Being someone who was born and bred in Asia, wok burners were part of our day to day cooking. Even when my parents migrated, we continued to enjoy our native Asian cuisine-specifically Chinese.
We, therefore, have literary used wok burners and other resources that aide Chinese cooking all my life. Having a wok burner is a must if you enjoy Asian style of cooking and cuisine. It’s even better if you have a good wok burner.
Because that means that you will enjoy a fast and high-quality cooking. But what’s a good burner and how do you find a good wok burner? Read on to find out this.
What’s A Wok Burner?
This is a large gas burner that delivers a powerful heat to your wok or other saucepans. It’s often found in dual gas cookers.
This burner is ideally designed for the purpose of providing maximum and even heat over a large surface area. The large surface area is the measure of the woks surface area.
Although the burner is made with the wok in mind, you can also use it with your pans if your intention is to subject the food to a high heat level. It will, therefore, work best for your larger skillets and pans but never the smaller pans.
The Buying Guide for Wok Burner
There are people who worry about the flame produced by the wok burner. That it is widely spread and would easily cause accidents. Don’t worry because today there are models that allow you to control the flame.
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Your safety and flame adjustment
Your safety is vital, make sure you have the burner set up and connected by a professional. At first, ensure the burner allows you to adjust the flame until you get used to it. Use it at a low level for some time.
In short, the burner should be easy to install by a professional and its flame should be adjustable giving you time to familiarize with how the burner works.
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The burners durability
This is a major concern since you are making a long-term investment. You want to have a strong burner that will serve you for many years to come. Remember, there are several factors that contribute to the durability but the price is not necessarily one of them.
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What’s your budget?
There are those of us who don’t mind the price but for those who do, you want a quality product at the lowest price possible. For me, the material used in making the burner matters most. If the material is good and the price is relatively good then I buy it.
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Size
It’s obvious that the burners come in different sizes. The question, therefore, is what size suits your needs? What and where will you be using it and the budget for the item. All these questions determine the size of the burner you will choose.
You should then consider the height. A burner that is so tall or short makes cooking hard and endangers you. An ideal burner should be about 12 inches high for stability and proper air flow as well as cooking comfort.
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What material is used in making the burner?
The burners are mostly made using stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum and cast iron which are all high-quality materials. They are all durable and resistant to heat. Any other material used in making the burner should be questioned.
In the case of carbon steel, ensure the burner is fully coated with paint as this will prevent rusting and degradation.
Remember, the durability is determined by the material used in making the burner. Its weight is also dependent on the material that makes it.
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Suitable British Thermal Unit- BTU
The best wok burners should generate 54000 BTU. This is because that’s where most woks work the best for stir-frying. You could need It higher or lower depending on the meals you are cooking.
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Does it have the extra features?
A wok burner with extra features is even better. Some of the wok burner kits have added utensils or thermometers in the package. Who doesn’t want that extra free item? Most propane burners, for example, come with a wok for your convenience.
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Do you intend to use the wok burner indoors or outdoors?
This determines if you need the flame protector. Remember, if the burner is meant for outside use, you won’t shield your flame from the wind thus making cooking difficult. You can use the wok burner in a wind protected area or find a wind protector.
Benefits of A Wok Burner
It’s important to understand why you really need a wok burner before we go into the reviews so that you can make a decision to buy it or not.
- If you are like Asian cuisine then you obviously know you need the wok burner for the stir-frying process. The work of the wok burner is to reach the high heat temperature which none of your stove tops can reach. It also heats your wok up in minutes and the wok burner can withstand high temperature.
- The wok burner further concentrates the heat at the bottom of the wok and it only has cooler temperatures on the sides of the wok. The cooking zones make the wok burner unparalleled to your normal stoves.
- Your round bottom woks when used on your regular stoves they tend to tip-off. But when you are using the wok burner, it is safer, easy and enjoyable to use the wok.
- The wok burners regulate the use of the gas. Making it efficient and eco-friendly for use.
- The wok burners are easy to maintain and clean. Generally, you want to hand clean the burner as opposed to using a dishwasher.
- It’s easy to use in that you easily turn the knob to switch it on and off. Besides, you can also use the electronic ignition method for some of the wok burners.
- Although its designed for the wok, you can also use it when you have large pans and intend to cook in large amounts.
Propane wok burner
1. Bayou Classic SP10 High-Pressure Outdoor Gas Cooker, Propane
If we were choosing the burners based on popularity then this burner would have won the game already. The burner is ideal for outdoor activities since it works with propane gas. It’s a high-pressured item that reaches about 57000 BTU.
It has a 14-inch diameter cooking surface and its wide set legs are ideal for enhanced stability. Whether you want to use it when stir-frying or you need to simmer your cup of coffee, you have the authority to adjust the flame.
The burner comes with a pre-set regulator that has a control valve, the stainless steel braided hose and a full 360 degrees windscreen protection on the windy days. It’s height also offers a low center of gravity that you may use with your large stockpots.
The cast iron burners are designed with efficiency, strength and stability in mind. To further prove that this is your ideal wok burner is the fact that it’s one of the most recommended wok burners in the market.
High BTU propane wok burners
2. Gas ONE 200,000 BTU Square Heavy
What I like most about this burner is its size which allows you to set it out anywhere and for me, it specifically works during our camping and outdoor activities. Talk of a powerhouse for any outdoor event. The gas stove features a cast iron metal which ensures it’s durable and stable to use.
