|
Post by smokey on Apr 13, 2015 12:29:21 GMT 10
The missus is putting a new bench top in the kitchen and will be replacing the glass electric cook top with a Bosch gas one. They come out of the box for natural gas and they have a centre triple flame wok burner rated at 16Mj/h. The gas plumber will convert it to LPG that our hot water runs of, being two 45kg LPG bottles.
Will a 16Mj/h three ring burner be enough to get a proper "Wok Breath" on a carbon steal wok?
|
|
|
Post by ozymandias on Apr 13, 2015 16:46:11 GMT 10
From personal experience from my last rental place that had a gas cook top, the answer is no.
Dunno if this particular one would do the trick, but normal cook tops never get hot enough for the real deal.
|
|
|
Post by shayneh2006 on Apr 13, 2015 17:04:49 GMT 10
I hope it does the Job Mick but I am thinking no.
I also have an indoors three flame wok burner and ok for some things, but pfffft for real Asian style Wok cooking.
You are better off (just like I do) getting a serious Wok burner and setting it up outside. Get one of those 55mjh Rambo jobbies on the bay. That'l sort you out.
Besides, if you want to get serious, you do really need to be Wok cooking outdoors. That way, you will keep the smoke and oil there too.
I have Asian friends and that's exactly what they do. By them, they have two kitchens setup,,,,, the dirty and the clean as they put it.
Shayne
|
|
|
Post by shayneh2006 on Apr 13, 2015 17:16:05 GMT 10
Additional to my post above, I am not sure what the flow rate of my indoors is, but I am guessing it should be similar to what the specs on your unit are.
Now I have a Bee under the Bonnet and will go searching for the manual to find out for sure.
Shayne
|
|
|
Post by chrisg on Apr 13, 2015 18:12:57 GMT 10
'Fraid so, have sort of inherited one of those things with a house twice - waste of burner space really.
Cheers
|
|
|
Post by gatsby on Apr 13, 2015 18:54:09 GMT 10
No - Don't do this. Nothing is better than an induction cooktop. I love gas but once i put in the induction one it is so much better - Yes had to change the pans & stuff to work but it is faster & has more control than gas. Electric is a very far last runner. To go from Induction to anything will be a step down & you will regret it! Sorry but from my experience an Induction cooktop is the only way to go & I show & tell everyone how great it is Instant heat, instant control, what else can be asked for.
But anyways you asked about the burner at 16Mj - no it won't run hot enough. I think you really need a gas bottle Rambo unit to get some serious heat for a stir fry - I've never seen anything that comes close.
Anyways - please reconsider & stay with Induction - it is much better than gas. The electricity cost is not really that high but when you add in the time & speed savings it does get cheaper (plus the lower stress levels)
My thoughts tho'
Cheers
|
|
|
Post by chrisg on Apr 13, 2015 19:06:15 GMT 10
Is what Smoky is replacing an induction ? I really haven't taken much notice of electric cooktops for a long time but memory says there were non induction tops for a long time. I'm really interested though, I developed an extreme dislike for electric cooktops decades ago and have always had gas but in itself it has its own problems but I'd never really taken much notice of induction - to hear such a strong endorsement for it is fascinating. So it really can give you the quick control of gas? Cheers
|
|
|
Post by smokey on Apr 13, 2015 19:33:51 GMT 10
OK, Knowone panic It ain't been bought yet. I think I may have ballsed up what I currently have. It's a cheap spec home blanco that has a glass top and when you turn on a hob, It gets hot. Gatsby, Is yours the type that stays cold until you put a pot on it? What doesn't work on them ? And thanks re the wok comments. I needed to know how much weight To place on it as a buying feature.
|
|
|
Post by chrisg on Apr 13, 2015 20:16:47 GMT 10
I will let Gatsby as an actual induction top owner address that but my understanding would be you just have a basic electric top at the moment. Indoor wok burners are really just not worth it, even my Chinese mate who lives on stir-fry does not use his stove top one in his rental, does what Shayne said - flame thrower outside Cheers
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2015 21:31:12 GMT 10
G'day What tha! Gas . Of used it lots of my life. It's fast. It's instant heat ... A wok... no worries. It's flash heat on a thin based metal . Now that's the absorbtion method on rice. That's the lowest slowest setting on the smallest burner. You can take all day with a rice cooker to achieve the same . Regards dave
|
|
|
Post by gatsby on Apr 14, 2015 6:06:38 GMT 10
OK Me bad - I'd assumed from recalling a post about an Aldi griddle like the one Shayne put up recently Smokey had an Induction - maybe it was a Ceramic.
I've been a Gas cooktop only person for many many years - having used the standard Electric & then Gas. Unfortunately (well maybe) the house I bought does not have Gas & being a battle-axe block I cannot afford the $15k it will cost to put gas on (trenching the driveway & then redoing the asphalt) so when I was looking at replacing the standard cheap Chef cooktop last year (crap resistive elements) I looked around & found Induction.
