ESB-301F Countertop Single Cast Iron Burner, 1000 Watts Electric Hot Plate, Temperature Controls, Power Indicator Lights, Easy to Clean, White

I almost didn't order one of these because of so many negative reviews. But I have to tell you, it works wonderfully and I am extremely happy with it after 3 weeks of use. I use it nearly every day, at least once a day. Packaging is solid. The unit boils water with no problems whatsoever. Just to give readers an idea how I tend to use this hot plate, I mainly use it to boil water for making soups and ramen, or to boil rice and beans. Being single, I only need to cook for one person, so the amount of water I need to boil never exceeds 3 cups at a time. This unit provides plenty of power to do this (can't remember for sure, but I believe this hot plate is 1000 watts). I never need to use it for more than 12 minutes or so at a time. It boils 2 1/2 cups of water in about 7 minutes (very respectable in my opinion). When I'm making just rice or rice and beans, I bring it to a boil for 5 minutes, then I turn the unit off because I place the pot I'm using into an insulated pot cozy for 20 minutes more to finish cooking without the need to use more energy. Some reviewers reported the power indicator light goes out. And yes, sometimes it does. This is because once the iron plate heats up to temperature, the heat element turns itself on and off to maintain the temperature you have selected, not because it's shorting out. The first 2 or 3 times I used the hot plate, there was a faint smell from the hot plate. Most likely it was from a factory coating placed on the heating element when it was manufactured to protect it from corrosion during shipping/storage. After using it a couple of times, I smell nothing but good food cooking. I was never concerned about it catching fire, like other reviewers have reported. I don't know how long some reviewers who left negative opinions were using this hot plate, and maybe they really did have major issues with this particular model of hot plate. But no one with problems mentions how long they had the unit on before experiencing their issues. Since I don't plan on making seven course meals on this single burner hot plate, and don't need to have it on more than 15 minutes at a time, I don't expect to ever have a problem with this product. Even if this hot plate conks out on me right now, I feel it was well worth the twenty bucks. I suspect it will last a very long time because the build quality is very simple but durable, maybe with the excemption of the temperature selection knob which feels a little flimsy (though it is not wobbly or jiggly, just a little too easy to turn in my opinion). But I'm only planning on using that to dial to the temperature I need, not swing on it. It turns on, it turns off. When you're done with it, unplug it like you should unplug every other appliance that's not being used. Extremely pleased with this product. In fact, in the time it took to boot up my computer and write this review, my rice was finishing cooking in it's pot cozy. And now it's done. I have no complaints whatsoever, and I would highly recommend this hot plate for someone like myself who wishes to make very simple meals. Update, August 2013: Had this hot plate for 2 1/2 years now, and it continues to work fine after nearly daily use. The temperature selection knob has gotten a little wobbly, and it feels like it could pull off if I were to try to do so, but it seems to work equally well today as when it was brand new. For a $20 hot plate it could burn out tomorrow and I'd still be pleased with the service it's given me (though I expect it will continue to work for years to come).

In May, 2010, my family and I began the daunting remodeling of our kitchen. We decided to live at home during construction (a pretty major re-do) and, wanting not only to save money, but to continue to eat in a healthy fashion, we really didn't want to eat out every night - costly, salty and fatty! So enter this little gadget. We used this almost every single day (2 adults, 2 kids), for at least one meal/use daily, for four and a half months (it was a long project!). Not one single glitch. I'd credit it, almost single handedly (well, along with a fantastic toaster oven - the Proctor Silex 31120 Pizza Oven - and the microwave) for allowing us to achieve our goals. In the entire period, we ate out twice, and that was by choice. We have every intention of keeping it as a "fifth burner," giving us some flexiblity, now that our kitchen is finished. We have a new induction stove (FANTASTIC, btw), so this will let us use our old pots/pans that aren't induction compatible. And when our daughter goes off to college, I can see this little unit potentially going with her. Yes, it's a little slower than a "real" stove, but it did everything we asked of it and more. Easy to clean (the cast iron burner is virtually one piece with the body and, as a solid top, stuff doesn't drop between/below the burner like a unit with coils), and the heat output was pretty controllable - never burned anything. We used pots and pans, up to 10" skillet size. Technically, it's a little small for that (based on burner size) but it worked fine. Probably wouldn't try a 12", unless it's all you have, but I'll bet it'll work, just not as uniform heat distribution. And it was very stable. It's solid, but not too heavy. Non-skid feet, very level and broad footprint, yet it was very unobtrusive on a small wet-bar countertop, leaving room for cutting/dicing of other things. Sure, individual units may not be good (see other reviews), but this thing has POTENTIAL. I don't regret buying it one bit; if you do and yours doesn't heat, I'd recommend returning it; you probably got a bad one! Happy cooking! UPDATE - 10/28/2019 - Nine (9) years later (!) and it's still awesome! UPDATE - 10/6/2025 - still going strong!

