It's been over 3 years since we visited this topic. I am looking to add a single "stand-alone" unit to my kitchen, as opposed to buying a complete cooktop. Not looking for a sunken install, but rather a "hot plate" type unit that is portable and can be used insde or out. There are many on the market and they seem to run from $120-$500+. Anyone here have any experiences with these that they would like to share? A company called Sunpentown seems to make several models that have been favorably reviewed and can be had at Target.com or Amazon.com from between $150-$250. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.