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?

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

On May 30, 8:08*pm, 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?

Get the electric. I had a stovetop manual type - the wok just didn't
get hot enough, even with the burner at its highest setting.

Actually, I have had good success with wok recipes made in a plain old
deep skillet. Save your money and storage space, maybe?

On Monday, May 31, 2010 at 4:37:50 AM UTC+3, Kalmia wrote:
> On May 30, 8:08Â*pm, 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?
>
> Get the electric. I had a stovetop manual type - the wok just didn't
> get hot enough, even with the burner at its highest setting.
>
> Actually, I have had good success with wok recipes made in a plain old
> deep skillet. Save your money and storage space, maybe?

Hi,

I concur with you, electric woks are the best. You can use an electric gourmet wok anywhere as long as there is electricity. This makes them really convenient to use. I recommend you check on the top 6 best electric woks so as to get the best and understand their functionalities. https://itday.com/kitchen/top-6-best...-guide-buyers/

Regards.

On Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 2:05:53 AM UTC-10, wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I concur with you, electric woks are the best. You can use an electric gourmet wok anywhere as long as there is electricity. This makes them really convenient to use. I recommend you check on the top 6 best electric woks so as to get the best and understand their functionalities. https://itday.com/kitchen/top-6-best...-guide-buyers/
>
> Regards.

I've never had an electric pan that ever got very hot. I can't imagine an electric wok would fare much better. OTOH, a wok that operates at 240V might work very well. Too bad we don't have such a thing in the US.

Heres what I made last night. Wokked in a wok.

https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/...Jwwg62ArP4ISkz

On 10/3/2017 12:51 PM, dsi1 wrote:
> On Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 2:05:53 AM UTC-10, wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I concur with you, electric woks are the best. You can use an electric gourmet wok anywhere as long as there is electricity. This makes them really convenient to use. I recommend you check on the top 6 best electric woks so as to get the best and understand their functionalities. https://itday.com/kitchen/top-6-best...-guide-buyers/
>>
>> Regards.
> I've never had an electric pan that ever got very hot. I can't imagine an electric wok would fare much better. OTOH, a wok that operates at 240V might work very well. Too bad we don't have such a thing in the US.
>
> Heres what I made last night. Wokked in a wok.
>
> https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/...Jwwg62ArP4ISkz
>
Â* Mine's a plain steel one with a small flat on the bottom . I use it
over a 14,000 BTU burner on my gas range . Seldom need full heat except
when browning the meats .

Â* --

Â* Snag

On Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 12:45:14 PM UTC-10, Terry Coombs wrote:

> Â* Mine's a plain steel one with a small flat on the bottom . I use it
> over a 14,000 BTU burner on my gas range . Seldom need full heat except
> when browning the meats .
>
> Â* --
>
> Â* Snag

My wok is like that. Surprisingly, that thin metal works with an induction range. My son recently moved into some kind of hell hole. I bought him a wok to use with his gas range. It is my hope that he learns how to use the range, wok, and oven. My wife said he heated up a store bought pizza the other day. That's a good start.

On 2017-10-03, Terry Coombs > wrote:

> On 10/3/2017 12:51 PM, dsi1 wrote:

>> I've never had an electric pan that ever got very hot. I can't
>> imagine an electric wok would fare much better.

I've yet to see an electric wok that gets hot worth a damn. I've had
both, an electric and a 14 ga steel w/ flat. I tossed the electric.

> Mine's a plain steel one with a small flat on the bottom . I use it
> over a 14,000 BTU burner on my gas range .

I usta use my steel wok ona turkey-fryer-burner (approx 20K BTU), but
now only use it on my propane range in the kitchen. Regardless, I'd
keep the steel wok and lose the electric, buying, instead, a burner
that will do a proper job. Gobble fer turkey-fryer prices. (hey, I
made a joke!)

nb

On 10/3/2017 11:51 AM, dsi1 wrote:
> On Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 2:05:53 AM UTC-10, wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I concur with you, electric woks are the best. You can use an electric gourmet wok anywhere as long as there is electricity. This makes them really convenient to use. I recommend you check on the top 6 best electric woks so as to get the best and understand their functionalities. https://itday.com/kitchen/top-6-best...-guide-buyers/
>>
>> Regards.
>
> I've never had an electric pan that ever got very hot. I can't imagine an electric wok would fare much better. OTOH, a wok that operates at 240V might work very well. Too bad we don't have such a thing in the US.
>
> Heres what I made last night. Wokked in a wok.
>
> https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/...Jwwg62ArP4ISkz
>

King Pao style sea scallops?

On Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 3:04:59 PM UTC-10, Casa lo pensa wrote:
>
> King Pao style sea scallops?

Hoo boy, that would be great! This was merely spicy chicken. Scallops would be mighty tasty. I'll have to try that. Thanks!

On 10/3/2017 8:05 AM, wrote:
> On Monday, May 31, 2010 at 4:37:50 AM UTC+3, Kalmia wrote:
>> On May 30, 8:08Â*pm, 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?
>
> I concur with you, electric woks are the best. You can use an electric gourmet wok anywhere as long as there is electricity. This makes them really convenient to use. I recommend you check on the top 6 best electric woks so as to get the best and understand their functionalities. https://itday.com/kitchen/top-6-best...-guide-buyers/
>
> Regards.
>

This SPAMMER glommed on to Kalmia's post from 2010 (Surprise!) Quick,
run out and buy an electric wok after clicking on that link!

Regards. LOL

Jill

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?

Two of the most important criteria for wok cooking are
instant, very high heat
instant low heat
You can't get either of these with electric anything! Not electric stove
nor electric wok. Besides which, you don't really want a flat bottomed
wok anyway! That defeats the very idea of wok cookery, and was only
developed to satisfy electric stove users.

For wok cooking, invest a few dollars in a single propane gas burner.
You can find the table-top models that use propane cartridges in most
Asian markets, and a 3-pack of cartridges to go with it for under $25.
Use two settings; full blast and simmer.

--
Orpheus99

"A painter paints pictures on canvas. Musicians paint their pictures on
silence." ~Leopold Stokowski

On May 30, 9:54*pm, orpheus99 > wrote:
> 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?
>
> Two of the most important criteria for wok cooking are
> instant, very high heat
> instant low heat
> You can't get either of these with electric anything!

All you need to do to get instant (semi-instant; you'll never obtain
instant) low heat is to take the wok off of the burner.


>Not electric stove
> nor electric wok. Besides which, you don't really want a flat bottomed
> wok anyway! That defeats the very idea of wok cookery, and was only
> developed to satisfy electric stove users.
>
> For wok cooking, invest a few dollars in a single propane gas burner.
> You can find the table-top models that use propane cartridges in most
> Asian markets, and a 3-pack of cartridges to go with it for under $25.
> Use two settings; full blast and simmer.
>
> --
> Orpheus99
>
> "A painter paints pictures on canvas. *Musicians paint their pictures on
> silence." *~Leopold Stokowski

On 5/30/2010 2:08 PM, 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?

I've used a regular wok and a fire ring on an electric stove with no
problem. Since I like to cook at high heat, I wasn't expecting it to
work but it did. Just make sure your burner gets pretty hot and you do
your frying in parts.

On Sun, 30 May 2010 17:18:25 -1000, dsi1 > wrote:

> On 5/30/2010 2:08 PM, 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?
>
> I've used a regular wok and a fire ring on an electric stove with no
> problem. Since I like to cook at high heat, I wasn't expecting it to
> work but it did. Just make sure your burner gets pretty hot and you do
> your frying in parts.

I've cooked on both using the same wok and was surprised to find that
the ring is also necessary on gas to keep heat focused at the wok.
Crowding is also a problem, so the size of the wok makes a big
difference. The smaller the wok, the more likely it is you'll have
to cook whatever it is in stages.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On 5/30/2010 5:50 PM, sf wrote:
> On Sun, 30 May 2010 17:18:25 -1000, > wrote:
>
>> On 5/30/2010 2:08 PM, 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?
>>
>> I've used a regular wok and a fire ring on an electric stove with no
>> problem. Since I like to cook at high heat, I wasn't expecting it to
>> work but it did. Just make sure your burner gets pretty hot and you do
>> your frying in parts.
>
> I've cooked on both using the same wok and was surprised to find that
> the ring is also necessary on gas to keep heat focused at the wok.
> Crowding is also a problem, so the size of the wok makes a big
> difference. The smaller the wok, the more likely it is you'll have
> to cook whatever it is in stages.
>

I had a pretty big wok which is the main problem with woks - they're
big! Luckily, cooking food in stages and marrying everything at the end
is a common technique in stir frying.

