wok temperature measurement on rnb/rcs/cc/arp

9 years ago

Hi
I am currently looking around for appliance for my new house to be finished in 2016. In terms of ranges, I cook on a wok every day for the majority of my dishes, so I am really interested in the performance on using a wok. I cook for a family of 3 so quantity per dish is not large.

In the beginning, I was almost convinced that I need to get a open burner to get the bottom of the wok hot. But recently, I stumble across this gadget in this link:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/the-wok-mon-converts-your-home-burner-into-a-wok-range-solution.html

From test, a regular sealed burner can bring an empty wok to about 650F while with the gadget, it brings it to over 800F.

So I am wondering if any open burner range owner can measure the temperature of their wok when empty? It would be great if you can post your temperature reading with your range model.

Thanks in advance

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (14)

malba2366
9 years ago
That thing looks dangerous!! There is a video on there with a flame that looks like its a couple feet high.
homepro01
9 years ago
Consider an induction wok burner. Miele and cooktek have them. The capability of the dedicated wok burners exceed most gas range burners. Since you are in the planning stage, you can plan for this cooktop now.
The tool you posted looks very dangerous.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cooktek induction drop in wok burner.
Related Discussions
36 AG range questions
Q
Comments (12)
I went from a GE Profile Flat top to a 36" CC. I'll start with the look. I think the Capital is the best looking range I have seen. There shouldn't be any shame in wanting a good looking Range after spending a fortune on a remodel. As far as cleaning. It is much more work to clean the CC but I only clean it about every two weeks. I cleaned my flat top after every use to protect the surface. After cleaning the CC it always looks like a new range. I would not buy a range with any porcelain on the grates or top. It is almost impossible to keep them looking good. Now let's talk performance. The GE flat top outperformed the CC with boiling water on smaller pots about 8" and under. The reason is that even though the burners are 23k, there is no way you can turn up the flame all the way without making the pot handles smoking hot. I usually use the small pot burner for 8 and under so I can turn the flame up but it is still slower than the flat top. For larger pots or WOK cooking there is no comparison. The CC is great. Simmering is better on the flat top but the small pot burner or a diffuser works fine. The oven in the GE Profile had much better control and the oven height was much taller. The CC oven racks are the worst I have ever seen. When they heat up it is impossible to get them to slide without them cocking and getting stuck. If I did it again I would buy the CC range top and buy an electric oven to put beneath it. I do like my range and enjoy getting compliments on it.
...See More
Did Bluestar's V1 solve all the problems?
Q
Comments (26)
Food, I didn't bring up CC vs BS, scroll up, it was deeageaux. In most basic terms, Sig Sigma is a business methodology that looks at defect rates in processes. A typical metric is "defects per million X" and The "six sigma" refers to the probability of one defects in a million iterations. The airline industry is among the best on the planet with a sigma factor approaching 7. That means one death in almost 10 million passengers flown. Getting back to stoves, the more complicated a unit is the more opportunity there is for defect. Metal is stamped and bent, parts are cast, joins are made, pipes sealed, etc, etc. If a vendor was going to control all of this to exact tolerances you really would see prices 5X-10X of what they are. They control it to the point that makes sense for their business. BMW might know that they can get their quality control 99% right off the line, and the remaining 1% will have a defect that is covered under warranty. It might cost BMW $200M to wring out that last 1% or they could just let the warranty department (which is funded by sales) take care of it. It's a business decision. My Bluestar stove weighs 614 pounds. That's a LOT of metal. A LOT of stainless steel and cast iron. For me, if they got my stove 99.9% right and all they had to do was replace the smallest of my burner heads because of a casting defect? Shoot, I call that a job well done. FYI, the only way they were going to see that defect is if they individually inspect each and every cast iron burner head coming into the factory. I would say 99% of any defects show up immediately in a function test, i.e. flame pattern not right. It's not worth their time, or my having to pay for it, to having someone spend any more time than they do looking at them. Another way to catch such defects would be to Xray them, and then we're back to that $100,000 stove. Perhaps a knock in Bluestar is that most people don't subscribe to any of this. They want everything perfect and shiny forever. Trevor from Eurostoves has spent countless hours, I'm sure, telling people not to worry about cooking grids that aren't shiny black any more, griddle tops that no longer sparkle, baffle grills that don't look like new. This is why there are so few manufacturers that make something like the Bluestar or CC. Too much dancing in the minefield! To me, this also fundamentally explains the difference between the BS buyer and the CC buyer. Ultimately they want different things and that's fine!! All of this agonizing over which to get and all of this reseller puffery about which is the "best" just ignores the real issue: What kind of a cook are you and what do you expect from a range? -Stooxie
...See More
New Bluestar RNB48 V1 owner
Q
Comments (35)
Hi Sitelifer, There are a lot of differences between these two units that cater to different styles and requirements. The best place to start is to ask yourself what you want from a range. I honestly don't believe there is a clear winner 100% of the time. If you want an internal rotisserie, your choice is obvious. If you want a french cook top, again, only one choice. Neither of these ranges covers the same set of requirements so see if you can weed it down by that. To answer your question, my understanding is that the broilers are different. The CC has better coverage while (I think) the BS broiler gets hotter. The BS broiler is hotter than Hades at high noon in August. They claim 1800 degrees and my infrared thermometer tops out at 1000 degrees which it hits instantly when pointed it at the broiler. I browned a 12" fritatta a few weeks ago. Had the pan about 10 inches from the broiler and the coverage was great. I wanted to roast the tomatoes that I had resting on top and that happened very nicely. If you are toasting a baking pan full of croutons expect to have to rotate the pan. I wanted high heat as opposed to maximum coverage. Coverage is something I can affect, the max temp is not. That's my personal preference. -Stooxie
