Worth $1500?! BIG Breville Control Freak Induction Burner Review!!

Check prices and get your own Control Freak: breville.oie8.... (affiliate link)
In this cooking video Uncle Scott provides an in-depth review of a Breville Control Freak induction burner. We deep fry chick in a Le Creuset, talk about which types of cookware work on an induction burner or not, examine the coil size of the Breville Control Freak and whether it warps pans or provides even cooking, we cook some eggs, try a real-deal French omelette, and try to answer the question, "Is the Breville Control Freak a good induction burner for your money?"
Watch the video to find out!
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Other Pans and Equipment in the Video
Staub dutch ovens: amzn.to/4hmcop0
Le Creuset dutch oven: amzn.to/3PHzZoC
Smithey carbon steels: smithey-ironwa...
De Buyer carbon steels: debuyer-usa.co...
Uncle Scott's chicken tender recipe: • Easy Deep Fried Chicke...
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*If you click on an affiliate link and buy something, we will earn a small fee. It doesn't make us rich but it allows us to buy more kitchen products to review and make more videos, and is greatly appreciated!! We currently have affiliate links with Amazon, Falk, De Buyer, Sur La Table, and Thermaworks.*

[@peterklus]

Well, I am now the happy owner of a Breville Commercial! A very dear friend came by today with this burner which he is giving me as a gift! I had mentioned to him my plans to get one at some point in time, and then when it was out of stock, I thought I would wait until this summer before buying it. My friend decided to pick it up himself as a gift for me. He is a very generous person in many ways, and I am grateful to him for this wonderful gift. In the next few days, I shall be trying it out. Dr Peter Wisconsin.

[@peterklus]

I just tried out the Breville Commercial for the first time by heating water in a stainless steel pan (9" bottom). The heat was at default intensity which is the fast mode. The water boiled very quickly. I had dialed the temperature to 212 F, the boiling point for water. I observed an even spread of bubbles throughout the bottom of the pan as the water began to boil. Tomorrow, I will try making an omelette, and start to play around with the controls and intensity levels. I will also try using the pot temperature device that came with the Breville. The Thermapen surface and food thermometers I picked up last year will also come in useful for checking the surface heat of various pans. This is a magnificent cooktop! It reminds me of the gas ranges I had long ago when I could control the flame, but without the benefit of degree-to-degree feedback. Thank you, Uncle Scott for introducing us to this fine instrument. Dr Peter Wisconsin

[@artallmon3773]

We had induction range before moving to our current home where we have gas. Hands down we preferred the induction. We even cooked using big cast iron and put a paper towel between the pan and induction burner. Induction was also nice because handles on pots and pans do not get so hot. Both ways have their merits.

[@jstones9872]

wish Breville would make an entire induction cooktop like the control freak!

[@AverageReviewsYT]

Get ready for a $6000 stove loo

[@jstones9872]

That’s about what my Thermador freedom induction 42” cost

[@AverageReviewsYT]

@@jstones9872 damn lol

[@JustinEmlay]

@@AverageReviewsYT Induction tops are expensive on their own but don't base it on this. This is designed for business use so as always they jack up the price for them.

[@Yazeed99]

There's one already from "impulse labs". And indeed it's $6,000 and they claim they have 9" coils. Only issue for me is it's only 30", hoping for a wider one in the future.

[@Gregory-v9n]

Great video Uncle Scott. You pretty much covered everything. Thanks. 😀

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thanks, Gredory!

[@FranciscoRodriguez-be6ik]

My grandma has a pacemaker. Now she's getting an induction cooktop for her birthday. Thanks!

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

You'll want to make sure the will is updated...

[@carsongent8420]

A few things. Coming from gas, another thing is most induction units have a timer, for rice or pressure cooker this is a big plus. You should try your 12 inch Demeyer on it, you will be suprised how well it will work. When I preheat my pans on induction I use a lid to hold in the heat.

[@sheryldenise4478]

Uncle Scott, thank you for reviewing this product! I’ve been wanting one of these for a while and am waiting for their next sale. I contacted Breville and they confirmed it has a 9” coil, not a 10” as some thought. I don’t have the type of kitchen to install a gas stove and have been using less expensive induction burners that don’t last. Looking forward to owning a quality product. Love my other Breville electric products.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I have only used this one for four months, so I can't say long term if it will hold up, but I do have a Breville espresso machine that has worked for eyars, so I'm hoping that is a good indicator of quality.

