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

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.

Works well, and exactly as it should. I followed the advice of another reviewer here, heeding the recommendation to give the unit plenty of space while operating it so as not to activate the thermal safety trigger. And yes, it does get very hot, and yes because the top is cast iron it remains hot for a very long time. Cast iron is a righteous conductor. So, it would figure, if one is looking to accomplish a low simmer, or to gently warm something one should start at the lowest setting wait a few minutes for it to heat up, then gradually turn up the heat IF needed. And keep in mind the lowest setting is when you turn the nob JUST enough to turn it on. Again, because the top is cast iron the heat will remain so it is much easier to increase the heat rather than decrease it. Also, if you're looking to boil something this nifty little burner will bring a pot to boil relatively quickly, which is nice. In summation, this burner is not expensive, nor is it intuitive. It does what you tell it to, and for the price it's a rather good value.

For all the users who have had this fail. There is a minor "flaw" with this product, but failure can be avoided easily. There is a thermal fuse in the product located near the side of the device. You should maintain 10 inches of clearance around all sides (no towels, etc.) to prevent the thermal fuse from overheating causes the device to "fail". This fuse is intentionally sensitive to avoid the product from causing a fire. (Ideal design would have been a resettable PTC fuse, but this would increase cost). The temperature control is from a bimetallic switch whose tension is controlled by a screw connected to the knob. Internals are well built and mounted, albeit simple. Appropriate heat shielding is used. Otherwise - don't expect magic. I purchased this for a sous vide and intentionally chose a simple cheap product. However caveats for users expecting fast temperature response: while it heats very quickly, it cools very slowly. (I did not rely on the thermostat to control the temperature, the included thermostat only very roughly controls the temperature and allows it to fluctuate wildly.) Edit 9/10/2012 So far no issues, fairly constant use. For users wondering - I find it draws around 8 Amps (max amperage). A 6 Amp breaker will trip when running this device (I would size all wiring for 15 Amps, but that's just me). Also the top surface is very heavy, which causes it to hold a great deal of heat - if you are building a sous vide - I would try to maintain the temperature of the surface to your desired temperature. (eg place your thermocouple near the bottom of the pot, I let mine touch the bottom). Edit 12/13/2012 Note: Your mileage may vary: the HIGH temperature setting does still regulate the temperature. Aka setting it on HIGH isn't going to just cause it to be constantly powered. This I don't mind. If it were to be constantly powered it would without doubt blow the thermal fuse, and with my PID controller - it doesn't really affect anything.

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.

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

I have had it for almost 3 months. I use it several times a day. It's the only thing I use to cook with. It's all I have. It has a feature where after it warms up, it turns off for about 10 seconds before switching back on. It's annoying because of the click sound, but because of this feature I believe it is the reason why it has lasted longer than the other burners I have bought. The last two burners I had did not have this feature and they burned out after a month. The biggest complaint about these products is about the thermal fuse. It burns out because the product itself gets too hot. Some people believe it's a scam while the manufacturers say that the consumers must be doing something wrong, even though the consumer reviews swear they are using it on a heat resistant surface, etc. I don't know. You be the judge. This product however seems like it will last a lot longer because of this feature. Maybe I'm wrong. If not, I will surely change this review. And of course, be careful. I stupidly burned my elbow with it and now have a nice little burn scar. Random: I use a rice pot to boil water with it and it boils pretty quickly. I have a small grill that I put in the rice pot which I use to heat up little frozen deep dish pizzas; they come out great.

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.

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

For what this is meant for, it is 5/5. That is, occasional use when travelling, staying at a hotel or camping. You may not be please with any hot plate if you wish to use it to replace a stove, which is never as powerful of course. We boiled eggs and heated up food and it didn't take long. The initial second of smoke on your first run is just chemicals burning off the plate....no risk that I saw or danger. I am happy with it. It is going to save me money on restaurants when I travel and allow me to eat my own health store bought foods. I will now be able to prep my own food at the hotel when I travel. Easy to stuff in my luggage also. Enjoy!

Excelente producto, muy buena su calidad