BGI101S

This replaced a very minimal 12 year old unit, one of those "just the heating coil" cheapos. I had no idea how much I had shortchanged myself 12 years ago, this is so much better. The glass top really makes a difference in heat distribution, the old unit had a hotspot in the middle and cooled gradually to the edges. Not so with this, seems even from edge to edge. The old unit's control know would not turn off the element. Not a defect, other buyers complained of it (so I knew it before buying). This one turns completely off fully counter-clockwise and that is so handy. Of course you shouldn't depend on this, but it's convenient when dinner's hot & ready, I don't have to immediately unplug it. And the markings are wonderful, easy to see. Old unit just had a "pointer" with no reference marks at all, really all so arbitrary I hardly used it for temperature control at all. Finally, those "coil only" units have a design flaw built in, that is if you expect them to last. I suspect they are all like the one I had, although I'm not going to purchase any more just to find out. The coil has little integral legs that allow it to set in place. But the coil is free to flop around. The 2 wires that supply power to the coil are directly attached to it, underneath in the base unit. They take a beating from the movement and break off. They are difficult to deal with as they can't be soldered, they are connected with 1/4" fast-ons. The only way I got 12 years out of that unit was by repairing those wires more times than I can count, usually right in the middle of preparing food, not the most pleasant experience when your belly is rumbling. This unit may have the same system, but the glass top keeps the coil from flopping about and your pans sit on the glass, avoiding the constant moving of the coil, so this *should* work better. Time will tell. Every time I cook now I am thrilled with this unit. I'll never go back to "el cheapo" and neither should you.

This single burner works as well, if not better, than some of the stovetop burners I have used over the years. It heats up very quickly and, though it cycles off and on (just like glasstop stove burners do), it still maintains the necessary level of heat to cook your food. I have fixed everything from stews, noodles, hamburgers, french fries and grilled cheese sandwiches - and the burner did an excellent job on all of them. The only word of caution I have is that the surface of it is a little slick and some pans may slide off it if accidentally bumped. The burner works great and was exactly what I was looking for.

It's actually more versatile and quicker than the Higher-Priced Hot Plates from the same Store. I was impressed by how It's keeping my Beaker of Tea at a comfortable temperature automatically (after setting it up). Neato!!! MTR

Very easy to use and heats up fast. Cooks food evenly and works great for everyday use. Good quality for the price, I’m happy with it

Tremendous value, easy to clean and durable, have had for over two years without an issue, I set mine on a Wi-Fi capable outlet and since there is nothing near it and no open flame, nor extremely open archaic hot rails, I feel safe remotely heating a frozen soup or a moka of coffee ready as I get home. I have a failsafe timer setup should I have a heart attack or forget for some reason. So basically it's very useful and as modern as a hot plate can get, beyond induction models, which I have not found with a hard lock switch, otherwise those are better over all for sure. I have those to, but for actual in person cooking, this is also considerably cheaper. Suitable for a college dorm, portable, very lightweight so great for camping with an inverter or large powerbank, but I would still add a smart/timer outlet for an added layer of safety and or convenience in most cases, Imagine camping going for a hike and knowing you aren't going to burn your dinner. Also it's completely quiet, beyond a light click when the heating element is engaged, and I suppose the fact it glows makes it safer that the older rail models, as you can see its on from further away. Hope this was useful, thanks for listening.

Boils water very fast. I don't know what product people are reviewing but this product is awesome. Only pickup is that the unit stays hot after use. I just fill a pot with cold water and leave it on top and it speeds up the cooling process.

I'm loving this counter top burner. It took just a couple times using to get a good understanding of how to set the heat control to my cooking style. Heats fast and maintains the heat level through out the cook.

this hot plate works well and maintains good temperature control for cooking. it’s compact and wipes clean easily. the only con is the unit base gets really hot to the touch while using it so use with caution and it stays hot for a long time after it’s been turned off. let it cool down for a while before putting it away