I recently purchased a new electric smooth top electric range. This replaced a 20 year old smooth top range that had a worn looking cook top. Because I really would like to keep the cook top of the new range looking good, I thought it might be a good idea to buy a portable burner when making messy dishes. I chose this induction model because it matches well with my new range and I already have mostly induction compatible cookware plus the price is relatively reasonable. If you are not sure if your cookware is compatible, hold a magnet on the bottom of the cookware. If the magnet doesn't stick, the cookware will not work with this burner.I don't have any other induction burners to make a direct comparison, so I am rating this on it's own. This is a budget burner, so it doesn't have as wide a range of temperature and power levels as more expensive models, but I don't know if most people really need that. When you first plug this in, the power button blinks continuously and the fan will come on. All of these induction burners have a fan and it is somewhat noisy, but it doesn't bother me while cooking. If you think the noise of a fan might be bothersome, then you might not want to buy an induction type. The cooktop will not function until you place an induction compatible pot, pan or skillet on top. Once your cookware is in place, push the power button. The power button led light will go solid and bring up the six presets on the lcd screen. To select a preset, press the menu button to scroll through the presets. When you reach the preset you want, stop pressing the menu button and that preset will be selected and engage within 5 seconds. If you would rather cook by temperature, just repeatedly select the temperature button until that temperature is displayed on the lcd screen. There are 9 temperature presets and 9 possible power levels. There isn't a dedicated power level button and the only way to choose from power levels 1 to 9 is to first select the Stir-Fry preset which allows you to select any of the power levels. The cons of this burner: When plugged in, but not in use the power button will blink continuously. For that reason I only plug it in when I'm going to use it. Even though this burner has 4 legs, only the 2 on the rear are rubberized on the bottom; the front 2 are just molded plastic which lets the burner slide more easily than I would like. At higher power levels I can hear a high frequency squeal which doesn't really bother me, but some people might find objectionable. When you first push the temp button, the highest setting of 465 is selected. I think it would be better if a lower setting was the default, but not a big deal. On the pro side, I think this is a nice looking burner. It is priced right and provides all of the basic functions that I was looking for. It heats up very quickly and cools down very quickly. Because the glass top isn't directly heated, it is less likely to get burned on messes. It cleans easily. The one thing I don't know about is it's durability, but it does come with a 2 year warranty. So far I like it and am learning the quirks of induction cooking. I would recommend it.