Hot plate for double duty?

[Changeling]

Since I need to get a new hotplate I have been looking into them for double duty such as cooking things on the deck and also for great capability as a source for melting lead and ladle pouring.

Things that are important to me would be plenty of power and most importantly the ability to be able to keep things at a specified temperature, things like LEAD, LOL, oh and stews and other stuff also.
So I decided to get a fairly good one.

I saw on the Internet one from a company called "Cadco, model CSR-3T", 1500 watt, 12.5 Amps. I features some sort of named thermostat so I suppose that means something, but I'm not sure just what or how much it means.
Bottom line I'm hoping someone that understands these things can tell me if this is really a good one or just a con. One can purchase it for about $90.00 or so delivered.

If you are getting the idea that this guy doesn't know "JACK" about things that are electric, you are dead right. Just hoping someone here understands these things.

[Cherokee]

I personally would not use a hot plate for lead and cooking. Lead OK, but not both.

[AZ-Stew]

Since I need to get a new hotplate I have been looking into them for double duty... things like LEAD, LOL, oh and stews and other stuff also.

The rating of 1500 Watts, and the associated 12.5 Amps, only tells you how fast it will replace heat that's lost to conduction, radiation and convection (how much work it will do, measured in Watts), and the electrical current at which it does that work (12.5 Amps. Multiply the 12.5 Amps by the 120 Volts in your house wiring and you get 1500 Watts. Simple application of Ohm's Law). What neither rating tells you is what temperature it will reach. If it won't get up to 800 degrees or so, it's not much good for melting boolit alloy.

BTW, I refuse to share a hot plate with your casting alloy.

Regards,

Stew

[RU shooter]

1500 W should be fine for melting a small p0t of lead. I use a 750W hot plate I got at Wally World a few yrs. ago and it will melt a Stainless steel dog bowl 3/4 full of alloy nicelyI made a insulated metal shroud that wraps around the sides of the bowl to help hold some heat.It takes about 1/2 hr. to get to liquid state ,Not great but I use it for casting on trips to camp or other away from home. It works OK but you would be better off looking for something that runs on 220V if your going to run electric.


Tim

[Bret4207]

I tried to find that model you listed with no luck. You want an open coil type hot plate, not a smooth or covered surface rig. 1500 watts would be plenty IF it's a single burner. I have a unit that's 1800 watts IIRC, but it's got 2 covered burners of 900 watts each and won't melt snow hardly, much less lead.

[chris in va]

Ditto, keep your food away from the lead melter. My hotplate has a couple lead splashes.

[mroliver77]

My hotplate is a wally world special. It is dirty and nasty with lead debris on it. I would go for a separate unit for cooking.
Jay

[Hang Fire]

For casting ingots I just go with the cheapo hot plates from Wally World. Have gone through a couple over the years, but they do a good job for the price.

[Changeling]

Some pretty good advice here I think. I'll make it two separate units, that lead in one's system can be some terrible stuff.
Now the hunt starts again?

Thanks guys for not letting me make a mistake!

[Changeling]

I tried to find that model you listed with no luck. You want an open coil type hot plate, not a smooth or covered surface rig. 1500 watts would be plenty IF it's a single burner. I have a unit that's 1800 watts IIRC, but it's got 2 covered burners of 900 watts each and won't melt snow hardly, much less lead.

Hi Bret, this was the model .

http://www.everythingkitchens.com/Cadco-single-burner-hot-plate-csr-3t.html



Some of the questions other people have been asking is beyond my understanding of these things.

I thought the wattage/amperage would be enough but what do I know,LOL.

I found another cheap unit, I will get back to everyone when I find a spec sheet on it!

[mold maker]

Don't obsess about the hot plate. Just get a cheap one at 1000W or there bouts. Get a good one to do cooking duties with and don't mix the two. You should find a casting burner for $10-15. You'll soon be looking for a casting furnace, and the hot plate will be used to preheat alloy and molds.
The advice to get a 220V unit is good only if you have 220v outlet where you can use it. It's cost prohibitive to add breakers, wiring, and a dedicated receptacle just for a casting burner, and drop cords aren't feasible.

[Changeling]

It seems a lot of you guys have doubts that this item # CSR-3T (above link) will have enough "power" to melt a pot full of lead in a Revere 2qt saucepan, and I am cautioned by some that basically it will be a losing battle, meaning "No" it won't work!

However you don't expound on exactly "WHY" it doesn't work. Have you personally tried it yourself or is this a response because of something you read somewhere? There are a lot of people that say it works great! However, now a few of you guys have put doubt in my mind and everybody else's.
So please substantiate your findings some how, or reverse your decisions.