What’s more, the burner has a high heat BTU output of 200000. Don’t worry that the heat might be so high because you can control it using the regulator knob. The knob will reduce the heat to about 50000-60000 BTU which is ideal for stir-frying.
The heavy duty is of service to my family that enjoys camping and outdoor activities. It’s versatile for use and this is the other reason why my family loves it. Whether you wish to have a massive country boil, brew our beer, steam in large quantities or stir-fry our desirable Asian delicacies, it has us all covered.
When using such a gadget especially since it works outdoor, we need to be sure of our safety. Using the CSA certified regulator together with a propane tank your safety is assured. Your propane tank also has an O-ring installed to ensure the gas isn’t leaking.
Its air control panel will help you control the combustion of fuel with the aim of attaining the blue flame.
Propane outdoor wok burner
3. King Kooker 24WC Heavy-Duty 24-Inch Portable Propane Outdoor Cooker
This item is a blend of efficacy, size and price. All the three features are ideal for use in your outdoor activities. This makes it amongst the best wok burners available in the market. King Kooker isn’t only easy to use but also assembling it takes not more than 15 minutes.
What makes it even better is that it comes along with a wind guard as well as a recessed wok ring to make it safe to use the wok. It has a high heat BTU of 54000 which produces a rather concentrated flame.
The burner is 3 inches wide which suits the ideal 18 inches wide wok that you receive in the package. And don’t even begin thinking that the wok might be poor quality because it’s not.
It comes coated in protective resin for protection during transit. Remember to wash it before you begin using it.
The wok will stand the high temperature. The wok burner also carries along the gas regulator and gas flow adjustment knob. This is portable and with all the extra features, it might seem too good to be true yet it’s the item you need.
Portable wok burners
4. Laguna Grills D-001 Disco Disk Cooker
Who said wok cooking is all about Asian cuisine? The Mexicans also have their style.
This Mexican design disco cooker also pairs well as an outdoor wok burner that is easy to use and portable. In the package you receive the disk, stand hose and regulator. Installing it is easy and should take you not more than 30 minutes.
The Laguna grill prides itself of having a disk that is durable and made using the strong material. It is a 24-inch disk that is made using the 3/16-inch-high quality steel. The metal will never leach in your food and will serve you for any kind of cooking.
The hose and regulator are CSA approved. It further uses the full coverage burner that will help in giving your meal an even heating process. What’s more the wok burner comes with a 17-inch wok ring to support your large woks.
Although it will work just fine for cooking some of your meals, the burner has a low power of 24000 BTU. This means that it’s hard to stir fry your food in the wok which normally needs 54000 BTU power.
However, the item is light enough for enhanced portability. Use it for your camping and hiking activities.
Outdoor wok burner with natural gas
5. High Power Natural Gas Stove with Wind Guard and Quick Disconnect
This features a gas stove made using cast iron and as you can see it’s such a sturdy design. It has a single burner with 2 venturi pipes and 4 flame holes. The burner only uses the natural gas for all your outdoor cooking. Remembered, you can’t use propane gas with this item.
It further has an electric ignition valve to ease the igniting process. However, this isn’t reliable as it solidly depends on the weather. You should always carry your BBQ ignitor to use in case the electric ignitor fails.
The spider guard installed ensures to keep off spiders from making their webs in between the ignition head and venturi pipes. As spider webs will block the gas delivery along the pipes. It further has a wind guard where you can house the burner for ease of use during windy days.
On the downside, it only reaches a power of 23000 BTU. Some cooking isn’t done on the burner. Example searing and wok stir-frying.
100000BTU wok burner
6. GasOne Portable Propane 100,000-BTU High Pressure Single Burner
There are many wok burners in the market today which makes it hard to select the best one that suits your needs. This high-pressure single burner cooker is ideal for brewing your beer.
Whether you are stir-frying, steaming the veggies or searing your meats this burner will serve you.
The single burner reaches a high heat of 100000BTU making it right to use when you want to cook various foods. The design suits most outdoor cooking you have in mind. Camping, hiking and other outdoor activities have never been made easier.
Whether you have a stockpot, wok pan or beer kettle this gadget will work perfectly. I like that it has adjustable legs that you can also detach for easy transportation.
What’s more, it has an easy to adjust heat regulator which means you can sear your meats one minute then simmer your porridge the next minute with low heat.
This is a tough welded design that is durable. It has a strong and tough frame metal made using the cast iron. Its regulator is CSA certified for enhanced safety and quality control.
Indoor wok burner
7. Iwatani Corporation of America 35FW Butane Stove
This item is ideal for use both indoors and outdoors. Its powerful brass burner only gives you up to 15000BTU. This means you won’t cook items that require high heating. It has a windbreaker that protects your flame from the wind while indoors.
It has a heat panel system that maintains the constant pressure and balances the amount of fuel consumed. This will give you the rich flame while utilizing the butane gas within. For your safety, it has the magnetic lock system to replace the locking levers.
How to make a wok burner
Conclusion
Overall, I know you and I need a burner mostly because we enjoy high heat cooking. Most of these items here are top notch but my best choice is King Kooker 24WC Heavy-Duty 24-Inch Portable Propane Outdoor Cooker.
This is because it gives you the best of both worlds. It’s the best priced and highly efficient too. Besides, it has a high reputation being one of the best wok burners available.
This is followed closely by Bayou Classic SP10 High-Pressure Outdoor Gas Cooker, Propane. Don’t take my word for it, go to Amazon and see how this cooker is praised by the customers who use it.
