Hmm, I wonder if something like that could be built into a residential kitchen, e.g. in an island, with insulation around it and a big-ass vent hood above.

What is the opening in the lower front for? Just air flow or storage?

I've been tempted to modify a turkey fryer for occasional use with a wok on the patio. One of these days...

JR

When I was at the California Culinary Academy in the 1980's I was trained in Chinese cooking by Ken Hom, we would go to his home in Berekely and learn some Chinese cookery. Buy his book "Ken Hom's Chinese Cooking" very few ingredients, simple recipes.
Just be sure to mince your ginger very very fine.;)

John, my wife (made in Taiwan :) ) has the following comments:

"Don't use round shaped bottom, use flat bottom and flared top,
like the one I am using. Many places, including Wal-Mart sell the cheap
flat-bottom-wok. Any of such one shown here would work."

http://www.cookware.com/Woks-Stirfry-C17737.html

Next time we're in Portland, I'm sure she'd be happy to show you her way of cooking Chinese food.

Regards,

for home wok-ing the only real way to success is to cook the stir fry in parts. not enough heat in a home range, especially my POS. i use a 12" skillet.

for a wok, and i dont own one yet, i have done with my turkey fryer. true stir frying throws up some serious grease. every horizontal surface will get a nice sheen. best done in the backyard. in asia, i have seen this charcoal chimney made out of clay that folks wok cook on. i have yet to find one here, even in chinatown.

a backyard wok burner next to a built in grill is my dream setup. someday.

On a Home Range a heavy cast iron skillet retains heat the best.

Be sure to pour the MSG on real heavy JYL it is what makes the flavors pop.

I have made chinese food for years, and never have been happy with the taste. It all seems the same even when using different spice combos. Part of the problem as described above was the lack of heat and the cooling of the pan when food ws placd in it.

My solution was to use a bit of sugar, and that made the difference.

No homeowner's policy would insure you and in the event of a fire the loss would be excluded. You could certainly do it anyway with a commercial hood and a fire suppression system and sort of take matters into your own hands - which my neighbors have done. Just don't count on insurance coming through in the event of an incident. And on resale you might have some issues as it would never be a code installation in a residence.

Edit....Wolf makes a french top that has decent BTU for residential application. Blue Star I think has the highest residential BTU.

mine is a similar wok to the one in that link...beleive it or not it was something i bought from an infomercial years ago. It is called the Great wok of china(aka the hand hammered one) this is actually my second one, my wife tossed out my first saying it was all blasckened and dirty...i pitched a fit! she found me a NOS one on ebay like 6/7 years ago...been cooking with it ever since!

flat = more oil needed to cook the food

the idea is minimal oil, so that isn't the greatest, but sure it will work

- the Dacor cooktops (I have ne) have one big killer burner that they say is for woks, etc.

can't recall the Btu on it

Yes, all the big high end companies make one. When I build a new kitchen for my mother 8 years ago, I put in a DCS wok unit for her. I couldn't affort the Wolf. I like the cast iron crates better on the Wolf. It is set a little lower then standard range top, like 33" so she can really cook with it. I designed it so that she would have an 18" of counter space between the range and her wok burner and another 2 1/2' on the side of both pieces of appliances. That took up one wall, all 11'. I think the burner puts out twice as much heat as a regular burner. It might have been something like 30000btu. I ran a big commerical style Vent-a-hood with a remote mounted blower motor so suck out all the grease. Cleaning that thing is a pain in the rear. I get to do it twice a year for her. I have not put in a wok burner for any clients since. That was my only one.

I have a DCS seperate build in BBQ and burner at my home. each burner only puts out 17000btu. I found it lacking when the breeze picks up. I have not try using it with a wok. My wife doesn't cook Chinese food and I can't cook if my life depends on it. I will try to get my mom to come up and cook us a Chinese meal outside and report back to you.

What I ment was I understand how you feel when you wrote your last sentence in your original post.

jeff

Tabs,
Take it easy on the MSG. Although it brings out more flavor, it's not real healthy. It affects some people more than others. When we eat Chinese and if I remember, we request they hold the MSG.

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/

Sorry to be a downer, but we need to look out for each other.

Sherwood

Interesting, thank you everyone.

I went to the local Asian grocery store and got two 14" thin carbon steel woks. Seasoned them up and they look nice and crappy already. I also realized that if I put the woks rings upside down I can get enough overlap with the range grates to cut notches as you guys are suggesting.

Next issue is the Chinese cleaver.

I bought a $5 one at said grocery store, it is a clunky POS and gave me a bilster in one session, but at least I now know what I want. Shopping for the replacement now. Looking for blade that is thin at the edge, medium size and weight, enough handle that I can choke up on the grip and still have handle under the first knuckle of my forefinger, decently made.

I asked my dad, who is sort of a cleaver enthusiast, and he proceeded to lecture me about all the good cleavers he's offered me over the years and how I turned them down because I was into snobby Western chef's knives. Very helpful, dad.

I'm thinking of buying this one http://www.chefknivestogo.com/fofichcl.html because I like the Victorinox/Forschner Fibrox line of knives and it is cheap (though rather expensive as Chinese cleavers go).

King Cooker propane burner = 54,000 btu's/hr and costs $54 at Walmart

Or a Jet Burner = 105,000 btu/hr for $119

http://www.lalagniappe.com/mall/SS90PK.htm

I use one that is carbon steel. It has a fair amount of heft. This, and the sharpness, give it a fair amount of power when chopping things. It's a no-name brand POS with a round wood handle. It's great to use and did I mention it is sharp as h***?

I'm not sure I'd buy a stainless steel cleaver. My stainless chef knives aren't as sharp as this thing. I'd also suggest that you find one with the flattest curvature, in the center of the blade, that you can find.

JR

Go to one of those Chinese restaurant supply house and have a go at it. They are plenty cheap and what they use. Ever see em' whan you buy BBQ pork or rost pig at the front counter. They should be all over SF. Trick is to keep them sharp.

HA! i have been using my cleavers more and more. i admit, i have an addiction to my german steel, but when chopping ingredients, the big flat surface makes it a no brainer to scoop up all the tiny goodies. i love it. i have a taiwan cleaver and a (blush) henkel one. the taiwanese blade rocks!

i need to ditch the german cleaver. i'll probably give it away.

this was my mom's. she got it in '67. she used it for twenty years.
i have been using it ever since then as a daily driver.
takes an amazing edge.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1253048357.jpg

does you ring look like this? two different diameter for burner size. also should have holes for air circulation.
http://wokshop.stores.yahoo.net/wokring.html

John,
Get one of these and you too can cook with your wok outside while stooping down like they do in Asia. Is that cultural enough for you? :)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1253050397.jpg

Sherwood