On 10/2/2021 at 6:51 AM, KennethT said:Thanks for this. I do a lot of wok cooking with induction - I have a flat bottomed carbon steel wok that I use with a mid-priced (about $350) high power (3500W) 240V induction unit. Like a few of the ones above (like the Avantco), it has 10 power levels - from 400W to 3500W. For many things, I find that I really would like more power levels - and with the thin carbon steel, I don't think I've ever stir fried at a power level greater than what it calls 1200W. Any more than that and things burn before you can move your hand from the control panel and lift your wok scoop. One of the issues with the mid priced burners is that to decrease the power from maximum, they just turn the max on and off - but it's not pulsed many times per second, it's pulsed like 2 seconds on, 2 seconds off or something like that. If I have a small amount of liquid in the bottom or frying something in a little bit of oil at 800W, you can see it boil (or fry) for a few seconds, then nothing, then it starts over. This burner also has a few hot spots that's no big deal when boiling large quantities of water, but is a big deal when stir frying with thin carbon steel.
I actually originally got this induction unit to bring large quantities of water to boil quickly, which it does well. I was planning to get a high power Vollrath as my main burner since it is adjustable in 1% increments from 1 to 100 with a knob, which they say makes it perform just like gas. And rather than just cycling on/off, it actually adjusts the power to the coil continuously and has a large expanded magnetic field so you can flip food and lift the wok/pan off for a second and it won't beep at you with an error message. I've just been waiting to save up a bit since it's kind of pricey. But I like the idea that I could potentially use it for my wok, but also with standard pots/pans, whereas the wok burner can only be used for woks.
I don't have much storage space (NYC kitchen) so it's not like I can have an extra burner that I only use occasionally - otherwise, I would definitely consider one of these wok burners. Who knows - once i get the Vollrath I may find that it doesn't do a super great job with the flat bottomed wok and will look at these also. The one thing I didn't like about the Sunpentown is that while it has 20 adjustment levels, it's lowest setting is 1300W, which may still be too high for some things...
Also take a look at the Hatco Rapide Cuisine series if you're considering Vollrath. The 1440W programmable model I have has the same 0-100% adjustments. At 0-9% it will pulse from 4-190W to regulate power. From 10-100% the wattage starts at 190, is continuous and can be adjusted precisely. The fan is very quiet and only turns on when needed, and there are no annoying beeps except for the timer. When you lift the pan, the LCD will display a flashing pan icon to indicate that induction has stopped, but you can carry on cooking the instant you set the pan back down.
I was also considering the Vollrath Mirage Pro, but I read some bad reviews regarding durability and issues with the lack of warranty coverage for residential use. The new Vollrath 4-series look very nice, but again there's no warranty coverage for residential use.
