Avantco IC3500 alternative

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Jhedrick83

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It appears that the IC3500 is out of stock pretty much everywhere. I hope it’s just a supply level issue and not a discontinuation. Anyone have any suggestions for 3500w induction burner alternatives?
 
Jeez, who would have thought that could happen? Chinese made products in short supply...

When sorting by price at Webstaurant.com, the first 3500W unit that shows in stock is this Eurodib at over twice the price of what the IC3500 used to run (~$190).

I'd sit tight and wait for the market to bounce back.
 
I had been watching Webrestarauntsore and the price of the IC3500 (even though it’s out of stock) went from that $190 to $270. So, add that to the mix as well.
[My emphasis above ^]
Not sure your misspelling is intentional, but I like, that place surely has become sore. ;)

I noticed their price hikes are all over. They also have been including shipping in the prices now, making things more nebulous on the actual unit pricing. :tank:
Shipping used to be a very reasonable $10 for the IC3500 and similar sized units, such as the 1800W models.

[EDITs]
I also saw they have Garland Induction plates, alas, for pretty hefty prices.*
I used to live 20' from their main plant in Freeland, PA, and did tons of industrial photography for them. They kept me very busy and were my main account for many years.
* Disclaimer: I'm not endorsing Garland Induction plates, I have no knowledge of their quality or their price point. They're likely targeted for use in commercial kitchens where certain standards need to be met. And there's a price attached to that.

Maybe put a wanted in the classifieds here, someone may have a spare around they don't use anyway. I have 2 of them, just in case one goes belly up.

Or scour "public marketplaces" such as CL or Amazon, etc.?
 
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There is an apparent shortage of chips, globally. Although hard to understand how intricate chip markets are, reduced availability may simply be part of the issue.

Allegedly, much of chip production lately is focused on cryptocurrency mining, hence the shortage of certain other chips.
 
I did. I was able to get one from a HBT member after following your suggestion of posting in the Wanted section here. It's been awesome and has let me move to the garage to brew. I brew a lot more and make a lot less mess. I'm debating picking up a spare...
 
Heads up new Avantco IC3500 owners: I love it but I cracked the glass on mine a little while ago while tipping my kettle to drain more fully. I added a dip tube for future brews to avoid tipping and emailed the manufacturer about the warranty. They DID replace it but gave me a little trouble for not being a commercial business. They basically said, “just this once!”
 
I'm debating picking up a spare...
If you have the spare cash, I probably would.
I'm actually thinking of getting a 3rd...
Damn you, IslandLizard, at $155 & free shipping, I couldn't pass up buying a 2nd. I paid $170 + 7.50 shipping 5 1/2 years ago for mine, which is still running strong. Maybe I can use this as an opportunity to look into hacking the original for PID control and my external temp probe.
 
Maybe I can use this as an opportunity to look into hacking the original for PID control and my external temp probe.
Sadly, it's not a simple task, there's quite a bit of "external control" involved to regulate the power on-phase.

If you're interested in such topics, a member here has a thread documenting his own 5500W induction plate build.

A simpler solution may be to use the IC3500's own temp mode, but modify how and where it reads the temps (away from the outside bottom of the kettle). For that, replace the built-in sensor and its placement to where you want to read the temps. Then bias and/or redesign part of that circuit.
IOW, have your temp sensor control the IC3500 power through its [EDIT] own built-in temp mode circuit.
 
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Oh, I understand. I am moderately familiar with Thing 1, and I had pretty much given up on trying to control an IC3500. Then I was at my LHBS and he says he controls his 110V/1800W induction plate with an Inkbird controller. His is obviously manual and returns to its previous state when powered back on, not the case for the IC3500. I have also been keeping my eye on Alibaba and thinking about asking a few of the manufacturers if they could offer an external control or totally manual unit with nothing more than variable power. I probably won't do anything, but couldn't pass up this all-time low price and jus t started dreaming again. I'm an electrical engineer who has worked in power and control loops, so I have no problem looking into this other than the time and lack of available info.
 
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