Camping In

The last time we remodeled our kitchen, we set up our camping stove just outside our back door and we did manage to have a few nice homecooked meals of duck breast, crepes, bacon and eggs, and the like. With winter going on in full force, the camping stove is now set up on top of the dishwasher. At least it's inside this time, but since the back wall of our house is just plywood, it still FEELS like we're outside.

The 2-burner camping stove (a Century) actually works quite well. When we are trying to heat up enough soup for the entire family, it's better than using the microwave. A cooktop is also a necessity for things like pasta, pancakes, crèpes, fried potatoes, and anything that requires boiling water.

Our friend Barb also told us about the Viking Portable Induction Cooker for $500 on Amazon.com or Sur La Table. After a bit of research , this cooktop seemed like the best option because there just wasn't enough information available about the other choices. We knew with this one had the equivalent of 15,000 BTUs whereas you couldn't be sure of the power of the others. The others were cheaper, but they also looked cheaper. The cooker works great - we've made one meal on it so far. It seems to heat more quickly than the camping stove. A couple of caveats: First, the cooker almost requires a dedicated circuit. Running the microwave and the cooker on a 15A circuit tripped the breaker. Second, the bottom of whatever pot/pan cannot be warped. If the surface of the pot/pan is not entirely flat against the hotplate, no heat will be generated. For now, it seems like a good investment.