GE JP3030DJBB vs True Induction TI-2C

At its price, this four-burner cooktop performs quite well. The two 8" burners can boil water quite quickly and are very powerful when it comes to searing. The two smaller ones are best used for simmering sauces or melting butter.

While other budget electric cooktops have six settings at most, this one offers just a bit more control over the cooking process, since the knobs possible temperatures are continuous.

Because the ceramic glass surface is flat, it's easy to keep it clean. There is no place for debris to build up as even the knobs are removable and dishwasher-friendly, for easy maintenance and cleaning.

The lowest setting of the burners is low enough to safely do things like simmering or melting butter without the risk of overdoing it.

The two large burners can hit very high temperatures. They're hot enough to sear a very large steak. If you are new to electric cooktops, it’s better to avoid the high settings in the beginning.

While it’s not the most powerful cooktop in the market, it still can boil water reasonably fast. The large burners labeled with “Power Boil” can do the job faster than the majority of cooktops in this price range.

The cooktop has a simple circle that indicates where and how large the burner zone is.

The cooktop comes in three different colors: classic black, white or stainless steel finish. However, if you want the white or stainless steel versions, you have to pay more.

This two-burner cooktop is a very effective solution for those that have small kitchens. Not only will it occupy considerably less space than a regular five-burner cooktop, you also can place it in a drawer when you need to free up an extra kitchen surface.

The TI-2C can be used almost anywhere, all you need is a mains power supply and a 24" by 14" flat surface to place it on. Carrying the unit is easy, as it weighs only 11 pounds.

The cooktop uses induction technology, meaning that it heats up to cookware itself and not the burners. Not only does it use power more efficiently, it heats up almost instantly, taking only half a minute to heat a pan. Another benefit is that the surface doesn’t get hot, as the energy is transferred directly to the cookware.

It can divide the maximum available 1800 W between its burners. For example, you can use the maximum 1800 W on just one burner, or do distributions like 600 W on one and 1200 W on another.

You can set a timer for each of the burners separately, reducing the risk of overcooking food.

The touch-sensitive controls consist of a couple of buttons that are very intuitive and easy to use. You can set the needed power level or temperature with a single press of a button.

The TI-2C is a portable cooktop that's great for lodges, caravans or those who don’t want to install a cooktop into their countertop. However, there is also a TI-2B model, which is technically identical but can be built in countertops, and an MD-2B model, which is a smaller version with smaller burners that can be either carried around or installed permanently in your kitchen.