I own a Control Freak for 2 years. It completely changed my cooking game. Thought about getting a 2nd unit. But I recently reserved another one called Vision Infinity Cooktop. It's cheaper & user-friendly to home cooks and has functions like ventilation, built-in recipes, weigh scale, etc.
I've seen the Vision Infinity and the only advice I have to give in regards to it is to keep in mind that it has zero proof of concept or proof of quality. I tend not to recommend buying something "sight unseen" for that amount of money, or something that hasn't been out long enough to prove itself. Being cheaper doesn't mean it's a better deal or a better value when it hasn't had any proof of concept or proof of quality, nor has it been reviewed against the Control Freak. Also it stands very tall and it's only ideal to be used on a kitchen's center island or outdoors. The CF has been out for years with many chefs using it in high-end restaurants and it's been reliable.
@@BlendingWithHenry Sure, you’re right! A new product like this is certainly only for early adopters. Sorry, I should rephrase. The price is unknown. The company only hinted it’s below $1000. I’d guess it’s in the $800-$700 range, given all its tech. So cost just slightly less than the CF. As someone with engineering background, I can say it with confidence that the CF’s price was added with a huge premium since they’re made in China. I know a few friends there do induction cookers. Even the high end ones don’t cost $300 to produce. The CF probably has a markup of 4-5x of its original cost.
By the way, this is a great educational video you made! Perhaps you can consider asking the company behind Vision Infinity Cooktop for a test unit to review.
I love that you showed a few different cooking tests of the different units - and also measured the temperature of the pans/liquid. The control freak is much more accurate and responsive to changing conditions thanks to the thermometer touching the pan!
This is the best video I have seen comparing and contrasting different portable induction cooktops. Thank you and your passion for cooking and good food shows!
Henry, you make me want to run out and buy every appliance you test. Bought the Vitamix and never regretted it. Thanks for all your wonderful demonstrations!
Damn. This was a dang good review. I wasn't expecting it at first because of the name of the channel and frankly because the pace initially was a bit casual. Thank you for doing such a thorough job!!
Thank you! This was a really great review. Not only did you cover the specific feature of each of the cooktops, you gave a great overview of what features to pay attention to.
I really appreciate how detailed your walk-through of these units was. No surprises here. I'm saving my money for the Control Freak. Last year, Amazon offered it for nearly 30% off around Black Friday. I'm hoping they have a similar sale this year.
Thanks for watching. Be sure to check on my website. I will have any available Breville deals (especially on BF) posted. Using my links helps support my work if you will? My links navigate you to buy directly from Breville and the CF will have the latest software updates installed. Not guaranteed on Amazon. www.blendingwithhenry.com
Thank you for being more informed about induction cooktop, especial with pans since I see look at both negative and positive review and notice some people said the same thing bout temps on the pans, and you the only person so far explain that using different pans can cause different temperature in cheaper models. You got me sold on the control freak as maybe that long term investment.
Love price comparison videos like this! Your Vitamix videos persuaded me to get one a few months ago and it's been my favorite appliance so far. I've lost 20 pounds using that thing to make some healthy smoothies. haha And this video I'll be going with a Nuwave gold induction burner since $1500 is a bit too steep for me and it does a decent job for the price. Thanks for the videos man! Keep up the good work!
Henry, thank you, thank you! Informative, helpful, entertaining but not annoying and most importantly, staying on point throughout the entire video! Glad I found you - I have had my Breville sitting in its box for several months because I am afraid to take it out and not know what to do with it! LOL! I didn't understand the temperature probe in the middle. Your instruction has given me the confidence to open the box and use it!🤩
I am new to induction cooktop and have tried many brands, my current induction cooker is the kuraidori 1800 watt and I love it so far, but after watching this video, I am thinking of getting the Breville control freak!!
❤The Best Honest Professional Review l have seen in the past 5 years. It took me 2 years cooking and speaking to Nuwave who gave me excellent service but could not fix the Temps being off by as much as 200 degrees Fahrenheit. I love eggs with pancakes for any meal, but, it was always a hit and miss. In 2024 the Breville Induction Freak will replace my gas oven and your review is 100% accurate. Thank you! 😊
What an incredibly informative and helpful video! I have been looking at countertop induction burners for a few months now, having narrowed down my choices to the Control Freak and the Duxtop Professional. I was/still am considering the Duxtop just as an affordable introduction to induction cooking, but I absolutely love the precision and build quality of the Control Freak. I certainly don't *need* the Control Freak, but it would be a one time investment, and I'd be set for life. I have the disposable income to be able to afford the Control Freak, so I might just pull the trigger the next time it goes on sale for $1199 (no way would I pay $1499 for it). Thank you for this video, and since this is my first time to your channel, I'm going to check out some of your other videos. 🙂
With the Nuwave gold the buttons are under a piece of plastic that deteriorates over time from oil splatters and cleaning until the plastic breaks and you activate the buttons with a plastic knife or chopsticks. The PIC Pro Chef has a flat fully glass covered top. Easy to clean and no plastic breaks.
