Are you thinking about buying a Duxtop 9600 LS portable induction cooker?
Today’s portable induction cookers offer portability, style, and flexibility, making it easy for you to cook a wide variety of dishes in or out of your home.
Not all models are the same though. We’re here to tell you about one of our favorite new induction cookers – the Duxtop 9600LS Portable Induction Cooker.
Check Latest Duxtop Price on AmazonWe’ve reviewed it and here’s everything you need to know.
What Is an Induction Cooker?
A portable induction cooker, also known as a portable induction cooktop, works just like an induction cooktop that is not portable (built into your countertop) or a range with an induction cooktop.
Instead of cooking your food with a designated heat source, an induction cooker uses magnetic technology to cause vibrations in the pan.
Yes, it uses magnets to cook your food. Pretty neat, right?
The vibrations in the pan produce the heat, as opposed to a burner, so that the top of the burner only becomes hot from residual heat.
The downside is that not all pots and pans can be used with an induction cooker.
Usually, only stainless steel or cast iron pans will do. You can always test the compatibility of your existing pans by using a small magnet.
A portable induction cooktop offers several benefits.
It won’t need to be hard-wired into your kitchen or installed into your counter, giving you an extra burner for when you are entertaining or making it easier in case you need to move out. You can use induction cookers to keep dishes warm before you serve them. You can even use them in RVs, dorm rooms, or motor homes.
Features to Consider
When you’re looking for an induction cooker that will best suit your needs, consider the following features:
- Power available in the burner, measured by watts
- Whether the power level is variable
- Size of the burner
- Number of heat settings
- Method of heat control
- Quick function settings
- Safety features
- Countdown or automatic timers
- Base construction – stainless steel or plastic
- Ability to slow simmer
- Overheating sensors
Duxtop 9600 LS Review – Our Take
With those features and benefits of portable induction cookers in mind, let’s move on to our review of one of the best selling portable induction cookers – the Duxtop 9600LS.
Who Makes Duxtop Portable Induction Cookers?
All Duxtop Portable Induction Cookers, including the model we will review in this article, the 9600LS, are made by Secura, Inc.
This major manufacturer of household appliances is headquartered in Blaine, Washington – just a short drive shy of the Canadian border. The company makes a variety of induction cookers as well as ovens, steamers, water boilers, and other common household goods.
Duxtop is one of the most popular brands manufactured by Secura. The Duxtop brand includes induction cookers as well as cookware that is induction-compatible.
Here’s What We Loved
The Duxtop 9600LS is an 1800-watt portable induction cooker that is Secura’s 2.0 version of the 9100MC induction cooker. This upgraded model has some similar specifications, including:
- Five-foot long power cord
- 1800 watts of power
- Automatic shut-off feature to prevent overheating
- Automatic shut-off feature that detects incompatible pans
- Six to seven-inch diameter induction coil with a maximum heat dispersal diameter of 3.5 inches
- Ability to add a self-timer in one minute increments
- Internal thermometer housed beneath the glass top of the unit
In addition, this cooker is the same size as the 9100MC, coming in with an 11″ x 11″ inch flat-top cooking square.
The front panel adds another three inches, making it 14 inches deep and 11 inches wide. It’s only about 2.5 inches tall though, making it shorter and more compact than the 2.7 inch 9100MC.
Upgrades from the Duxtop 9100MC
Here are some of the major differences (which we consider upgrades) when compared to the Duxtop 9100MC.
Timer
The new 9600LS has an included timer that lasts for up to 10 hours instead of the measly 170 minutes offered by the 9100MC.
Cook Time
Because of the long term timing capacity of this induction cooker, it can also be used as a slow cooker.
Buttons
The 9600LS has touch screen buttons instead of physical ones – you press and hold the power button for a few seconds before it can start.
This is a superb safety feature that will prevent small children from turning on the unit by accident. It will also eliminate the likelihood of you bumping the cooker by mistake and turning it on or off.
It also makes the 9600LS look sleeker.
Modes
You can set the unit to either manual or temperature-target mode, depending on your needs.
The Duxtop 9600LS is also equipped with Boil, Keep Warm, and timing modes.
