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!
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'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..
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!
@@sues3168 Manual. Yeah the lighter is an extra thing to bring outside, but it’s also one less part that can fail, and the pilot light makes it still fast to turn the burner on and off during a cook. I’ll be using it tonight to sear some salmon!
@@paulstevens1493 what about long vs short legs / stabilizers / stove cover? I don’t have a table for this so I was thinking both long legs and stabilizers but I don’t know if the stabilizers are necessary? Thanks!
Yes I got long legs and stabilizers, just fold the stabilizers under the burner and put the propane tank on top of that. It’s quite stable even in a heavy wind.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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
When I decided to get serious about wok cooking I got an EZ Wok set up from Greg Wong and it really kinda changed my life. It was just the perfect solution for me. I use it 3-4 times a week and it’s been almost 2 years since I got it. I highly recommend it to anyone watching this.
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.
There is something major missed on the BTU output of these burners. A 20lb propane tank cannot provide the gas output to get to 160k BTU/hr, so even turned all the way up you’re limited by the vaporization rate of the propane and not the stove output. You need something like a 60lb tank in mild weather (50+ degrees) to get close to the 160k BTU/hr and 80lb tank to get close to 200k BTU/hr. A 20lb tank can provide maybe 70k BTU/hr @ 50 degrees.
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 $140 I paid.
Bought the power flamer through Amazon. I feel like the stand is not stable so I have it on something much more stable. The regulator went out after about a year. The seller shipped to me another one no problem. I really like this burner even though it's been outside, it works great and I'm glad you found it as the top recommendation
Since these are pretty much not available in Europe excluding ~545€ (!) Roaring Dragon, after some research I ended up ordering Bulin BL100 B18 from China. The brand has AFAIK good reputation in Korea, their previous weaker models have very high ratings on Amazon and Aliexpress. The B18 model is very recent, without reviews but is supposed to produce 18kW / ~61 5000 BTU flame, so pretty close to Eastman Kahuna's 65 000 BTU. Finally I paid ~86$ / 70€ with shipping and it is already in my country. I am looking forward to trying that one and perhaps reviewing / recommending it if it turns out satisfactory. I guess the water boiling test will be the best way to determine its thermal efficiency.
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!
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.
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.
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!!!
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
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!!🤗
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.
The middle one is the type that I see most Southeast Asian street vendors use. If you live in SoCal, I see some sellers on Craigslists selling the middle one without a stand for $90.
I wish I had a backyard setup like a Chinese restaurant in NYC. I need more power. I think they had a pedal on the floor they stomped on for full power.
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.
Whenever I try out a new chinese restaurant I order beef chow fun (dry) and if I don't taste the wok hei I most likely won't be going back. Chances are the chef doesn't know how to work the wok for other dishes as well. Wok hei is the quintessence of stir fry.
I'm reading your comment and look to the right at the list of suggested videos and aligned perfectly beside your comment is a link to Kenji's "How to Cook Beef Chow Fun", guess what I'm watching next, lol. But I do a similar thing with new pizza places, I'll order just plain cheese or a basic pepperoni first then go from there.
@@corpsefoot758 Real cheese, doesn't have to be a fancy blend, a slightly spicy sauce, not too sweet, and a crust that is cooked thru. Not cracker hard, soft is fine, just not doughy. Nothing too fancy. If I do frozen I'll usually go with Tony's or Red Baron, so I'm making zero claims of having sophisticated taste when it comes to pizza, lol. I've even eaten those little rectangular Ellio's pizzas, on purpose, as an adult, and mostly likely will do it again.
@@yertelt5570 My friend once broke his leg in a dirtbiking accident, and he had to stay indoors/in bed for a good while afterward During that time, he figured he might as well have fun doing something else, so he started trying a bunch of frozen foods and rating them all against each other He said his favorite frozen grocery pizza by far was the “Freschetta” brand, and I’ve gotta admit that even now after all those years, I think his selection can’t really be beaten lol Give it a try; you might like it as well P.S. There is a junk food-loving child still inside all of us (Costco pizza remains a nostalgic favorite of mine, for example). So don’t apologize for anything, mate 😉
You need a 10 inch thick force steal ring wielded on a slight angle 📐 3/4 inch above the burner, so you can wok easily while flipping your food . Those burners are just the center heart of the wok stove . It’s a steal ring bracket for the wok pan
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.