The shop did the normal demonstration put about 1cm of water in a pot & put it on the cooker. The water is boiling in less than 30 seconds. I've shown that to everyone & it is impressive. With Gas you would have flames licking up the sides of the pot to even try to come close.
The heat is instant - no need to lift the pan off the cool, just turn it down & there is only the residual heat in the pan (just like gas) but it is the heat up that's faster.
There are some Cons. 1. Biggest - all the pans must be induction compatible - a magnet MUST stick to the pan. Induction works by "inducing" an electric current in the pot (which basically heats the metal (iron) in the pot) like how a transformer works. For me this meant basically replacing all my pots & pans. I had a nice set of stainless copper based pots & pans which would not work. So I had to get an entire new set (several hundred dollars later.. sigh but I do have a new great set of cook wear) 2. There is a minimum size of pot - it's about 5 to 7 cm. Anything smaller & the cooker cannot recognize it & says nothing is there. Basically the cooker can tell if there is a suitable device on the element (by the current draw I'd guess) - I've not really had a problem here - except that I can't find a suitable cooktop Coffee Brewer. 3. Don't put a metal spoon / stirrer on an active element. Never had a problem with this one - but I've read about it (My cooker will turn the element off if nothing is present after about 10 seconds). 4. It take some time to get used to the speed. I have (in the early days) put a pan on to heat up & turned away only to find is a ball of fire - since I got the oil up to and beyond smoking heat. Was used to the old electric taking at least 5 minutes. 5. The cost - it is more expensive than other electric options (but they aren't really an option)
After being negative - now the Pro's 1. It is fast & instant both in heating up & down. 2. There is no hot surface - the glass does get hot from the heat of the pot but I can take the pot off the surface & wipe it down immediately (to clean up a spill) 3. You can combine the elements to get a really large cook area 4. It only heats up when something (suitable) is on the element. 5. I got a new set of pots 6. New - so has the new features - like individual element timers.
All up - I will go Induction all the time (if I have any choice) & then Gas. After that I'd probably go for nothing instead of having to go for any other electric option.
Cheers
Edit - Just remembered something. It will only heat either: a. the pot size, or b. the element size.
Some cookers have different sized elements & say use the element to suit the pot size. Mine has big elements on all four. So if you put a big saucepan on a small element you'll only see the liquid boiling where the element is - the heat will slowly radiate out but the element will not heat up the entire pan.
|
|
|
Post by chrisg on Apr 14, 2015 6:31:58 GMT 10
Thanks Gatsby, very useful information on something I had essentially no knowledge of beyond how it works.
TBH I dunno what Mick has but when he said spec home I assumed conventional electric cook top.
Cheers
|
|
|
Post by smokey on Apr 14, 2015 8:01:14 GMT 10
Seems I have a ceramic. Thanks Gatsby, that is a lot more info then the catalogue gives. The one I'm now looking at has one large round hob, one small hob and one large square hob down half the entire top that takes large pots or multiple smaller pots. The square can be zoned between front and back. Also checked my pots and pans and all my good stuff is magnetic or says induction suitable. Only some old cheap fry pans and an old Raco soup pot is not magnetic.
|
|
|
Post by gatsby on Apr 14, 2015 17:16:16 GMT 10
Hi Smokey. Good to know your gear is right. I think a ceramic "glows red" when on? At least my Sister's does! Induction doesn't do anything but hummm
One item I thought I better mention is a trap I almost fell into. Cooktops are either 600 or 900 wide (well there is one that is 750 see later). So a 600 wide has 4 burners, normally a 900 has 6 (or maybe 5 with the middle being bigger (fish burner)). However some 900 have only 4 so they become a bit of a wank - you know showy I've got a big cooktop....
Well my original cooktop the crap Chef one - was a 600 wide 4 burner & I almost got an Asko 600 wide (It has four square areas which you can join the front & back together) until....
I measured the current cutout
The bl**dy Chef had a 650 (I think) wide cut-out. It was a 600 sized cooktop but due to the controls being on the side it was more like 700 wide. I had almost put cash down on the Asko. Now had to re-think. I didn't want 900 as the bench would become unusable.
Looked around & found an Electolux one that was 750 wide - sweet a little trim & it'll fit - Done deal & that's what I've got!!
Now about the oven..........(changed that as well & I'm very happy with what I did)
|
|
|
Post by smokey on Apr 14, 2015 18:46:03 GMT 10
yep I'm onto that. I only really need a 600 for the same reason that it creeps into bench space. My current 600 has been plenty big enough. I could go to 700 but I notice that some brands don't spread the burners out. Just wider glass.
|
|