# Wok burner in Europe



## Rainman890 (Apr 6, 2022)

Hi there,

So I'm looking at getting into wok cooking, and there are some good resources and choices, but they are mainly in the US. Is there anyone here that has some experience with wok cooking in Europe?

I want something that really cooks, not just a camping burner. I have seen this one in action (and tasted the results), but it's a bit pricey. Dragon Wokburner

I was recommended this one too, but it seems a bit underpowered: Hot Wok - BBQ Experience Center

I've checked a bit on grillsportverein (German Forum), but they are a bit toxic over there, and all seem to just want to import stuff from Asia...

Any help is appreciated, but it might be a long shot. Thanks!


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## inferno (Apr 6, 2022)

maybe you can build one yourself? can't be that complicated?


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## MarcelNL (Apr 6, 2022)

Same journey here, I have the supposedly 12KW in your second link and can vouch for the fact it is underpowered (basically it does not put out 12KW but much closer to ~8/9)

There is another thread in here, and the verdict is to import ...I never got around to do that as the seller was not very communicative.... but today I just picked up a new gas tank and was looking around again...(BOY did they hike the gas price up)

The item of interest appears a twin of that ridiculously priced 'Dragon Wokburner' for a much lower price....
You want a bowl to protect the flame from wind, piezo ignition, and decent power adjustment and as much power as you can get hold of....



Will dig up the thread, meanwhile paging @Michi

THIS is the one;








Premium Propane Cast Iron Wok Stove Burner with Igniter, High Pressure, 100k BTU 765434252622 | eBay


This is the top of the line propane wok burner. It is made from quality cast iron and stainless steel. This wok burner features a matchless igniter. This wok stove is made from heavy duty cast iron that is super portable weighting in at 17 lbs.



www.ebay.com


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## MarcelNL (Apr 6, 2022)

inferno said:


> maybe you can build one yourself? can't be that complicated?


there are some YT videos showing it can be done, I voted against as the combination of DIY and high pressure flammable gas and fire did not seem like a great concept for staying burn free...know your limitations and all that, I'm sure it can be done.


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## Rainman890 (Apr 6, 2022)

MarcelNL said:


> Same journey here, I have the supposedly 12KW in your second link and can vouch for the fact it is underpowered (basically it does not put out 12KW but much closer to ~8/9)
> 
> There is another thread in here, and the verdict is to import ...I never got around to do that as the seller was not very communicative.... but today I just picked up a new gas tank and was looking around again...(BOY did they hike the gas price up)
> 
> ...



Hey, thanks for this! It comes from the US though, which means that we need a pressure regulator to attach to propane tanks here, right? Do you know which one?

As for building my own, I am not nearly confident in my skills to mess around with that...

I could just ask Kenji, but I doubt he knows anything about Europe..


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## Rainman890 (Apr 6, 2022)

Also, did you end up getting it and installing it? I'd like to hear your experience. We are building an outdoor kitchen (probably), the idea is to integrate it in there... @MarcelNL


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## inferno (Apr 6, 2022)

a buddy of mine got one of these. maybe not the same brand though. 

some of the parts that looked like cast iron was just sheet steel and then painted black. lol. 
and some of these would get very hot and then the paint would turn into a gas/smoke.

i burned all that paint off with acetylene.


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## inferno (Apr 6, 2022)

MarcelNL said:


> there are some YT videos showing it can be done, I voted against as the combination of DIY and high pressure flammable gas and fire did not seem like a great concept for staying burn free...know your limitations and all that, I'm sure it can be done.



for me its the opposite. i work with very high pressure gases/oil/machines all day long so i definitely want to make sure its assembled correctly. diy here means you know its working as supposed. no guessing. guessing gets you killed.


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## MarcelNL (Apr 6, 2022)

inferno said:


> for me its the opposite. i work with very high pressure gases/oil/machines all day long so i definitely want to make sure its assembled correctly. diy here means you know its working as supposed. no guessing. guessing gets you killed.


completely agree! Know your limitations, or 'In der Beschränkung zeigt sich der Meister' I have the knowledge to build one, and think I could assemble it properly, but the uncertainty about the last % makes me walk away from that project....

