Secura manufactures two portable induction cooktops under the Duxtop brand. The first release was the 8100 MC model and the second launch was the 8300ST model. The manufacturer still sells both models.
I would like to distinguish what the differences are and what I would get if I paid a little bit more for the Duxtop 8300 ST model. The difference is up to 40 USD if we compare from the manufacturer’s list price. Usually the difference is smaller (with 50%) if we look at prices listed by Amazon (8100MC and 8300ST).
I will take note of every detail which might influence me to make a decision in favor of one model. I will start with the controls and end with the price. In the summary, I will present a table to visually show the differences.
1. Design: look and feel
As you can see in the pictures below, both have a nice design; both are black in color and have a clean surface. At first sight we can see some differences.
Duxtop 1800 Model 8100MC: This comes with a plastic control panel flash with the burner along with a gold colored control panel.
Duxtop 1800 Model 8300 ST: This comes with touch sensors built in so there are no material differences between the burner and the control panel.
The plastic control panel could pose a problem because when you use a larger pan, it will heat up and potentially melt the controls, so you will need to be careful when positioning the pan. I will take this into consideration for my final decision.
The surface front of 8300ST is a little bit curved out while the other three sides are perfectly straight, which makes it look somehow fresh and in trend with current designs.
The 8100 MC surfaces all have straight sides and the reeded legs give it an old feel. But the gold color of the control panel can capture your eyes and give the countertop more life.
The bottom side of 8100MC is different than the 8300 ST. If we take a closer look, we can see that the 8100 MC has rounded legs that can be seen very easily. The 8300 ST has a square bottom and its legs are small but also rounded and can’t be seen very well when standing, but both have a clearance. This small detail doesn’t matter so much for me, as both need to be placed on a dry surface and have enough clearance under and around the counter to stay cold.
The manufacturer has kept the fans in the same position for both models. At the front left of the bottom side you will find the Cool Air Inlet and Fan, and in the back bottom left you will find the Warm Air Outlet.
2. Controls
Both portable induction cooktops are very simple to use. They both have few controls, which makes the time of learning how to use them very short.
The difference between them is that these controls are positioned differently and are based on different technologies. The 8100MC uses a control panel with digital contacts while the 8300ST uses sensors. Still, there is a small difference; the 8300ST has an extra control Safety Lock that can block all controls except the ON/OFF key. You can block the cooktop by pressing and holding the Safety Lock key for 3 seconds. Unlocking can be done by pressing and holding the same key again for a further 3 seconds.
Lets take a look and see how every control is positioned, and if they have any influence on how easy it is to use them.
Below you can see the control panel for the 8100 MC
8100 MC Control Panel
Below you can see the control panel for the 8300ST
Duxtop 8300 ST Control Panel
Controls/LEDs | 8300ST | 8100MC |
|---|---|---|
ON/OFF | Is placed on the right side of the control panel and doesnt have the word power inscribed on it. An LED will turn red when you plug the power cord (6 ft) into a 120V/15 am electrical socket. | Is placed on the left of the control panel. Above it you can see the word power inscribed, which has an LED which turns red when you plug the power cord (which have 6ft) into 120V/15 am electrical socket. |
LED READOUT DISPLAY | Is placed to the left of ON/OFF and a little above, not on the same line. It is closer to the right size of cooktop. | This is placed near the ON/OFF control and is surrounded by a gold rectangle line. Very close are 3 LEDs: Heating (W), Temp (F), Timer (min). |
+ and - | These are placed under the LED Readout Display and there is a space between them so you cant press both at the same time by mistake. | These are placed on the right of the LRD (LED READ OUT DISPLAY) surrounded by a small gold color rectangle. They are pretty close to each other, so by mistake you could press both and the cooktop will warn you with a beep. |
Heating (W) | This is placed above the function icon (has a circle and finger icon showing that you need to press it), along with the other 2 functions. Its placed first starting from right to left. The manual advises to use it if no specific temperature is required. For example, if you want to bring to boil a pot of water, you can use level 10 of the heating function. The default level is 5 and by using + and controls you can increase or decrease the power. Sometimes you can get an E2 error and the manufacturer advises that it should be switched to Temperature Mode. | This is placed in the last rectangle, near the right side where the other 2 functions are available - being the first in row from left to right. This is the default mode of operating when the cooktop is turned on. The LED READ OUT will show a 5 and you can use + and controls to increase or decrease the power. The manual advices us to use the power mode if we dont need a specific temperature. |
