Housewares AHP-303 Single Burner Hot Plate, Metal, Black

I've had this hot plate for almost 2 months and have no complaints this far. The look and feel of it far surpasses the $10-15 hot plates you find at local stores. It is very heavy and sturdy, and the legs don't wobble. This is my primary way of preparing meals. I've cooked everything from pancakes, boiled eggs, stir fry; boiled, steamed & sauteed veggies and much more, all with no problem. As other reviewers suggested, I started cooking things on the lowest setting until I got used to cooking with this plate. It has warm, low, medium & high temp settings; I have never had to use high, not even to boil eggs! During cooking, the red power indicator light turns off and on as the plate adjusts it temperature. Not unusual, other hot plates do the same. It does take a while to cool off after you turn it off. No different than a regular stove. I like that the plate is solid and not coiled. This allows heat to transfer evenly and you don't end up with food on different sides of your skillet cooking at different speeds. Make sure to use a skillet/pan as close as possible to the size of the plate to ensure all food cooks evenly. REMEMBER: the plate is cast iron. I absent mindedly washed a skillet and only half dried it, and set it on the plate. The next day, I noticed a small rust spot. My previous $15 hot plate and $30 electric skillet (different brands than this) both lasted about 8 months each. Hopefully this will last much longer! UPDATE:04.13.2016 It's still working so far! HOWEVER... Be sure to unplug the hot plate when it's not in use. Even when I turn the power knob to "OFF", the power still cycles off and on and the plate continues to heat up. Very hazardous..

I used Amazon.com because the website made it easy to find the particular hot plate I wanted -- from amongst many, many others. For my review of the Aroma AHP-303 hot plate (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007QCRNU/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_img), I must first admit that I'm probably flying under false colors, here. All I wanted was a simple hot plate...more precisely: a one cup coffee warmer. However, since I prefer those larger mugs (often used for soup), I've never been able to find a single mug warmer which would hold the larger sized coffee mug. I had no interest in cooking or reheating food...or even boiling water, for that matter. I just wanted a 'large-enough' coffee mug warmer. Hence the sledgehammer approach. I ordered two of these hot plates and both do exactly what I needed: they keep a large mug of coffee warm. I have one in my computer room, upstairs, and use the other in my basement workshop. Being retired and largely without competent adult unsupervision throughout the day, I thought I'd indulge myself. Yes, it is overkill, but it does exactly what I needed. The Aroma AHP-303 has a nice, clean, compact design. The single control operates as it should and the electrical cord is just the right length (not so long it has to be coiled up; not so short that I'd have to hunt down an extension cord). Finally, by some quirk of fate, the design of the hot plate manages to make a nice techie-looking addition to my computer room and yet also fits in with the "man-stuff" in my work shop. I'm a happy camper. I would recommend the Aroma AHP-303 -- even if you only plan on using it to cook something.

Given what I paid for it, I wasn't expecting much. I got it because I was tired of eating out every time I stay at a motel and this gave me yet another excuse to use the cheap camping pots and pans I have lying around - plus, for $16.99, if this didn't work out... meh, right? I just finished cooking some spaghetti with Italian sausage with this and, to its credit, it got the job done. When I first fired it up, something started smoking on the burner - I attacked it with a wet washcloth and that seemed to get the worst of it off. It never set off the fire alarm. The dial offers a range of heat settings; in practical use, these can best be described as "just hot enough to boil water" (High) and "warm enough to burn your hand but not much else" (everything else). In short, this is not a substitute for a household range element. Even so, it did what I needed it to do. It boiled water. It cooked sausage. Tomorrow, it'll cook pancakes. It didn't light on fire, set off the fire alarm, trip a breaker, or otherwise annoy management. It's not the strongest unit in the world, it's not the fastest unit in the world, but it's remarkably affordable and it still works. Given all of that, I'm not going to complain. Would it last more than a month if you used it on a daily basis? I kind of doubt it, but I don't need it to. It just needs to work for a couple days every couple of months, and, based on what I've seen so far, I have considerable faith that it'll do that.

I am extremely impressed with this purchase. I am a student living away from home for the summer, and needed something to supplement the poor kitchen at the place I am staying for a few months. This hot plate has been essential to my cooking so far. It boils water quickly for me to make hard boiled eggs or pasta, and heats whatever I cook in a skillet quickly as well. I have had no problems with the hot plate retaining heat for a long time after being shut off, or getting too hot underneath while cooking. This hot plate works better than the electric stove top at my old apartment! Highly recommend. After using it, I checked back on Amazon thinking that I had purchased the $50 hot plate that I had considered as an alternative to this. I am so glad that I saved my money and went with this great model!

Stay away from this item. We purchased one about a year ago and if failed after 1 month - I disassembled it and made some repairs. It then worked for about another four months before failing again. We used it almost every day during the winter time. So, I ordered two more (they are cheap) for this winter, and the first one failed within a week. I haven't tried to fix that one. The other is on the shelf, emergency use only. ISSUES - they don't event check them out at the factory!! You should plug them in somewhere OUTSIDE and turn it on HIGH for about 20 minutes in order to burn off all the smelly oils that are used during manufacture. Sort of a shock to see white smoke coming from under the unit the first time we plugged one in!! The temperature control knob is plastic and the control shaft gets hot so this fails within a couple of months. I used gorilla glue to repair it for a while - good for another month until heat caused it to fail again. There are not hard stops on the thermostat so you have to sort of guess how to glue the knob on the shaft - i.e. find the OFF point and glue it so OFF is UP. The wiring inside is connected with wire crimp spade connectors like you might use in your car - but it's carrying 10-15 amps! At least they tell you in the accompanying documents that the housing gets hot - and it DOES!! There is very little to isolate the hot plate (which can get to a dull red color) from the supporting black housing/base. AND the hot plate holds heat for a very long time - still almost to hot to hold after 20 minutes.

