Can anyone recommend a benchtop butane portable hotplate, suitable mainly for curries and other Asian dishes?

 

There are so many around that it's difficult to make a choice.  Also, many appear to be for outdoor (camping) use - are these also suitable for kitchen use?

 

One final thing, how long does a cartridge normally last if the hotplate is used a couple of times a week for about an hour each time.

Hello Alan. You might want to check your home insurance policy on whether they cover these gas burners. If you want to use it strictly for home cooking, I recommend an electric hot plate. I have a no-name Asian hot pot set which comes with the electric plate and a large pan suitable for hot pot. For storage, the burner goes inside the pot and the lid goes on top - very elegant. I did not want to put butane burner on my wooden dining table, nor do I like the idea of open flames anywhere else in my house except in the kitchen under the rangehood. 

Electric burners don't get very hot, which is a negative if you want to fry. But if you want to boil water or make stews and curries, electric burners are more than adequate. 

If you feel like splurging, I would get an induction hot plate with a probe thermometer. Not only do they get very hot, they are also safe, easy to clean, and can double as a sous-vide cooker. As my home fills up with useless gadgets, I have been rationalising everything. No more single purpose tools, everything has to be multi-purpose. 

Hard to say how long a cartridge would last it will depend on how high you have the flame. The best place to buy cartridges is Big W, they sell them at $6 for a pack of 4. Also in a box of 12 for $18.

I use the cheap burner for $25. I don't know where to get those better looking ones.