Wok use on glass top electric stove

[RichieB]

I'm thinking about getting a wok. Doing some searching I read (WOK SHOP) via their WOK 101 they are not made for the aforementioned. Any experience or thoughts? I know it would need to be flat bottom. I also looked at Amazon. I'm leaning to carbon steel and a minimum of 13". TIA

[Old Glory]

I have done it with a flat bottom CS Wok. It works but, at least on my stove, it struggled to get hot enough.

[RonB]

We have a ceramic top stove and I use a wok. I have no problem getting the wok hot, but it's the nature of a flat bottom wok to warp as the hot metal expands. I've had two different woks and the bottom of both warped making the bottom slightly rounded so that only part of the bottom touches the heating element. It still heats well, but it's irritating when the wok moves while cooking.

[GolfGeezer]

RonB. Similar experience here, but with a T-Fal sauté pan. The pan rolls around a bit now after using it on my highest heat large ceramic/electric burner. I’ll be looking at higher quality flat bottom stainless . I do have a Greenpan flat bottom semi-wok pan that has held up.

[DTro]

Same set up but ss wok, it can surely get hot enough to work. I've posted this earlier: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...conds-of-scare

[jfmorris]

I don’t see it working well. Plus, glass tops tend to warm you not to use cast iron or slide it on the glass. Using a wok and tossing food in it, you tend to slide it or move it, which could damage the top and certainly move it off the heat source.

[captainlee]

Before we switched over to LP my wife used our ceramic top electric with no issues.

[RobertC]

I have a little experience with this. We have two "glass" top induction stoves (we have two homes), and one semi-heavy non-stick flat bottom wok and a lighter carbon steel "flat-bottom" wok that is no longer flat bottomed (and that's pretty annoying, but the wok was also pretty cheap. When the bottom was still flat, it got plenty hot). The semi-heavy non-stick flat bottom wok is still flat, but I don't really like the non-stick coating.

[jfmorris]

One issue with non-stick woks is that you tend to want high heat in the bottom of a wok for that style cooking, but non stick coatings are not supposed to be used above about 500F. For 20 years the only wok we had was a non-stick 14", and I would use it not knowing any better.

[RobertC]

This is exactly right, and the reason why I'm not really fond of it as a coating for a wok.

BTW, I use cast iron on my induction stove, and for 20 years before that we had a conventional electric with a smooth top. Those surfaces are pretty tough.

[FireMan]

14” carbon steel not 13, it matters. I just cooked a four course (8 batch) meal for 9 on a friends glass lectric dothingy. Everything worked out just as if I were at home.

[Bkhuna]

Buy one of those portable butane burners that are sold in just about every Asian market.
Having the ability to precisely control the flame is very important in Wok cooking and electric burners just don't cut it.

Amazon sells every configuration you could ever need. I've been using Iwatani burners for close to 40 years.

[Dan Deter]

I use a flat bottomed wok on a glass top stove all the time. I probably don't have the best wok skills but the family likes what comes out. In my case the big burner is a 3-ring burner, the bottom of the wok covers the inner most only, and when I use it I turn on the entire thing so there's extra heat coming up towards the sides, like if there was a flame coming around it.

[Spinaker]

Use your Weber Kettle for a wok. It works great. Plenty of heat and it keeps the messy process outside.

Or if you really want to use that stove top, buy the Lodge Wok. It has a flat bottom designed for flat stove tops. These work well. I have all of them. They also work great for frying on the stove top. The splattering oil is caught by the shape of the wok and it runs back down in the the oil. I love these. Aaaaand you can also use this on your gasser or Kettle too!

[RichieB]

Thanks Spinaker. I didn't think Lodge. Based on my experience with their products I don't believe that you can go wrong. It's at Amazon for $50, Lodge direct $70 plus shipping. It's in the wish list and I'm leaning to it.

[Spinaker]

It is a great item. You will be happy with it. And being that it is cast iron, it will help retain the heat while frying.

[acorgihouse]

I also have the cast iron flat bottomed, and use it both on my "glass top" induction stove, and on my grill. I have an enameled cast iron paella pan that works well on both, too. BTW, I always check Etsy for interesting pans and pots, it's another decent source.

[Attjack]

I too was going to suggest a flat-bottomed cast iron wok. I have 2 large ones and 2 small ones. That said, I can't wait to stop using the large ones. I want to be able to pick up and toss the food around.

[Spinaker]

Yeah, that is one drawback for sure.

[RichieB]

Yes, that was an afterthoughts. The Lodges weight is close to 13#. No handle to flip. I'm back to the Wok Shop for now.

[RichieB]

Anyone who has, do you know how much it weights. There is nothing I can find on their website. Sceen shot did not capture, it's the 14".

[FireMan]

3.94 lbs.

[fzxdoc]

Mine weighs 3lbs 13 oz without the lid or inserts, RichieB .

ETA: we were posting at about the same time, FireMan . I'm in good company!

K.