The Best Wok Burner (More BTUs ≠ Better Stir-Fries) | Kenji's Cooking Show
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ส.ค. 2020
- I tested some of the top-rated high-powered outdoor wok burners. Here are my favorites. Read my detailed Serious Eats review here: www.seriouseats.com/2020/08/o...
I was surprised to find that overall BTU is not the deciding factor. Design and shape of burner is way more important.
My top picks:
The Powerflamer 160 from Outdoorstirfry.com (outdoorstirfry.com/?page_id=11...) is my overall favorite. Powerful, well-designed, ideal for restaurant-style stir-fries.
The Eastman Portable Kahuna (www.amazon.com/Eastman-Outdoo...) is my pick for folks who aren't planning on stir-frying for large crowds but still want great performance. It's a little cheaper, a little weaker, but still great. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I am hoping that we get a thermal cam comparison of Shabu and Jamón
You talked the talk and now you've woked the wok. Great video as always!
heyooo
Good one. 😸
Nice, dad. ;)
The last time I was this early I was the only one who had commented yet.
Now I'm the second. Hope you're well!
Also I bought your book. It's excellent, and I love how it's a great balance of understood fundamentals and new science. Thanks a lot.
I also bought your book as well, it’s fantastic! Great array of lovely photos.
Congratulations on 600k subscribers! I'm new around here and oh so happy to have made it to the party.
@@grawham Oh hey neat, just noticed that. Thanks!
Almost got fined at my local public library for keeping your food lab book too long. I'm a librarian, I should probably feel ashamed 🙃 will be buying your book soon but these videos are giving me life till then!
I didn't even know I needed a wok burner until I started watching your stuff.
I've worked in restaurants in China and North America, mainly in Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine. There's definitely a gulf between what can normally be achieved in stir frying in a restaurant kitchen versus a home kitchen. Like others who desire a restaurant level stir fry outside of a restaurant kitchen, I've put together my own dedicated wok station in my home, both indoors and outdoors.
It should be noted that restaurant wok station set ups are more efficient for reducing heat loss by using a combination of semi circular heat shield/deflector, which may have either straight vertical walls or a somewhat inward curved walls, and having the burner recessed within a table/counter like structure. You can't help but lose heat vertically to a degree, around the wok, but with that kind of set up, you don't need a burner as powerful as a PowerFlamer 160 EI, especially if you're not very experienced with high intensity heat cooking. A burner able to perform in the 70,000 BTU range can produce restaurant level stir frying if you use an enclosed wok station setup with a heat shield/deflector.
Additionally, a common modification restaurants employ for flame/heat control is an angled arm attached to the flame adjuster, which is positioned at about knee height, instead of a knob. The reason for this is that the cook can adjust the intensity of the flame/heat by using their knee, allowing them to always have one hand on the wok handle and the other hand on the ladle. With this set up, the cook can fully control the heat without taking hand control off of their cooking.
I've seen those deflectors. I don't have a gas burner or I would have one. This review is very helpful for sure. I was looking at those burners and the tabletop butane but they don't get hot enough..
What do you recommend for a home wok station? A reflector and any old burner?
I want an outdoor set up like this but on a table, not on a tripod, so I don't know what to buy
Outdoorstirfry has a short leg version and they also sell a table you can put it in.
The Big Kahuna Burner?
Mmm, that IS a tasty burner!
The problem is, when Kenji recommends a wok burner, it goes on back order for 6 to 12 months.
The last update on the site being almost a year old is not a great sign.
@@grfrog Looks like they got their shit together. Current update is 23 FEB 2023, barely a month out.
Bought the Power Flamer 160 based on this video and it is truly life-changing. Best cooking appliance I’ve ever bought by a long shot. Massive thank you to Kenji!
Kenji, the knowledge that you have provided your audience goes unchallenged. The presentation is easy for everyone to understand, but also displays a true passion and understanding of everything you do. I've heard your name for years, but only in the last year did I find your TH-cam. Thanks for all you do for us home chefs!
I seriously appreciate this video. Giving a frame of reference by testing how long it takes to boil the water in a wok is EXTREMELY helpful for my analytical mind.