[@peterklus]

As of today, The Breville Commercial is out of stock. The Breville Home is available at about $1299.95. I was planning on getting the Commercial, so I will wait rather than get the Home version. I moved in August to a new home from my old flat, it is a lovely place with a well-designed kitchen, and I am adding some cooking equipment to it. Dr Peter Wisconsin

[@jkbcook]

I looked into buying one but over $2000 in Canada. The frenzied desire to own passed as I decided I liked the fact that I can cook what I like to goldilocks perfection most days because I’ve used my pans for years and know how my stove works. I think if I was a caterer, this would be a wonderful asset. But, I loved watching the review as it confirmed that I don’t want it. Thanks for saving me a bundle.

[@trrmbath97]

After buying a dozen eggs today, 1500 for an induction burner seems reasonable.

[@jacobsladderpa]

The warning about use in a moving vehicle brings an episode of I LOVE LUCY when they’re towing a travel trailer!

[@jimglatthaar4053]

Thanks for doing this video review. I bought my Breville Commercial Control Freak during one of the "screaming deals" you announced pre-Christmas. I've been waiting for your review before using mine. Lazy, for sure, but prudent time-wise. This was a great instructional and informational video with lots of helpful tips. On your last video you were going to discuss copper diffusion plates, but I guess you ran out of time. Any chance you could cover that?

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thanks, Jim! I will mention them in the next Pancast. I meant to in the last one and it was in the intro, but when I watched the video I realized I must have cut that part out... will include it next time!

[@MrSquire10]

Dying to hear your thoughts on the Falk Copper Coeur pan! Thought you might compare to All-Clad Copper Core in this review. Thanks for the vid

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

It's coming up... I just have so many videos to get out that I can't get them all at once!

[@H4KnSL4K]

$1500 .. But how often do you use it? If this fits your needs well and you would use it every day, and makes cooking efficient and enjoyable - totally worth it. I say this based on my experience with buying an expensive Japanese knife that I'm really glad I decided to buy.

[@paulvictor9368]

I absolutely would love one if I could afford it. It has one of the largest induction induction coils, which is good with big 13” pans.

[@AverageReviewsYT]

Here are some with bigger coils… for cheaper. It depends what your goal is. Precise temp control or coil size.

[@paulvictor9368]

@ please let me know some with bigger coils. I have a real problem with 13” pans.

[@surfingonmars8979]

Just got the Mineral B Pro after your review. Seasoned twice (I know, I know, ‘season once, then cook,’ but because I was bored so I did it twice just to eat up some time) - have not used it yet, but the seasoning is beautiful…. My question is, what gas burner do you use - not your stove top, but the gas/propane unit you use on the counter. My burners are ok but would love to get a really high end gas/propane burner…….

[@mark-kf3md]

Uncle Scott, You did touch on why you would prefer the original Control Freak that you use in the video over the home version. I would appreciate it if you could please elaborate the specific reasons why the original commercial Control Freak is better than the Home unit. Thanks

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

The main differences are the size and the housing... the commercial is bigger and the case is a little sturdier for commercial environments, plus it's NSF certified (not that important but I don't think the home version is), plus the carrying case is included. It's over $100 just by itself, and the home version doesn't have the USB stick. If the Home version were $500 cheaper, I probably would have gotten it, but only $200 less didn't seem to be worth it.

[@dtbeach]

A little off topic but I was looking at their Joule and noticed a fair number of bad reviews. I have an original and love it was gonna buy a second. Wanted to know what you thought of customer support?

[@lucaslung284]

That’s the same price as a 36 inch LG Studio induction cooktop that I just ordered for my home. The pricing of that unit may have made sense when it first came out but induction is a lot less expensive now.

[@johnatyoutube]

Thanks for sharing your experience with this novel device. Very cool concept for the future, but not economically or practically viable for most people. It's obscenely expensive for a single burner cooktop, and its height won't work with most kitchen counters. I don't want to have to stand on a stool to cook. That said, it will be wonderful to see this technology integrated into ranges and cooktops in the future - hopefully at reasonable prices.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

100% agree with all of that!

[@biglebowski4223]

Breville says the Control Freak has a 10" coil - think the 12" pan will work if you give it enough time to come to temp (or use copper core or similar). Thanks for the review!

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thanks, Big! They told me that they won't release the actual size of the coil. The manual says pans with bases up to 10" wide have the best heating, but it doesn't say anything about the actual coil size. I think you can use bigger pans, but you have to be mindful of the coil size or you will get the brown spot like I got in the video.