On 5/31/2010 1:21 PM, dsi1 wrote:
> On 5/30/2010 5:50 PM, sf wrote:
>> On Sun, 30 May 2010 17:18:25 -1000, > wrote:
>>
>>> On 5/30/2010 2:08 PM, 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?
>>>
>>> I've used a regular wok and a fire ring on an electric stove with no
>>> problem. Since I like to cook at high heat, I wasn't expecting it to
>>> work but it did. Just make sure your burner gets pretty hot and you do
>>> your frying in parts.
>>
>> I've cooked on both using the same wok and was surprised to find that
>> the ring is also necessary on gas to keep heat focused at the wok.
>> Crowding is also a problem, so the size of the wok makes a big
>> difference. The smaller the wok, the more likely it is you'll have
>> to cook whatever it is in stages.
>>
>
> I had a pretty big wok which is the main problem with woks - they're
> big! Luckily, cooking food in stages and marrying everything at the end
> is a common technique in stir frying.

Buwei Yang Chou, who invented (or perhaps her husband did--he was the
linguist and her book was a cooperative effort) the term "stir fry"
described many such dishes as "so and so _meets_ such and such".

On 5/31/2010 9:34 AM, J. Clarke wrote:
> On 5/31/2010 1:21 PM, dsi1 wrote:
>> On 5/30/2010 5:50 PM, sf wrote:
>>> On Sun, 30 May 2010 17:18:25 -1000, > wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 5/30/2010 2:08 PM, 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?
>>>>
>>>> I've used a regular wok and a fire ring on an electric stove with no
>>>> problem. Since I like to cook at high heat, I wasn't expecting it to
>>>> work but it did. Just make sure your burner gets pretty hot and you do
>>>> your frying in parts.
>>>
>>> I've cooked on both using the same wok and was surprised to find that
>>> the ring is also necessary on gas to keep heat focused at the wok.
>>> Crowding is also a problem, so the size of the wok makes a big
>>> difference. The smaller the wok, the more likely it is you'll have
>>> to cook whatever it is in stages.
>>>
>>
>> I had a pretty big wok which is the main problem with woks - they're
>> big! Luckily, cooking food in stages and marrying everything at the end
>> is a common technique in stir frying.
>
> Buwei Yang Chou, who invented (or perhaps her husband did--he was the
> linguist and her book was a cooperative effort) the term "stir fry"
> described many such dishes as "so and so _meets_ such and such".
>

This is so true!

> I've used a regular wok and a fire ring on an electric stove with no
> problem. Since I like to cook at high heat, I wasn't expecting it to
> work but it did. Just make sure your burner gets pretty hot and you do
> your frying in parts.

Does this eliminate woks with nonstick coatings? Most of them say you
should use low-med heat, never high. That seems to contradict the
whole point of using a wok...

On Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:30:21 -0700, Steve > wrote:

> > I've used a regular wok and a fire ring on an electric stove with no
> > problem. Since I like to cook at high heat, I wasn't expecting it to
> > work but it did. Just make sure your burner gets pretty hot and you do
> > your frying in parts.
>
> Does this eliminate woks with nonstick coatings? Most of them say you
> should use low-med heat, never high. That seems to contradict the
> whole point of using a wok...

Think about it....
wok cooking = use high heat
nonstick coating = don't use high heat


Can you do one with the other? Only if your intent is to come here
asking stupid questions.


--

Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On 2010-07-17, Steve > wrote:

> Does this eliminate woks with nonstick coatings? Most of them say you
> should use low-med heat, never high. That seems to contradict the
> whole point of using a wok...

It certainly does.

I've had both. I now use a steel wok on a turkey fryer burner.
Unless you have a large wok, 14" or larger, I suggest one with a large
saucepan style handle. Mine also has a loop handle on the opposite
side with a wood grip, but I expect the wood to burn off shortly.

nb

"Steve" > wrote in message
...
>> I've used a regular wok and a fire ring on an electric stove with no
>> problem. Since I like to cook at high heat, I wasn't expecting it to
>> work but it did. Just make sure your burner gets pretty hot and you do
>> your frying in parts.
>
> Does this eliminate woks with nonstick coatings? Most of them say you
> should use low-med heat, never high. That seems to contradict the
> whole point of using a wok...

