I do a lot of wok cooking?

Question

I do a lot of wok cooking. I am interested in a range, but without going to the "commercial" ranges, I can't seem to get a high enough temperature. I end up "steaming" everything instead of true wok cooking. Without going outside on my big wok burner, is there any range or cooktop that you can recommend for at home use?

Answer 1

I don't think it's the range, I think it's the method.  I stir-fry vegetables with oil only until just before serving.  If they are still hard and not hot, I add just a tablespoon of water and stir.  Don't cover the wok.  Vegetables are good undercooked as long as they are warm at least.

Answer 2

I've read that woks are great for over the fire cooking, which they were designed for, but don't do so "hot" on a stovetop. The article I read said that you'll do a much better job stir frying if you use a big heavy (or at least one with an aluminum disk bottom for more even heating) skillet with high sides so it can hold it all.

Oh, and another major problem with why stirfry often comes out "stirsteamed" is not preheating the pan/oil enough. You have to use an oil with a high smokepoint, like peanut or grapeseed oil and heat it until it shimmers. Then add your stirfry ingredients and it will turn out better.

So, having said that, no I don't think you're going to improve your stovetop wok performance by choosing a certain kind of range. But I think gas ranges generally speaking, especially those where the flame is closer to the pan, do a better job and are more "controllable" and responsive than electric.

Sorry I can't be more helpful than that.

Answer 3

my ge goes to 18,000 on the front burner

Answer 4

I think what you are looking for is the BlueStar!  http://www.bluestarcooking.com/  This range goes up to 22K BTU.  More importantly, the grate comes off so that the wok can sit inside the fire itself.  It doesn't just sit on top of the grate away from the flames, or in a wok ring.   It was like it was made to do that.  The thing that convinced me was the Rosengarten report.  Rosengarten is the very well respected  author of a gourmet newsletter where he compares various products.  He compared the BlueStar with DCS, Viking, and Jade.  One of the tests he did was wok cooking.  The BlueStar Range won that and all the other tests for that matter.  Here is the report where he talks specifically about the "wok test."  http://www.prizer-painter.com/reviews_de...

I should also add, that the idea of using a skillet instead of a wok, as the person above stated, was written up in Cooks Illustrated.  I do get that magazine, and think it is excellent.  Their point was that woks, being round bottomed, aren't meant for flat stove tops.  If you use the wok ring, they are even further from the flame.  That is what makes the BlueStar Unique.  By removing the grate, the wok sits inside the flames thus not above them away from the high heat as in every other stove.  Even the wok burner on the viking and DCS, which is a rounded burner, did not work as well as the BlueStar when I compared them  

Go to a showroom, which actually HAS different models and allows for you to COOK on them while in the showroom.  That is what I did.