2

My Condo only has an electric stove, an no gas lines. I was looking to get a portable propane burner for a wok, so that I could effectively cook (I use it daily). Is this something that is safe to do inside? I've seen things like this use professionally, but as I do it personally and for family, I wanted to be sure the danger wasn't unreasonable for a non-professional chef

BrotherTito
  • 21
  • 2

3 Answers3

3

It can be safe - people use gas burning stoves inside on a regular basis.

The one thing you must do is ensure that there is adequate air-flow in your kitchen so as to prevent the build-up of carbon monoxide. This is as simple as leaving a window partially open when cooking.

Another concern would be how stable one of these is on your bench/work surface. Placing a large pan on top of a small foot-print stove will make it decidedly top heavy, so you should get one that is either low and flat (much like a regular cooking stove in a kitchen; e.g. this one) or one with feet that limit the movement/tipping capacity (e.g. this one). I have no affiliation with either product and make no claims about their ability to cook things, other than that MSR is a reliable outdoors brand. After all, you don't want your cooker to tip over and set your kitchen on fire or cause you to get burned from the hot food/pan and/or from the flame.

bob1
  • 12,979
  • 21
  • 49
1

It is unlikely that a portable propane wok burner is safe for you to use inside. Portable propane burners are ones similar to this model, or one of these. They are high-powered burners that produce a lot of exhaust, and as such can only be used outside or with restaurant-grade ventilation.

However, portable butane wok burners, like this one, are designed to be used indoors. They require only an open window, or a regular consumer-grade stove hood, or honestly just a drafty apartment, as ventilation to use. I have an Iwatani myself, that I use for wok-frying.

FuzzyChef
  • 58,085
  • 18
  • 142
  • 218
  • Most camping portable burners run on either methane (large tanks) or propane (canisters) in my experience - including the one linked in my answer. They will be suitable for small woks, though probably need the flat-bottomed ones rather than a full arc. – bob1 Nov 13 '20 at 08:06
  • Yeah, but who wants to use a camp stove at home? Stoves designed for the countertop are much more useful. – FuzzyChef Nov 13 '20 at 17:25
  • And ... most of the time when someone says "propane wok stove" they're referring to one of the high-power burners. At least, in North America and Western Europe; it's possible that other kinds of propane stoves are more common elsewhere. – FuzzyChef Nov 13 '20 at 17:27
0

I've got a gas stove in my apartment but the BTUs it puts out cannot match a full on restaurant quality wok needed to get that signature 'Wok Hei' smoky flavour (Cantonese transliteration: 'Wok Breath')

I've used a propane torch as a cheap hack to get that authentic flavour alongside a carbon steel wok as described here:

https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/02/hei-now-youre-a-wok-star-a-fiery-hack-for-stir-frying-at-home.html

For minimal equipment required, this hack works surprising well

Jay Sidri
  • 179
  • 1
  • 3