Cadlec CookXpert 2000W Induction Cooktop Review: A must have in the kitchen?

Pros & Cons

Detailed Review

First Impressions

When the Cadlec CookXpert arrived, I was honestly a bit skeptical. The box felt lighter than expected, and at this price point, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But unboxing it, the cooktop looked decent enough – glossy black surface, clean layout, and the feather touch panel felt responsive when I first powered it on. The build quality is plastic-heavy, which is standard for this segment, but it doesn’t feel flimsy.

How I Tested This

I put this through a proper Indian kitchen workout over three weeks. Started with the basics – boiling water for chai multiple times a day, which it handled in about 3-4 minutes for a full kettle. Then moved to pressure cooking rajma and chole, making tadka for dal, and even tried deep frying samosas during a weekend get-together. The real test was cooking khichdi on low heat for my mom who was visiting – she’s very particular about her food. I also compared its power consumption against my old coil-based hotplate using a power meter.

Performance

The 2000W heating does its job well for most cooking. Boiling and pressure cooking are genuinely fast – my prestige cooker whistles in about 8-9 minutes for dal, which is comparable to gas. The 8 preset menus are honestly a mixed bag. The ‘Indian Curry’ and ‘Fry’ settings work reasonably well, but I found myself using manual temperature control most of the time anyway. The ‘Dosa’ preset runs a bit too hot initially, so I had to babysit the first few until I figured out the timing.

The auto cut-off feature kicked in twice during extended pressure cooking sessions – once when I was making mutton curry for about 45 minutes. A bit annoying, but I suppose it’s a safety thing. Noise-wise, the cooling fan is audible but not obnoxious. My wife says it sounds like a laptop fan, which is accurate.

Touch Controls – The Learning Curve

Here’s my honest gripe: the feather touch controls look sleek but aren’t always responsive with wet or oily fingers. During actual cooking when your hands are messy, you sometimes need to tap twice or wipe the panel. Not a dealbreaker, but physical buttons would’ve been more practical for a kitchen appliance.

Value for Money

Checking Amazon and Flipkart reviews, most complaints are about long-term durability past the warranty period, which I obviously can’t verify yet. For the price, you’re getting BIS certification, a 2-year warranty, and performance that genuinely rivals cooktops costing ₹500-800 more. Power efficiency is noticeably better than my old hotplate – my electricity bill actually dipped slightly last month.

The included induction-compatible kadai indicator is helpful if you’re unsure about your existing utensils. I had to buy a new pressure cooker base since my old Hawkins wasn’t induction-ready.

Score Breakdown

Key Specifications

Our Verdict