Top 14 Best Portable Electric Stove Reviews In 2020

Portable electric cooktops come in two major types – the basic electric and the induction electric. Each of them is varied in a wide range of prices, dimensions, power, and function.

So how do you know which is the best portable electric stove for your needs?

You might need an expert or experienced home-chef to give you a hand, and with over 20 years’ cooking, let me be your guide. Below are the 14 top picks that I’ve compiled over 2 years:

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Top 14 Best Portable Electric Stove Reviews In 2020

Duxtop 8100MC Portable Electric Stove

More than boiling water, the Duxtop 8100MC is very good for other cooking tasks, like frying pork chops and hamburgers. It is considered one of the best portable electric stoves out there and also the No.1 choice of top-flight chefs.

It cooks much faster than gas stoves while the cooking time is less than half the time of electricity.

In general, to boil a quart of tap water to a boil, it will take around 4 minutes.

With a lot of settings, the stove is easy to control the heat so you can cook slow or deep fry and low but as it is integrated an automatic timer shutoff, remember to restart it every 2 hours.

Another big bonus is the fan. It works much more quietly than the exhaust fan so that you don’t have to raise your voice or turn up the TV when using it. Finally, the cleanup is super-easy.

Product Specs

IMUSA USA GAU-80305 Portable Electric Stove

If you plan to buy a portable electric stove for vacations, I highly suggest the IMUSA USA GAU-80305.

It works like a normal fire – featuring 1000W heating coils, three temperature settings (Low, Medium, and High), a light indicator, and simple knob design. But take note that as the diameter of the coils is just 5.5”, which means it only fits a 12” bottom size of cookware as the maximum.

This would be perfect to cook for solos or couples.

Like the Duxtop, this unit heats up quickly and evenly to cook the food faster than other counterparts at the same price point.

Although there’s no auto-shutoff function in this model, it strikes back with a thermostat that keeps the burner temperature exactly as the set level. The cleaning tasks are relatively easy. The coils are designed to be able to lift so that you can effortlessly clean beneath them.

Product Specs

Elite Cuisine ESB-300X Portable Electric Stove

While giving a rock-bottom price point, the Elite Cuisine ESB-300X is probably the smallest electric stove out there – sizing only 11”x9”x3”. The compact and lightweight design (1.5 pounds of total weight) make for easy storage, portability, and transporting.

Above all, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by its quality and performance, especially in boiling water.

Designed with 750 watts of power and three temperature settings, it heats up as quickly as a traditional tabletop. While the low heat mode retains the food’s warmth as a buffet range, its high mode is perfect for high heat cooking.

The most impressive is it can go from frozen and cold ingredients to a tasty full-cooked dish within half the time of most electric stoves at the same burner size.

Don’t worry if you want to make small adjustments to the burner’s position while it’s fired up, the cool-touch handles will make sure you can do that with safety.

Product Specs

Nuwave Precision Induction Cooker Portable Electric Stove

If you are indecisive between this and the NuWave PIC Pro High Powered for traveling, camping, or RV use, let me help you. The biggest difference between them is maximum power (this model is 1300W while its sibling is up to 1800W).

Theoretically, the higher the power, the faster to cook but in reality, the NuWave Pro High Powered requires a 20V outlet (which is also an irregular outlet in most outdoor cooking places).

Otherwise, it is risky to cause a fire hazard.

This turns out to be the biggest flaw of the High Powered burner, making it significantly less practical and functional than the NuWave PIC. And it’s also the reason why I prefer this model. It is sufficient enough for my most cooking needs while the 15V outlet requirement makes it not that hard to connect with most American kitchen.

Another thing that I like about this stove is its decent flexibility.

Such as the 6 pre-programmed temp settings, the timer up to 100 hours of program performance and memory, and the 52 different temperature settings between 100 to 575 degrees F.

Product Specs

Duxtop LCD Portable Electric Stove

Not only designed with functionality and quality but the Duxtop 9600LS is also extremely safe to use, especially if you have kids or pets in your home.

It features a digital LCD sensor and touch control panel with an emphasis on the child safety lock function.

With it, you’ll get more peace in mind to let kids play around the house while you can’t get an eye on the stove because it helps lock the timer and all cooking settings to prevent unwanted changes once they’ve been set.

If you prefer some technical information, it is ETL listed.

Also, it gives you a 10-hour timer button for multiple cooking tasks with no requirements of babysitting, a keep-warm button, and a fast-boil button, which is convenient to use. The stove is also energy efficient, which consumes 83% less than other electric burners or the traditional gas stoves.

Product Specs

Cuisinart CB-60 Portable Electric Stove

While paying attention to the powerful heat of an electric stove, I also keep an eye on the number of burners, which is another element to help you save the extra time of cooking your food.

Finally, I found this Cuisinart model featuring two heavy-duty cast iron plates and 1800W of power (500W of the secondary burner and 1300W of the primary) so it’s sufficient enough to cook for over 4 people.