On the other hand, building a Ramjet seems like a fun project and it probably could double as Wok burner


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## MarcelNL (Apr 6, 2022)

Rainman890 said:


> Hey, thanks for this! It comes from the US though, which means that we need a pressure regulator to attach to propane tanks here, right? Do you know which one?
> 
> As for building my own, I am not nearly confident in my skills to mess around with that...
> 
> I could just ask Kenji, but I doubt he knows anything about Europe..



THAT exactly was the part where the seller could not even specify what pressure the nozzles require, in the end I will be able to find a (adjustable) regulator and connect the thing to my propane tank. It works for the coffee roaster, for the current wok burner....just tell me what PSI, Bar, Atm, KPa the damn thing needs, all he could offer was that it 'comes with the regulator' , as if propane tanks have global standards in connectors.

So no I did not get it...I may go for a second attempt.....

(that thing is DEFINITELY for outside, all wokkíng is)

BTW: the brand is supposedly the Vietnamese Namilux but their website does not show this model...


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## inferno (Apr 6, 2022)

propane tanks usually have national standards for connectors/threads afaik. or 1 completely dominating system.


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## MarcelNL (Apr 6, 2022)

inferno said:


> propane tanks usually have national standards for connectors/threads afaik. or 1 completely dominating system.


yeah, that is why the response was so utterly nonsensical


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## MarcelNL (Apr 6, 2022)

I think I found the piece from within Vietnam, now just to find out if they want to ship internationally....price can't be beat at 790.000 dong (31 euro)


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## Michi (Apr 7, 2022)

MarcelNL said:


> Will dig up the thread, meanwhile paging @Michi


That looks very similar to mine (picture here). I don't have the fancy piezo igniter, but that's not a big deal for me. In terms of heat output, that burner is awesome. I bought mine for about $35 twenty years ago, and I can't see it failing before I die


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## MarcelNL (Apr 7, 2022)

Now I just have to polish up my best Vietnamese to barter for an international shipment ...will report back.


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## Michi (Apr 7, 2022)

Duplicate post deleted.


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## Bill13 (Apr 7, 2022)

The WonderWok 

I purchased this a few months ago but the weather has been unusually cold so I've used it only once and it was plenty hot. Greg was great to deal with.


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## boomchakabowwow (Apr 7, 2022)

i got the Thunder Wok off of Amazon for $98 american. it looks like they took the same burner and put it into a fancy table top at TheWonderWok. the regulator doenst look like anything i can buy in the USA, so i showed it to my propane shop. they said it would be safe to use, and it if ever failed they can crimp on a more typical one. its been five years. i hate how it threads to the insides of the propane bottle nozzle and not the outside like we see here in the States. but it is functional.


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## MarcelNL (Apr 7, 2022)

I find it funny how a gas guzzling wok burner (the one I linked to 'does 2kg propane/hr) is put forward as 'green'.

Problem with anything US based is that import duty, VAT and S&H adds up, shipping rates US>EU are ridiculous at the moment and I'm staying away. (I recently had 4 custom Chokes shipped from Taiwan by Fedex for 90$, shipping this burner that weighs as much as a single choke will cost 73$ using the rather useless 'priority international')


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## Rainman890 (Apr 7, 2022)

Yeah, the burner from the wonderwok and the roaring dragon are the same...









MANniu X72 New IR fast gas burner


X72 MANniu Taiwan, China, Heat it up with less gas! Fast, durable, and Energy-efficient X7 series: Infrared upgrade Unique 7-infrared-nozzle design, breaking the traditional infrared mode of



www.manniu-gasburners.com




They have a minimum order of 30... Can we get that many people on board?


