You could check local fire codes and your condo rules but I know that propane tanks such as you'd use in a gas grill are generally not allowed inside and people who use propane for gas ranges usually have a large tank outside. I think your husband is a wise man.

I found portable butane gas burners that are safe for use indoors an/or outdoors. I am thinking about placing one on a "pop-up" (not sure what it's called)inside the base cabinet next to the cooktop. I remember seeing pictures of appliances set up this way. The point is to have it easily accessible and at a comfortable height. (It's too high if I place it on the counter and the kitchen is too small to have 2 countertop heights.) Does anyone know the right name for what I am looking for? What do you think of the idea? Keep in mind that I don't have gas and would love to use the wok 2 to 3 times a week.

>I found portable butane gas burners that are safe for use indoors an/or outdoors.

There's a big ol' difference between a portable hot plate type thing like a buffet warmer and a stove in terms of what you want it to be able to do. Even my single burner butane portable that I keep for after hurricanes is quite vehement about using it outside only, and that only uses a can of butane the size of a can of cigarette lighter fluid.

What you're talking about is a popup downdraft. They need to be vented outside and they're generally considered undesirable for gas since they tend to suck the flames away from the burner. They're generally used when the only way out is through the basement or another level below where the stove is.

The burners have a can of butane the size of can of spray paint and some produce up to 10,000 or maybe 12,000 (?) BTU. They are ADVERTISED as being safe indoors.(???)

As to the pop-up, I don't mean a downdraft. I mean a stand that goes inside the cabinet. People used to put a blender or some such counter appliance on it.

I think what Emily was talking about is an appliance lift, not a pop-up downdraft.

A better bet might be to get an induction burner. They are very popular in Asia for just this kind of setting. It's not an open flame, but you can get the same high heat and hot sides to your wok, especially if you get a dedicated wok unit. Check for more info in the Appliance Forum and on The Induction Site.

With induction and a 100% iron or steel pot, the sides get hot the same way they do with a curved pot over a big flame.

I can't think of any portable gas unit that has enough heat for stir fry and is safe for use indoors.

If you have a proper vent hood, you'll want to use it with your stir fry. You might also check out full sized induction cooktops. Some of them have very powerful elements, though they require flat bottomed woks (some are flat inside and out, some are curved inside and flat on the bottom). You might actually find this adequate. It would make your kitchen design easier for sure.

Or, depending on your budget, you could get "dominoes" which are individual units with dedicated functions. One could be for wok, another for regular cooking, etc.

Since you're doing a remodel anyway, if you decide to go with a freestanding unit, it might be more comfortable to make a recess in the counter for it, rather than putting it on a lift.

pillog is right on target - induction will meet your needs much better than some king of indoor gas burner. You have many options including a full induction cooktop and/or a dedicated induction wok burner.

Ah yes, appliance lift it is. I agree with pillog that an induction wok would be a much better choice if one is available. (My little one-burner butane stove is also promoted for indoor use, but not when you open the instruction booklet that comes with it, which basically says only if every door and window in the house is open, you're in a well ventilated area and next to a window, basically.)

Incidentally, have you ever cooked with butane? The smell is pretty fierce if you aren't partial to the scent of a lit cigarette lighter. It's not the same smell as LP or natural gas at all, just in case you've never tried it.

Oh and FWIW one can of that size butane isn't going to last long at all. I can warm up soup for dinner and make coffee in the AM for about five days with one of those hairspray sized cans, and that's not pulling anything like the flame level you'd want for stir fry.

Thank you, Thank you! I'll check into induction. Under counter and drawer appliances, convection, induction...Feel like Rip Van Winkle :)