On 2010-05-31, Steve > wrote:
> I have an electric stove, wondering if I'd be just as well off with an
> electric wok rather than a stovetop model. Are the wattages high
> enough on electric woks?

It's been my experience that neither electric woks nor stovetop
flat-bottomed woks for electric burners are adequate. Having tried
several variations, I finally invested in a propane burner for use
with a flat bottomed steel wok.

Propane burns hotter than natural gas and el-cheapo burners for turkey
fryers can be had pretty cheap if you take the time to look. I bought
a turkey fryer set on sale (end of season) for $20 ea at Lowes. This
included a kettle (enameled steel) with lid plus thermometers, racks,
etc. Even when not on sale, they were only $30 ea. I figure the
burner, alone, was worth full retail. Plus, you get a great stock
pot. If you can't find a similar deal, even lone burners are getting
cheaper:

http://tinyurl.com/22llpop

There's no reason to suffer underpowered electric options when propane
burners can be had so cheaply. NOTE: I'm talking fryer burners, not side
burners on cheap gas grills, which are also under powered, even with
propane.

nb