Review of the Weissgauff WHI 1528 tabletop induction cooker

The Weissgauff WHI 1528 induction hob comes in a small compact box. The laconic design of the packaging contains a schematic image of the device, the full name of the model and a brief description of its technical characteristics. For ease of carrying, the box has a plastic handle.

Inside, the tiles are wrapped in polyethylene, tightly clamped and protected from impacts by foam inserts. From the packaging, in addition to the device itself, we removed the instruction manual and warranty card.

The instruction manual is presented in the form of an A5 brochure printed on high-quality glossy paper. The 13-page black and white publication contains information about the structure of the device, the rules of its operation, the nuances of control with recommendations for choosing cookware, as well as maintenance and care.

At the end there is a table with tips for troubleshooting possible problems before contacting a service center. Everything is written simply and clearly. True, we did not find anything about the maximum permitted weight of dishes installed on the tiles.

The Weissgauff WHI 1528 induction cooker has several operating modes, which are switched by sequentially pressing the mode selection button:

1. Frying: This mode allows you to adjust the heating temperature from 60 to 240 °C in 20-degree increments (60-90-120-140-160-180-200-220-240) and cooking time.

2. Soup: When you select this mode, the cooker automatically sets the heat level. During the first 20 minutes, the stove boils the liquid, then reduces the power and switches to maintaining a light boil. You can only regulate the operating time.

3. Water and Heating: In these modes, you can also set only the operating time.

The time setting range in all cases is from 0 to 3 hours in 1 minute increments. If the stove is operating at any power and the timer is not set, it will automatically turn off after 2 hours.

There are «Timer» and «Pause» buttons on the control panel. «Pause» pauses the operation and, when pressed again, resumes the process with the saved parameters within 5 minutes. If returning to work occurs later, the device simply turns off.

The sounds accompanying the pressing of buttons are a standard loud squeak of moderate volume and cannot be turned off.

It is recommended to install the Weissgauff WHI 1528 induction hob on a flat, hard, dry surface at a distance of at least 10 cm from walls and other objects. It is recommended to first wipe the glass ceramic surface with a soft cloth.

For cooking on this stove, cookware with a diameter of 12 to 26 cm is suitable (it is recommended to use cookware with a diameter of up to 24 cm to ensure even heating). The larger the diameter, the weaker the heating at the edges can be. It is recommended to use cookware made of enameled steel, stainless steel or cast iron with a flat bottom.

The tiles are easy and predictable to use. It heats the burner well and has a sufficient range of temperature settings and/or power levels.

The stove can be controlled in two ways: use the power control in the “Extinguishing” mode or turn on other modes, but at first you may need to read the instructions. Adjustment at low levels in the «Stew» mode can be more flexible compared to adjusting the heating by degrees in the «Roast» mode.

The control buttons are comfortable and have a pleasant response, which prevents accidental presses with a light touch.

The disadvantages include the inability to turn off the sound signals that accompany button presses, as well as noticeable fan noise, which is common for simpler and budget models of induction cookers.

Caring for the glass-ceramic surface of the Weissgauff WHI 1528 induction hob is quite simple. Since nothing sticks to it, it is enough to use a damp cloth or sponge with neutral dishwashing detergent. This makes it easy to clean the surface from dirt.

To avoid the appearance of streaks on the glass, after cleaning it is recommended to wipe the surface of the burner with a clean, dry paper or soft cloth. This will help give the slab a fresh look and avoid streaks.

It is important to remember that the cleaning procedure should be carried out after the device has completely cooled down to avoid possible injury and for safety.

It is not recommended to use harsh chemicals or steel wool, as they may damage the glass or the surface of the stove.

Boiling 1 liter of water at 20 °C

At maximum mode (1500 W) in a steel pan with a bottom diameter of 18 cm, covered with a lid, 1 liter of water at a temperature of 20 °C boiled in 4 minutes. 0.110 kWh was spent on boiling. The heating element, judging by the bubbles, is a circle 13-15 cm in diameter with a fuzzy outline of an empty circle inside with a diameter of 2-3 cm. The actual power consumption was 1447 W.

Power consumption in various modes

In modes 200 and 500, the tile operates in a pulsed mode, turning the emitter on and off at a power of about 766 W. Approximate on and off times are shown in the table. Starting from mode 800, the tile works continuously, slightly changing the power value towards an increase. The range of values ​​is shown in the table.

The average power was calculated using the formula: power consumption × total duration of switching on / (total duration of switching on + total duration of pauses).

In Soup mode, the stove operates at 1300 W/200 °C for the first 20 minutes, then reduces the heat to 500/120 °C.

Heating in Water mode occurs at a power of 1227 W, which, according to our measurements, corresponds to the gap between levels 7 and 8.

Heating starts the tiles at a power of 3.9 W.

Other measurements

Standby power consumption is 2.9 W. In ventilation mode without heating, the tile consumes 3.9-4.3 W.

The maximum power recorded by the wattmeter during the preparation of the stew was 1448 W. Energy consumption when preparing this dish was 0.576 kWh.

For 2 hours of operation at 200 W, the tile consumed 0.682 kWh.

During operation, the stove makes a noise that can be compared to a range hood at medium power. The noise is constant: the fans start working immediately when you turn on any operating mode, and the speed does not change in the future, judging by the noise.

Beef broth

Our traditional test is to test the slab's ability to hold the broth at a subtle simmer evenly over a long period of time.

We dipped the meat, onion, salt and bay leaf into the water, brought the future broth to a boil and lowered the temperature to a minimum of 200 W. The broth slowly bubbled at 91 °C. Over the course of an hour and a half, we measured the temperature of the liquid several times, and each time it was the same.

Result: excellent.

Pork stew with vegetables

We fried the meat in a frying pan at a maximum of 240 °C.

We added carrots to it, then potatoes with bell peppers and, slightly reducing the heat, covered with a lid.

After about 10 minutes, they added potatoes, peppers, salt, added spices, mixed everything and poured in a little water. Covered again and left to simmer at 90 °C. The contents were stirred a couple of times during the process. After 25 minutes the dish was ready.

Result: excellent.

Roast turkey

The turkey fillet was first fried on both sides at maximum power.

After the crust had set, we lowered the temperature, covered the frying pan with a lid, and in a few minutes brought the meat to 73 °C inside the piece.

Result: excellent.

Zucchini

We checked the uniform heating of the bottom of the pan using zucchini. As you would expect, the roasting was noticeably weaker at the edges, while in the center the crust set quite quickly.

In order to even out the tan, we swapped the pieces a couple of times. In general, this is a normal situation, given that the diameter of the heating zone is smaller than the bottom of the frying pan, so we will not count this as a minus. Moreover, not a single circle of zucchini remained raw inside.

Based on the results of the acquaintance, the Weissgauff WHI 1528 tile made a pleasant impression. The tests passed perfectly, there are no complaints on our part. The device control is clear and quite flexible. The power setting range is suitable for both fast, strong frying of meat and long, leisurely cooking of broth.

Light weight and compactness make the model mobile, so it is suitable not only for a small home kitchen, but also for a summer house or camping. And if you have doubts about the applicability of an induction hob in your conditions, then this inexpensive tile is perfect as a training tile to practice before deciding on a full-size model.

Pros:

• affordable price
• lightweight compact body
• easy to care for
• Flexible control with 5 modes and wide range of power or temperature adjustment
• presence of a timer with auto shut-off

Minuses:

• not the quietest fan
• non-switchable sound signal