[@AgeAndTreachery5167]

One way of checking the actual size I’ve seen demonstrated is to use slices of white bread on a large stainless skillet. Put a layer of bread slices down and toast the bread. You can see the actual diameter in the bread where it’s toasted (or not) as the case may be

[@sheryldenise4478]

They emailed me the coil size is 9”.

[@jstones9872]

have you ever tried pre heating your carbon steel pan in the oven , then quickly put it on the induction and turn out that french omelette? wonder if that would work?

[@MD82321]

I had this same model during Covid times while waiting for a new Induction range. I enjoyed it, but gave it to my daughter once we had the new range. I miss it and would like another. I believe the European models have a higher wattage, so might look into that.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I bet with normal 110-US plugs if this is about where plug-in countertop inductions top out... might do better in Europe.

[@MD82321]

@@UncleScottsKitchen I need to learn more, but maybe 220??

[@chonk1071]

What name is the color of that beautiful le cruset 9 quart?

[@severoon]

Just a bit of info about this unit, and induction hobs in general. It's unlikely you'll ever feel a ring or something get hot because the range of the magnetic coil is designed to be just a few millimeters, maybe on the order of the upward travel of the pan sensor. When material is placed on top, the penetration of the magnetic field into that material is typically only a millimeter or so. This is a good thing because it won't heat the TOP of the pan surface where the food is, rather it heats the bottom layer and gives it a chance to diffuse through the material. It also means that it will not defeat multilayer cookware like copper core…only the bottom layer is heated and the pan works as designed instead of scorching everything in contact with the top pan surface. I believe they have to put those warnings on it by law, but you'd have to have your hand on the hob with the sensor depressed to heat up a ring. This is worth knowing because if you try to cook with cast iron that has a fire ring around the bottom rim, every fraction the pan is above the hob diminishes the power it can transmit via the magnetic field. Also true for enameled cast iron, that layer of enamel moves the iron slightly farther away, which will also diminish power transmission a bit. This has the effect of focusing heat toward the center of the induction coil, effectively making the hob smaller…this is why you're enameled cast iron shows more heat only in the center. Also, it's worth knowing that the hob will only work with ferromagnetic materials, not paramagnetic nor diamagnetic.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Awesome comments!! So you think the copper core pans should not be affected? They seemed to work fine for me. The D5 has steel in the middle... maybe the magnetic field reaches it?

[@severoon]

@UncleScottsKitchen To the contrary, the copper core pans should be excellent on induction. The stainless cladding is what heats up and that heat diffuses into the copper and spreads efficiently. Since the stainless sits directly on the glass there's no loss of power. Anything that raises the inductive metal away from the hob like a fire ring, or a layer of enamel makes things less efficient and makes the induction coil appear smaller than it is.

[@GamerNxUSN]

Is your le cruset there Ocean? We have that color and they all came with the black knobs, wondering if you changed them or if that is how they are coming now? I am wanting to change mine out for the gold or brass ones.

[@larryk8771]

Uncle Scott , have you tried your demeyer proline fry pan? I read in cooking forum chat that demeyer cook wear has issues with the control freak.

[@larryk8771]

Here is a Breville response on Demeyere cookware with the Control Freak: "Demeyere is probably one of if not THE most advanced cookware manufacturer that specifically conducts materials research to optimize/improve their cookware response to induction technology. Most likely they will test their cookware on the majority of cooktops, but there are inevitably edge cases where their materials are not compatible with all cooktops, especially as they are pushing the boundaries. Digging deeper, in the Control Freak, one of the ways we detect pots by measuring the current drawn by the cookware. We do that by initiating short bursts of energy and measuring the current during this short bursts. Current draw must be within certain limits in order to enable cooking - too high current usually means high electrical conductivity material like aluminum or copper, and too low current means non-magnetic steel or too small cooking vessel. Demeyere's current draw rides a fine line on the upper limit, possibly due to their attempts to increase efficiency.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I haven't yet but I will be trying it soon!

[@philipp594]

Copper and Aluminium can be heated with induction using Eddy currents. The requirement to be heated with induction is not to be magnetic it is to be electrically conductive. Check the Panasonic Met-All stovetop for example. Aluminium and Copper require higher frequencies which require more expensive electronics. Cooktop makers are just to cheap so they pretend it is a technical limitation!

