This hot plate burner is really nice. It heats up quickly and when one is done and you turn it off it has a display that says hot until it has cooled down sufficiently. My stove had one burner go out so this will be a nice addition to the kitchen where I can have four burners going at the same time rather than 3 which was inconvenient as I always needed all four burners when doing a large meal. The knob on the front turns it up and down. Plug it in, hit the right button to turn on. Hit the left button to get temp going and then turn the dial on the front to adjust up or down. You can use several styles of pans which are listed in the description on Wayfair. I think this will be a great addition to my kitchen.