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Portable induction hobs are mostly crap. They're nice if you don't need any real control over temperature, as most of them only have ten power settings. A lot of them (like the NuWave "Precision" Induction Cooktop) like to market themselves as super-accurate models with a lot of control. They aren't. That may not be an issue for you, depending on how you want to use it. I liked my cheap model for boiling big pots much faster than my crappy rental-house gas ranges. But when I used it with a pressure cooker, it would either vent out too much or, if I turned it down a power level, eventually depressurize. The problem is that the burner couldn't maintain a simmer; it was either at a full-on boil or just about to break into a simmer. There was no in-between. For my purposes, that was fine. It was also nice for going outside and searing meat at very high temperatures. Higher-end induction hobs like the Vollrath Mirage Pro or the Cooktek units are much, much better. But they also cost a lot more. I have a Mirage Pro now and am very happy with it. I don't know that I'd buy another cheap model again (they're all basically the same) unless I had some specific tasks in mind (like operating a catering business or cooking at locations outside my actual kitchen). Higher-end induction cooktops are a joy to use though. And you don't need the makeup air required by big gas burners. Flat bottomed woks are sad, as Chromedome points out. In light of that observation, might I suggest that you go with an induction cooktop but also invest in a 50K-100K propane wok burner to use outdoors? They are relatively inexpensive, pump out massive heat, and you can keep using your round-bottomed wok. That's the strategy I've adopted; haven't pulled the trigger on the wok burner yet, but it's definitely on my list.

I've got the quintessential cheap-and-disposable single induction hob, a low-end Salton that goes up to 1800 watts. My father passed it along to me when he upgraded, and I've only just recently started to play with it. As it happens, my flat-bottomed wok was one of the first things I used with it. It heats very well, and in my case I mostly use it screaming-hot for stir fries so I don't need a lot of fine temperature control. So I'd say it's a "go," from that perspective. Bear in mind that a flat-bottomed wok can warp, like any other pan, and become less usable over time on the induction hob. My main issue is that I just plain hate working with a flat-bottomed wok. To me, it's not a wok at all but a goofy frying pan with a high sides. I've been looking for a "real" wok with a rounded bottom, but they're not easy to find in small-town Atlantic Canada. I have a small single-burner butane stove (this one), which can be used indoors as long as you've got even modest ventilation, and I plan to use that for work cookery once I find a replacement wok. In limited experimentation, I'm pretty pleased with the little induction hob. It brought 2 cups of water to a full rolling boil in 2 minutes and 20 seconds, while the same quantity of water in the same pot took 5 minutes and 30 seconds on my conventional electric range (ceramic cooktop). As always, YMMV.

Have induction and love it but would never consider it adequate for wok cooking. Would love the freedom type but find this regular (zoned) perfectly adequate for me (a singleton).

A few years ago I bought a Capital Culinarian range and loved it - especially the 25,000 BTU burners and wok ring. I did not, however, like the gas oven much for baking bread. I left the range behind when I moved and am now ready to do a remodel of a new home. I always figured I would buy a Culinarian rangetop and go with electric wall oven....but when you factor in the need for a powerful hood and new requirements for Make Up Air Units my 30" range starts getting spendy -- 5 grand probably w/o cost of oven. I'm thinking I should consider induction. What I see as pros: Most of my cookware is either All Clad or cast iron so that's not really an issue. Living in a hotter climate now Ease of cleaning Can get comparable BTU power as Culinarian (I think). The biggest con for me is not being able to use my terrific round bottomed, well-seasoned wok. I know there are flat bottomed woks available for cooking on induction but do they work well? Is there another option for wok cooking I should consider? For those of you who have induction, do you have the "freedom zone" type unit or wish you did?

More shishito peppers, fresh picked, wok blistered. Grab them by the stem, touch the tip in sea salt, just a few grains, and eat all, but them stem. HC

Most of the family have gone home...only daughter and s-i-l here - a quieter supper for the four of us. Pulled out some beef tenderloin, sliced up, seasoned with frajita seasonings. Cooked up in my cast iron wok. Fixings were prepare beforehand. Wraps were commercial low carb.

In an effort to redeem last night's dinner failure, if only to myself, I fell back on an old favourite tonight. Lemon Pork. Cubed pork tenderloin marinaded for hours (preferably overnight) with olive oil, zest of half a lemon, juice of the whole lemon, chilli flakes, crushed coriander seeds, sea salt, black pepper and garlic. The whole lot is poured into a skillet or pan (I used a wok) and cooked until the pork is done. ( I test one lump to be sure.) Served with a tomato and onion salad which my crack team of photographers (i.e me and a cellphone) forgot to capture. Still, I guess you've seen a salad before. Use your imagination!