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 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
wow what a great informative video just my cup of tea brother. It inspires me to make a decent gas burner wok station setup for outside instead of the induction wok station i was thinking of. No wok hei at all at induction wokking, so that's more or less a no-no for me. i want that wok-hei!
Looks like a great burner. The only thing keeping me from ordering is outdoorstirfry requires full payment up front with an expected lead time of 6-12 months, possibly longer. That leaves no room to dispute the charge if there are problems or they go out of business and end up never shipping the product.
Been using the Kahuna burner for over a year now. The whole thing can be collapsed down to the size of a medium pot. Although I don't transport mine often. I've gotten a few massive fireballs when I throw my onions and peppers in the wok. 2-3 foot flames that I'm sure the neighbors see from their window 😂
Wok Hei isn’t created by flame inside the wok. It’s a smoky taste from the Maillard reaction of the food in contact with extremely hot carbon steel. It’s about the cooking surface temperature and reaction more than anything
I have a 150,000 btu shop heater I use in my boat shop. I have a hunch I could turn it straight up and put a wok on top, with minimal rigging. Gonna have to give that a try.
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.
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
I got the Cuisanart outdoor wok station. It’s only 50K BTU but it’s a full cart with a prep table and a control knob. Honestly don’t know if I need any more heat. It’s a dang jet engine.
The EZ-Wok is very similar to the recommended pick (dual controlled pilot and primary burner; flame guard). An additional big plus is you can get a custom stainless steel cart for the burner, which provides a great outdoor cooking station!
Thank you so much for this; I only just learned about outdoor wok burners and needed precisely this guide. Now I can go back to really spicy stir frying! (My roommates for some reason didn’t like being regularly maced… weirdos!)
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!
The problem with the power flame 160K btu is that it's never in stock. How about the GasOne 100,00 btu it has a smaller burner head so it should be able to focus the fire/heat more toward the middle of the wok?
Should you/I get a large propane tank like rural houses have? Between the wok burner, the pizza ovens, the outside fryer, etc., etc. Seems like a larger propane tank would really be convenient
Hi Kenji, you don’t know me, but I live just up north of you in Bellingham WA. Long story short, we’re having a Hatch Green Chile roasting party in our backyard on September 7th 2024, and we’d like to invite you. It’s also my wife’s birthday and she used to live in NM so she’s kind of obsessed with Hatch Green Chiles. This year I’m building her a Chile Roaster that goes over our fire pit (instead of using gas burners) and at the beginning of the party we’ll be roasting a bunch of Chiles. After that we’ll be serving NM Green Chile Stew and Chocolate Destruction Cake and other guests are bringing sides/snacks. We’ll also have live music. Anyway, you’re probably wondering “WTF is this guy thinking?”, but I figure nothing ventured nothing gained. Besides, we’ve enjoyed enough of your recipes and cookbooks that it would be nice to give something back. Also, Bellingham is a cool town and only an hour and a half from Seattle. If you do come up, we can suggest any number of things you can do to make a bigger trip out of it. Anway, if you’re interested, reach out, and if not, have a great day. On a related note, we have an outdoor wok burner that you didn’t try in your test. (www.thewonderwok.com/) not sure how powerful it is, but if you’re not careful you can easily set the oil on fire and get the bottom glowing red, so I’m pretty sure it’s sufficient. Looks pretty similar to the PowerFlamer 160 that you recommend. Anyway, if you come to the party you’re welcome to try it out.
2:16 How can you get such a high output with a low pressure regulator (color coded grey) instead of a high pressure one (red)? or is that a different one? im so confused
What's your opinion about : Power Flamer Integrated Electronic ignition ( IEI ) Propane 160 long lead Time please Can I control the flam just like yours .Thank you for your response 🙏
I'm gonna go with the eastman it's only $100 on amazon and I need portability because I live in an apartment, all my cooking gear is portable 😂 my pizza oven, my smoker, my BBQ, my paella gas cooker so yeah the smaller and lighter easier to store the better for me.
I've had it in my cart for a couple of weeks now after seeing it in a previous video. It's fluctuated in price up to $144 so when I saw it in the video today and it was back down to $99 I pulled the trigger.
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)
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!
