I have a nice induction stove that only works with pots and pans made of iron or steel. One of my favorite snacks is Jiffy Pop Popcorn, which comes in an aluminum pan. So, this small hotplate is just what I needed. Yes, it's best to unplug it when not in use, but I do that with all portable appliances anyway. I set it to about the 2/3 mark (just past straight down), let it heat up, and then put the Jiffy Pop pan on. As soon as I do that, I shake the pan. If you don't shake the pan, the popcorn will burn. I'm done in three minutes and have my snack. Like I said, it works for me. Remember, shake...shake...shake!

I purchased this to try boiling about 20 gallons of maple sap into syrup in a purely hobbyist endeavor. This boiling had to be done outside. You can't boil that much water in your house without drywall slumping off your walls or ceiling! This was probably not what the manufacturer had in mind... still, I wanted to give it a try after spending a ridiculous amount of money on propane to do the same thing last year. I really appreciated the metal construction. It held up well under a pot filled with 1.5 gallons of sap (about 13 pounds including the pot). I'm sure it could have held more weight than that without a problem. It heated up very quickly and stayed hot during an average 4-hour boiling session. 1200 watts is enough to boil a pot of sap (which starts out 98% water) but not boil it away very quickly. I can get a 1500 watt space heater, and my wife owns a 1875 watt hairdryer. Why can't I find a hot plate with more power than 1200 watts? It eventually took about 30 hours to turn 19 gallons of sap into steam. I thought I might very well kill this thing before I was done, but it still works (and looks!) like new.