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Breville PolyScience Control Freak vs. the Njori Tempo.

The Njori Tempo: A Control Freak Alternative?

Could the Njori Tempo be an alternative to the Breville PolyScience Control Freak? A comparison between these two precision induction cookers.

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March 2024 Update: While development for this product seems to have stalled, there is some exciting news. Breville is releasing a home version of the Control Freak. Read more about the Breville Control Freak Home here.

My regular readers will know that I am a huge fan of Breville PolyScience’s Control Freak and precision cooking. In fact, I love the kitchen gadget so much that I own two of them!

The Breville PolyScience Control Freak is a commercial induction cooker with a through-the-glass temperature sensor that allows the cook to precisely control the temperature of a pan; it also comes with a detachable probe that can be used to control the temperature of the pan’s contents.

If you are interested in getting more details about the Breville Polyscience Control Freak, be sure to read my in-depth review.

At $1500, it’s an expensive toy, but there’s a lot of value with that price tag. The induction unit is flexible and has the ability to perform the most exacting of kitchen tasks (e.g. hollandaise sauce that doesn’t need to be constantly monitored or easy stovetop deep frying). The Control Freak is the first thing I would grab from the kitchen if my house was on fire and it’s the last kitchen toy I would give up. If I ever had to replace one of my units, I would do it in a heartbeat, despite its high price.

There are alternatives; such as the Tasty One Top (not recommended due to inaccurate temperatures and finicky app) and the No products found. (downside: it requires special Hestan-branded battery powered cookware). I’ve tested both of them, but neither comes close to ease-of-use, durability, and accuracy of the Breville PolyScience Control Freak.

That’s why I was excited when I heard about the Njori Tempo. At first glance the Njori Tempo has a lot of similarities with my favourite precision cooker, plus it has a lot of added bonus features (detailed below); but could it really be an alternative to the Breville PolyScience Control Freak? And will it be more affordable than the Control Freak? I won’t really know until I can get my hands on a unit and give a proper review of the Njori Tempo (it hasn’t hit store shelves yet), but I can compare the features advertised by Njori with my experience using the Breville PolyScience Control Freak.

Njori Tempo vs. Breville PolyScience Control Freak: The Similarities

The Njori Tempo, like the Breville PolyScience Control Freak, has a through-the-glass sensor that measures the temperature of the bottom of the cooking vessel.

Best Precision Induction Burner
Why do we recommend the Breville Polyscience Control Freak as the best induction burner?
  • Incredible temperature control! Whether you use a probe to control the temperature of the contents of your food or the pan sensor to control the temperature of the pan
  • Programmable temperatures; don't need to remember a large list of temperatures
  • It will revolutionize the way you cook; we use it everyday
  • Pricing last updated on March 28, 2024 - 12:21 MDT. Pricing and images from Amazon Product Advertising API. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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    Njori Tempo vs. Breville PolyScience Control Freak pan temperature sensor.

    The Njori Tempo also has a probe that can be plugged in that monitors and controls the temperature of the pan’s contents. The probe is attached to the pan using a small round holder that looks very similar to the Control Freak’s temperature probe holder.

    njori tempo vs breville polyscience control freak temperature probe

    Njori Tempo vs. Breville PolyScience Control Freak: The Differences

    Built-in Scale and Reduce by Weight

    One of the features I’m most looking forward to with the Njori is the built-in-scale; something that the Breville PolyScience Control Freak lacks. Not only does this scale promise to allow you to measure ingredients by weight while cooking, it also monitors the reduction of weight through evaporation. So if you are making a sticky barbeque sauce that calls for a 50% reduction, rather than eyeballing it, you can actually have the Njori Tempo inform you when sauce has been reduced by exactly 50%. If this reduce-by-weight feature works as advertised, it will certainly streamline and bring consistency to many of my kitchen applications. The scale also allows you to manage your portions as you plate your meal.

    njori tempo scale and reduce by weight

    Compact Storage

    The design of the Breville PolyScience Control Freak is massive and allows for excellent cooling using two fans (one to cool the electronic interface and the other to cool the induction coil). For some, the design of the Control Freak may be too wielding; however, it gives me confidence that the machine will last for years to come. The Njori Tempo takes a different approach and has a slimmer form factor. I could not determine the exact configuration of the fans. All the accessories and the unit itself fit nicely into a cork box, and it’s all held together using magnets. In promotional photos, the Njori Tempo is shown to slide discreetly into a bookcase.

    njori tempo storage and case

    Innovative Detachable Knob

    One of the things I love about the Breville PolyScience Control Freak, and dislike about the Tasty One Top and Hestan Cue, is its knobs; instead of using a mobile phone app to control the device, the cook controls the entire unit on site. To some this may be seen as a downside, but to me it’s a huge plus. It doesn’t require fiddling with a phone, finding an app, and ensuring a good connection. The interface is simplified but allows for a great degree of control. The knobs and on-board interface means you can just wander into the kitchen, start the unit up, and get cooking without any trouble at all. You can even program your favourite recipes to be remembered for future use!

