Most buyers ask "how many watts?" The better question is "what circuit does my market have?" Getting the wattage wrong does not cost you a little extra — it costs you a rejected container, because 3500W on a 10A socket trips the breaker every time.
The one answer
Single-hob household: 2000W. Runs on an ordinary 10A socket.
Double-hob or commercial: 3500W, but it needs a dedicated 16A circuit.
Wattage and circuit: confirm this before anything else
| Wattage | Current | Socket / circuit | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1800–2000W | 8–9A | Ordinary 10A socket | Household single hob, apartments, dorms |
| 2800–3000W | 12–13A | 10A marginal, 16A recommended | High-power single hob, light commercial |
| 3500W | 15.9A | Dedicated 16A circuit required | Double hob, commercial, restaurants |
The number that matters: 3500W ÷ 220V ≈ 15.9A.
- Plugged into an ordinary 10A socket, it trips the breaker. Not "might" — will.
- Shared with another high-draw appliance, it trips.
- At 230V in Europe, 3500W ≈ 15.2A — still a 16A circuit.
One question to ask every supplier:
What is the rated current of this model at 230V, and does it require a dedicated 16A circuit?
A supplier who cannot answer that is not worth continuing with.
Cookware compatibility: not every pan works
Induction heats the pan itself through a magnetic field. The base must be ferromagnetic.
| Cookware | Works? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cast iron, carbon steel | Yes | Best magnetic response |
| Stainless steel with magnetic base | Yes | Check with a magnet |
| Stainless steel, non-magnetic 304 base | No | Not ferromagnetic |
| Aluminium, copper | No | Not ferromagnetic unless clad |
| Glass, ceramic | No | Not ferromagnetic |
| Enamelled cast iron | Yes | Iron base |
Field test: hold a magnet to the base. If it sticks, the pan works.
For buyers this matters at the shelf: if your market cooks with aluminium or clay pots, an induction hob is the wrong product regardless of price.
Certification: what decides whether you can sell
| Mark | Market | Mandatory? | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| CE (LVD + EMC) | EU | Yes | Anyone importing into the EU |
| RoHS | EU | Yes | Anyone importing into the EU |
| ERP (energy) | EU | Yes | Induction hobs are in scope |
| UKCA | UK | Yes | Post-2021 UK imports |
| GS | Germany | Voluntary but expected | German retail channels |
| ETL / UL | North America | Yes | US and Canada |
| SAA / RCM | Australia | Yes | Australian imports |
The most common misunderstanding: CE is a self-declaration, not a certificate issued by a body. A third-party "CE certificate" is a test report. It does not transfer compliance responsibility to anyone.
What to ask for:
Can you provide a DoC (Declaration of Conformity) for this exact model, plus the test report numbers behind it?
Only the DoC is the legal document.
Three purchasing mistakes
1. Assuming more watts is better. In European housing, kitchen circuits are commonly 16A. A 3500W double hob already saturates that.
2. Reading MOQ without reading what it covers. MOQ 300 usually means "existing tooling, your logo". MOQ 1000 may mean "new panel tooling". Ask which.
3. Ignoring when lead time starts. "35–40 days" from deposit, or from artwork approval? The gap is commonly 7–10 days.
A checklist you can send to any supplier
Single or double hob?
Target markets: EU / UK / North America / Australia / other
Circuit available: 10A or 16A? (this decides 2000W vs 3500W)
Certifications needed: CE / RoHS / ERP / GS / ETL
First order quantity: 300 / 1000 / 3000 pcs
Panel change required? (this decides whether tooling is needed)
When does lead time start?
Who is responsible for the energy label?About this page
Written by the export team at WECHGOOD, an induction and infrared cooker factory in Foshan: 18,000 m², 300+ workers, 40+ countries, with our own PCB and heating-plate lines.
Send us the spec and a target price. We will tell you within one working day whether we can hit it. If we cannot, we will say so.