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## MarcelNL (Apr 8, 2022)

For my coffee roasting I'm using an IR burner, the system works great but there is one major drawback and that is longevity of the ceramics. Now for that IR burner I can contact the roaster manufacturer and get any part delivered in like 2 weeks, in my case the repair was swapping out the aluminium gas/air mixer bowl inclusive of the ceramics. 

For a group buy of this Wok burner (does it say how many KW or BTU it puts out, of gas usage per hour?) I'd strongly suggest to obtain replacement ceramics provided they can be replaced!

BTW for those in EU, I have contacted a store in Vietnam about the 27KW Namilux and have asked if they will ship one or more pieces internationally, shipping wil likely be expensive at 10Kg each...


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## simona (Apr 8, 2022)

Rainman890 said:


> Hi there,
> 
> So I'm looking at getting into wok cooking, and there are some good resources and choices, but they are mainly in the US. Is there anyone here that has some experience with wok cooking in Europe?
> 
> ...


Have you considered an induction wok?


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## MarcelNL (Apr 8, 2022)

simona said:


> Have you considered an induction wok?


how would you get anywhere near enough power to stir fry on a 230V 16A outlet , that equals ~3.5KW?
I can vouch for the fact that ANY stir frying starts at 5KW but my current 9KW burner is still not enough....power is KING for a Wok!


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## Rainman890 (Apr 8, 2022)

MarcelNL said:


> how would you get anywhere near enough power to stir fry on a 230V 16A outlet , that equals ~3.5KW?
> I can vouch for the fact that ANY stir frying starts at 5KW but my current 9KW burner is still not enough....power is KING for a Wok!


Agree. I thought about it for a while, but there's nothing like the real thing. 

Plus, have you ever played with a jet of fire? It's really fun and crazy to cook on!


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## simona (Apr 9, 2022)

MarcelNL said:


> how would you get anywhere near enough power to stir fry on a 230V 16A outlet , that equals ~3.5KW?
> I can vouch for the fact that ANY stir frying starts at 5KW but my current 9KW burner is still not enough....power is KING for a Wok!


Not sure. How many Kw from your 9kw burner goes up in the air? I read variously that gas is somewhere between 25% and 40% effective heat transfer; that puts the 9 kw effectivity at 2,25-4 kw - which is maybe why it is not enough if stir frying starts at 5kw? As I said, it's a consideration. Personal choice in the end, I guess.


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## MarcelNL (Apr 9, 2022)

simona said:


> Not sure. How many Kw from your 9kw burner goes up in the air? I read variously that gas is somewhere between 25% and 40% effective heat transfer; that puts the 9 kw effectivity at 2,25-4 kw - which is maybe why it is not enough if stir frying starts at 5kw? As I said, it's a consideration. Personal choice in the end, I guess.



If the power of induction is close (it sure is closer to that than gas is) almost 100% efficiently transferred it would mean that I can stir fry on the induction hob...I tried, no dice.

You simply need crazy power real short, for stir frying , and you want the smokiness from the fire licking around the wok.


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## TB_London (Apr 10, 2022)

You can get induction forges that make bar stock glow, so don’t think it’s an issue of power with induction, it’s more the ability to heat the sides of the wok directly. Someone who knew what they were doing could probably make one


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## MarcelNL (Apr 10, 2022)

surely induction as principle will work, yet you'd need some serious amount of power going into your garden to an outlet to plug it into...

I'll stick with propane for stir frying.


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## natto (Apr 10, 2022)

MarcelNL said:


> You simply need crazy power real short, for stir frying , and you want the smokiness from the fire licking around the wok.



I got a one way can small burner about 2-3 kw, to check out what I like. The round bottom of woks is great to combine aromatics. I love that. Downside is the burner moving around when hit. I'ld like a burner I don't have to care for. 

A cast iron wok ring might help. The wide part of a plant pot is no proper substitute. Something like this 12kw burner looks promising to me.

Everybody recommends lots of power. From my little experience 6kw should be more than enough to me. But usually it is a good idea to follow advice. Green pepper beef with black bean. This burner sounds more like 60kw than 6kw. Would this 12kw be a sufficient "one buy"?

