Cutting notches into your wok ring so that it can nest with your stove burner grating vastly improves wok stability and functionality on a normal "renters stove".
But Noah - why don't you just remove the steel burner grating and place the ring onto the stove surface like everyone else?
Well, because if you do that then the ring slides around all over the surface of the stove and falls into the drippings well and just generally fails at cooking. Couple that with perhaps 4 cups of burning hot oil in the wok while deep frying and thought I'd just come up with a simple modification that improves the whole situation.
This is an easy one folks, hold on to your woks.
But Noah - why don't you just remove the steel burner grating and place the ring onto the stove surface like everyone else?
Well, because if you do that then the ring slides around all over the surface of the stove and falls into the drippings well and just generally fails at cooking. Couple that with perhaps 4 cups of burning hot oil in the wok while deep frying and thought I'd just come up with a simple modification that improves the whole situation.
This is an easy one folks, hold on to your woks.
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This is the way that most people would use their wok ring on a stove like mine. I'm a renter which means my stove is a piece of junk - it doesn't crank out enough BTU's to really do proper cooking with the wok and what's worse, the wok ring slides all over the place and even falls into the spot where drippings go into the stove causing a potentially very dangerous situation.
Placing the wok directly onto the steel burning grating without a wok ring is even more unstable then the ring sliding around on the stove, so count both of those options out.
Something must be done!
Placing the wok directly onto the steel burning grating without a wok ring is even more unstable then the ring sliding around on the stove, so count both of those options out.
Something must be done!
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You can cook with a wok directly on the stove top grate: just hang on to the handle so it doesn't go anywhere!
My favorite way to stir fry is to use a small BBQ grill with a nice bed of really hot coals. Open the vents wide, put the wok directly on the coals and get busy!
To make more heat, most gas ovens will allow you to install different size gas jets. I once drilled out a jet (1/6" drill bit, if memory serves, about twice the size of the ordinary jet) in my cooktop. It was a LOT hotter, but I had to remember not to use that burner for "regular' pots and cookware.
Happy cooking!
-charley
yeah, lets just leave that as a though experiment.
(1): http://www.ehow.com/info_12177147_surface-temperature-top-electric-range.html
Ooooh! I so want to try it ....
Nick
In all my time here i've ye to see a 'perfect solution' to any dilemma ..
The point isn't 'perfection' , the point is 'solution' ..congrats.
Kudo's ..
tkjtkj
Enjoy it !
by the way, a flat wok is not a wok. it's a skillet.
(the stove in this instructable does not, the image below gives an example of a sealed burner, also more discussion of them here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/498715)
I get poor performance with a wok because of a cold spot in the center where there is no flame. To fix this, you can remove the black flame spreader so it looks like the second picture below, and then use a match to light the gas jet coming directly out of the hole in the middle of the burner. This gives a more intense heat in the middle of the pan and seems to work better for my wok and my cast iron waffle iron.
Caveats though...
You have to use the biggest burner, with plenty of gas, or the flame blows out, fills the house with gas and explodes your house. If you're not paying attention, the flame may still blow out, fill your house with gas and explode your house.
Second, depending on the amount of gas you're putting through it, the combustion can switch between a candle flame looking burn coming directly off the gas nipple (little gas), and a roaring turbulent flame that ignites an inch or so above the gas nipple. I try and keep it in the inch separated, roaring flame category because I worry that the gas nipple is not designed to have a flame directly emerging from it, and the heat may damage it.
Third, depending on the gas and flame setting, you may be getting incomplete combustion leading to carbon monoxide production. Have a CO detector in your house, and consider opening a window.