Temp (F) | This is placed between the Heating and Timer functions. In the default mode, you get a 320 F degree (160 C degree) from the start and we can use + and to adjust the temperature. The manual advises us to use this mode if we want to brown or fry food. This mode has 10 settings from 140F(60 C) to 464 F (240 C). | Placed in the middle of the functions rectangle (Heating on the left and Timer on the right). The Temp is placed into a double gold circle and has above an LED that turns red when you press it. The default temperature is 390 F degree (199 C degree) and you can use + and controls to increase or decrease the temperature. Manufacturer advises us to use Temp Mode when we need a specific temperature. There are 10 settings: from 140 F (60 C) to 460 F (238 C). |
Timer | This is placed first in the row of functions starting from the left and has a clock as an icon. This function works exactly like the 8100MC model. The LED Readout Display will show a 0 when you press it. There is a maximum time you can set of 170 min. The increasing step is 1 minute and when the time is up we will hear an acoustic warn (1 beep) and the cooktop will turn off. The warning sound is pretty loud, so if you are away (other room) you will be able to hear it. | Is placed last in the gold rectangle of functions. The text Timer is placed in a double circle and has above the well known LED which will turn red when you press it. Can be used with both Heating and Temp functions. If we want to use this, we have to press it and hold it until the LED Readout Display shows a 0. Then using the + control we can increase the time till 170 minutes. 1 min step is used to adjust the desired temperature. If we press and hold the increase or decrease controls we can reach our desired setting faster.We can change the setting during the cooking time. When the time has expired, well hear a beep and the cooktop will turn off. |
Safety Lock | This control is placed on the left of the + control and will lock the entire cooktop apart from the ON/OFF control. This can be activated by pressing and holding for 3 seconds. This safety feature will help in avoiding accidents. | This control is not present. |
3. Surface
The difference between these two models is the material from which the control panel is made of. The control panel of 8100MC is made of plastic which could melt if a hot pan slipped on it. The rest of the surface is made from ceramic glass.
The 8300 ST has a ceramic glass control panel. In fact, the entire surface is made of ceramic glass, so it will not be a problem if your pan is oversized. The only downside would be if the pan slipped and arrived above the touch sensors, which could activate some controls. This is why it is better to use the Lock Control.
Both models have two circles on the black surface marked with white color. Between the two concentric circles is the text “Induction Cooktop”. Also, at the back of the front there is an inscription that warns you that the surface is still hot after use: “Surface Remains Hot after use. Do not Touch”.
The two circles are a guide for centering the pan for optimal cooking; the small circle is about 6 inches and the bigger one is 8 inches. The small circle fits an induction coil, which is 6”, but users spoke up and got 6.75 inches.
The surface is very easy to clean for both, apart from the 8100 MC control panel, when get melted and had warped out of shape.
4. Heating Elements
Both countertops have one burner each and there are two circles on the surface, which guides you where to place the pan.
The small circle for both models is four inches in diameter and the bigger circle is eight inches. The flat bottom of your cookware needs to have at least four inches, otherwise you will see an error coded with E0 and the cooktop will not work. The “E0” code error will let you know that the cooktop is not suitable (non magnetic or too small). You will need to take off the pot/pan, wait 30 seconds and try again with another one.
The cooling of elements is done by a fan installed on the back on the front left. Both models have the same cooling system.
5. Power/Watts
Both models use 110/120 volts electrical outlet having 15 amps of electricity – standard in all homes. Basically, we can plug the cooktop into any standard household outlet. This makes it very convenient to move around.
Both have 10 temperature settings and work in both modes Temp and Power. The Temp mode is good for when you need a specific temperature. When you turn it on, its start heat is at level 5. Most buyers would find it normal to start at a lower level and increase from there.
For the 8100MC Model, the power scale starts at 200W and ends with 1800W. Until level three, where the power increases at 300W steps, these would be 200, 500 and 800, starting with level three, the step is 200 until level five, so 800, 1000, 1200 (which is considered a medium-low power.) At level six we have 1300, so there is only a 100W difference from the level five step which will be kept until level nine, so 1400, 1500, 1600 and finally, the last level uses a 200W step, ending with 1800W.
For better visualization, I created a graph which clearly shows the steps in both modes for both countertops. What we can see is that there are slight differences which won’t influence us too much in our decision.
Due to induction technology, you will save by using less energy than resistance heating. Also, because its power requirements are low, it can be supported by an emergency generator during a power outage. You will also see that both are very responsive compared to gas, and even faster than electric resistance heating.
6. Sensors
Both models have the same sensors.
Here is a list of them:
Auto Pan detection – which will let you know if a pan is present. If you lift the pan from the cooktop there is an acoustic warning (beep) and the cooktop will turn off.
Induction Type sensor – will let you know if your pan is a magnetic one, and will display an error code if not; the code is E0.
High Temperature sensor – this will warn you that your cooktop is over-heated (the fan is not working properly), the error code you will see on the LED Readout Display will be E1.