I have been using the outdoorstirfry burner. Can't wait to try it on a cool fall day. Cooking on these things in 90 degree heat is intense. Could not imagine doing this in a kitchen setting every day. Hats off to the chefs cooking with woks.
For anyone on a budget, turkey fryers work really well as a cheap alternative. Over a decade ago I got a $35 turkey fryer, bent the inner grill bars down so the wok rested lower and welded on some scrap pipes for legs. Been making restaurant quality stir fries ever since. Really gotta have the BTUs for stuff like phad thai. Oh, and the modifications aren’t strictly necessary, they just make it more ergonomic.
I've been using the same for the last 3 yrs or so. At the time I got the turkey fryer (for free) I checked that site and it basically looked the same then as now.
Hey Kenji, love from Brazil!
Your passion is contagious and your book is amazing. Thanks for giving us so many projects during quarantine.
Your insights on what made you decide one over the other are great, since it allows all of the non usa based people like myself to look for similar products. I'll try to wok down your road and get myself a brazilian version of those.
I have been testing wok and burning too!! My mom gave me that burner but without the stand. We are trying to build a stand before we get to use it. Thank you for sharing!!! It is helpful!!🤗
I just used your link and bought an Eastman Kahuna. Thanks for the review. I’ll make a nice stand to set it up on. I have a great place for this on my porch. My wife doesn’t know. I’ll surprise her. She will really love this burner. She has talked for a year about wanting one. I just never did the research. Now I see an expert doing my research for me! Thanks so much.
Thanks for taking the time to do this! Got to get me one of these asap
Thanks for giving some attention to outdoor stirfry. Reading the about section you realize it was a passion project that someone put a lot of thought and care into.
They always got crushed by search engine algorithms and it took me hours and hours to find them. They also appear to be the only natural gas option which is beautiful.
I've been contemplating buying a wok burner for a while, and this is exactly the info I needed. Thank you!
Have been waiting for this! Thanks Kenji!
Nice to know I made the right call buying my outdoor burner. Mine was a Thunder Group burner and a bit less expensive than the “Outdoor” brand although it did not have a tripod stand. To me the fact it sits on a table gave me a better sense of security and stability.
Thanks for all your help and your great book. Did my first wok cook on our Weber grill. Not ideal, but fantastic. Followed your Kung Palo chicken in your book. FANTASTIC!!! Love your book and totally pumped.
Thank you for this video! Been looking for a wok station for my outdoor kitchen. Yes, I was also one of the guy that believed the higher the BTU, the better. Learnt something today. Greatly appreciated.
Great use of a thermal cam. You're killing it Kenji!
Thank you for answering my questions. A chefs heart is complete!!!
I’ve been waiting for this video my whole life
I was shopping for an outdoor wok burner and these three burners keep popping up in the internet and did know which to get.
This video is super helpful and informative
Saved me lots of time and money. Thx for for making ithis video.
Excellent review! Just bought the Powerburner based on your discussion. Thank you.
"once you get locked into a serious jet engine collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can."
Give me the Ether...
Mescaline's not working!
I don't know what you are talking about! Anyway... so where do I buy a turbine engine wok burner??? And after that, do they make a Saturn 5 rocket wok? lol
Great video. I was excited and ready to order the Powerflamer only to learn it's always sold out and can take weeks and sometimes months to arrive. I guess I'll go with the runner up option.
Great Info!!! I've been needing one for years lol. Home ranges give you the low, but not the high that you need. High btus are also necessary for Indian qormas/caramelizing onions!! For any meat or vegetable you want browned/caramelized/seared rather than steamed/boiled.
Taste is very comforting.
Recently I got a Wokmon and have been using it every day since. This product delivers on every claim and more. It is a true game changer ... the results are amazing. The flame concentrator works perfectly, the ring also installed perfectly. My cooktop has a single 17,000 BTU burner and with the Wokmon installed stir fry results are vastly improved. Granted, there is no way to match a 150,000 BTU restaurant burner at home but this is as close as you can get and it makes a huge difference.