Hi Henry, Ironically my 3rd NuWave PIC Gold failed last night. Despite the poor quality issues, I keep buying NuWave because of the temperature control. I found and purchased the NuWave PIC Pro from Amazon this morning. After seeing this video and I'm thankful to you to learn of the possible issues with the NuWave Pro stovetop that I just bought. BTW Henry you remind me of George Forman, because of you enthusiasm. Bob Ross for your teaching skills. And Mr Rogers, because of the music that is played in your video presentations. Henry, be well and thanks for your videos.
You're very welcome and thanks for watching and for all the kind comments. Mr. Rogers was one of the best teachers on TV for kids. I have always loved Mr. Rogers. 🙏🏾
I have been using induction SOLELY for 17 years and of all the ovens I have had I only use Nuwaves because of the 575F with my cast iron grill pan. Do not know upper F of Breville.. Until Breville none I had were able to go by 10F let alone 5 and I found that a game changer.
I own each of them, started with the NuWaves… but the Freak is a whole new game, It’s a perfect cooktop, but it also has a probe to make it a perfect frier, suvie or control internal meat temps.
I bought a Zavor portable induction burner ~6 months ago. I love its ability to bring liquid to a boil much faster than my gas cooktop without spillover heat around the edge of the pot which makes stirring the contents painful. But it's small induction coil results in very uneven heating when using large pans (i.e., more than ~6 inches in diameter). I thought perhaps my unit was defective until I stumbled across vlogs like yours which helped me to understand the limitations of the cheap induction burners versus something like the Breville unit (I have a Breville Souse Vide tool and love it). I wish there was a portable induction burner with a large coil priced closer to $500 USD since, as a home cook, I can't justify $1500 USD on a portable induction burner.
I should also point out that my cheap Zavor induction burner is great when paired with a small cast iron pan to quickly sear a steak then tent the pan with aluminum foil and lower the wattage to bring the internal temp to medium rare. But that is something I do only a few times each year -- perhaps once a month on average.
The Zavor was my first portable induction burner. I was so mesmerized by how fast induction works. Thanks for watching Kurtis and for great feedback. 😍🙏🏾
Hey You Guys! Something new from Blending with Henry. Please hit that 👍 and leave some comments! I grew up in the culinary world and I want to share with you guys a full review of the Breville Control Freak, Nuwave PIC and Duxtop induction burners/hobs. Check my website for my Holiday Shopping ideas for you. Induction, Sous Vide, Blenders and more! I'll be posting the link later today. *LINK TO MY HOLIDAY SHOPPING PAGE* bit.ly/3szjt1R
I became interested in induction hobs about 18 months ago and researched the Control Freak. The biggest benefit as you mentioned was the ability to precisely set the cooking temperature. Since my cooking skills don’t make that a necessity, I bought the Nuwave Pro Chef. I use it way more than my gas stove, but my opinion is that it’s just okay. When I use an infrared gun to measure pan temperature the readings are all over the place at different sections of the pan. Basically, I’ve quit trusting the temperature settings and just adjust the settings based on how the food is cooking. Would I trade it for a Control Freak? You bet, as soon as I win the lottery. In the meantime, my cooking skills don’t make the Control Freak a necessity.
I became homeless almost 2 years ago and have been building a kitchen like the one I used to have. The NuWave really feels like actually cooking vs a hot plate.
@@BlendingWithHenry A "sub-compact kitchen" would be cool video where you create a setup has say one of those fridges that are like a mini fridge but without the freezer & an analog for a freezer,then you would place those two refrigeration units side side in a plywood cabinet that has a drawer for spices, a drawer for things like measuring cups & silverware, then a compartment for a mixer & blender to be stored while big enough to actually use them, topped with say one of these hobs. Maybe add a plywood door that you would use to lock up your expensive gear in a dorm environment. If you invest in good gear then it's usable out of college.
My experience: I'm not sure what variety of NuWave I bought a few years ago, but it was a poor substitute for any conventional cook surface I'd ever used. However, I can see that NuWaves might be just the thing for dorm rooms and such.