If it has non-stick coating, it is not a wok, It is a strange cooking device
of poor quality and limited use.

"Steve" > wrote in message
...
>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?

I have found that neither are any good. I use my electric wok to steam
fish. Put them in on a wire round rack, and they steam nicely.

But there is just not enough heat to wok ANYTHING. For that, I have a back
yard burner, one of those round ones, that has the burner that looks like a
hot water heater burner on it, and that gets it hot enough for my taste.

They showed a cooking show the other night, and it had to do with woks in
Chinese restaurants. They were all special burner configuration, and the
BTU ratings were very high. Won't say, as I do not remember exactly, but
200k comes to mind .......

About the only thing that is nearly acceptable is a gas stove with a large
burner and a large wok ring. And propane would be the hottest.

Steve

"Steve" > wrote in message
...
>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?

Sorry, I posted, but forgot my sig.

Steve

visit my blog at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com watch for the book

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

"Steve" > wrote in message
...
>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?

I nevr thought I coul do really good Asian wok cooking until I got a stove
with a hot enough burner. You want at least 16K BTUs. Highr is better but
you're getting into the professional range category. My previous stove
could put out about 7.5K at best and the results were just so-so. I would
not think you could get that kind of heat from the average electric range.

Paul

I have tried an electric wok but found it didn't work very well for me. However, I have had no problems using a regular wok on my electric stove when I use a fire ring with it. It gets hot enough and as someone else said, if you want it to cook down quickly just take it off the burner. In fact, I even taught Chinese cooking classes years ago using my wok on the electric stove and it worked perfectly well.

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?


If you're talking about the "stand-alone" woks i.e. appliances that have
their own heating elements/thermostats and power cables and can
[allegedly] be used on the counter-top, they're not as good as other
woks, IMHO.

I have one of those stand-alone electric woks - a Kenwood, which IIRC is
made in the USA. The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot enough" -
but it is not "constant" heat as the thermostat keeps kicking in and
out, so the heat varies. It has its uses, and we've made plenty of good
meals with it, but when this one dies, I've decided I'm going to
replace it with a stove-top model. Preferably one that is suitable for
a gas burner. But that's JMTCW.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

On 2010-05-31, ChattyCathy > wrote:

> I have one of those stand-alone electric woks - a Kenwood, which IIRC is
> made in the USA.

UK

> The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot enough" -
> but it is not "constant" heat as the thermostat keeps kicking in and
> out, so the heat varies.

This is cuz most plug-in appliances are limited to about 1500W of
power. This due to the 15 amp limit of 110V plugs (in the US). This
is why I always crack up when space and electric heater manufacturers
make all these insane claims about how THEIR heaters will work/heat
better than others cuz they put out more heat yada yada... Fifteen
hundred watts is fifteen hundred watts MAXIMUM. Add a fan and you
have to decrease the heater element output. Fifteen hundred watts
MAX! Same with mixers, crockpots, woks, microwaves, etc.

nb

notbob wrote:

> On 2010-05-31, ChattyCathy > wrote:
>
>> I have one of those stand-alone electric woks - a Kenwood, which IIRC
>> is made in the USA.
>
> UK

I stand corrected.

Did some googling and it appears that the USA tentacle of this [alleged]
world-wide corporation only manufactures electronic equipment, car
sound and other related stuff" in the USA. All together now, can we
say "doof-doof-doof"?
>
>> The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot enough" -
>> but it is not "constant" heat as the thermostat keeps kicking in and
>> out, so the heat varies.
>
> This is cuz most plug-in appliances are limited to about 1500W of
> power. This due to the 15 amp limit of 110V plugs (in the US). This
> is why I always crack up when space and electric heater manufacturers
> make all these insane claims about how THEIR heaters will work/heat
> better than others cuz they put out more heat yada yada... Fifteen
> hundred watts is fifteen hundred watts MAXIMUM. Add a fan and you
> have to decrease the heater element output. Fifteen hundred watts
> MAX! Same with mixers, crockpots, woks, microwaves, etc.

