I bought both products below: 1. The Proctor Silex Electric Single Burner Cooktop, Compact and Portable, Adjustable Temperature Hot Plate, 1200 Watts, White & Stainless (34106). ASIN #: B086BYH8LJ 2. The Ovente 1700W Double Hot Plate Electric Countertop Coil Stove 5.7 & 6 Inch with Dual 5 Level Temperature Control & Stainless Steel Base, Easy Clean Portable Cooktop Burner for Cooking, Black BGC102B. ASIN #: B07HJQCSXH The Proctor Silex pros: -Heats significantly faster, and water is actually boiling, however will have problems with medium and larger pots with more water. -Easy to clean (you can lift up the coil) -The coils have more surface area (i.e. more coiled metal) so it heats faster -The coils have a flat top, so pots/pans stay on it much better Cons: -The power cord is very short. I had to get an extension cable (as you can't use a regular extension cable or you can start a file) with enough electrical capacity to carry the juice, such as this item: 12 Ft Appliance Extension Cord Heavy Duty, Gray - 14 Gauge 3 Prong SPT-3 Cable for Air Conditioner or Refrigerator (ASIN #: B07ZS2X5VB) -The power LED comes on the moment you plug it. But to be fair, this is working as designed because it's a "power" LED that shows when it has power and NOT an LED that comes on when you actually have the knob turned to on. It's a poor design, but it is working as designed. -It won't be as powerful or as hot as a typical stove, so don't whine about it. A typical stove has its own dedicated circuit. That's like buying a scooter and complaining it doesn't go as fast as your car. ************************************* The Ovente pros: -It has two burners Cons: -Cooking things on top of it, sometimes the pots and pans move so you have to use one hand to hold the pot/pan, such as when cooking eggs. This is because the top of the coils are not flat, and some parts stick slightly up higher. -Water did eventually boil after a significant amount of time longer than the Proctor Silex, but the water appears to "simmer" more than boil. I believe this is due to the fact the coil has less surface area to make contact. -Power cord also very short, but slightly longer than the Proctor Silex. Still, it's too short and I needed a powerful 14 gauge power extension to use it under the vent. -The unit itself got much hotter than the Proctor Silex, so you can easily burn yourself if you're not careful. I would purchase the Proctor Silex again. I wouldn't purchase the Ovente again. In fact, since it's dangerous as things can fall off the coils AND it doesn't seem to heat as well and takes a long time before water actually boils, I'll be returning it. UPDATE: Bought May 31, 2021. Dead 9/20, 2021. Oh well, I did use it multiple times a day. I guess the heat eventually killed the unit. The red light still works though :) For under $20 bucks, what did you expect? UPDATE Nov, 2022: Rebought Oct, 2021 because had no other alternative. 2nd one still working a little over a year later. UPDATE Dec, 2022: I just bought the New Wave induction cooktop to try. So far that one is great and boils water very fast and well, and doesn't generate heat (during hot summers). If you need water boiling well for pasta, go induction. You'll need special cookware though.
