I just bought a Duxtop Pro portable induction hob and tested it out with an oversized pan with a little water in it. I expected it to not be totally efficient considering it was hanging over the sides a little bit but what I didn't expect was for the hot spot to be one single ring in the center about 4" in diameter. Not a disk but literally a ring. Is that possibly a defect or is this normal? EDIT: I uploaded a better picture with a cast iron pan that fits perfectly within the larger ring for max pan size. Since it's black it's easier to see the ring of bubbles where it's heating up. I've written the manufacturer but just figured maybe this is a normal thing experienced people would recognize immediately. Or, conversely, that it's not at all normal.  
First of all, yes. If you think of it ahead of time, infusing oil with paprika at room  temperature will work fine as long as you can do it overnight. While heat can in general be important to rupture cell walls and such to support dissolving, paprika is already pretty finely ground so it’s largely a matter of dissolution rate. Failing that, though, you can use the microwave. This is a bit tricky, as small quantities of low-water solutions will heat — and burn — very quickly. But if you’re quick about it, you can bring paprika up to infusing temperature almost instantly. Note that the oil is not heated as fast as the paprika, despite there being more of it, so you’ll have to heat it 3-4 times. The basic recipe is, microwave it until the moment anything happens (sizzling, bubbling, w/e) and then immediately turn it off. Wait a few seconds for the heat to disperse and then turn it on again. After 3-4 rounds let it rest for 5 mins and you will have infused oil. 