That's why I prefer my <whispering> Le Creuset cast iron Dutch oven to
any of these electric slow cooker do-dads any day... Heck, I also have
a (made in South Africa, no less) three-legged cast iron "potjie pot"
(for out-door use) which knocks spots off any one of those new
fancy-fan-dangled electric crockpot thingies. IMHO, of course.

However, I *do* like my (vintage) Moulinex(r) stand blender, and my
Philips electric mixer (that has a stick-blender-thingy attachment)
tho'. Sosueme. Well, mebbe not really *sue* me per se, but
yaknowwhatimean. I hope.<laugh>

BTW, when I'm in a save-electricity-mode, especially when we have one of
our numerous power failures, I always have my manually operated
food-processor a.k.a. a "Twista". <g>

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

On 2010-05-31, ChattyCathy > wrote:

>> UK
>
> I stand corrected.
>
> Did some googling and it appears that the USA tentacle of this [alleged]
> world-wide corporation only manufactures electronic equipment, car
> sound and other related stuff" in the USA. All together now, can we
> say "doof-doof-doof"?

Well, Kenwood electronics is a Japanese company, but there is a
Kenwood appliances out of the UK. I have one of their orbital stand
mixers, from when they were marketed in US by Rival (no longer). Good
stuff, or used to be. They often rebrand for sales in other
countries.

http://www.kenwoodworld.com/uk/Produ.../Cooking-Chef/

nb

notbob wrote:

> On 2010-05-31, ChattyCathy > wrote:
>
>>> UK
>>
>> I stand corrected.
>>
>> Did some googling and it appears that the USA tentacle of this
>> [alleged] world-wide corporation only manufactures electronic
>> equipment, car sound and other related stuff" in the USA. All
>> together now, can we say "doof-doof-doof"?
>
> Well, Kenwood electronics is a Japanese company, but there is a
> Kenwood appliances out of the UK. I have one of their orbital stand
> mixers, from when they were marketed in US by Rival (no longer). Good
> stuff, or used to be. They often rebrand for sales in other
> countries.
>
>
http://www.kenwoodworld.com/uk/Produ.../Cooking-Chef/
>
> nb

http://www.kenwoodusa.com/Products/
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

On Mon, 31 May 2010 16:40:00 +0200, ChattyCathy
> wrote:

> I've decided I'm going to
> replace it with a stove-top model. Preferably one that is suitable for
> a gas burner. But that's JMTCW.

You'll need a ring for it. I thought I'd be tossing my ring after I
switched, but gas is so inefficient that I use the ring to contain
heat.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

In article >,
ChattyCathy > wrote:

> 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?
>
>
> If you're talking about the "stand-alone" woks i.e. appliances that have
> their own heating elements/thermostats and power cables and can
> [allegedly] be used on the counter-top, they're not as good as other
> woks, IMHO.
>
> I have one of those stand-alone electric woks - a Kenwood, which IIRC is
> made in the USA. The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot enough"

It's not how hot you can get it when it's empty -- it's how hot you can
*keep it* after you toss the meat in; the steam carries away a HUGE
amount of heat. And that's where an electric wok simply cannot keep up
with a gas one.

Isaac

isw wrote:

> In article >,
> ChattyCathy > wrote:
>
>> 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?
>>
>>
>> If you're talking about the "stand-alone" woks i.e. appliances that
>> have their own heating elements/thermostats and power cables and can
>> [allegedly] be used on the counter-top, they're not as good as other
>> woks, IMHO.
>>
>> I have one of those stand-alone electric woks - a Kenwood, which IIRC
>> is made in the USA. The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot
>> enough"
>
> It's not how hot you can get it when it's empty -- it's how hot you
> can *keep it* after you toss the meat in; the steam carries away a
> HUGE amount of heat. And that's where an electric wok simply cannot
> keep up with a gas one.

