So... the best laid plans, as old Burnsie said, gang aft agley. And this plan has gone and done that. :
Upon examination of the brew pot, it was discovered that, while it isn't too tall for the stove, it is too big in every other way. It overwhelms the burner, and full of water it would be so heavy that the glass stovetop might crack. So, as suspected, I need a different solution.
I could go for a propane burner, and I've found one that isn't as expensive as buying from a homebrew supply store. But I'm hoping to avoid propane. While I'm currently able to borrow the parents' house for brewing, I'll be heading back to college in the fall, and while I don't yet know where I'll be living I have a feeling it won't have a suitable space for propane burning. I'll drive 300 miles to brew here if I absolutely must, but for obvious reasons I'd rather not do that.
Would an induction cooktop -- something like
this -- do the trick? I've seen the "heat sticks" some people use, but I'm not comfortable dealing with the amount of power those draw, especially not after the warning not to use them with older wiring or your house will burn down. If induction won't work, is there another option of which I might not be aware?