Actually it is very simple, hot plates work well or only marginal, what is it? This would be a great place for management to step in so people don't get Screwed if that may be the case!.

[Echo]

My main criticism is the cost. Carrumba!

[bigboredad]

for what its worth I have 2 hot plates both say 1000 watts one melts lead and keeps it melted no problem the other one will nor melt lead no matter how long it sits on the hot plate. oh and by the way my pans are just stainless pan I got at the dollar store. so there's my experience you can make your own conclusions

[Bret4207]

Hi Bret, this was the model .

http://www.everythingkitchens.com/Cadco-single-burner-hot-plate-csr-3t.html



Some of the questions other people have been asking is beyond my understanding of these things.

I thought the wattage/amperage would be enough but what do I know,LOL.

I found another cheap unit, I will get back to everyone when I find a spec sheet on it!

My friend, I wouldn't spend that much on a romantic weekend with Mrs. Bret, or anyone else's Mrs. either! That's a very,very nice commercial unit. And too, too nice for what we do.

[Tom-ADC]

I personally would not use a hot plate for lead and cooking. Lead OK, but not both.

I agree.

[leadman]

Many of the electric cooking devices now won't get much over 450' or so. I was told by an appliance repair parts clerk this is to prevent the breakdown of the non-stick coatings on cookware.
One can always adjust the temp control though.

Harbor Freight has a hot plate for $15 or so. Bought one from Walgreens on sale fo $10.

If you are going to use a 2 qt. pan you could buy a single burner cook stove. Look for one that the burner sets low with the propane cyl. beside it. WalMart has had this style.

[mold maker]

Most casting furnaces are from 700 to 900 watts, I have, and use a 1000W 110V hot plate that was bought for $10. at Wally World in "07. It has seen many hrs pre-melting alloy and heating molds. That's 4 years and no complaints.
During the same time period I had 2 Lee pots and a Lyman do meltdowns. One Lee and the Lyman were repaired and are back in service.
No the efficiency of the hot plate isn't as good because there is no insulation around the pot or burner. But YES if the hotplate is working as intended, and the pot isn't oversize, the thing will work. You can improve it's efficiency by making a wind guard that leaves just a 1/4' gap around the pot to hold heat against it. That's what we do with our high BTU turkey fryers to conserve gas and gain on melt time. You can't expect a 6-8 quart pot of lead to ever melt on a little bitty hot plate, on a windy day. The nearer to the burner size the bottom of the pot is, the better.
For just preheating or maintaining mold heat I cut about a 3" sq. window in the top side of a #10 food can, and set it upside down over the burner. A lower heat setting with this oven over the mold will do the same job. I keep several ingots on top (pre heating) and a pair of tongs to move them.

[XWrench3]

well, as long as lead does not directly touch the plate, i wouldnt worry so much. i would definitly wash it well between using it for lead, and for cooking. not so much the other way around. yes, some lead contamination might exist, but if it is washed thouroghly, i think it would probably be ok. now, if it gets lead spilled all over it, then, it is a lead melter only. someone did bring up a valid point however, if the plate will not heat to 800 degrees, it is only a cooking plate anyway.

[ghh3rd]

+1 on using in soley for lead.

Any housewares that I use for my lead is permamently marked (usually etched) "LEAD ONLY". I'm afraid that someone may pick up my old "stuff" when I'm gone someday and start using it for food.

[zxcvbob]

Exposed coil hotplates work very well for melting lead. I even use my 750W to smelt (literally) black sand and dross back to usable lead. I have another fancier 1000W hotplate with a cast iron top and it does not get hot enough to melt lead.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Why not buy one of wally's "pc" red chinese hotplates for the occasional fondue fest and a real lead pot from Lee. Cheaper in the aggregate, eh?

BvT

[Changeling]

I don't know hen you guys bought your "Hot Plates", but this is the way it is now.

WM/Wally World lists only two, neither or open coil: Evidently the open coil look is not in vogue this year, LOL!

http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=0&ic=48_0&search_query=Electric+hot+plates&Find.x=0&Find.y=0&Find=Find


Harbor freight lists NONE.

I'm going to go to a couple places a lady friend recommended tomorrow and see what they have. If anything pans out I'll let everyone know.
Things and times seem to be changing faster and faster, it's just a dam shame it's all in the wrong direction!

[mpmarty]

Electricity for heating lead is a very inefficient method. Like trying to light up a room with kerosene. Electric smelting pots use concentrated heating coils inside an insulating envelope to melt the lead in the pot. Hot plates lack the ability to focus the heat they produce and are quite inefficient. I smelt with propane burners as it is much better.