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I've owned and used a variety of counter top induction burners, ranging from 1200-1800 watts, including popular, well reviewed brands.

Between the electronic whines and the fans, they were all extremely loud; amongst the loudest items in my home kitchen, and annoying enough that I don't use induction as much as I'd prefer to.

Do any quiet induction burners actually exist?

Phil
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    I've only ever used one once, and I don't remember it making loud noises ... but different people hear sounds at different frequencies. (there was a thing years ago where teenagers were using high frequency noises for ring tones, as most older teachers couldn't hear them ... supposedly most people lose their high-range hearing with age. Malls were also found to be using high-frequency noise to try to keep teens from loitering : https://www.cbsnews.com/news/high-pitched-device-drives-away-teens/ ) – Joe Jul 17 '20 at 14:32

2 Answers2

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Quieter, yes. Quiet, no.

This was based on my recent research where I tested out 8 different portable induction burners, did a lot of reading, and ultimately decided not to buy one.

Induction burners make noise for two main reasons:

  1. They work via a spinning electromagnetic field, which causes both the burner and the vessel to vibrate microscopically, creating a loud hum.
  2. They have an internal fan to keep the electronics cool while the burner is on. This is often the louder source of noise.

Higher-end induction burners produce less noise by having a heavier case (reducing vibration), and by having a better cooling fan. However, having tried some of these fairly expensive commercial burners, like a Waring and a Vollrath, I'd say they are quieter but not exactly something you'd use in a room with a sleeping baby.

Built-in burners can reduce noise further simply by having sound insulation built into the cooktop, and many do.

FuzzyChef
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  • Was the noise your primary reason for not buying, or were there other major contributing factors? – Sneftel Jul 22 '20 at 06:56
  • Are home ranges quiet enough? I've never been around one to know. – Rob Jul 22 '20 at 10:56
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    Oh my major reason was that I found out that most of my cookware, even the steel stuff, wouldn't work with them. But the noise definitely didn't help. – FuzzyChef Jul 23 '20 at 05:55
  • I presume like the portable burners, it depends a lot on quality/price. I've only tried two induction home ranges, and one was a prototype, so I can't offer specific feedback. – FuzzyChef Jul 23 '20 at 05:56
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I saw this YouTube review of an Anko (Kmart Australia) and Ikea Tillreda portable induction cooktop, and the Tillreda was much quieter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk_Qa1uOSoY

If you have a gas cooktop and a noisy range hood like me, the fan noise of an induction cooktop will be much quieter.

davoid
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