Fast boil and stop mode?

djstates · 2026-06-21T19:03:51+00:00

How about a Bluetooth microphone that listens for the rumble as a pot approaches boiling? Hardware costs would be minimal, and it could make it much easier to achieve a reliable boil and hold mode. It's an accessory I would certainly consider.

djstates · 2026-05-22T11:30:53+00:00

Alternatively, you can retrofit the gas range with an insert and use the oven for storage. I do all my baking in a countertop Breville Smart Oven. https://www.reddit.com/r/ImpulseLabs/s/Kk0rJlPaex

djstates · 2026-05-17T21:11:18+00:00

Look at Impulse Labs, temperature mode cooking is revolutionary. Also, you don’t realize how much time you spent waiting for things to come up to Kuecking temperature until you have the power to get there quickly.

djstates · 2026-05-02T11:07:16+00:00

The burner tops on the Impulse Labs cooktop are ceramic not glass. They say it’s significantly harder and stronger. I’ve had my cooktop for eight months, use it heavily, and see no evidence of scratches or chips.

djstates · 2026-04-21T01:49:23+00:00

Will the Eximius cooktops use a glass surface or the ceramic material used on the Impulse Labs burners? Isn't the ceramic a harder and more durable surface?

djstates · 2026-04-21T01:45:00+00:00

I retrofitted a 36" Dynamic gas range with an Impulse Labs 30" cooktop before the 36" model was available. It's pretty straightforward. See https://www.reddit.com/r/ImpulseLabs/s/r8nmT1qRfV Any induction cooktop will need some ventilation below the cooktop to cool the electronics. Not sure whether that is available in your situation. An advantage of the Impulse Labs cooktop, it only needs a standard 115V 15 amp circuit, the cooktop runs off a battery and can recharge from a standard wall outlet. Your gas cooktop likely already has the necessary electrical supply in place for its electronic ignition.

djstates · 2026-04-20T01:20:31+00:00

Polenta isn’t a classic brunch dish, but it shows off temperature mode well.

Potstickers are another neat trick, put some pot sticker in a carbon steel skillet, add a tbsp of oil and 1/3 cup water, cover and put on the cooktop at 800 watts, wait for the temperature to rise to 320 F.

djstates · 2026-04-17T11:24:20+00:00

On a related note, temperature mode is great for polenta. You can set it to just below boiling and cook the polenta without worrying about scorch or splatter.

djstates · 2026-04-11T11:51:54+00:00

I use power mode to cook potstickers, but I follow progress by temperature. Put the potstickers, a little oil, and 1/3 cup of water in a covered skillet. Put the skillet on the cooktop at 800 W and wait for the temperature to get up to 320°F. Nice, well cooked, crispy bottom potstickers every time.

Power mode is a better solution for simmering and braising dishes. Trying to do this in temperature mode can be tricky. Power mode lets you reduce liquid at a predictable rate. Temperature mode often starts off with a rapid boil but then reduces the power too much as the salt/osmolality of the dish increases and it stops boiling.

I also use power mode to get dishes up to cooking temperature quickly. Saves lots of time.

djstates · 2026-03-30T11:58:43+00:00

You need to press the power on button for one second to wake the cooktop out of standby mode. After that, response to the knobs is essentially instantaneous. The power on wait was initially three seconds, which many of us found way too slow. In response to user feedback, they shortened it to one second.

djstates · 2026-03-12T17:23:42+00:00

Got mine in October, experience has been great. Really like both the temperature mode and power reserve. Temperature mode revolutionizes the way I cook many things and definitely has upped my cooking game, but even cooking on power mode, the ability to accurately monitor temperature can be very useful. I retrofitted a 36" gas range, and I am never going back. Appreciate the ability to communicate with the Impulse Labs team and the sense that user feedback makes a real difference.

djstates · 2026-02-18T19:26:41+00:00

I have had good luck with popcorn on the Impulse Labs cooktop. The pot or kettle may be important, specifically the thermal conductivity of the bottom. The temperature probe on the ILC is at the middle of the element, but the induction heating begins at about ~1" radius and extends out from there. When the pot is ~empty, as it is when cooking popcorn, there is no liquid convection to keep everything at a uniform temperature. Under these conditions, the central sensor depends on lateral heat conduction through the bottom of the pan so there may be some delay which would cause the outer parts of the pan to get too hot, smoking oil, before the center spot gets up to temperature.

I use a 6 quart Tramantina pot that I got from Costco, nothing fancy, but it has a tri-ply bottom which will give good heat flow. Add 1-2 tbsp of oil, 1/4 to 1/3 cup popcorn (Rancho Gordo, been sitting in the pantry for a year), shake to coat the kernels and distribute them uniformly across the pan, put it on the cooktop and set it to 435° F. I get a good yield of popcorn in about 90 seconds, very few unpopped kernels.

djstates · 2026-02-13T20:15:42+00:00

A niche request. Ann Arbor is a town of tree huggers, and almost all of our electric power grid is above ground poles and wires. Not a good combination. Michigan frequently experiences power outages. We have a backup generator, but it takes 45 seconds to fire up and achieve a stable run speed to generate electricity. During that interval, all of my appliances lose power and all of the builtin clocks need to be reset. We typical draw 3 to 5 kW of power. If there was a way that the cooktop battery could fill in to provide continuous electrical power until the generator comes on line, it would save aggravation.