Just wanted to say thanks for the recommendation for the Eastman Kahuna. I would never have considered a "portable" burner for this, but it works fantastic and was pretty affordable!
I was always wondering how I could cook like a restaurant at home without having to get something that needs water cooling. Thanks for this video -- I still of course would get a sink as well to wash out the wok outside as well as to add water -- but this gives me lots of ideas -- I noticed a table top version of your favorite is also for sale. Seems like I may be cooking outside in the future!
Came here after watching Sheldon Simeon make some amazing looking pancit on a wok burner and now I'm all fired up to get one... thanks so much for such an informative video! Hope your burned fingers healed quickly! I think I'm gonna go with the Eastman Kahuna!!!
awesome review. I’m on the waitlist for the powerflamer 160.
looks like the Big Kahuna suffers the same problem as the mega burner I first tried - a lot of heat beyond the actual base of the wok. Great review! Thanks for sharing this.
Great review! Exactly what I’m looking for
this is an amazing video - nice work brother
Thank you for solving one of my big questions! Great timing
I would LOVE to see you test out a >3kw induction wok burner and see how they stack up!
i"ve been so excited for this video!
Been really looking forward to this, thank you!
Thank you so much ! I asked a few videos ago about this. Glad you uploaded.
This was such a great video, thank you! And welcome to Seattle!
Powerflamer 160 is pretty good with the pilot! Thanks for reviews!
Great video as always!
thank you for the foreword regarding the "necessity" for a high power restaurant burner to make good chinese food. I think I recall the channel "chinese cooking demystified" saying the same thing that people are way too obsessed with wok hei.
Wok hei is good tho. My favorite restaurant uses it masterfully. I would love to replicate their fried rice.
I don't even have a Wok, but Kenji's knowledge and reasoning is what keeps me in the video.
*loved* the burnt egg cam
Thx Kenji! this is exactly what I needed to see!
Kenji, I love that outro!!!
Of course videos like this make me think I have to have the product; at least for a few minutes! Great information and presentation! Thanks!
Fun tidbit with that beer burner (I used to own it) - it rips through fuel so quickly that it will actually freeze the propane tank and it will stop working on high heat.
I solved this by submerging the tank in a tub of water and in the hour it took to brew a batch of beer the tank would have developed a solid inch thick shell of ice around the tank.
It's a beast of a burner but a total pain to keep the gas flowing on with how easily it freezes up.
Great content as always Kenji. Do you think that the Powerflamer would useful for outdoor beer brewing? Can a large brew kettle rest comfortably on it?
Burnt Egg Cam! Better grab your Barkeeper's Friend for the rust. Excellent tutorial. Clear and expansive
I owned a bakery in Hawaii where we would do parties on site making malassadas (a Portuguese deep fried dumpling similar to French beignets). We would use the flame master burner (the burner in the middle), with great success. Easily transported and assembled; able to handle a 30 inch wok filled with frying oil.and providing an even heat. I recommend it heartily!
🙏 just got a brand new restaurant quality Wok, but I have a electric stove.. Gonna get your number 2 pick. Thanks.
I got a PowerFlamer in the mid 1980's; after doing Chinese cooking class. Bought it at an Asian restaurant supply house in Seattle. Got my wok at the same time. Still using both, to this day
Solid advice. I bought a 80k btu years ago that has the same features as the one he recommends. Plenty hot for me. Now if he could just post a video on how to not burn the seasoning off the wok, I'd be all set.
This was a great demo and break down, thanks for making it. I was wondering if the Eastman had a pilot light or if the flame control had to be near the propane tank. The first choice burner website was a bit difficult to navigate with unclear set-up choices, but the equipment looks restaurant serious.
Excellent review. Thanks
Awesome comparison 👍👍
Dude OMG I had this question floating all up and down my head all day,,, and after watching your vids today for first time ,,,,and really happy I found this and all ur vids buddy,,,,,so helpful,,,thank god u explained this really nicely,,,wow dude,,, I just got a super boost from your vids and I haven’t made much Chinese but I started like 10 years and kinda mastered the Gen tow,,,dish,,only made about dozen times,,,but back when I started and since wanted to get this,,,,funny before watching ur vids or I mean after a couple of ur vids,,I called up Chinatown Chitown (Chicago) ,,,,wanted to go to these shops and find a real wok,,,and I called up a shop this morning,,,awesome Lady told me they got the woks,,,I’m going down tmrw and getting burners also,,,,From Chitown buddy thanks
I Appreciate your indications... Thank you!!