@Rainman890 
Some stuff about 100€ available within EU. What range of power and price are you looking for?


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## Rainman890 (Apr 10, 2022)

natto said:


> I got a one way can small burner about 2-3 kw, to check out what I like. The round bottom of woks is great to combine aromatics. I love that. Downside is the burner moving around when hit. I'ld like a burner I don't have to care for.
> 
> A cast iron wok ring might help. The wide part of a plant pot is no proper substitute. Something like this 12kw burner looks promising to me.
> 
> ...


Hey,

Thanks for this. I think the above discussion is on point: you need a lot of power to truly use a wok. I've recently had some cooked for me, and the taste is worth it. 

So the links you sent are interesting, but not strong enough. I think a simple robust burner like they use on the streets of southeast Asia would be perfect.  MarcelNL is investigating, and I might import something else if that doesn't work...

Simple and well built, like the knives that we all are here for...


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## M1k3 (Apr 10, 2022)

What about turkey fryers as an alternative?


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## MarcelNL (Apr 10, 2022)

@natto those restaurant jet burners are usually closer to 30KW, according to my research. They are controlled in an almost binary fashion.


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## natto (Apr 11, 2022)

MarcelNL said:


> @natto those restaurant jet burners are usually closer to 30KW, according to my research. They are controlled in an almost binary fashion.


Good point, some people mentioned 100kw Which power would be sufficient to you?


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## MarcelNL (Apr 11, 2022)

enough....problem is, like with horsepower in a car that you get SO used to having enough that more is always nice ;-)


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## natto (Apr 11, 2022)

Got it, viewing from different angles. Have fun


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## northside (Apr 11, 2022)

Have you looked into home brew burners? You can get a 13.5kw burner for €200 from the first European home brew store I found online. It will run to European standards.
The used homebrew market is always flush with people upgrading their systems or switching to electric.


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## sansho (Apr 12, 2022)

boomchakabowwow said:


> i got the *Thunder Wok off of Amazon for $98* american. it looks like they took the same burner and put it into a fancy table top at TheWonderWok. the regulator doenst look like anything i can buy in the USA, so i showed it to my propane shop. they said it would be safe to use, and it if ever failed they can crimp on a more typical one. its been five years. i hate how it threads to the insides of the propane bottle nozzle and not the outside like we see here in the States. but it is functional.



links? didn't find something that looked like a manniu x72 on amazon. no promising results for thunder wok.


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## Rainman890 (Apr 12, 2022)

northside said:


> Have you looked into home brew burners? You can get a 13.5kw burner for €200 from the first European home brew store I found online. It will run to European standards.
> The used homebrew market is always flush with people upgrading their systems or switching to electric.


That is interesting. Will those burners fit a round bottom wok? Do you have any links that you can share as examples?

Thanks!


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## MarcelNL (Apr 12, 2022)

I have one of those brew burners, no dice....those have TAME flames, nice for a large paelle pan on the village square but not coming close to usefull for stir frying.


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## sansho (Apr 12, 2022)

people say that turkey fryers, brew burners, etc aren't good for woks. the flame spreads out too wide. inefficient heating and easier to burn your hand.


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## northside (Apr 12, 2022)

Haha disregard my suggestion then!


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## Michi (Apr 12, 2022)

natto said:


> Good point, some people mentioned 100kw Which power would be sufficient to you?


No, you don't need 100 kW, that would be ridiculous. >80,000 BTU will do well with a 14" wok. That's just over 23 kW. Any more than that is likely not going to ever get used.

My burner does about 100,000 BTU max. It gets a wok from cold to cherry-red in 45 seconds. But, what's the point? No-one cooks like that. In practice, the burner is running at maybe 20–30% capacity most of the time. Occasionally, I want a lot of heat quickly, and I turn it up to near full. But that's for maybe ten or twenty seconds. Any longer than that, and there will be nothing but carbon left in the wok…


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