Just get some vintage cast iron with machined smooth finish. My Wagners are as nonstick as any PTFE or anodized aluminum. Same as my cast iron wok.

Today's lunch. Fried yellowtail fish (Don't ask me which of the hundreds of varieties of fish which are called "yellowtail".) With just salt and black pepper and, as you can see, lemon. Served with home-made bread and butter. Last time I did these fish, I deep fried them because I had to hand a wok full of clean enough oil (only used once for a plate of chips/fries). This time I shallow fried them. I think I'll go back to the deep frying. I did buy another 9 later in the day and will gut and de-gill then pop them into the time machine.

I am thinking of radically changing my cooking layout, and am thinking of using the miele 15" gas wok burner as the centerpiece. I do a lot of wok cooking, but my GE 36" cooktop is not great for this application. I am concerned about flame shape: I really want this to be a focused flame suitable for woks, as a contrast to the unusable wide ring of flame that my existing stove puts out. The GE measures a lot of BTUs, but since the flames shoot out rather than up, only the widest pans capture all of the heat, and this flame pattern is the opposite of the focused heat at the bottom of the wok that you want for proper wokking. Does anyone have the Miele? Can you take a picture of the flame pattern with a wok in place? Any other suggested burners? I am also curious about the wok-mon insert, but that remains kickstarter vaporware for now. Pre-orders only since 2014.

Still suffering from the result of my fall at the weekend, but I managed to stumble and stagger to the nearest supermarket this morning. It took me about three times longer than usual and every step was painful. But, at least, I managed. I couldn't yesterday. Thankfully, my angel friend J brought me some sustenance last night. Tonight, out of necessity, I kept it simple. A starter of salmon sashimi. Doesn't get any simpler. The supermarket I went to isn't my favourite by far, but they were able to provide a de-boned chicken breast and some button mushrooms. I cut the chicken into chunks and marinated those with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, garlic, chilli and potato starch. Browned them in the wok then added the mushrooms and some chicken stock from the freezer. Left to simmer while I cooked some rice. Finished with some "flowering" garlic chives. Was a lot better than I expected. There was some sauce which I added after taking the picture. Lubricated the rice nicely.

My local supermarkets have taken to selling these "steaks". Back in September, I tried one, as reported here. It was as bad as I expected. Yesterday, I noticed that they have helpfully put up a large sign informing their eager customers how to cook the things. Seems I did it all wrong. According the 8 step instructions I should: 1. Prepare all the ingredients. (Note: they don't tell you what those ingredients are) 2. Immerse the steak in Worcestershire Sauce, making sure the steak is completely submerged. Soak for at least half an hour. (Note: the supermarket does not sell Worcestershire sauce) 3. Place the steak on oiled tinfoil/aluminum foil and place in a preheated oven at 400F (204C) for 45 minutes. Note: a) No one has an oven. b) China, like almost all countries, uses Celcius. No one here would know what F is, but I love the precision of the conversion. 4. Boil an egg. 5. Cut broccoli into small pieces and slice shiitake mushrooms. Boil the broccoli with salt and seasonings and add a little oil to preserve the colour. 7. Heat a wok, add butter and fry the shiitake with garlic, salt and other seasonings. 8. Turn the steak over to avoid burning. Plate it. Serve with A1 sauce. Note: a) yes, the supermarket doesn't have A1 sauce. In fact, I've never seen it in China. b) what happened to the egg and vegetables? The final result. Looks wonderful. I'll get it right next time!

Having gone through three or four hotpot pans over the last few years and had them wear through and develop holes, I'm going to disagree. I have recycled a couple as plant pots - one is full of vigourously growing mint at the moment. Not so. Dry hot pots are very common. There is a recipe for one example here. The author of this recipe cooks it in a wok then transfers the finished dish to a serving plate, but I've never seen that done here in China. It is cooked and served in a regular hotpot pan on an induction heater or burner as normal . Hot pots, dry or wet, are mainly winter dishes and in unheated homes in the south (i.e. most) the food would be ice cold in minutes if re-plated without a heat source. Hot pots are pretty much the only way to get a hot meal in the worst of the winter, Hence their popularity.

If they are Chinese made as you seem to suggest, they will be thin steel. That's all I've ever seen here. Some people do, however, use a wok with their induction cooker or single burner.