[@Yoda63]

It’s my understanding that the hot spot in the pan will be smaller than the induction coil diameter, so that unit is probably doing as good of a job as is possible given the size of the cooker.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

You might be right but they could easily clear it up by just telling everyone how big the coil is!

[@Yoda63]

@ oh yeah definitely. And actually I just remembered, I had an old max Burton induction burner 10 or 15 years ago that I could see the coil through the glass if I put a bright flashlight right on the surface. I don’t think it works with my Vollrarh burner because the surface is opaque but you could try that on the breville.

[@SkyvalReam]

@@Yoda63 I've had induction elements where I could do that by shining a light in through the vents. But that it didn't work with the Breville, nor through the glass. I ended up just opening it up, and yeah, the coil is separated from the vents. It's a little less than 8.5 inches btw.

[@garryhammond3117]

Super great concept and unit, but sadly way out of most folks affordability range compared to the usual $100 units available at your big box stores. - Cheers!

[@rockwalk1975]

Here is the information for the Control Freak Home from Chef Steps website (now owned by Breville): The Control Freak Home uses the same revolutionary components as the original Control Freak to deliver the same unrivaled induction cooking performance. The Breville engineering team carried over the custom 10-inch copper coil, through-the-glass sensor with dual NTC for (+/- 1 °C/1.8 °F) accuracy, 3x heat intensity control, dual NTC temperature probe, tough ceramic glass surface, 1800W power, and dual fan cooling system into the new Control Freak Home. 1

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I really don't think it's a 10" coil but rather a ten inch pan width that works with it.

[@AverageReviewsYT]

2 degree accuracy isn’t good enough for some candies. It will affect the texture. Like with fudge 234vs 236 is creamy vs kinda snappy still mostly creamy…

[@sheryldenise4478]

Their Consumer Services sent me an email that the coil size is about 9 inches. 🫤

[@roberttaylor9259]

These companies really do need to list the size of their induction coils. A lot of people have complained about hot/ cold spots in induction as the graphic doesn't typically represent the coil size. I know breville is less of an issue than competitors but it would be nice to have an industry standard of listing coil size. The proprietary claim is such BS from them because all a person needs it magnetic viewing paper/film to see for themselves.

[@chongli297]

For $1500 US (a whopping $2171 Canadian for poor Canucks like me) I can buy a 5 burner gas range (including built-in cast iron griddle) and convection oven all in one! The Control Freak is a really cool toy for food and cookware reviewers but I'm really not sold on it for regular people! Ever since I learned how to read the butter sizzle on my de Buyer Mineral B Pro (thanks, Scott!) I can make perfect eggs every time. I don't even have a gas range but I want one! The one thing you missed in your review is the seasoning process for carbon steel. I doubt it's going to work very well on induction, so anyone who has a Control Freak without an oven is going to have a bad time trying to season their pans!

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thanks, chong! I think you are right on the price... it's not for everyone but for some people it's OK. Glad you have those eggs sliding!!! I have not tried to season a carbon steel on the Breville but maybe I can give it a go...

[@H4KnSL4K]

Hmm... I think you could season just fine on induction. I season on my electric stove-top, and it works well at lower heat settings - you just have to give it more time! But maybe we need to figure out the right temperature settings and the time that goes along with it. I could see doing multiple steps .. e.g. heat a small amount of oil at 325F for 15 minutes, then wipe it down and set it to 375F for 5 minutes, then wipe again and set it to 425F for 15 minutes, and then turn off. (or maybe have it sit at 275F for an hour, or something) This precision could really help nail down a reliable seasoning recipe.

[@SkyvalReam]

I think induction is fine for maintenance seasoning, at least if the pan is the right size, or you're willing to take a bit longer and move it around. This does mostly just season the bottom, but that's also where most of the wear will be. Getting up the sides can be more difficult. You can sometimes pick up the pan and put it on its side, but induction elements will turn off if they can't make a good enough "magnetic connection" or whatever. Some are permissive enough that you can still manage, but others are fairly sensitive about that. I think it'd be possible on the CF

[@epicon6]

In Finland this costs an equivalent to $2676 Canadian dollars.. (€1800)

[@reveme]

@@UncleScottsKitchenthat would be a really useful info to have! 😊 I would watch a seasoning on that freak 😉

[@JustinEmlay]

The coil is 10 inches. There's a teardown online and you can see the breakout image on their own site that pretty much backs that up. All you gotta do is open it up.