The main burner is good for most cooking tasks and the smaller should be used for keeping food warmed up or cook simple dishes, like pasta, boiled water, and hard-boiled eggs.

Ideal for family camping or a group of friends gathering/picnic.

Don’t worry, the overall dimensions are still compact and portable – 5.75 x 22.50 x 15.25 inches – and the weight is 10.6 pounds.

It gives you 6 different temperature pre-programmed settings and they’re separate on each burner, which feels like a mini version of a real stove. I love using this for outdoor activities or on those emergency cases when I need a mini electric stove to use for a while.

Product Specs

iSiLER Portable Electric Stove

I bet any home-chef who is living in a house with a narrow kitchen would fall for this compact electric stove from iSiLER.

With the right cookware, it rocks – searing the food in a way that no other electric cooktop or traditional gas stove could manage as well as boiling water in a blink of eyes. It features 1800W of power with 8 preset temp levels and 9 power settings.

The control panel is sensitive, large touch buttons to help enhance your usability hugely.

My most favorite is its safety features, including rounded-edge design, child lock, overheating protection, and a timer in 1-minute increments.

Besides, the cooking surface is made from high-end glass materials for phenomenal durability and wear resistance. Plus, it makes the stove very easy to clean. For the price, you can’t beat it!

Product Specs

Cadco CSR-3T Portable Electric Stove

The decent quality of this hot plate will easily get anyone thrilled.

It is constructed thoroughly from a high-grade genuine steel material with rubber dense feet for extra stability even under a hefty pot of soup. Its base and side are well-covered with perforations and vents, which is the reason why it cools down quickly.

The best thing is this stove is proudly made in the USA, which ensures quality.

It features 1500W of power with fully-variable temperature ranges from the hot fry, rolling boil, or full heat to the gentlest simmer. Thanks for that, it can keep the foods at a slow, long simmer.

I also like the power LED and separate and illuminated power toggle switch for extra safety. Whether in daylight or darkness, it’s not difficult to notice it is on.

The last bonus is its wise construction, making the cleanup can’t be easier.

Product Specs

Vollrath (59300) Portable Electric Stove

Get this if you want to use an induction cooktop regularly.

It is a high-end model compared to most options here but I assure you it’s the cheapest in the long run.

As made from brushed stainless steel material, this stove is decently good at heat resistance and additionally, it holds up far better than cheaper units, meaning that it isn’t prone to wear out with time. Some customers said it had been in their kitchen for over 5 years, which is impressive.

Another notable thing is the plate which is built to be larger to handle nicely any 14” cookware with even heat delivering. The controls are very well laid out, intuitive, and durable with the temp change increments of one from 0 to 100, making it highly customizable and controllable.

Product Specs

Cusimax CMHP-B101 Portable Electric Stove

The Cusimax CMHP-B101 is a shining option for dorm room use.

It is measured by 13.7 x 10.5 x 4 inches and weighs just 5.45 pounds, which is relatively compact and lightweight to fit most kitchens – narrow or spacious. And the 1500W of power is sufficient enough to meet all cooking needs, whether occasionally or regularly.

I like its durable stainless-steel housing construction which not only makes the stove easier to clean but also leverages its durability to last for years come.

It is also very safe and reliable to use – built with non-slip feet, overheating protection, and indicator light. The unit is even praised for its unparalleled stability and strength to handle the heft of the utensils.

Above all, it is covered by Product Liability Insurance of the United States and the Cusimax guarantee. What else to ask?

Product Specs

Avalon Bay Portable Electric Stove

Highlighting the user-friendly design and multiple built-in safety features, the Avalon Bay IC100B is wonderful for the elderly or beginner home-chefs.

It is easy to operate, featuring a standby mode, auto-pan detection, countdown timer, and digital display with a wide range of temp controls, ranging from 140 to 465 degrees F. Plus, there are 8 power settings within 300W to 1800W.

It is powered by 15A and 120V of electricity – the standard in American houses.

Although it’s not sufficient for complex cooking tasks, I find this model to be powerful enough for daily simple use, like water boiling, hard egg boiling, making soup, and so on.

The biggest selling point is it cools down relatively fast if not in use, which is safe to use, especially clumsy individuals.

Product Specs

Weleyas Platinum Portable Electric Stove

Long story short: This is a perfect electric stove for a hotspot in the winter.

Specifically designed with an electromagnetic field, the Weleyas generates all source energy directly to the vessel. No wasted heat. No wasted power.

And it also helps to cook everything much faster than usual.

All functions work great, including the 8 temperature settings, 9 power levels, and 3-hour timer. When indicating/reaching temperature, the LED lights help you notice that easily. The cooktop also auto-shutoff if you remove the cookware, which is quite convenient and safe to use.

I’m glad that it isn’t hot on the surface of the circle so that you won’t get burnt when accidentally touch it.