Works. Sleek design. Easy to clean. but takes a very long time to heat up, and when it does is barely hot enough to maintain a boil on water, or a frying pan hot enough to brown the contents. Don't try to bring water to the boil on this hotplate. It will take an incredibly long time. I resorted to boiling water in a microwave and then transferring it to a pan to steam vegetable on this hotplate. And now, 10 months later it barely works at all. Comes on now and then. Can't fry anything. Useless

The Aroma Housewares AHP-303 Single Burner Hot Plate is a practical addition to any kitchen, especially for those seeking a portable and affordable cooking solution. Its compact design makes it ideal for small spaces like dorm rooms, studio apartments, or as an extra burner during gatherings. Performance & Heating: Equipped with a 1000-watt cast iron heating element, this hot plate offers four temperature settings: Warm, Low, Medium, and High. Users have found it effective for tasks like boiling water, cooking simple meals, and keeping dishes warm. However, some have noted that it may take longer to heat up compared to traditional stovetops, and the heat distribution might not be as even. Design & Build Quality: Constructed with durable die-cast metal, the AHP-303 is built to last. Its solid surface design prevents food from spilling inside, making cleanup straightforward. The unit's compact size doesn't compromise its stability, and it's compatible with various cookware types, including glass and aluminum, up to 6 inches in diameter. User Experience: Many users appreciate its simplicity and ease of use. The absence of an on/off switch means it starts heating as soon as it's plugged in, which some find convenient, while others would prefer a dedicated switch. A few users have reported an initial odor during the first use, which typically dissipates after a short period. Amazon Final Thoughts: For those in need of a straightforward, portable, and cost-effective cooking solution, the Aroma AHP-303 delivers commendable performance. While it may not replace a full-sized stove for heavy-duty cooking, it's a reliable companion for light meals, travel, or as an auxiliary burner.

I purchased the Aroma AHP-303/CHP-303 Single Hot Plate (Black) on Amazon exactly a year and 3 days ago. So far so good, very convenient, easy to use (when you know how to use it correctly), powerful enough for cooking. To those complaints in other reviews, here are some tips: 1. USE A POT WITH THE RIGHT SIZE! The heating surface is 15cm (5-3/4") in diameter. The FLAT part of your pot bottom must be larger than that! Otherwise, there ill be part of the heating suface not in complete contact with the pot, and that will cause overheat. If the heating surface is covered completely (in direct contact) under the pot flat bottom, the heat will be absorbed efficiently by the pot content, you will get faster cooking and no overheating. Here are the tests (1a and 1b) to compare: 1a) 18cm (in diameter) pot, but the bottom is rounded on the edge, the actual flat part that can get in full contact with the heating surface is 12cm, 3cm SMALLER than the heating surface. Bring 1QT (32Oz) water to boil: 13.5-14 minutes continued to boil a second pot of 1Qt: 10 minutes, the burner started to turn itself on and off because it was getting too hot. There is about 1.5cm around the edge of the heating surface not covered by the pot. The heat dissipates into the air which is not a good thermal conductor, and that causes heat buildup in the burner. 1b) 20cm (in diameter) pot, the flat part of the bottom (the actual contact area) 16cm, 1cm LARGER than the heating surface. Bring 1QT (32Oz) water to boil: 11.5 minutes (more efficient cooking compare to the smaller pot in test 1a) continue to boil a second pot of 1Qt: 7.5 minutes, No overheating, the burner did not turn itself on and off. 2. Cool down: It took 50 minutes to cool down to a temperature that you'll feel comfortable to put it in your luggage bag. You can speed it up by putting the pot back on it with cold water, change the water when it gets warm. I made it in 20 minutes by changing water twice. 3. Smoke and smell: yes, the first time to use it, you'll see smoke and smell paint burning. After several uses, it will be OK. 4. The only improvement I wish for a new version is to make the four legs longer (for more clearance under the burner) and foldable (for easy pack). With longer legs, the burner can be rasied higher so there will be more clearance between its bottom and the surface that it sits on (for example a table surface). Currently, the clearance is not enough, the table surface can get really warm or even hot. I put a competely soaked towel under the burner to prevent burning the table. Overal all, I am happy with my purchase.

Works as expected, great quality craftsmanship, and the burner automatically shuts off when it reaches maximum temperature, turning back on when the temperature starts to lower, so it saves energy and reduces the risk of anything breaking from overheating. It takes a little longer to boil water on this than on a stove, but you can expect that with any hot plate you buy. I'd say the difference in boiling time with this hot plate is minimal and does not make cooking feel any more like a chore.

Is very convenient to use. Just be cautions that the plate will still be very hot even though is already turn off.

excelente estufa portatil, calienta cualquier sarten , el nivel de calentamiento es muy alta, como una estufa casera de gas

Aroma AHP-303 Single Hot Plate, Black This Hot Plate is so Useful! Pros: *Robust construction, *Convenient heat control with the knob, *Immaculate performance, *A good aesthetic look. *Because of its solid surface, it is more useful compared to a spiral hot plate. Cons: *The calibration of the heat control knob ought to be in digital form with 1 as the lowest; 10 as the highest heat generation rate. *Designed to work only at 110V - can not be bagged in as a utility when touring Euro-Asian countries where the operating voltage is 220V

Excelente producto, muy buena su calidad