[@sheryldenise4478]

Where exactly? I asked their customer service and received an email that the coil is 9”. Wonder if that is true??

[@JustinEmlay]

@@sheryldenise4478 That's funny. So they told you directly but told him that's secret info? Maybe when they measured they included the plastic bezel that's around it. Looks to be about a half inch all around. I would have to take one apart myself but I'm not spending that kind of money on one.

[@JustinEmlay]

@@sheryldenise4478 Oops, to answer your question of where, sorry, I had to reform my comment many times because any time I used the name my comment was shadow banned. He must have a ban list of words that can't be used.

[@MadMFox]

The ai pics were a nice touch.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Got to get my $9 worth out of Canva!

[@patrickhiggins8269]

I just got mine and I have a problem with my copper core pans. I've had an issue with the pan getting up to around 220 degrees and then if I turn up the heat it won't budge. It just stays at the same temp. Haven't had the issue with my Misen pans yet though. Weird.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I did not have that problem with my All-Clad copper core. I did occasionally get the buzzing sound but it would go away. I have a new Falk copper core I will try as well and we'll see how it goes.

[@patrickhiggins8269]

@UncleScottsKitchen It's intermittent. Overall, though it's been great. Thanks for the recommendation on the control freak.

[@drpedsen]

Has anyone here carried one of these units through airport TSA screening? Any problems with clearance?

[@johnwilson839]

does breville control freak + strata aluminium clad carbon steel = french omelette? Inquiring minds......

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I can add that to the list of things to test but I don't think French omelettes will work in any pan on the Breville!

[@SkyvalReam]

I can do a french omelette in stainless steel, but I use a smaller pan and took some trial and error to find the right temp settings and technique. I think I've gotten it down fairly well by now, though.

[@HerbieBancock]

If you want to spend that much money then get one from a restaurant supply house that will actually last longer than a year.

[@H4KnSL4K]

Skip the oatmeal and have some healthy food like bacon, eggs, or beef!

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I offered to make him some sausage with the cheese grits and he said he didn't want any. I just can't relate to this new generation!

[@H4KnSL4K]

@UncleScottsKitchen I hear you! I had to get one of my four to eat an egg every morning by putting cheese on it, and the other by adding a bunch of cooked ground beef.. otherwise eating meatballs instead of eggs. But miles better than cereal!

[@dog2fit]

The size of coil is very important but the manufacture just wants to avoid talking about. I think it is the major problem of induction. After all a large coil costs more, and more energy hungery. As for other aspects, induction is all right to use. Well the cookery needs to touch the surface but that's how it works.

[@douggolde7582]

Coil size? Got a screwdriver? Note: Capacitors can kill you.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I plugged it into a wall, pushed a button and turned a knob... that about taps out my mechanical ability!

[@SkyvalReam]

I opened mine up. The coil was slightly less that 8.5 inches. Maybe 8 and 3/8 inches.

[@jerrywiese9722]

I looked at the online store that starts with an A. They have an inexpensive model priced at $1600 and a little more pricey one at $3200! Pass! Same brand you tested.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

The real one is $1499... I think something is up with the $3200 one... I would avoid that!

[@H4KnSL4K]

If my guess of the store is right, it shows as only $2249 for me. With free delivery over the weekend! (Is there a problem with mentioning the name of the online store?) I think it can really really depend on the country. I'm in Canada, and some products have just crazy prices, for no good reason

[@AverageReviewsYT]

The coil size thing… bs.. the only reasons I’d go for this as a candy maker is for even heating and per degree temp control.. the fax they’re hiding the coil size is bs… it’s a $1500 burner.. no.. lol my inductioncooktop that v been using for a few years (video on my channel) has been perfect.. all I want is a bigger coil (they make cheap ones with huge coils) and a precise temp control down to a degree.. (for sweets).

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I haven't seen any other burners or stoves that have the degree control, but just the low-medium-high... they might be out there but I have not seen them. That coil is important for even heating I think!

[@AverageReviewsYT]

@ mine just does the temp or levels. I like the temp for deep frying, but for candies, I use gas.

[@dbkfrogkaty1]

Not for me. I'll stick with my LG gas stove thank you.

[@cherylschwarz3950]

Zero interest. Love you anyway USK.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

That's what my wife says when I try for a Date Night!

[@surfingonmars8979]

@@UncleScottsKitchenNow, THAT’S comedy!!!!!!

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I have to entertain myself!

[@davestevens4193]

No