Butane stove + wok combos? [General]

2010 Jun 21
enduring many years without gas (and sans wok) but facing foundation/basement repairs in the near future (bye bye discretionary funds), i've arrived at the question: should my household invest in one of those butane table-top kits? Are there models recommended for indoor use, suited for use w/ a wok (and the occasional hotpot)?

And, once that's solved, the follow-up question: where to procure the best wok (carbon iron, i guess?) for the above?

thanks for any/all insights!

2010 Jun 21
Excellent post - I've been pondering the same question for years .... hope someone has some insight.

2010 Jun 21
I can’t speak to the wok question but I do own a couple of the single burner butane stoves. We keep one in our emergency kit with a few cans of butane and use the other inside on occasions where we’re doing table side flambé dishes etc. We use it outside a lot in the summer when we want to cook something but don’t want to fire up the monster three burner propane camp stove.

Technically, it is not wise (read “potentially lethal”) to use any carbon monoxide producing appliance inside without adequate ventilation. That being said, we use ours inside for short periods without ill effect. Of course we take precautions such as opening a window, ensuring we plug our carbon monoxide detector in the room where we’re using it and never keep it going for more than 4 or 5 minutes. We also remove the butane can immediately after use and store it outside. We don’t have young children around but I would be hesitant to use it if we did. They’re great for doing stuff like Cherries Jubilee or Steak Diane but I wouldn’t want to use one to prepare a whole meal… just not safe. As well, those little cans of butane don’t last that long and can be expensive. If you do decide to purchase one, keep an eye out for sales on the butane. Occasionally Hendrix puts them on sale for a couple of bucks.

FWIW

2010 Jun 21
There are always electric burners which might be safer for indoor use: www.hotplates.com/

2010 Jun 21
On somewhat of a related topic...I'm interested in getting an (electric?) element so I can set up jam/canning operations either on my patio or in my basement...keep the mess and constant heat out of my kitchen.

Anyone know where I could get a simple single element hot plate with enough power to boil a big stock pot or pressure cooker?

2010 Jun 21
Pasta lover beats me to it...thanks!

2010 Jun 21
I'm guessing that Preston Hardware would be a good place to look for a hotplate like that Tracinho.

2010 Jun 21
I along with many other Chinese families that I know have been using single butane burners for years for hot pot (which can run upwards of 2-3 hours) with no ill effects vis a vis carbon monoxide poisoing. Also, for cheap butane, just go to any Asian food market.

2010 Jun 21
Tracinho,

You can get the single burner ones at Canadian Tire for $20.00 www.canadiantire.ca

We do a lot of canning in the fall on our back deck. The 120V single burner (or double for that matter) will boil water but it'll take some time. It's not practicable for everyone but, if you can do it, gas is the way to go. We've given up on the electric and use a large camp stove with afterburner sized burners (one of those turkey fryer setups would work well). Much quicker and the only way we can efficiently use our 21 quart pressure caner. The only down side is you need a relatively calm day... hard to maintain consistent temps on windy days.

2010 Jun 21
HotFood - you just need to make a simple wind shield.

2010 Jun 21
Zym, already got a wind shield. I guess I should have said “really” windy days

Based on my experience, even with only one side exposed, your heat is going to fluctuate (especially if your stove has a vented bottom) on windy days. I’ve learned through experience that when pressure canning, even the slightest variation in pressure up or down can cause siphoning in or out of the jars.

Snoopy Loopy, thanks for the info on sourcing cheap butane. With respect to running the stove inside for hours, if you're comfortable with it, who am I to say what's right for you. When it comes to CO, you can call me an over cautious wimp ;-))

2010 Jun 21
For stir fries ... one needs enough heat (BTU's) to properly work a wok ... if not ... it turns out to be a stir boil and not a stir fry.

Until i got my Thermador dual fuel range,I had a difficult time getting enough heat out of my electrical element to maintain a stir fry.


2010 Jun 22
Has anyone used an induction hotplate? This would not produce enough heat for woking, but it might work for canning (though boiling would take a bit of time...). I see they are about 1400 watts at 120V--that is close to 5,000 BTU's at very high efficiency. It would certainly work far, far better than a conventional electric one.

For me the limiting factor for stir-frying is ventilation capacity not heat output--I hate having to smell what I make for a week... I like the idea of doing it outside!

2010 Jun 22
mark_ottawa,

Induction cooktops require steel type cookware as opposed to ceramic, glass or aluminium. Not sure if it would work with most BWB or pressure canners, but I suppose its worth a try. Not all stainless steel pots will work with induction. They have to have magnetic bottoms. If you can't stick a magnet to the bottom of the pan, it won't heat up on induction.

FWIW

2010 Jun 23
I second hotfood's gas recommendation for outdoors.

Most of these burners are 50k BTU running from propane although I never really need it on high. A tank of propane is 440k BTU, so if you get refills at Costco it is incredibly economical.

I can boil 5 gallons of water in minutes. Great for lobster boils, canning, corn roasts, and mass deep frying. The key is you can KEEP it boiling even when you put a large thermal mass in it.

The burners are regularly on sale at Canadian Tire for less than $50 (although I have been boycotting them since 1991).