Head-to-head · Best Compact Induction Cooktops

Duxtop 9600LS Portable Induction Cooktop vs Hamilton Beach 34104 Portable Single Induction Cooktop

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

Verdict is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page are affiliate links — if you click through and buy, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Our ratings are sourced from independent publications, not sponsors.

The short answer

Hamilton Beach 34104 Portable Single Induction Cooktop comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.3 vs 4.4). The gap is mostly about Countertop cooks who fry — shallow-frying cutlets, doughnuts, a Dutch oven of oil for onion rings — and anyone who wants to use a wide skillet on a portable burner without the rim going cold. Also a sensible pick as a second unit next to a slower burner, since it is frequently discounted. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #4 in Best Compact Induction Cooktops

Duxtop 9600LS Portable Induction Cooktop

4.3

6 sourcesall derived$116.99

The Duxtop 9600LS is a single-burner 1800W portable induction cooktop, and reviewers repeatedly name it a top pick under roughly $250 on the strength of its 20 power and 20 temperature steps and a 10-hour timer that few budget units match. It boils water quickly in testing (CenturyLife saw about 3.5 minutes) and holds low simmers better than cheaper Duxtop models. Precision is not its game: the fan is loud (around 56 dB), it can whine at full power, the temperature sensor reads roughly 15F low, and it pulses at the lowest settings. On an inexpensive countertop induction burner, those are expected trade-offs rather than dealbreakers.

Strengths

— NYT Wirecutter's top pick after testing more than a dozen portable induction cooktops, praised as "the easiest to use for everyday cooking"
— 20 power settings and 20 temperature settings — the most of any model in Wirecutter's test group, and more than the 15 on the cheaper Duxtop 9100MC
— Temperature floor of 100°F, low enough to melt butter or chocolate without a double boiler

Watch-outs

— Serious Eats could not get frying oil above 350°F on it even after an hour, missing the 375°F target that the cheaper Duxtop 9100MC and the IKEA TILLREDA both reached
— Slower than its cheaper sibling in the same test: 18.5 minutes to boil a gallon of water against the 9100MC's 16, at roughly 1.4 times the price
— Its one-touch Boil preset starts a 10-minute countdown, which Serious Eats measured as about eight and a half minutes short of an actual rolling boil

$116.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #3 in Best Compact Induction Cooktops

Hamilton Beach 34104 Portable Single Induction Cooktop

4.4

1 sourceall derived$79.95

Hamilton Beach's 34104 finished second to the Duxtop 9100MC in Serious Eats' test of 17 portable induction cooktops, and it wins outright on the one job the Duxtop struggles with. It was the fastest and most efficient burner in the group at heating oil, comfortably clearing the 375°F frying mark on full power. The cost is a slower boil — 20.5 minutes for a gallon — and a touch panel sensitive enough that the tester kept triggering a 30-second Boost function she could not find a use for.

Strengths

— Heated frying oil faster and more efficiently than any other burner in Serious Eats' 17-model test, and could push past the 375°F frying target on full heat
— Strong temperature stability across long cooks, which Serious Eats called out specifically alongside its ease of use
— 8.5-inch coil and a stated 4- to 10-inch pan range, the widest cookware tolerance among the affordable picks in that test

Watch-outs

— Took 20.5 minutes to boil a gallon of water, four and a half minutes slower than the Duxtop 9100MC in the same test
— Touch controls are oversensitive — Serious Eats hit the Boost button by accident more than once during testing
— The Boost function itself is close to useless: it runs maximum power for exactly 30 seconds, a duration the tester could not find a purpose for

$79.95 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Duxtop 9600LS Portable Induction Cooktop

This is the product the two best tests in the category disagree about: Wirecutter's top pick is Serious Eats' also-ran, beaten there by the cheaper Duxtop 9100MC. The 9600LS has 20 settings to the 9100MC's 15 and a 10-hour timer against its 170 minutes; the 9100MC boils faster and fries hotter. The Hamilton Beach 34104 beats both on oil, the IKEA TILLREDA matches the 9600LS's boil time for far less money, the Nuwave PIC Gold is down on wattage, and the Breville Control Freak CMC850 Induction Cooktop is the only unit whose temperature readout can be trusted.

Hamilton Beach 34104 Portable Single Induction Cooktop

Against the Duxtop 9100MC the trade is explicit: the Duxtop boils faster and holds a steadier simmer, the Hamilton Beach 34104 fries better and takes wider pans. It has the same advantage over the Duxtop 9600LS, which never got oil past 350°F in the same test. The IKEA TILLREDA also cleared the frying target but caps at a 7.9-inch pan; the Nuwave PIC Gold is 300 watts down on all of them; and the Breville Control Freak CMC850 Induction Cooktop is the only unit here bought for precision rather than power.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Duxtop 9600LS Portable Induction Cooktop	Hamilton Beach 34104 Portable Single Induction Cooktop
Type	Portable countertop	Portable countertop
Burners / Zones	1	1
Total Power	1800W	1800W
Power Levels	20 (100–1800W)	10 settings
Temperature Range	100–460°F (20 steps)	175–450°F (15 settings, °C selectable)
Surface	Glass-ceramic (11 × 11 in)	—
Controls	LCD sensor-touch, child lock	Touch panel with Boost
Timer	Up to 10 hrs (1-min steps)	Up to 150 min
Voltage	120V	120V ~ 60Hz
Dimensions	14 × 11.4 × 2.5 in	13.88 D × 11.73 W × 2.68 H in
Weight	7.3 lb	6.4 lb
Warranty	1-year limited	1 year limited (US)
Material	Glass	—
Wattage	1800 watts	—
Burner Diameter	—	8.5 in
Recommended Pan Diameter	—	4–10 in
Cord Length	—	45 in
Model	—	34104

← See the full ranking of best compact induction cooktops