Power Settings
The 9600LS has a whopping 20 different power settings instead of the 15 offered by the 9100MC. This is actually more power settings than you will find with other induction cooker products, as well.
The various power settings and automatic timer settings on this induction cooker make it less likely to burn or undercook your food – a major benefit if you’re not familiar with using one of these devices.
How Effective is the Duxtop 9600LS?
This device is easy to use at any wattage, and is made easier by the handy chart included with your purchase breaking down the wattage equivalents.
We found the Duxtop 9600LS to be better than the 9100MC when it comes to low-temperature cooking. It’s less likely to overheat your food, and offers gentle heat to give you the ideal wattage for about half the time, offering recovery time between jolts of energy to reduce the likelihood of overcooking your food.
Bottom line? You’ll have more control with this unit, and you won’t be as likely to experience overheating.
Also, a nice design feature is that the front of the 9600LS has an angled appearance. Most induction units are flat, making it easy for the edges of hot pans to overheat the electronic control panel. You won’t have to worry about that with the 9600LS, which will display your temperature, power, and timer to you via an LCD panel safely away from the hot pan.
While all induction cookers will come with fans, the 9600LS is unique in that it operates much more quietly than those in other inexpensive slow cookers.
This might just be a matter of convenience and not wanting to listen to a stressed fan, but we like that this fan is quieter – the quiet, functional fan reduces the possibility of the device overheating.
What are the Safety Features of the Duxtop 9600LS?
A major (and important) safety feature of this portable induction cooker is that it will flash a “hot” warning until the temperature cools down. This will prevent the unit from overheating and in some cases, can reduce the likelihood of your food becoming scorched.
The 9600LS also has lock settings to prevent children or pets from changing the temperatures or other settings until the unit is turned off or unlocked. This is super helpful if you plan on leaving the cooker unattended for long periods of time. It also won’t turn on unless you press the button down and hold it for several seconds.
You’ll get two major presets with the 9600LS: Keep Warm and Boil.
The Boil mode will turn the unit up to maximum power before setting a timer for ten minutes. After the timer has elapsed, the unit will turn itself off. If you plan on boiling for more than ten minutes, this can be a minor inconvenience – otherwise, it’s something to be desired.
The Keep Warm button, on the other hand, sets the unit to temperatures of 140 degrees. This is the “safe food” temperature recommended by all food safety experts to prevent the development of bacteria. You will be able to keep your food warm for several hours without having to worry about it cooling down, becoming either unpalatable or unsafe to eat. It’s perfect for entertaining.
Here’s What We Could Live Without
One of the major complaints about using the 9600LS is that it tends to be unreliable when using it at the low end of the wattage spectrum. This is a trait shared by most Duxtop induction cookers, as well as other inexpensive brands, as well.
You might find that your cooker pulses on for a few moments and then turns off – it will average out to the claimed wattage that is guaranteed in the manual, but it won’t maintain a consistent heat.
In addition, this induction cooker – like most – has temperature sensors beneath the ceramic. While this is a nice feature, you need to be careful about relying too much on it.
When the bottom of the pan reaches a certain temperature, it will take some time for the ceramic to sense it and an even longer amount of time for the sensors to read it.
There is some lag time.
If you are engaging in a long cooking task, like simmering soup, the reading will be more reliable – otherwise, it can underestimate the temperature of the cooking surface by about fifteen degrees, making it tough for delicate jobs.
While this unit is much quieter than other models, it can emit a high-pitched squealing noise while being operated at maximum temperatures. If you have sensitive hearing or just don’t feel like listening to the cooker working, you might want to avoid cranking it up to maximum temperatures – if possible. You can also put paper towels between the pan and the cooktop to help reduce noise, too.
This induction cooker uses a two-prong plug that attaches to the cooker, encased in plastic. The plug is ungrounded, which can lead to some concerns, but luckily, the plastic casing doesn’t conduct electricity so you should still be safe.
As with all portable induction cookers, the Duxtop 9600LS is only compatible with cookware that is highly magnetic.
You cannot use aluminum cookware unless it has a thin layer of magnetic stainless steel on the bottom. There are some other induction cookers that allow for this kind of aluminum cookware compatibility, but the Duxtop 9600Ls is unfortunately not one of them.