I've noticed quite a lot of Chinese cooking channels, including Chinese Cooking Demystified, just use what appears to be a fairly normal gas camping stove to fire their woks. I'd be interested in a comparison of something like this to one of the outdoor fire rings. It seems it must be viable since so many people use one, but does it have downsides?
It’s just different styles of cooking. High heat burners are particular to restaurants, especially Cantonese restaurants. It’s like the difference between a steakhouse broiler and a regular home range. One isn’t better or worse than the other, they’re just different. If you want to capture restaurant flavor, restaurant tools are good for that.
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.
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!
I am hoping that we get a thermal cam comparison of Shabu and Jamón
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!
You talked the talk and now you've woked the wok. Great video as always!
heyooo
Good one. 😸
Nice, dad. ;)
I didn't even know I needed a wok burner until I started watching your stuff.
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'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.
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!
@@paulstevens1493 did you go with the electronic or manual ignition?
@@sues3168 Manual. Yeah the lighter is an extra thing to bring outside, but it’s also one less part that can fail, and the pilot light makes it still fast to turn the burner on and off during a cook. I’ll be using it tonight to sear some salmon!
@@paulstevens1493 what about long vs short legs / stabilizers / stove cover? I don’t have a table for this so I was thinking both long legs and stabilizers but I don’t know if the stabilizers are necessary? Thanks!
Yes I got long legs and stabilizers, just fold the stabilizers under the burner and put the propane tank on top of that. It’s quite stable even in a heavy wind.
The stove cover wasn’t an option when I bought mine, I just use a cheap waterproof kettle grill cover and it works great
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.
The Big Kahuna Burner?
Mmm, that IS a tasty burner!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
I’ve been waiting for this video my whole life
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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
When I decided to get serious about wok cooking I got an EZ Wok set up from Greg Wong and it really kinda changed my life. It was just the perfect solution for me. I use it 3-4 times a week and it’s been almost 2 years since I got it. I highly recommend it to anyone watching this.
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.
There is something major missed on the BTU output of these burners. A 20lb propane tank cannot provide the gas output to get to 160k BTU/hr, so even turned all the way up you’re limited by the vaporization rate of the propane and not the stove output. You need something like a 60lb tank in mild weather (50+ degrees) to get close to the 160k BTU/hr and 80lb tank to get close to 200k BTU/hr.
A 20lb tank can provide maybe 70k BTU/hr @ 50 degrees.
Wow that's such a huge factor, definitely changed things for me😮
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 $140 I paid.
Bought the power flamer through Amazon. I feel like the stand is not stable so I have it on something much more stable. The regulator went out after about a year. The seller shipped to me another one no problem. I really like this burner even though it's been outside, it works great and I'm glad you found it as the top recommendation
Since these are pretty much not available in Europe excluding ~545€ (!) Roaring Dragon, after some research I ended up ordering Bulin BL100 B18 from China. The brand has AFAIK good reputation in Korea, their previous weaker models have very high ratings on Amazon and Aliexpress. The B18 model is very recent, without reviews but is supposed to produce 18kW / ~61 5000 BTU flame, so pretty close to Eastman Kahuna's 65 000 BTU.
Finally I paid ~86$ / 70€ with shipping and it is already in my country. I am looking forward to trying that one and perhaps reviewing / recommending it if it turns out satisfactory. I guess the water boiling test will be the best way to determine its thermal efficiency.
@bartosz how did you get on with the Bulin in the end? Also based in Europe & looking for options. Many thanks!
I've been contemplating buying a wok burner for a while, and this is exactly the info I needed. Thank you!
I would LOVE to see you test out a >3kw induction wok burner and see how they stack up!
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!
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.
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.
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!!!
I don't even have a Wok, but Kenji's knowledge and reasoning is what keeps me in the video.
Great use of a thermal cam. You're killing it Kenji!
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
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!!🤗
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.
The middle one is the type that I see most Southeast Asian street vendors use. If you live in SoCal, I see some sellers on Craigslists selling the middle one without a stand for $90.
This is how I got mine. I then bought a stainless steel table with casters on Amazon and cut a hole to drop the burner into.
Burnt Egg Cam! Better grab your Barkeeper's Friend for the rust. Excellent tutorial. Clear and expansive
I wish I had a backyard setup like a Chinese restaurant in NYC. I need more power.
I think they had a pedal on the floor they stomped on for full power.
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.
Thank you for answering my questions. A chefs heart is complete!!!