That's what I meant when I said, (which you chose to snip)

"The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot enough" -
but it is not "constant" heat as the thermostat keeps kicking in and
out, so the heat varies"

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

On Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:59:53 +0200, ChattyCathy
> wrote:

>isw wrote:
>
>> In article >,
>> ChattyCathy > wrote:
>>
>>> 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?
>>>
>>>
>>> If you're talking about the "stand-alone" woks i.e. appliances that
>>> have their own heating elements/thermostats and power cables and can
>>> [allegedly] be used on the counter-top, they're not as good as other
>>> woks, IMHO.
>>>
>>> I have one of those stand-alone electric woks - a Kenwood, which IIRC
>>> is made in the USA. The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot
>>> enough"
>>
>> It's not how hot you can get it when it's empty -- it's how hot you
>> can *keep it* after you toss the meat in; the steam carries away a
>> HUGE amount of heat. And that's where an electric wok simply cannot
>> keep up with a gas one.
>
>That's what I meant when I said, (which you chose to snip)
>
>"The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot enough" -
>but it is not "constant" heat as the thermostat keeps kicking in and
>out, so the heat varies"

Thermostat cycling is different from recovery time.

brooklyn1 wrote:

>
> Thermostat cycling is different from recovery time.

Not really sure what you mean, but the electric wok I have gets good and
hot for a bit, and then suddenly the thermostat just switches off the
heating element and the temperature drops rapidly - then (when it feels
like it) it kicks in again. It's done that since I took it out of the
box, so it's not "old age" or something - and my MIL had a different
brand and hers did the exact same thing.

Probably does this because the element would "burn out" or some such if
it stayed on at such high heat any longer - but it's highly
inconvenient, if you ask me. If I need a wok to be very hot for a
specific amount of time, I want it to stay that way until *I* turn down
(or take it off) the heat myself... That's why I'm gonna buy a wok that
can be used on a gas burner next time round.

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

In article >,
ChattyCathy > wrote:

> isw wrote:
>
> > In article >,
> > ChattyCathy > wrote:
> >
> >> 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?
> >>
> >>
> >> If you're talking about the "stand-alone" woks i.e. appliances that
> >> have their own heating elements/thermostats and power cables and can
> >> [allegedly] be used on the counter-top, they're not as good as other
> >> woks, IMHO.
> >>
> >> I have one of those stand-alone electric woks - a Kenwood, which IIRC
> >> is made in the USA. The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot
> >> enough"
> >
> > It's not how hot you can get it when it's empty -- it's how hot you
> > can *keep it* after you toss the meat in; the steam carries away a
> > HUGE amount of heat. And that's where an electric wok simply cannot
> > keep up with a gas one.
>
> That's what I meant when I said, (which you chose to snip)
>
> "The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot enough" -
> but it is not "constant" heat as the thermostat keeps kicking in and
> out, so the heat varies"

I cut it because it didn't matter. An electric wok, with the temperature
dialed all the way up to "nuclear fusion", might get that hot when
empty, but will still cool down a lot when you put food in it, and it
will not recover until nearly all the water has been cooked out of the
food (unless you cook in very small batches).

Electric skillets and woks draw about 1,500 watts (about the maximum you
can get out of a US electrical outlet), which is equivalent to about 85
BTU per minute. The entire circuit that supplies an electric cooktop is
probably 220 volts at 30 amps, or 6,600 watts. Which is still only about
375 BTU/minute. And that's if you could somehow use all four burners at
once to heat your wok.

An "ordinary" domestic gas stove will have a burner or two capable of,
maybe 9,000 BTU. Professional cookstoves might be capable of about
double that. A wok ring in a decent Chinese restaurant can probably do
something north of 65,000 BTU.

And that's why the Chinese dishes you cook at home, good though they
might be, cannot be the same as what you get in a good Chinese
restaurant, even if the owner gave you his secret recipe.

