of the pot. When adding LME I drop the setting down to 2 or 3 until I have mixed all the LME into the wort. With a lid on it will hold a good boil at lower settings. In case of a near boil over you just hit the off button and it stops boiling nearly instantly. You can place your hand on the cook top next to the pot and it is not even warm.

GW

Nice. I hadn't heard of anyone doing mashes with it. Even the more expensive ones like Vollrath and Cooktek at best give you 100 temp settings in between 80 degrees and 450 degrees. Translates into +/- 3.8 degrees (if each setting is equal to the next). This isn't obviously fine enough to do all grain mashes, IMO. But, I bet it would be fine for boiling.

Now, I guess if you could marry one to a LOVE controller or something that would be cool, but I'm sure there are many steps in between when these units get power to when they fire the element (startup processes and such) that it wouldn't be possible to use a temp controller to control the power cycles. I know the most recent Vollrath's put the last used temp in memory to be recalled at next power up, but I'm sure it's not as simple as that. Things are basically computers.

Thanks for the info. You're the first first hand user I've encountered, especially that uses one of the less expensive units. I may try to check one out for my starter pot. It beats a heat stick for easy cleanup.

Sanke did you ever try a Max Burton 1800W induction top? I just ordered one to give it a try.

I also bought a 2200W stick element recently but didn't realize it is so close to the max for a 20amp circuit (2200/120=18.4amp), it blew the kitchen breaker but I'm going to try it on another circuit in the basement. I'm also worried about wiring getting hot after an extended boil, I may end up wiring a dedicated breaker for my brewing area in the garage.

No I haven't. I can imagine that if these units happen to hit the temp you want them to hit, they would be pretty good at maintaining temps, but I think for larger volumes, there isn't much comparison to an immersed element especially from a cost standpoint. I would really like to try an induction unit for sour mashing, though. The low settings on the temperature scale for these are usually marketed as being good for the chocolatier, so they'll hold an appropriate temp to keep chocolate melted without burning it (~105*) which is, from what I know, a good sour mash temperature.

A dedicated breaker for your brew gear is nice. If you use high high gauge wire all around, it shouldn't be a problem. My brew gear runs off a 30A 220V (aka a washer/dryer plug) GFCI protected circuit.

Another plus for the induction. No need for a GFCI.

AnOldUR,

How is your 3500W Avantco Induction cook top with the lower temps? does it step from 140 to 160 or can you set it at 156?

What size kettle, and what brand do you have in this picture?

Im looking to set up a 3-4 gallon system I can use in my kitchen for test batches.

I've never tried to mash with it. I only use it for my boil. I does have temperature control, but the heat is isolated to above the induction coil, so I'd guess it would take a lot of stirring to spread out the heat.

To pot I boil in is a 62 quart Bayou Classic. With the KegKoozy insulation, I've boiled 12 gallons.