    The Njori Tempo also comes with a knob, and it looks like all features can be controlled from the unit itself! This is great news for those who understand the awkwardness of using phones in the kitchen. The defining feature of Njori’s knob though is that it’s detachable and held onto the unit with magnets. This approach seems interesting and may make things easier to cleanup; however, I do worry about losing the knob.

    njori tempo detachable knob

    Mini Circulator that Attaches to the Probe for Sous Vide Cooking

    While you can technically sous vide using the Breville Polyscience Control Freak, it is less than ideal for long cooks due to the lack of circulation. The Njori Tempo has addressed this by building a miniature circulation accessory that the temperature probe just slides into. This accessory also fits inside the cork box for easy storage. If the mini circulator works well, this could save a lot of valuable counter space and hassle that a dedicated immersion circulator entails.

    njori tempo circulator for sous vide

    Magnetic Connectors for Increased Safety

    The Njori Tempo also comes with magnetic connectors that help improve safety in the kitchen by eliminating tripping hazards.

    njori tempo magnetic connectors

    Final Notes on the Njori Tempo

    Njori expects to make the Tempo publicly available in early 2022.

    I hope you enjoyed this rundown of this innovative induction unit and the comparison with the Breville PolyScience Control Freak; I’m hoping I get my hands on a unit soon in order to provide a proper review of the Njori Tempo. Stay tuned. 

    Best Precision Induction Burner
    Why do we recommend the Breville Polyscience Control Freak as the best induction burner?
  • Incredible temperature control! Whether you use a probe to control the temperature of the contents of your food or the pan sensor to control the temperature of the pan
  • Programmable temperatures; don't need to remember a large list of temperatures
  • It will revolutionize the way you cook; we use it everyday
  • Pricing last updated on March 28, 2024 - 12:21 MDT. Pricing and images from Amazon Product Advertising API. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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    Greg
    1 year ago

    The most important thing–the thing I can’t find out from either producer–is the size of the induction coil. Breville tries to be clever and avoids the question. Njori doesn’t respond to email.

    Mike
    1 year ago

    I recently purchased a Cuisinart One Top and tested it extensively. I found it to be outstanding. The Bluetooth pairs instantly and the functionality of the app is impressive. It holds temps down under 100⁰ accurately. The additional functionalities of the app are useful, intuitive, and fun. It is a great addition to my budget induction 4 hob cooktop that destroys anything I try to do under 150⁰.
    Sure, the diameter of the induction coil might be slightly smaller than the Control Freak (diameter of heated zone), and it’s 1500w is 300w lower than the Freak, but for me these are non- relivant. It has a built in temp sensor on the cooking surface and a jack-connected wired probe that goes in the pot or meat.
    Together, these modulate temperature like a scientific instrument. I checked with multiple tests using laser temp gun and my trusted food thermometer system. Results were acceptable +/- 2⁰ at and around 105⁰ to 120⁰. Good enough for government work.
    Temperature does fall off as you move away from the heat effect zone but probe placement can compensate a bit. Just place the probe a bit further from pot center…I’m sure the C-Freak has the same issues. The water circulator of the tempo is a great idea to solve this but is not that hard to fabricate a DIY method.
    The Tempo improves on the capabilities of the C-F for sure and for a quarter of the price but…At $50 ea. The “One Top” ( being discontinued )
    gives you very nearly the same capabilities of the C-Freak or the Tempo. Yes, I said $50.
    Lucky for the Tempo, the One Top is being closed out and will be gone. I ordered a few more and have covered over my main cooktop island with a big sheet of stainless steel. I’m going to see how well these portables work as a stand alone solution. The greater counter space for prep and flex use seems like a good idea to experiment with.
    I’m assuming they will be liscensing the technology to the portable induction market….time will tell. The 1-Top is what all induction cookers should be. They should be the rule and not the exception.

    E.
    2 years ago

    have you pre-order Njori Tempo from Indiegogo

    Frans
    1 year ago
    Reply to  E.

    Hi, yes I have 2 on order. Can’t wait

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