As Asian cuisine has grown in popularity, more people have become interested in making stir-fries and other dishes that require fast, high heat at home rather than getting it in restaurants. Cooking Asian food well requires a gas wok burner. These are high-powered, gas-fueled cooking burners. They come in two main types — stove-top and standalone — and can be identified by their large size, high heat output and the types of food that they are best suited to cooking.
The first identifying feature of a gas wok burner is its large size. A normal home cook-top gas burner is small enough to accommodate a wide variety of cookware, from small saucepans to large stockpots, but a gas wok burner is specifically designed to accommodate the large bottom of wok. Burners for woks come in a variety of sizes, depending on the region. The average in many countries is about 19 inches (48.3 cm) in diameter, and in Asia, they can be even larger.
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Gas wok burners also produce larger flames and a higher heat output than standard cook-top gas burners. Some cooking enthusiasts consider watching an expert use a wok burner to be entertaining. In fact, many Asian restaurants position the wok station within the patrons' view. As would be expected with a large flame, wok burners have a higher thermal output than home gas burners — sometimes 10 times as much.
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There are two main types of gas wok burners. One is the commercial type, which is almost always built into the cook-tops used in professional kitchens. The other type of gas wok burner has two subtypes: range-based and standalone. Range-based models are built into high-end stoves and are intended for use inside the home. A standalone gas wok burner uses a bottled gas such as propane and is designed for outdoor use.
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A final characteristic of a gas wok burner is the specific use for which it is designed. A wok burner produces so much heat that it is not suitable for long, slow-cooking dishes such as soups and stews. This type of burner works best for frying, stir-frying or other tasks that demand quick cooking. Some food enthusiasts who own the outdoor type of wok burner report that it takes a mere three minutes to prepare an entire stir-fry meal. That is why stir-fry recipes usually call for getting all of the preparation work done before cooking begins.