What Our HomeGenerosity Readers Have to Say
“The 9600ls seems to be well constructed. Controls are nice and easy to use and it doesn’t make a lot of noise when running. This is my third portable induction cooker and like all induction cooktops, heat uniformity really depends on the cookware. I also invested in high quality cookware and have had success using this Duxtop for slow cooking and simmering.”
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“Best part? The boil and warming modes. I really bought this to boil water fast since I heard induction cookers are great for it. I was surprised though at how useful it was to keep food at a low temperature for a long time.”
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“Bought the Duxtop 9600LS and for a while thought it was broke. Then realized that it doesn’t work with all pans. Yikes, I felt like an idiot.”
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“Works fine. My only complaint would be that the 20 degree temperature increment when using it in temperature mode is a little much. I would really like to have more ability to control the temperature. Other than that, no problems.”
The Duxtop 9600LS vs Other Portable Induction Cookers
We’ve already told you a little bit about how the 9600LS compares to the older model, the Duxtop 9100MC. But there are plenty of other comparable induction cookers on the market, too.
Here’s what you need to know before you buy:
Duxtop 9600LS vs Duxtop 9100MC
The Duxtop 9100MC has 15 different power levels – again, not as many as offered by the 9600LS’s impressive 20.
Nevertheless, this cooker operates from 200 to 1800 watts at temperatures from 140 to 460. It requires a 120v 60Hz AC and is also delivered with a one-year limited warranty from the factory.
Although the Duxtop 9600LS has significantly more safety features and upgrades than the Duxtop 9100MC, the 9100MC does have a unique diagnostic error message system (as well as low and high voltage warning systems) to help you better understand your machine.
Overall, the 9600LS is a direct upgrade of the 9100MC, with Secura keeping what we loved about the 9100MC and upgrading what we didn’t.
Duxtop 9600LS vs Duxtop 8100MC
The Duxtop 8100MC is a similar induction cooker but is more lightweight and compact than some other models. It only has about 10 power levels ranging from 200 to 1800 watts, as well as 10 temperature ranges that go from 140 degrees all the way up to 460 degrees.
This induction cooker has a digital control panel, much like the 9600LS, as well as a digital timer with one-minute increments up to 170 minutes (unfortunately not as much as the 9600LS). As with the 9600LS, you will need to use Duxtop or induction-ready cookware with this cooktop, such as stainless steel pans with magnetic bottoms.
When it comes to features, the 8100MC doesn’t compare to the 9600LS.
However, the 8100MC is a more affordable option that still provides the quality of a Duxtop portable induction cooker.
Duxtop 9600LS vs iSiler 1800 Watt Portable Induction Cooker
The iSiler 1800 Watt Portable Induction Cooker is another inexpensive induction cooker for you to consider.
This model comes with 9 power levels ranging from 100 to 1800 watts. It has 8 temperature levels that can be set in 40-degree increments, as well as large, sensitive touch buttons.
The cooktop surface is about the same size as the Duxtop 9600LS, and it has a three-hour timer and safety lock. It also comes with a one-year warranty from the manufacturer.
Unlike the 9600LS, the iSiler is an entirely flat unit. While more compact than the 9600LS, we prefer the 9600LS’s angled control panel which helps to avoid the heat of the pan as you change controls.
Overall, the iSiler is another high quality portable induction cooker. Reviewers have had very few issues with the iSiler and have found it to be a great addition to their kitchen.
Its main difference from the Duxtop 9600LS is that the 9600LS has more features and presets. However, by giving up some added benefits, you can save some money by buying the iSiler.
Should I Buy the Duxtop 9600LS Portable Induction Cooker?
The Duxtop 9600LS is one of the best affordable portable induction cookers on the market.
While it has some minor inconveniences (such as a semi-loud fan at high temperatures and an ungrounded plug), it is nevertheless a serious upgrade from the previous model – the Duxtop 9100MC.
This portable induction cooker is not only safe to be used around kids and pets, but it’s highly functional, too. With 20 different power levels and a rugged build, it’s a kitchen appliance that you will be able to count on – no matter what you might be cooking.