Surface Temperature Sensor – this will let you know when the surface is over 450 F (232 C) and you will get an E2 error. This sensor is activated mostly in Power mode and will notify you that your cookware could be damaged.
Voltage Sensor – this will let you know that the input power is too low or too high and an E3 error will be displayed. The sensor will shut down the cooktop after 60 seconds.
7. Ventilation
For both models the ventilation system is in the same place. At the front left is the cool air inlet and fan which assures proper intake of air for ventilation, and at back on the bottom we can find the Warm Air Outlet which evacuates the hot air.
The cooling fan will create some noise but it is not disturbing. The fan will work until the cooktop is cooled.
You will need a 4-inch clearance around the cooktop for proper ventilation.
Submerging into a countertop is not advisable because the cooktop needs to stay in line with regulations, and also the ventilation would be a problem.
8. Safety Features
Both models are in line with ETL regulations which are the minimum standards for safety.
The 8300 ST model has the Safety Key Lock which can be activated after pressing and holding it for 3 seconds; to unlock the control panel we have to do the same again.
The only control that works when the Safety Key Lock is activated is On/Off. This will avoid pressing any other controls by mistake.
Another interesting safety feature which both models have is the auto pan detection, which will shut the cooktop down after 60 seconds if no cookware is detected. This helps to avoid accidents.
9. Accessories
When you receive the Duxtop (the model doesn’t matter), inside the box you will find the cooktop and the user manual only.
In case you don’t have any induction cookware, you will need to buy one, otherwise you will not be able to cook and the cooktop will show an E0 error code. Don’t forget to also get a magnet when shopping for induction cookware and check the magnet to ensure it sticks strongly to the bottom of the unit.
Some cookware that you might like are: Wolfgang Puck and Giada DeLaurentis.
10. Dimensions
Because there are different dimensions around I decided to check for unit dimensions and also for packing dimensions. But let’s have a look at the numbers:
Dimensions | 8100MC | 8300ST |
|---|---|---|
Width | 11,4 (28.9 cm) | 11.6 (29,4) |
Length | 13 (33, 02 cm) | 13 (33.02 cm) |
High | 2.5 (6.35 cm) | 2.5 (6.35 cm) |
Weight | 5 lbs (2.26 Kg) | 5 lbs (2.26 kg) |
Cord length | 6 ft (182 cm) | 6 ft (182 cm) |
Copper coil | 6 (15.24 cm) | 6 (15.24) |
Price |
As we can see, the differences are of the “width” dimension, however, the differences are small; an additional 0.2 inches for the 8300ST model (0.5 cm).
The copper coil can be found under the ceramic glass and is the element that generates the heat. The manufacturer states that the dimension of 6” is the general standard for any induction cooktop in order for it to be able to pass safety regulations. One buyer has opened it up and effectively measured it at 6.75 inches.
11. Pros
Both models have almost the same pros:
Both are easy to use.
Both are easy to clean; the 8300 ST is easier to clean because of sensors. The surface is a perfectly flat plane.
Both are compact and lightweight so can be easily stored.
The 8300 ST is safer because of Lock Key control.
12. Cons
You will need new cookware.
There is some noise present for both models because of the fans used for cooling.
8100MC has a plastic control panel which can melt if your pan is too large.
The surface stays hotter a bit longer than a full-size induction cooktop for both models.
13. Warranty
1 year for both models.
There is an option for buying an extended warranty. For the 8100MC model you can buy an extended warranty of 2 years.
The 8300 ST model comes with 2 options for extended warranty: 2 years and 3 years.
You need to pay attention to this extended warranty because it covers only a specific amount of cost.
14. Consumer Ratings
Both models have great consumer reviews, mostly on Amazon. Walmart doesn’t list this brand in its inventory.
I’ve noticed that 10% of buyers who have reviewed it just gave the product 1 star. Reading through, I realized that some of them have higher expectations, and at the time of using they have difficulties in finding the right temperature for cooking different recipes.
Anyway, being different from gas we should expect fast heating, so we need to act accordingly. A little bit of patience and some trial and errors will help to discover how to use it correctly.
15. Price
The manufacturer list price is:
– 8100 MC model – 129 usd;
– 8300 ST model – 169 usd.
On Amazon you will find discounts of up to 40%, both being in top ten sell list for portable induction cooktops.
From my point of view, both products are worth their prices and if you have a few extra bucks, I would choose the 8300 ST model because of its control panel that has sensors which can’t be damaged. Similarly the 8100MC and Lock Key control has the added benefit of increased safety but you should also take into account that the 8300 ST is a little bit larger with a dimension of 0.5 cm (0.2 inch).