Thank you, sir. Great video demonstration. Truly though, I'm looking for an induction cooktop specifically for cooking an omelet. Those dam gas burners only heat in a little ring around the pan and you got to constantly move the pan around to keep it from burning in a ring and leaving half your omelette liquid.
Awesome! I appreciate your kind feedback. Glad the video was helpful! Please share with others and please subscribe? I have more coming for the induction world. 🙏🏾
I've used the PIC Pro for several years now. My biggest complaint is the coil size. It creates a hot spot in the center of any pan wider than about eight inches. With a twelve inch pan the edge is significantly cooler than the center. I experience the same temperature issues shown in the review. The temperature setting is not what the pan temperature will be. It's still a good value, and I would recommend it if you are looking for a budget option. I see a Control Freak in my future.
Thank you for your very informative video. Apart from the Control Freak, which one has the biggest induction coil? I am looking for a suitable cooktop for my 13,3” cast iron skillet.
DROOLING!!!, Maybe if I win a lottery jackpot. I agree with you that the 1º adjustments is very desirable. I do have the Nuwave right now because I wanted to take advantage of the 5º increments. I would Love the Control Freak but the price is really too high. I do cook with mostly cast iron on my Nuwave.
Hi Jen! Everybody needs a Control Freak in their lives....not the human version of course. 😁 Yep it's pricey but I'm sitting here enjoying a creamy French omelette made from it. When food is made good and made easy sometimes it makes you want to bite the bullet and go for it. 😊🙏🏾
about the best presentation and attitude i have ever seen on any review - i believe i can hear the love of Jesus Christ in your voice and see Him in your eyes i pray you know the peace inside that only He can give you
So the video is great but I didn’t have a chance to watch it all. The Breville looks awesome, but going from $100 to $1500 is a big jump in price range. Already having a portable induction burner, I’m looking for one that has a big coil, one that heats the whole 8 inch bottom of a sauté pan from end to end. However, I would prefer one that is closer to $100 than $1500 dollars. I’m not seeing a lot of discussion of the coil sizes on the different machines. Do any of the machines, besides the Breville have larger coil?
You don't address coil size. Isn't coil size an important consideration on these burners? A 12 inch pan on a 5 inch coil is going to create a hot spot in the centre.. What are the coil sizes of these units? Great video. And of course you get what you pay for.
Did you notice the food cooking slightly uneven on the other induction hobs vs the control freak? My biggest reason for wanting the control freak is the increased magnet size so I can use 12 inch pans and still have the whole of the element heating the pan bottom evenly. I've used the Duxtop P961LS and its fairly obvious the induction magnet is much smaller than they advertise.
Hi there Henry, You mentioned that different cooking surfaces work differently with induction. Is there any way I can find out more about this? I do have a lot of stainless steel pans, but am I going to have problems with heavier bottom ones? I really need precise temperature control, but balk at the expense of the breville
I can't seem to find the website you show in this video from breville where it lists the cooking temps and techniques. Do you have the link? Thank you for your excellent videos!
Henry, If I was to buy a new induction stovetop, besides a good temperature control, I would want a larger coil. Would you happen to have any other recommendations?
I have only put more studying into the portable induction burners. Coil sizes can be a challenge to find in both stovetops and portable induction since most manufacturers don't necessarily advertise this. What I would recommend for stovetops is to invest in models that have smart zones that allow two burners to join together to make one very large cooking surface. That makes it convenient for nearly every pan size including griddles.
Hi Henry, in your experience with the nu waves and the breville, did any of them present with hot spots in the centre of the fry pans during the course of your testing, or will this only happen with poor quality pans? Thanks!
I haven't actually noticed any "hot spots" but it is true that while Nuwave has an 8" coil, while using large pots it tends to heat up towards the outer edge of the pot instead of the entire bottom. This makes it take longer to heat up the entire pot, especially if it's cast iron. Stainless isn't as much of an issue since it's a great conductor of heat. Poor quality pans can be an issue if they don't sit super flat on induction.
There's no app for the CF since it's a commercial machine first that can also be for home use. No built-in presets. The user creates their own presets which makes is what makes it unique since you can set the temperature and cook time.
Sous vide cooking is best done with a dedicated immersion circulator. Some induction models like the Control Freak mention Sous Vide cooking capability in the owner's manual, but neither of these machines or any induction burner is ideal for Sous Vide cooking since water needs to be constantly circulated throughout the entire cooking process for proper heat distribution and efficient cooking. Thank you for watching! 🙏🏾