I've had this almost two years now (NOV 2020) and use it several times a week. This is my only burner, no stove top or other burners. It does take awhile to get hot if you have a full pan or are trying to boil a full pot of something. But once it gets up to temperature it keeps things boiling! The control is accurate and easy to use. The actual burner part is metal and does stay hot for a long time after it is off. When I need to simmer something I can turn the burner off and keep it simmering for about 10 minutes. Easy enough to clean and small enough to store in a cabinet when not in use. I have a small kitchen with no stove/oven and cook with this, an instant pot, a hot pot for boiling water, a microwave and a large toaster oven. On this burner I can make skillet items such as grilled cheese, pancakes, and burgers. It also does great for small to medium pots of rice (2 cups rice/2cups water), a box of mac n cheese, and soups. For stuff like mac n cheese I'll boil the water in my hot pot to speed up the cooking time. Overall this is a great burner that I've used frequently and it has held up well and still functions perfectly.

I really like this hot plate. It works well and gets the job done. (Our new stove is delayed by at least a month so this is a fill-in for now.) I have made a lot of nice meals on this hot plate and it boils water great for my morning coffee. The temperature control knob feels loose and flimsy but it does seem to be true to the temp I set it at. However, I don't recommend this and probably would not buy again because the entire thing -- the entire white housing around the hot plate -- gets really really hot. Too hot to touch. This doesn't seem right and doesn't feel safe. So I'm very careful with it. Also, I should've gotten one with two burners. I gave it four stars because it does work well but I'm worried about how hot the entire thing gets.

Use for outdoor cooking works great and good quality

Just rec'd today.... Tried out 'my purpose' for purchasing..... I've a secret recipe for black bean tacos. The tacos are tastier with 'charred/slightly blackened' corn tortillas; no oil/pan frying whatsoever -- place directly upon burner and let her char! The problem is that I've been using my induction stovetop burners and slowly but surely, with each dinner prep ---- more and more tortilla residue is left on the surface and even comet-like stuff won't remove it. Point being - my stovetop surface is slowly getting ruined :( :( A good decent hotplate was needed which led me to this purchase. A quick perusing here @ amazon and voila---it appears that I found just what I needed! ************* THE LOWDOWN ************* 1) Cast iron heating element -- nicely done, love it!! Solid piece which means no 'food fall-thru's' & HOT, HOT, HOT!! I did not want one off those 'coil-burner' hotplates -- so I'm a happy camper having found this. And YES, it does seem to cook evenly. My tortillas were all evenly charred :) 2) 1000 watts -- nice and hot, nice and quickly. Would have preferred 1100-1200 watts but they were not avail in the price range I was willing to pay for simple burning of tortillas :) 3) Regarding the "Cool Touch Base" (there is no such thing) Yep, the entire base/casing gets quite hot also, so I use a wooden trivet (the tiny feet DO NOT get hot... but I'm not taking a chance). Personally, I can't even imagine such a small cooking utensil as this not getting hot.... that's the point --- heat.... and being so small, the base is bound to get hot also. Consider your stovetop... nearby any burner used gets quite warm too... so, it is what it is. Therefore, this DOES NOT have a 'cool touch base'. It's called "precautions taken" and one should be fine. 4) How to clean the drip pan underneath the burner --- oh my, I can't see a way to do that! It appears to be one tightly made unit (instructions mention nothing of this). I suppose that over time you'll just burn that excess stuff away? Perhaps, once again -- just be careful not to spill liquids... and for crumbs (toast, etc) just turn upside down and shake? I'm perfect, so rarely do I have crumbs.... bwahahahaaaa ;) 5) It's been 10 minutes since I turned it off. To make sure it was off, I unplugged it because 5 min into "OFF" - the darn thing was just as hot as it was "ON". It is STILL WARM enough NOW to keep the tortilla 'warming'. That is something I don't get with my stovetop burners ---- but I am willing to deal with that. Cool-down will be at least an hour+ before storage. 6) There IS a 1 year warranty - good to know. But having bought thru amazon --- returns are easier than the manufacturer should something happen sooner than that. And, at least there is a warranty that extends beyond the avg 60 day timeframe. That's it! ... I'm now drowning in my black bean taco diet and loving every single minute of it!! Hope some of this helps :)