Have been waiting for this! Thanks Kenji!
Whenever I try out a new chinese restaurant I order beef chow fun (dry) and if I don't taste the wok hei I most likely won't be going back. Chances are the chef doesn't know how to work the wok for other dishes as well. Wok hei is the quintessence of stir fry.
I'm reading your comment and look to the right at the list of suggested videos and aligned perfectly beside your comment is a link to Kenji's "How to Cook Beef Chow Fun", guess what I'm watching next, lol. But I do a similar thing with new pizza places, I'll order just plain cheese or a basic pepperoni first then go from there.
@@yertelt5570 What do you look for in a cheese pizza?
@@corpsefoot758 Real cheese, doesn't have to be a fancy blend, a slightly spicy sauce, not too sweet, and a crust that is cooked thru. Not cracker hard, soft is fine, just not doughy. Nothing too fancy. If I do frozen I'll usually go with Tony's or Red Baron, so I'm making zero claims of having sophisticated taste when it comes to pizza, lol. I've even eaten those little rectangular Ellio's pizzas, on purpose, as an adult, and mostly likely will do it again.
@@yertelt5570 My friend once broke his leg in a dirtbiking accident, and he had to stay indoors/in bed for a good while afterward
During that time, he figured he might as well have fun doing something else, so he started trying a bunch of frozen foods and rating them all against each other
He said his favorite frozen grocery pizza by far was the “Freschetta” brand, and I’ve gotta admit that even now after all those years, I think his selection can’t really be beaten lol
Give it a try; you might like it as well
P.S. There is a junk food-loving child still inside all of us (Costco pizza remains a nostalgic favorite of mine, for example). So don’t apologize for anything, mate 😉
You need a 10 inch thick force steal ring wielded on a slight angle 📐 3/4 inch above the burner, so you can wok easily while flipping your food . Those burners are just the center heart of the wok stove . It’s a steal ring bracket for the wok pan
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
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
Yes you right the big burner designed for bigger wok , thanks for your review!
Excellent review! Just bought the Powerburner based on your discussion. Thank you.
I think for my needs, the Kahuna seems like the best option.
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
wow what a great informative video just my cup of tea brother. It inspires me to make a decent gas burner wok station setup for outside instead of the induction wok station i was thinking of. No wok hei at all at induction wokking, so that's more or less a no-no for me. i want that wok-hei!
Looks like a great burner. The only thing keeping me from ordering is outdoorstirfry requires full payment up front with an expected lead time of 6-12 months, possibly longer. That leaves no room to dispute the charge if there are problems or they go out of business and end up never shipping the product.
Been using the Kahuna burner for over a year now. The whole thing can be collapsed down to the size of a medium pot. Although I don't transport mine often.
I've gotten a few massive fireballs when I throw my onions and peppers in the wok. 2-3 foot flames that I'm sure the neighbors see from their window 😂
Wok Hei isn’t created by flame inside the wok. It’s a smoky taste from the Maillard reaction of the food in contact with extremely hot carbon steel. It’s about the cooking surface temperature and reaction more than anything
I have a 150,000 btu shop heater I use in my boat shop. I have a hunch I could turn it straight up and put a wok on top, with minimal rigging. Gonna have to give that a try.
Don’t burn down your shop.
Thanks for taking the time to do this! Got to get me one of these asap
When's that seasoning video coming?
Waiting patiently over here as well!
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.
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
Lovely and thorough! I'm gonna buy one once my children are bigger, too dangerous with toddlers around
Powerflamer 160 is pretty good with the pilot! Thanks for reviews!
Love this video yes I wear fire proof gloves when Woking the wok We home brew so I completely understand
I tried to buy the outdoor Burner today at 7:30 Cali time, 4 were in stock, clicked purchase, out of stock. :(
I got the Cuisanart outdoor wok station. It’s only 50K BTU but it’s a full cart with a prep table and a control knob. Honestly don’t know if I need any more heat. It’s a dang jet engine.
🙏 just got a brand new restaurant quality Wok, but I have a electric stove.. Gonna get your number 2 pick. Thanks.
Nice, please review the EZ-Wok Wonder Wok!
The EZ-Wok is very similar to the recommended pick (dual controlled pilot and primary burner; flame guard). An additional big plus is you can get a custom stainless steel cart for the burner, which provides a great outdoor cooking station!