Love this video yes I wear fire proof gloves when Woking the wok We home brew so I completely understand
I like how you just casually mention having to put on welders gloves for the Gas One burner. Like if it was the best burner you wouldn't bat an eye at having to suit up in protective gear in search of great food.
Welding gloves are very cheap and used by most everybody that owns a big grill, it's not really that uncommon to associate the two disciplines
Great explanation. I just got the Gas One.
I use the Kahuna burner in all my tutorials but eventually i had modify it because after constant use it started to rust and basically fell apart.. The only thing i kept was the burner ring which i think is excellent but the rest is poorly designed. It creates wok hei evetime..If i had have looked after it properly it probably wouldn't have happened..I'm from Glasgow and the weather most of the time is not that great so kinda got caught out a few times..All my cooking now is done in a greenhouse. Sounds weird but it allows me to cook all year round...Need to get myself a proper outhouse..Great tutorial by the way some really interesting facts and loved the science behind it..Clever stuff
@kenji
At a certain point I noticed a paella pan on the Kahuna burner. Would it be possible to make paella on one or all of these burners as well? Dual usage is always nice!
Also, will you do a paella video in the (near) future?
Thank you so much for your advice. I now know what I'm looking for.
Omg thank you sooooooo much for this! I have actually done a ton of research on this topic and there isn't anyone I found explain it as simply and there's not a lot of info on the best wok setup like this. In fact, I don't feel like I was satisfied with the info I found and didn't buy one.
Thank you, Kenji!
As much as appreciate the green power we have here in Iceland, I often wish that we had the option of cooking with gas, cheaply. I'll have to see if I can find one of these that doesn't cost an arm and an leg to ship here.
Lol just use Hekla and its 99999999999 BTU
There are some induction "burners" for works that are extremely powerful. Shaped like a hemisphere.
@@AlessioSangalli I'll take a look at some but shipping has been pretty hit and miss this years and I'd rather not have an item costing a great deal fall between the cracks :)
@@tinyviking5786 ohh do not expect to be cheap at all, it's specialty pro stuff. However I forgot, when I was in Iceland, are propane tanks not available at all? Being a pure alkane it does not have produce any soot and won't ruin the clear air of Iceland.
Thanks for the detailed comparison. I've used a modified 3-burner camp chef over the last 7 years mainly due to the versatility. The middle burner and grate were both modified to for higher output and flame height and so it would hold a wok. I take it that the burner placement and concentration isn't ideal but it has worked well enough to live with it. Have you ever done a comparison of the taste profile of wok hei when different oils or fats are used?
Love your BBQ sauce recipe from coupl'a yrs ago on the Serious Eats website.... And, how your bi-line here, "BTU's doesn't equal better results," dove-tails into my research to find a gas burner that won't scorch all-grain homebrew worts. Thank you! and, Thank you!
Hi, thanks for posting this instructional video. Very interesting. I was wondering what are your thoughts on indoor wok burners for the average person? Is that even a thing? Or do they only come in the huge sizes that you see at restaurants?
Really good video and just what i wanted to know as i was wanting to buy a burner to use a wok and a discada
Man I enjoy your cooking style, Thanks! I have a question in the market for a Wok, what do you think of the ZhenSanHuan Brand and what size would you recommend, thanks in advance.
Tom
Great video, very informative!
Yes that’s what I need ! The high heat is essential
Love the video. Out of the two burners on the left, which one would be best for putting a big stock pot on there for boils?
I've started to do more stir frys these days and my frying pan has started to cry from how hot I let it get. Eyeing a wok and burner but they're not easy to come by where I live. But nice to know what to look for!