...See More
Review of Bluestar RCS304BV2
Q
Comments (27)
After reading so many polar opposite, and very conflicting reviews on BS ranges, I have decided to post my perceptions and experience with our RCS304BV2 open burner range. First of all, this range is all about gas flame cooking. If you are reading this, you most likely prefer flame cooking to electric cooking. If so, the BS burners are the most amazing burners available! Again, its all about the burners, and this unit is not equipped with other bells and whistles like a timer, clock, or any other circuit board related features. There are burners and knobs, an oven door, and a broiler. Thats it. The beauty of this type of range is in the simplicity of its design. You turn the knob, and start cooking. We were not prepared for how much hotter the open burners are compared to our old KItchenAid sealed burner range with comparable burner output ratings! You better have your cooking ingredients handy, because you are going to be working faster than ever as these burners put out the heat! Now here is where I believe the negative reviews originate...these units are "old school" and are designed to be user serviceable. A homeowner with a toolbox could probably disassemble and reassemble the entire unit in a couple hours. Love it! And so, it REALLY HELPS to read the owners manual to familiarize yourself with initial assembly and setup! Ya gotta get the burner gas tubes lined up and installed properly BEFORE use. So easy, but its tempting to skip these details and fire the thing up. Don't do that. Read the ENTIRE owners manual and you are in for smooth sailing. Now that you are up and running...the top burners may require some adjustment initially and periodically. This is easy to do, but many users are not used to performing any adjustments or maintenance to a range and therefore jump to the conclusion that this is a defect. It is not a defect, this is a feature that allows a user to fine tune the flames to match their cooking expectations. Next, the oven temp may need to be calibrated at initial setup and periodically in the future. This is a great feature if you are willing to get a thermometer and make the adjustment with a screwdriver. You do have a screwdriver, right? Once all the burners are fine tuned to your liking, you are good to go...for a while. At some point, the burner igniters will fail. This is normal. Typically they last around 3 years of daily use. Good news though, they are cheap and easy to replace. Again, this range is quite simple in design, simple to repair, and most parts can be purchased online and replaced by an intelligent homeowner with some tools. Not a bad idea to keep a spare igniter handy...cuz maybe you got a bad one and it burned out in the first month or maybe you spilled cold water on a hot igniter and it cracked the porcelain. It happens. The not-so-good: The oven body gets quite warm, and down right hot in some places when in use. Seems like there is less insulation surrounding the oven than anything we have previously owned. A good ventilation hood carries most of the heat away though. This has not been an issue for us, but then again we don't have Toddlers at our ankles either. This may be a consideration for a house full of kids...maybe do more research on that. We like the heat though, it warms our dinner plates by setting them on an unused burner. Initial quality MAY be a problem here and there. Maybe an igniter got banged by a cast iron grate and broke it....or like our range was delivered with a small gas leak at the pressure regulator. All it took is one call to CS to have it repaired under warranty. But seriously, why wasn't this defect caught at quality control?? Don't they do ANY testing before shipping out?? Ugh!! I would also strongly advise you to download the installation instructions prior to purchasing this unit. There are very specific requirements for outlet and gas valve placement that may require an electrician and/or plumber to sort out that may involve significant additional expense. However, this is the case with many/most appliances these days. But if you are handy, and know a thing or two about running gas pipe and wiring outlets, this is a non-issue. In summary, if you truly love cooking over a flame, desire simplicity over complicated electronic menus, and are willing to take the time to setup and adjust the burners to your liking, and make basic repairs yourself, then this is a great range that will last many years. But if you are the "plug and play" type that expects everything to work with the turn of a knob and need a repairman for every little adjustment, this may not be the range for you. We love our BlueStar RCS range, and now that we have been through the learning curve, I doubt we will ever trade it for anything else!
...See More
strikeraj
Original Author
9 years ago
@malba2366
Thanks for the reply. It does look scary in the flame, but the inventor mentioned one is supposed to put the wok on before lighting the stove. I also remembered seeing somewhere that he says the production version will be less high but slightly wider

@homepro01
Thanks for the info on induction wok burner. I have considered it but as an avid wokker that toss and flip all the time and looking forward to the burning of vapourized oil, it does not really work fo rme
weissman
9 years ago
You can also get a dedicated gas wok burner. I think Wolf and some other companies make them.
homepro01
9 years ago
I have a single Miele Wok burner. I have not installed it yet. I also have a 30" induction cooktop. Looking forward to installing these before Christmas. I will tell you, the Miele is 28k but and I expect the cooktek to vaporize oil faster. If you get a chance, search on YouTube for induction wok cooking. You will see videos from restaurants in Hong Kong that have gone to induction. The issue of flipping is discussed. The woks are so fast that the you don't get a chance to flip the wok.
Good luck!