Thank you so much for this; I only just learned about outdoor wok burners and needed precisely this guide. Now I can go back to really spicy stir frying! (My roommates for some reason didn’t like being regularly maced… weirdos!)
hehehe
Powerflamer...
Thunder Group IRFS001 5B Fast Stove is the one i have my eye one. Very similar design to the Powerflamer
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!
The problem with the power flame 160K btu is that it's never in stock. How about the GasOne 100,00 btu it has a smaller burner head so it should be able to focus the fire/heat more toward the middle of the wok?
Hey thanks for the *hot* tip Kenji!
Should you/I get a large propane tank like rural houses have? Between the wok burner, the pizza ovens, the outside fryer, etc., etc.
Seems like a larger propane tank would really be convenient
they are not available on the site ( sad)
@@johnhpalmer6098 No stock as of 7 April 2021. :(
You have to purchase at 7:30 am PST, keep refreshing the page until it shows some stock. They will be purchased within about 2 minutes.
Hi Kenji, you don’t know me, but I live just up north of you in Bellingham WA. Long story short, we’re having a Hatch Green Chile roasting party in our backyard on September 7th 2024, and we’d like to invite you. It’s also my wife’s birthday and she used to live in NM so she’s kind of obsessed with Hatch Green Chiles. This year I’m building her a Chile Roaster that goes over our fire pit (instead of using gas burners) and at the beginning of the party we’ll be roasting a bunch of Chiles. After that we’ll be serving NM Green Chile Stew and Chocolate Destruction Cake and other guests are bringing sides/snacks. We’ll also have live music.
Anyway, you’re probably wondering “WTF is this guy thinking?”, but I figure nothing ventured nothing gained. Besides, we’ve enjoyed enough of your recipes and cookbooks that it would be nice to give something back. Also, Bellingham is a cool town and only an hour and a half from Seattle. If you do come up, we can suggest any number of things you can do to make a bigger trip out of it. Anway, if you’re interested, reach out, and if not, have a great day.
On a related note, we have an outdoor wok burner that you didn’t try in your test. (www.thewonderwok.com/) not sure how powerful it is, but if you’re not careful you can easily set the oil on fire and get the bottom glowing red, so I’m pretty sure it’s sufficient. Looks pretty similar to the PowerFlamer 160 that you recommend. Anyway, if you come to the party you’re welcome to try it out.
2:16 How can you get such a high output with a low pressure regulator (color coded grey) instead of a high pressure one (red)? or is that a different one? im so confused
What's your opinion about : Power Flamer Integrated Electronic ignition ( IEI ) Propane 160 long lead Time please
Can I control the flam just like yours .Thank you for your response 🙏
Thx homie. I got the kahuna. It’s kinda cheap feeling. But woks great. Gets super hot
I'm gonna go with the eastman it's only $100 on amazon and I need portability because I live in an apartment, all my cooking gear is portable 😂 my pizza oven, my smoker, my BBQ, my paella gas cooker so yeah the smaller and lighter easier to store the better for me.
I've had it in my cart for a couple of weeks now after seeing it in a previous video. It's fluctuated in price up to $144 so when I saw it in the video today and it was back down to $99 I pulled the trigger.
You cook on your balcony?
awesome review. I’m on the waitlist for the powerflamer 160.
Kenji, I love that outro!!!
This was such a great video, thank you! And welcome to Seattle!
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)
Can you do a video on making Beijing style eggs and tomatoes?
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!
Been really looking forward to this, thank you!
3:05 is that a titanium wok? I was wondering how they compare to blue or carbon steel and cast iron? Which do you prefer?
4:21 thats made in San Francisco right?
Thank you for sharing I was looking to buy something small but didn’t even know where to start
Thank you so much ! I asked a few videos ago about this. Glad you uploaded.
I've noticed quite a lot of Chinese cooking channels, including Chinese Cooking Demystified, just use what appears to be a fairly normal gas camping stove to fire their woks. I'd be interested in a comparison of something like this to one of the outdoor fire rings. It seems it must be viable since so many people use one, but does it have downsides?
It’s just different styles of cooking. High heat burners are particular to restaurants, especially Cantonese restaurants. It’s like the difference between a steakhouse broiler and a regular home range. One isn’t better or worse than the other, they’re just different. If you want to capture restaurant flavor, restaurant tools are good for that.
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.