Isaac

On 6/1/2010 7:46 PM, isw wrote:
> In >,
> > wrote:
>
>> isw wrote:
>>
>>> In >,
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> 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?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> If you're talking about the "stand-alone" woks i.e. appliances that
>>>> have their own heating elements/thermostats and power cables and can
>>>> [allegedly] be used on the counter-top, they're not as good as other
>>>> woks, IMHO.
>>>>
>>>> I have one of those stand-alone electric woks - a Kenwood, which IIRC
>>>> is made in the USA. The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot
>>>> enough"
>>>
>>> It's not how hot you can get it when it's empty -- it's how hot you
>>> can *keep it* after you toss the meat in; the steam carries away a
>>> HUGE amount of heat. And that's where an electric wok simply cannot
>>> keep up with a gas one.
>>
>> That's what I meant when I said, (which you chose to snip)
>>
>> "The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot enough" -
>> but it is not "constant" heat as the thermostat keeps kicking in and
>> out, so the heat varies"
>
> I cut it because it didn't matter. An electric wok, with the temperature
> dialed all the way up to "nuclear fusion", might get that hot when
> empty, but will still cool down a lot when you put food in it, and it
> will not recover until nearly all the water has been cooked out of the
> food (unless you cook in very small batches).
>
> Electric skillets and woks draw about 1,500 watts (about the maximum you
> can get out of a US electrical outlet), which is equivalent to about 85
> BTU per minute. The entire circuit that supplies an electric cooktop is
> probably 220 volts at 30 amps, or 6,600 watts. Which is still only about
> 375 BTU/minute. And that's if you could somehow use all four burners at
> once to heat your wok.
>
> An "ordinary" domestic gas stove will have a burner or two capable of,
> maybe 9,000 BTU. Professional cookstoves might be capable of about
> double that. A wok ring in a decent Chinese restaurant can probably do
> something north of 65,000 BTU.
>
> And that's why the Chinese dishes you cook at home, good though they
> might be, cannot be the same as what you get in a good Chinese
> restaurant, even if the owner gave you his secret recipe.

Oddly enough, I've found that a home electric range with a burner output
of about 2500W works fine. My guess the reason is that you're cooking
smaller portions. Of course it wouldn't work in a commercial setting.

>
> Isaac

isw wrote:

> In article >,
> ChattyCathy > wrote:
>
>> isw wrote:

>> >>
>> >> I have one of those stand-alone electric woks - a Kenwood, which
>> >> IIRC is made in the USA. The heat therefrom goes up to "more than
>> >> hot enough"
>> >
>> > It's not how hot you can get it when it's empty -- it's how hot you
>> > can *keep it* after you toss the meat in; the steam carries away a
>> > HUGE amount of heat. And that's where an electric wok simply cannot
>> > keep up with a gas one.
>>
>> That's what I meant when I said, (which you chose to snip)
>>
>> "The heat therefrom goes up to "more than hot enough" -
>> but it is not "constant" heat as the thermostat keeps kicking in and
>> out, so the heat varies"
>
> I cut it because it didn't matter. An electric wok, with the
> temperature dialed all the way up to "nuclear fusion", might get that
> hot when empty, but will still cool down a lot when you put food in
> it, and it will not recover until nearly all the water has been cooked
> out of the food (unless you cook in very small batches).

Of course my (preheated) wok cools down somewhat when I add (room
temperature) ingredients to it - as does any other (preheated) skillet,
pan etc. How much it cools down depends on its thermal mass. And yes,
when we're stir-frying meat/poultry on maximum heat we *do* cook it in
very small batches to try to minimize this problem.

How quickly it can recover from a drop in temperature depends on the
size of the element (and we use 240V appliances, so we don't have the
US restriction of 1500W per outlet max, and this particular wok has a
2000W element - and I don't even find that to have sufficient "oomph"
to recover quickly enough).

The problem I was talking about, which is what you also mentioned up
thread, is keeping a constant temperature without adding or removing
anything from the wok - and not only when it's set for maximum heat.
For example, if I'm letting something like coconut milk simmer on low
heat for a while to reduce it, I have the same problem. The thermostat
in an electric wok is an on/off switch, unlike the knob on a gas
burner, so the temperature drops to below where I want it to be, then
it heats up to almost boiling, switches off, and gradually cools down
again. With a gas burner and a suitable wok I could set it to stay at a
(more or less) constant temperature.

My wok is one of these (exact model) if you're interested:

http://www.kenwoodworld.com/en/Produ...ric-Wok/EW200/
or
http://tinyurl.com/32zlog4
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

On Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:46:18 -0700, isw > wrote:

>Electric skillets and woks draw about 1,500 watts (about the maximum you
>can get out of a US electrical outlet), which is equivalent to about 85
>BTU per minute...

Try 5,120 BTU. 1 watt = 3.413 BTU.

>... The entire circuit that supplies an electric cooktop is
>probably 220 volts at 30 amps, or 6,600 watts. Which is still only about
>375 BTU/minute.

Try 22,525 BTU.

>An "ordinary" domestic gas stove will have a burner or two capable of,
>maybe 9,000 BTU.

My GE Profile electric has a main burner of 3,200 watts, or 10,900 BTU.

The equivalent GE gas product has a high-output burner of 12,000 BTU.

That's not much of a difference.

-- Larry