This post was edited by homepro01 on Wed, Nov 26, 14 at 9:57
gtadross_gw
9 years ago
I have a 36" RNB bluestar. I wok on it all the time. It works great. To achieve maximum wok hei flavor, I do have to make sure to get it blazing hot (maybe three to five minutes on full blast) and cook things in batches. But that's kinda how wok cooking is done anyway.

If you're near enough to any showrooms with live models, you can ask them to do a live cook.
kaseki
9 years ago
Given enough thermal mass (an issue if one flips the wok and doesn't have the physique of Popeye) and heat influx rate, why does the wok temperature need to significantly exceed the carmelization temperature of the food, which I thought was in the 400F regime?

The 30k BTU/hr equivalent capability of the Cooktek will not likely match the 100k BTU/hr capability of a restaurant wok burner. The Cooktek will carmelize food if the quantity is not excessive. However, depending on amount of oil and other factors, the temperature across the bottom of the supplied wok is not as uniform as one might like, as the actual heating zone is annular and directly heats a few inches above the very lowest part of the wok.

Or to put it another way, the results can be as desired using induction but the cooking approach to getting there may require some variation in technique.

kas
PRO
Trevor Lawson (Eurostoves Inc)
9 years ago
I tested the CC and it was over 650 degrees in the middle of the wok in 1 mins. I did not want to let it go any further due to fear of taking the patina of my trusted 16" wok.

One would imagine if i left it for longer it would simply glow red...
homepro01
9 years ago
Kaseki,
"The 30k BTU/hr equivalent capability of the Cooktek will not likely match the 100k BTU/hr capability of a restaurant wok burner."

Regarding this statement, you don't think even with the efficiency gains from Induction versus gas they would be closer in real life performance? Just a question I don't have a real life experience to say either way.

Thanks!
cookncarpenter
9 years ago
I was curious so I checked my Bluestar, 717* on the bottom of the wok, with a 739* reading a bit higher up the sides, where I think the carbon steel is a bit thinner...
strikeraj
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for everyoneÃ¢ÂÂs reply
@weissman @homepro01
May be I should provide more info on my budget. I am looking to spend about $2000 (absolute max $2500 if I can get something like RNB, Dacor, ARP, CC at this price) So separate wok burner is kind of out of the question. I will have a separate thread soon looking for recommendation for a range that suits my need but I will try to keep this thread to wok temperature comparison. It would be great if you can provide temperature of wok at those separate hob as well.
@gtadross
Would you mind measuring the temperature in your wok? I know it is blazing hot but just want to compare with what the gadget can achieve
@kaseki
I agree with you but the max temperature measurement is more of a indirect comparison on the recovery of temperature at the bottom of wok after ingredient is added.
@trevor
Thanks for the measurement. I can understand how a great patina is worth more than gold lol
@ctycdm
Thanks for measuring. Is it a 15k/18k/22k burner you are using? Is that temperature the max you can get?
cookncarpenter
9 years ago
@ strikeraj, that was on a 22k burner with the grate removed, so the wok sits down in the flame.
For drill, I checked one of my 95 year old Griswold cast iron skillets on top of the grate, and got a 698* reading. I really only gave them both a couple minutes, as Trevor says, not worth risking all those years of accumulated seasoning just to check the temp :)
I'm sure you'll be happy with any of the open burner ranges for woking or searing...
kaseki
9 years ago
Homepro01:

My understanding of induction hob to gas burner equivalence in the case of the Cooktek is that the 30k BTU/hr estimate already takes into account the efficiency of coupling typical gas burner heat output to pans. There is more on this at the Induction Site. For various reasons the cooking-equivalence conversion factor is likely to be a soft value, and not just a conversion of watts to BTU/hr. (3500 W 11.9k BTU/hr, well under 30k BTU/hr.)

kas
homepro01
9 years ago
Thanks Kaseki. That makes sense.
Strikeraj,
Thanks for clarifying the budget. I will report back on wok cooking on the induction cooktop.
Good luck!

wok temperature measurement on rnb/rcs/cc/arp

Comments (14)

malba2366

homepro01

Related Discussions

strikeraj
Original Author

weissman

homepro01

gtadross_gw

kaseki

Trevor Lawson (Eurostoves Inc)

homepro01

cookncarpenter

strikeraj
Original Author

cookncarpenter

kaseki

homepro01

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

wok temperature measurement on rnb/rcs/cc/arp

Comments (14)

Related Discussions

strikerajOriginal Author

strikerajOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

strikeraj
Original Author

strikeraj
Original Author