Ah, did I tell you about its 1-year warranty and ETL approval?

Product Specs

Weleyas Gold Portable Electric Stove

This electric stove from Weleyas is quite similar to the previous version.

Parts of the unit comprise a timer function, 8 temperature settings, and 9 power levels. Even the dimensions and weight of these two models are the same.

The only difference between them is this portable electric cooktop uses sensor touch control instead of buttons, which makes it easier to use and look more stylish. It’s also built with many safety features, such as overheating protection and auto-shutoff if detecting nothing on the surface.

Although this stove requires certain cookware to work with, once being compatible with the right one, nothing can’t beat it in terms of performance.

Product Specs

Hamilton Beach 34104 Portable Electric Stove

This quick and flexible induction stove will significantly expand your cooking options whether indoors or outdoors.

Compared to most typical smooth stove or top-range, it heats 40% quicker when boiling water. This is equivalent to more time-saving of meal preparation no matter you’re cooking heating soup or a family meal.

The cooking surface is thoughtfully designed to fit a wide range of cookware, from a 4” to 10” diameter of pots and pans. Work no differently than a fifth burner in your kitchen. With this induction cooker, you’ll have 10 heat settings with high precision to get the best cooking results.

I particularly appreciate the additional induction test magnet. It will tell you when the stove is ready to cook by sticking it to your pans. Very helpful for beginners or people who are new to this kind of stove.

Product Specs

The Ultimate Guide To Choosing Best Portable Electric Stove In 2020

Type

As stated, electric stoves have two common types – the electric and the induction electric.

But there might be some people do not know the difference as well as the pros and cons between two of them. Let me explain:

The major difference between these two types of electric cooktops is induction models require certain cookware to work with while the other is compatible with all. Before buying one, remember to consider which kind of cookware available in your kitchen.

If you have the compatible cookware with induction stove, I highly recommend choosing this type of cooktop because it is more energy-efficient and a bit faster to cook.

Power rating

Portable electric cooktops feature a wide range of power rating and this feature is also one of the most important to consider.

It directly depends on the quantity of the food needed to prepare each time.

Remember this basic rule of thumb: The higher the power rating, the higher the heat level it can achieve and the higher the electricity consumption.

A stove generating too low power will be time-taking with each use while a too high power model eats up more power and pile up your monthly electricity bills.

If you plan to use the cooker to prepare short duration meals on a regular basis, then it is perfect to choose for lower power consumption. On the contrary, a higher power stove is better if you cook a large amount of food.

Safety

The biggest risk of cooking over an electric stove is overheating caused by spontaneous turn-on advertently, which leads to potential fire hazards.

This happens quite regularly because unlike gas stoves which would help you be aware that it’s on due to the gas smell, electric models work scentless and silent. So, to avoid that, you should look for electric burners with overheating protection and auto-shutoff function.

Overheating protection: The stove will automatically shut off after a certain constant cooking time (usually 2 hours). Although this is a bit frustrating when you want to slow and low cook on it, this feature is much safer than other types of stove.

Auto-shutoff: The stove will shut off automatically once the cookware is removed.

If you have kids, the cooktop should have this additional function – the child lock, which locks the timer, temp modes, and heat levels to prevent unwanted changes in these pre-programmed settings.

FAQs

Which electric stove is the best?

My picks are:

• Duxtop 8100MC 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner – best overall
• IMUSA USA GAU-80305 Electric Single Burner 1100-Watts, Black – best for vacations
• Elite Cuisine ESB-300X Maxi-Matic Single Burner Electric Hot Plate – the lightest and most compact
• Nuwave Precision Induction Cooktop 1300 Watts – the most practical to use outdoors
• Duxtop LCD Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner 9600LS – the safest

How do you use a portable electric stove?

Step 1: Place your cookware over the burner

Step 2: Turn the stove on

Step 3: Control the power level and temperature heat. This button is commonly located on the same side of the burner, labeled “front” or “back” and “+” or “- “.

Step 4: Start cooking.

What is a portable electric stove called?

There are two common types of portable electric stove: the electric and the induction electric.

Are electric burners safe?

Electric burners are generally safe, which means it still has some minor hazards, such as hot surface, overheating, and spontaneous turn-on.

Can electric stoves cause fires?

Yes, they can.

If you leave it on advertently, it keeps turning on and heating the cookware, causing fire hazards.

Do chefs prefer gas or electric?

Gas.

It’s because gas stoves allow instant heat adjustment by altering the flame, which makes it more precise and easy to control.

Do chefs use electric stoves?

Yes, they do.

The reason is electric stoves are fast to cook and more energy efficient.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it.

Several months of extensive testing have resulted in this insight comparative analysis between 17 best portable electric stoves. Yes, I’ll keep updating it in the future as long as finding out something standout and workable. So don’t forget to follow my blog and this post.

Thanks for reading!