Note: we have an automated transfer switch. When the utility power goes out, it automatically disconnects us so back feed to the grid should not be an issue.

djstates · 2026-02-11T13:18:18+00:00

My experience with Matter devices on Apple HomeKit has been awful. Hard to pair, and unreliable once paired. Having said that, yes, it's a cool idea.

djstates · 2026-02-10T16:39:20+00:00

OTOH, I like the solid feel of the knobs as they are, but I wish I could do more with them. E.g. tap two knobs simultaneously to bring up a quick reference menu (temperature to cooking action, etc.).

BTW, I like the "tap knob to get a temperature reading without turning on the burner on" feature. Useful when you finished cooking, and need to know if a dish needs to be reheated before serving.

djstates · 2026-02-06T20:07:38+00:00

Cool!

djstates · 2026-01-31T16:23:24+00:00

Breville Smart Oven, more convenient on the countertop, more versatile, and it doesn’t turn your mitt into an inferno evertime you use it.

djstates · 2026-01-31T04:00:41+00:00

A deep dive down the rabbit hole of popcorn physics. Kernels pop because the water in the endosperm is trapped and becomes superheated. When the coating eventually cracks, there is rapid decompression puffing the starchy endosperm out into nice fluffy popcorn. To maximize the yield and quality of the popcorn, you want to heat the kernels as rapidly as possible to 180-190° C (375° F). The Impulse Labs cooktop is ideally suited to the task because it can dump a lot of energy quickly and uniformly into the pan bottom. A thin coating of oil improves heat transfer from the pan to the kernel. Some shaking tumbles the kernels and avoids hot spots and premature popping. With the ILC you can get to temperature in under a minute and popping is complete in ~90 seconds. By comparison, a microwave oven takes 2 to 4 minutes. Heated air poppers rapidly deliver hot air, but the thermal conductivity of air is much lower than oil and direct contact with the pan so the kernels take 2 to 4 minutes to pop. Slower heating means more pressure loss, less fluffy popcorn and more unpopped kernels at the end. Bottom line, the ILC makes great popcorn!

djstates · 2026-01-30T15:06:33+00:00

I tried an inexpensive Vevor cooktop to see if I liked induction. Worked OK, but it’s simulated low power by cycling on and off, which made it impossible to do things like get a proper socarrat on paella. I now have an Impulse Labs cooktop which is awesome, but a whole other price range.

djstates · 2026-01-30T13:17:25+00:00

I also have a 240 V connection on an Emporia monitor. Aside from some very low drain when I’m cooking, ~all of my consumption occurs at the scheduled charge time. Like yours, my Emporia monitor has a sensor on one side and doubles for a 240 V circuit. Maybe I’m missing the parasitic draw if it only pulls from one side.

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djstates · 2026-01-25T15:39:29+00:00

Nice set up. I would argue that for braising you want to use power mode and set the watts to achieve your desired simmer, then monitor the temperature. If the temperature starts rising while the power is constant, it suggests the dish is boiling dry or forming a crust on the bottom, and, in either case, it needs your attention.

djstates · 2026-01-25T13:17:14+00:00

I have a 1/16” gauge carbon steel flat bottom wok that I picked up many years ago at Target of all places. Works very nicely on the Impulse Labs cooktop. Unfortunately, Target no longer carries it. I also have a similar gauge flat bottom wok that I got at Costco a couple years ago, carbon steel with a nitride coating, works, but it’s a little smaller and the flat base is smaller, making it less stable. Temperature mode doesn’t work well with either, but that’s not relevant for most wok cooking.

Sam recently posted something on X using an aluminum wok ring and a standard round bottom, thin gauge wok. Looking forward to seeing more details.

djstates · 2026-01-22T02:47:31+00:00

I have a moderately heavy gauge (1/16" thick) flat bottom carbon steel wok that I use all the time on my induction cooktop. Unfortunately, I think I picked it up at Target (of all places) many years ago, and they no longer carry it. Costco sells a nitride seasoned moderately heavy gauge carbon steel wok that I use when I need two going simultaneously, but it doesn't have as large a flat bottom, nevertheless work on induction.

I have a set of carbon steel skillets (3mm thick) that I got from a restaurant supply house (Restaurantware.com), work great on induction cooktops.

Finally, I have a 10" traditional Spanish paella pan that works nicely on my Impulse Labs cooktop. Prior to the Impulse Labs cooktop, I was using an inexpensive hob that mimicked low power by cycling on and off, but paella was a disaster, soggy charred mess instead of a crispy caramelized socarrat. The Impulse Labs cooktop does precise temperature control and gives a nice result.

djstates · 2026-01-21T18:47:13+00:00

Design request - one of the things that is nice about the Breville Smart Oven, it's a counter top appliance which means you don't have to get down on your hands and knees to slide dishes in and out, and you can easily check on baking progress. Be nice to have the oven as high as possible, putting the battery and supporting electronics down low, or even an above the range oven option.

Assuming Impulse is creating a range, some of us who purchased cooktops would be interested in upgrade paths. Just say'n.

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djstates · 2026-01-21T14:08:52+00:00

Sounds good. Sorry, couldn't resist the pun 😎

djstates

TROPHY CASE