Mayer Ceramic Cooker Review ($85.90): Portable Steamboat and BBQ

Before moving into our humble HDB home and having our child in the picture, splurging on an expensive $100++ steamboat meal in the restaurant weekly or monthly was not that big of a deal. Steamboat sessions are our usual go-to in our home whenever we host friends and families, regardless of whether it is the Chinese New Year season or not, as it is a low-effort meal option. Aside from having the standard built-in kitchen stove, we knew how the portable ceramic cooker from Mayer would work perfectly for our family.

Mayer Ceramic Cooker Review

It was mind-blowing when I first learned about the differences between a ceramic cooker and an induction cooker. We came across a hybrid hob while shopping for a built-in cooking hob. Unlike gas stoves, ceramic and induction cookers feature a flat cooking surface, and it is hard to tell them apart when switched of.

Ceramic cooker vs induction cooker

Instead of using electromagnetic fields to heat induction-specific magnetic cookware, a ceramic cooker is compatible with all pots and pans with a flat bottom, including glass jugs and clay pots. When a ceramic cooker is powered up, a red-hot glow appears on the surface, with electricity flowing and heating the ceramic glass before the heat is transferred to the cookware.

Red glow on the ceramic cooker

Having 2 years of hands-on experience using the built-in ceramic stove in our kitchen helped me with forming this Mayer Ceramic Cooker review greatly. We did not like the idea of being limited to just having induction-specific cookware, so we went with a hybrid cooker hob that offered both induction and ceramic cooking methods.

I like having a visible representation of the red-hot glow that appears whenever I turn on the ceramic cooker, which triggers a part of my brain to be careful around the heat. Thankfully, this red glow feature is also available on the Mayer Ceramic Cooker as well, and when the cooker is powered off, a “hot” sign appears on the display as the ceramic cooking surface remains heated for about half an hour and can only fully cool down after the switch is off.

Thoughtful design and BBQ cooking accessories

The standout design feature of the Mayer Ceramic Cooker has to be the cool-touch metal handles on both sides, which save me from the fear of scalding if there is a need to carry or reposition it. Having non-slip feet at the bottom of the cooker was a bonus for us, as we realised we did not have to worry about the entire pot of steamboat moving about.

There are a total of 8 cooking functions - rice, milk, soup, water, stir-fry, BBQ, and hot pot. All of the cooking functions are properly labelled on the control panel, with preset temperatures from 80 degrees Celsius for milk to 600 degrees Celsius for stir-fry. Having the maximum 600 degree Celcius cooking temperature is a total game changer for high-heat cooking like stir-fry and BBQ, as the highest temperature on our built-in hob goes up to 180 degree Celsius only.

What is most interesting about the Mayer Ceramic Cooker is the 2-piece BBQ tray and a wire rack included as part of the complimentary cooking accessories. If you are a fan of Thai Mookata, you will love the BBQ grilling function, as there is a thoughtful oil catcher that comes together.

Safe and easy maintenance

If you have used a portable electric hotpot multicooker, you will understand the struggles when it comes to washing and cleaning it, as you will know how important it is to avoid water from splashing into the electrical components. Cleaning the Mayer Ceramic Cooker comes without all of these safety issues, since a simple wipe down is all it takes, while the pot can be washed separately.

Additionally, the Mayer Ceramic Cooker is also equipped with the child lock safety function, like in the other built-in and portable cookers. Contrary to popular belief, the child lock feature is not just for the safety of children, as it also prevents adults like us from messing up with the control panel accidentally while in the middle of cooking.

Portable, Plug-and-Play Cooker

When we were designing our kitchen, we did not envision us cooking regularly, so we thought that having 2 cooking zones in our built-in stove would suffice. However, the addition of our little one changed that thought as we decided to put in more effort in ensuring our child gets a healthy and well-balanced “3 dishes and 1 soup” meal. This is where a portable cooker comes in, providing the option of triple-tasking and cutting down on the overall cooking duration.

The user experience of the Mayer Ceramic Cooker is straightforward for a regular steamboat session, much like how it is with a multicooker. However, we will be looking forward to trying out the BBQ cooking function, as it is a new feature that we have yet to experience.

Beyond just the hot pot feature, we also liked the idea that the Mayer Ceramic Cooker can help us with keeping our dishes warm at the dinner table when we are hosting, thanks to the heated ceramic glass, which works well with any flat-bottom dinnerware. Just be mindful to keep the cooking temperature to a minimum if you are heating your food, as overheating would cause the bowl or plate to crack or shatter.

An affordable price

Compared to the standard built-in ceramic cooking hob in the market retailing from about $350, the Mayer Ceramic Cooker is affordably priced at $85.90 (you can get it for even cheaper on Amazon!). Set the portable cooker anywhere in your home, not just in the kitchen but also on the balcony and in the dining room. There are no fixed rules to how it should be used or where it should be. 

A portable cooking hob is perfect for homes with a compact kitchen, students living in dorms, and those who are renting, as it eliminates the need for a fixed installation of a cooking stove. Induction stoves may be a more common and popular choice among homeowners, but we hope that this review on the Mayer Ceramic Cooker brings clarity and offers an alternative stove option to consider for your home.

Mayer Ceramic Cooker retails for $66.99 at Amazon and $85.90 at Lazada.

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