With the Big Kahuna burner (one on far left), if you reverse the wok holder things backwards, you can then bend them inward a little bit and fit a wok ring perfectly on it. Much more stable. My only complaint about this unit is that it's not powerful enough if it gets even just a little windy/slight breeze. You will need to construct a windscreen for it. I like it for its portability for camping Etc. But because of the wind issue (and the desire to cook outside in cold weather in the winter) I got the middle unit (different brand on Amazon, but almost same design except no stand and listed at 100,000 BTU's.) I absolutely love it and it was worth the $140 I paid.
Kenji: Thank you so much for sharing your experience and knowledge. I bought the Eastman Kahuna Burner after a lot of research and finally your evaluation based on the type of cook who may use one of these. While it did take a while to find one, I have had it now for almost a year. It is far superior to what I expected. I use it about 3 times a month. Those who say it rusts, etc. I treat mine like cast iron and add oil to the three arms and now it is bulletproof. It is very well made, and while its a niche type of cooking it is something I will never be without going forward.
Can you use a 14" wok with this burner?
@@fishwhistle9666 Sure.
How do you like it ? I heard the flames can go everywhere when it’s windy out . I’ll probably be using it 3 times a week .
You should just buy it. It works with different woks, pans, pots. I works fine in a moderate breeze. It gets the wok HOT quickly but you can work with adjusting the flame just like any other gas appliance. It is surprisingly well made and works like a champ.
Nicely done, thank you.
I'm wondering if I can get your favorite burner to boil a large pot of water for crawfish, and also heat well a skillet for frying fish?
Hey Kenji, Big Fan. Love your videos. Serious Question : Can Wok Hei be achieved with Commercial Induction Cooktops?
For those looking for kenjis favorite wok, and the eastman outdoors one that are having a hard time finding them, the high btu, gas one burner can be a good wok burner if you couple it with a wok ring. The taller the better
Nice Review!!!
Kenji, thank you for this.
I picked up a Kahuna, & it is being delivered today!
Will you please comment on LP TANK SIZE recommendation?
I see posts elsewhere about tank freezing up as being used, and interrupts cooking. sounds like larger sized can minimize freezing.
But maybe this is more a problem with the higher powered burners? (as opposed to the Kahuna?)
Thank you so much for your contribution to cooking. Love your detailed analytical style. I just received your book "The Food Lab`.
I am very inexperienced, and am going to tackle stir fry so as to cook with more vegetables, and meet my need for less oil and fats (I have a condition called "inherited high lipoprotein (a)" which means fats stay in my blood longer and doesn't get broken down as quickly as normal folk. (translates to getting heart disease & stroke quicker than regular folk ... diet and cardio help combat this)
Watching you use these the last few weeks have me envy, so I basically rigged up my charcoal starter (bbq dragon with the fan) to accomplish the same thing
This is a great video. I received the GasOne shown in this video for Christmas. Would it help to use a wok ring with it?
I’m also looking to brew some beer and possibly seafood boils. Is there a good all in one solution or are these too different of beasts from wok cooking?
Thanks!
omg
sending big love for including nbs in ur goodbye
Hey Kenji ! Thanks for this Wok-off, nice woik.... Wondering if you ever got a chance to try the WoderWok ?
A few dollars more but they are available..... I like the idea of the cart as well.
I want to do this yesterday ! Please advise. TIA.
Thank you for sharing I was looking to buy something small but didn’t even know where to start
Thanks for the great video 🤙
Thank you Mr. Lopez-Alt. I purchased your choice. Not I gotta try it out. I appreciate your video.
Hey Kenji, I hope you could cover some of the more advanced wok techniques. I think one of the more important aspects of the Power-flamer is that lip in the front that none of the other burners have. Wok chefs who have to cook all day don't actually pick up the wok that often and actually use that lip as a pivot for flipping, like a see-saw. It reduces the amount of effort while wok cooking immensely.
Yeah, that lip is on all the commercial ovens and unfortunately none of the wok-ring attachments I've seen have anything like that.
I have several turkey fryer burners and the big homebrew burner.
I guess now I need a Powerburner as well!
Hey thanks for the *hot* tip Kenji!