I am a Professional Home, Personal and Catering Chef. I also teach cooking and knife skills. I take all of my kitchen items, tools, utensils, knives, serving items, other accessories, and food products very seriously. When I test and review culinary and other items, I am highly critical and meticulous in evaluating and rating them. My reviews are honest, unbiased¡always as objective as possible, and my opinions are always unsponsored and my own. Good is good¡bad is bad!I am a fanatic about induction cooking. It is slowly becoming a major standard in the USA over gas and electric cooktops, and it is already pretty much the standard in Europe. Induction cooking is more controllable, efficient, economical and faster than any other methods. The only caveat is that you need a pot/pan with a magnetic surface like Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel, Cast Iron, or an aluminum pot/pan with a stainless steel base plate. Aluminum, glass, and ceramic pots and pans will not work with induction.I have owned, tested, and reviewed MANY stand-alone induction systems over the last few years, and THIS one is definitely in the top tier of this price class of under $200.The positives are numerous:?? Large cooking surface area with a maximum 11.8" diameter pan or pot. Much larger diameter than most others within this price class.?? All stainless steel body with robust construction.?? Durable and easy to clean surface that can handle over 100lbs of weight.?? 9 power levels, and MORE importantly...9 temperature levels from 176¨H - 518¨H in 9 steps. This is a big difference from similarly priced models that do not adjust by specific temperature...only by power levels.?? Cooking time settings from 1 minute to 3 hours. Great for slow cooking or maintaining warm food.?? Highly efficient power consumption, and can be used on 110V AC, 15amp circuit. (20amp is better)?? Countertop compatible with non slip legs. Not for setting on a tablecloth.?? Touch controls with a safety 60 second auto-shutoff if no compatible cookware is placed on the surface?? Other safety features including child safety lock and overtemp sensing.Considerations:?? While there are nine power or temperature settings, they cannot be adjusted beyond their specific levels when selected. This 'may' come into play for those who are looking for a very specific temperature like 100¡æ or 212¨H which is the boiling point of water. The power settings for the system near that level are either 80¡æ at the first level or 120¡æ at the second level (176¨H or 248¨H). No in between adjustment capabiity. For some high specialty types of cooking...especially certain sauces that require maintaining temperature just below the boiling point to avoid breaking the sauce, this is not possible with this unit.That being said however, this is a highly functional induction unit for almost all other needs, and should be completely satisfactory for all but the most professional, high-level chefs.Overall, I am pretty impressed by how good this induction cooktop is at the price point it is offered. To get any more capability out of a countertop induction system, you would have to spend more than a Thousand Dollars more for something like the Breville Control Freak induction cooktop system...which is well beyond most home cooks needs or ability. I personally use the Breville system for some very occasional, specific requirements, but for day to day induction cooking, this unit will more than meet my needs!All in all, I have no hesitation giving this fine unit a FIVE STAR rating, and compared to many others I have tested and reviewed, I unequivocally recommend this unit for most home and even some commercial uses. Clearly a winner at the price! Once you have started using induction for cooking, you are not likely to go back to older methods. Cheaper and much more power efficient than electrical or gas cooktops.Bon App¨¦tit!