I wasn’t expecting much at this price point, but this little thing did it’s job for just over 6 months of near daily use before dying out. Cord can get very hot, smells like burning plastic/electronics the first couple of times you use it. Gets hot enough to boil water in about 10 minutes, however the temperature repeatedly cuts on and off and extends that time drastically. It’s small enough to move around and store with ease. I would not speak as to it’s safety, not a unit I would leave unattended for more than a minute. Would only buy one again if I just wanted one to have around without intending to use it much.

I've been using my hotplate daily for 14 months now. It still works and (nearly) looks like new. It has served me well, because I recognize its limitations. If I cook in my 12" skillet or my super-large steamer pot, I expect to see longer cook times. That being said, I have made dozens of fried or sautéed dishes in the 12" skillet, and I've cooked pasta many times in the big pot, with excellent results. But, patience is required. However, if I use my 1-quart saucepan or my 8" skillet, I'm king of the hill. That is the size of cookware that this hotplate was made to handle. The saucepan will boil in only a few minutes; the skillet will cook an omelet in five minutes or fewer. (I would imagine one would get great results, too, using a 2-quart saucepan, or a 10" skillet, because they would still fit the heating element quite nicely.) The heavy iron pad on the heating element maintains heat evenly. I got the impression when I read some of the one-star and two-star reviews that people are expecting a Volkswagen to pull a rail car. One reviewer said he was trying to use this unit to heat a skillet on his patio. Hmmm... Ever heard the expression "if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen"? That is because kitchens need to be sealed environments. You don't have big open windows, and you don't have big fans, even in professional kitchens. It's impossible to regulate the heat or to obtain the heat you need if a breeze is blowing across your stove. If you plan to use this hotplate when camping, then you're going to have to find a proper shield for it. Folks, this hotplate contains a 1000-watt heating element. For comparison, consider that, on most commercially available electric ranges, the SMALLEST burner is 1200 watts. Often, one burner on that range top will meet or exceed 3000 watts. Obviously, this little guy is not going to perform like a built-in range. As to the complaint that the hotplate gets hot on the bottom and transfers that heat to the countertop it is sitting on; again, if you're trying to boil a gallon of water, or cook two quarts of chili, you're going to overheat this hotplate, and it's going to transfer that heat. I've been using my hotplate, as I said for 14 months, over a laminated countertop, and I don't have any burning or bubbling thereon. One final thing. The electric circuit that you plug into is going to have a big effect on the efficiency of this hotplate's 1000-watt element. If you're on a camping trip, for instance, and using a generator for power, or if you're on an electric circuit in some remote area, you may not be getting enough power in to get 1000 watts out. This hotplate has met all my expectations; thus, five stars. *EDIT* One reviewer said that their hotplate did not sit evenly on a flat surface. Please note that the hotplate comes with TWO DIFFERENT-SIZED RUBBER PLUG-IN FEET, three flat ones, and one that is thicker. By moving these, one can always keep the unit flat and steady, even if the unit should warp during use (which mine never has). I've never had to move the rubber feet around, but I thought I'd mention it since at least one reviewer was clueless.

Lo uso en mi oficina para hacer café con la cafetera italiana, excelente calienta muy rápido

Works perfectly. Great price. Keeps drink hot.

CALIENTA RÁPIDO Y PAREJO

Muy buena hornilla eléctrica. Tarda un poco en calentar, pero su plancha es muy firme y mantiene el calor por más tiempo. El control de temperatura que tiene evita qué se caliente sin límite y eso ayuda a qué no se desgaste tanto ni tan rápido.

Funciona a la perfección y usa solamente 2 pilas AA