Breville The Control Freak

Fast, accurate temperature, smooth(er) pulsing – Previously owned 2 domestic portable induction hobs many years (Breville BIC200 & Kmart Anko) before lashing out on this expensive commercial grade Control Freak hoping to overcome limitations of cheaper units ie: harsh on off pulsing, small diameter induction coil, overheat errors during full power sear, melting plastic fascia parts, inability to… Read more

hold a constant temp or simmer. The Control Freak is ~50 times more dollars but it's like comparing a modern car against a billy cart! Have successfully cooked patisserie cream, egg custard ice cream base & simmered delicate stocks on sub boil temps. Toasted crostini, rendered thick cut bacon, set fish fillets on moderate Maillard temps. Seared large amounts of meaty beef ribs and deep fried pots of high smoke point oils without overheat error beeps & cutting off! Speed is impressive too, the Control Freak boils a kettle faster than our biggest 15Mj gas hob or electric resistive kettle and be set to keep warm at 88C temp for tea coffee fanatics. There's still some minor pulsing but it's smooth compared to domestic hobs and I've not had any probs with boil over or scorching when chasing that perfect result. The unit comes with a tethered immersion probe but I've not had to use it yet as the built in direct contact sensor is accurate enough for day to day duties. I did consider other commercial kitchen brands but what swayed me to Breville was the heat output available from a standard 240V 10A plug meaning not having to rewire the kitchen for 15A or 3 phase. Industrial design is pretty for this class of equipment showing a leaning towards cashed up home enthusiasts however the 12 month warranty is bit slack considering the top shelf capex cost.