Having been basically off my feet for the last few days, I was able to go up and downstairs yesterday to be driven to work. So, I now have access to continue the challenge of cooking through my freezer! Had picked up a package of drumsticks on sale at Safeway before Xmas, so we had Lemon-Rosemary grilled chicken legs for supper. Not having been to pick up fresh vegetables for a few days, it was stir-fried dregs from the fridge vegetable crisper. The new cast iron wok I have gets and stays super hot. Even with the broth added to the veg, and the fact that I couldn't get back to it quickly, the veg. had a "nice charred" flavour to it. Definitely NOT wok hei" but was edible.

Another clean-out-the-fridge breakfast. Materials at hand: half a bag of spinach, a container of mushrooms, two Poblano chiles, Serrano chiles, unlabeled sausage, partly-used cilantro, feta cheese, and eggs. Also had onions and garlic around. Roasted and peeled the Poblano chiles. Cubed and fried the sausage, and then poured off most of the drippings. Dry-fried mushrooms in the wok until they were done squeaking, and then sauteed with some of the sausage drippings. Sauteed onions, Serrano chiles, and garlic, and then cooked down the spinach. Added in Poblanos, mushrooms, and sausage, feta, and cilantro, and then scrambled in the eggs. A little Cholula for flavor. A satisfying breakfast, leaving lots more room in the fridge. Somehow the phrase "hive-mind" kept popping into my head.

Had time on my hands and feeling a bit nostalgic for food from my old restaurant menu, My brother just gave me a 14" pre-seasoned cast iron wok on sale at our local supermarket - $19.99, so I thought it'd be a good time to do a bit more seasoning by deep-frying. Made our Soo's (my family restaurant named after my dad) #17 - deep fried dry spareribs, then simmered the ribs in sweet & sour sauce for # 13. Eaten with cauliflower friend rice and some stir-fried broccoli. Satisfied the nostalgia but not the need to go back into the restaurant biz. New cast iron wok Soo's # 17 Deep fried Dr Spareribs Soo's #13 Sweet & Sour Spareribs Cauliflower Fried Rice

Thanks for the idea. I have an electric wok that I haven't used in so long I'm not even sure the plug fits in modern electric sockets. (Did I mention it was impossible to wash?) But I also have an old six quart Cuisinart pressure cooker that is otherwise useless because Cuisinart no longer makes spare parts. Maybe if I ever get an induction unit I will give this a try for frying.

I noticed that woot.com has a Breville RM-BEW600XL Hot Wok Silver for $79.99. It is a factory reconditioned model and the order is fulfilled by Amazon.com. Nothing I need but it may be of interest to someone here.

@rotuts thanks for the link but that is not the one. This is the one I am looking at. https://www.amazon.ca/Breville-BREBEW800XL-Hot-Wok-Pro/dp/B00BTZIPH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486149068&sr=8-1&keywords=Breville+hot+wok+pro @rotuts

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BEW600XL-Hot-Wok/dp/B0042RUPFC

I am thinking of buying one of these. This particular model has an 1800 watt heating element and according to the reviews on Amazon.ca, gets really hot. It also got good reviews there, 24 people gave it 5 stars, 2 gave it 4 stars. There were no other ratings. One of the reasons I would like one is that I can use it on my balcony to deep fry stuff. While I do occasionally deep fry in a pot on the stove, I don't like living with the smell of cooking oil afterwards. Does anyone have this particular model?

@Anna N indeed. but yoyve got the eG sweetheart Tiger ! Im waiting on the WorkPlace Cantina to deep-fry up some Calamari w lots of tentacles hoping the cantina got a # 27 DARTO as a Wok-Ish Item !

Amazon has the Flaxseed oil, several variants of it. I use it in the oven, light application, wipe, into hot oven for an hour, turn oven off, let cool. Repeat. Have done same on stove top and outside on the wok burner. In "Breath of a Wok" Young talks of final seasoning of a wok with Chinese onions or spring onions for luck. I need all the luck I can get in the kitchen so my last seasoning session I'll saute a qt or so of onions until carmalized. No defensible reason just my thing. The only time I've had flake offs was when I tried to shortcut the process and use to much oil at once. Don't do that anymore.

I don't know where they got their figures for flaxseed oil but that polyunsaturated percentage is really high, considering there is only 19% Oleic acid. Rice bran oil, which I have been using in recent years because of the high smoke point, has 38% Oleic acid, and that component is an important "drying factor" that promotes polymerization with heat. When a friend got one of the high output burners and a new wok last year, the vendor recommended he use rice bran oil and even gave him a small bottle to begin seasoning the wok. It's not cheat put I have found a little goes a long way. I use it in my baking a lot - in yeast breads where I want a fine, even crumb and this oil contributes to the quality I want.