The wok is known as an integral part for cooking Asian dishes. A person, who is interested in cooking, whether he is a chef, or housewife, will find a wok as an amazing tool as it is very useful for frying, sautéing, braising, steaming, stir-frying, etc. Well, it’s a burning question “can you use a wok on an electric stove as gas stove is not available everywhere?”
If you are thinking that you can’t use a wok on an electric stove then you are absolutely wrong! In fact using a wok on electric stove is quiet easy if you are aware of the whole procedure and adjustment needed to be done to cook on an electric stove.
Here are some frequently asked questions about ‘can you use a wok on an electric stove?’ Which this article is going to reply.
How do you cook a wok on an electric stove:
Wok, a cooking utensil which has a deep rounded/flat bottom serving the purpose of the stir-fry. Depending on the surfaces of cooking types, you’ll be using, there are countless wok sizes, shapes and material options available on the market such as:
- Flat bottom woks
- Round bottom woks
- Carbon steel wok
- Cast iron wok
- Stainless steel wok
- Aluminum Wok
- Cantonese and Mandarin wok
- Ceramic wok
- Copper wok
For better heat conduction on electric stove, you can use flat bottomed wok but while using rounded one, you must need a wok ring. There are several steps for cooking on electric stove which you just can’t avoid, like:
* Place the wok ring on the burner if you are using a rounded wok and if not then place the wok on the burner before turning it on as it will prevent the wok from sticking with the burner.
* Before adding oil it is necessary to make the temperature of the stove high in order to warm-up the wok.
* Now it’s time to add oil and try to rotate the wok a little bit so the oil touches the whole surface of the wok properly
* Mix your food with the oil and keep stirring/frying until the dish is cooked fully. Try to keep your food moving continuously to prevent burning.
* Wash your wok after using but make sure it is cooled down to use next time.
Is it worth using a wok on electric stove?
The answer of this question is quiet tricky. The answer goes like if you have an electric stove then it is necessary to buy a flat bottomed wok or a rounded bottom wok with a ring. Woks work better on natural gas stove as the cooking will be faster
While using a ring, the difference of the wok and the stove will be higher than the wok without ring. So, it will take a long time to heat up. But a wok on an electric stove is usable at outdoor as there will be shortage of natural gas.
However, a carbon steel wok works better than a cast iron wok on an electric stove. If you are confused about this then here is the comparison for you
* Carbon steel wok vs. cast iron wok:
Cast iron wok and carbon steel wok both can he used on electric coil stove. But cast iron wok is much durable than the former one. Carbon steel wok quickly becomes warm/hot, but it loses heat faster. On the contrary, cast iron wok comparatively takes much time to be heated up but the temperature is long lasting thus it helps to cook your food faster. It also keeps the food warmer for a longer time. So, while using an electric stove, carbon steel wok is a better option as it gets quickly warmer. While if you have natural gas-stove, then cast iron wok is preferable as there will be need of higher heat.
* Flat bottom wok vs round bottom wok
In terms of using an electric stove, flat bottom wok is appropriate as the surface of the burner easily touches the surface of the pan. While using a round bottom pan, you will need a wok-ring which is an extra expense.
8 best woks according to kitchen experts and reviewers:
Best Overall Wok: Calphalon signature 12 inches wok.
Best Value Wok: Joyce Chen classic series nonstick 14 inches wok.
Most Versatile Wok: Hex-clad 12 inches wok.
Best Carbon Steel Wok: Made in blue carbon steel wok.
Best Non-traditional Wok: Anolon 12 inches Ultimate Pan.
Best Nonstick Wok: Scanpan Classic 12.5 inches wok.
Best Cast Iron Wok: Staub Perfect Pan.
Best Electric Wok: Breville Stainless steel electric wok.
- Usefulness of the wok: woks have become a common kitchen necessity. It is a healthier way to cook food. It uses less oil and allows food to land back in the pan instead of the stove during the stir-fry. It spreads heat more evenly that makes cooking faster.
- Easy Cooking: the wok isn’t just one of the most ancient kitchen tools; it’s also one of the easiest. You need to dump ingredients into a pan and stir fry. If you can use your wok properly, it can bring your food on the table in minutes.
- Multitasker: a wok can be a versatile cooking tool as it is used in many ways like, steaming, sautéing, deep-frying, etc. that’s why there is no need to use so many utensils and thus it’s easier to clean up your kitchen.
- Healthier Food: there is a saying that “health is wealth” and healthy food and diet are a must have for anyone. Woks have the advantage of cooking with less oil, making the food healthier and easier to digest. You can keep the crisp texture of the food maintained by preparing the dish in less time.
- Amazing Taste of Food: By cooking in a wok, the metal pores open, and the fat you are cooking absorbs in. That’s why it gives an amazing taste to the food. However, overcooking can cause food to lose its original flavors and sometimes even lead to its destruction.
- Cheap in Budget: woks are very cheap and user-friendly. We can get woks online at a very cheap price. There are a variety of woks which is suitable to every budget. High-quality woks are also available that are pretty affordable. But Electric woks are quiet expensive.
- More quantity of food: having high edges, it gives higher accessibility of cooking food. High-quality woks are also available that are pretty affordable. This allows you to cook more of your food and enjoy leftovers the next day.
- Opportunity to cook all Asian dishes: almost all traditional eastern cuisine dishes can be cooked in the wok.
In fine, we can summarize by saying that if you have an electric stove then it is not mandatory to buy a wok. Wok works better on gas stove as it needs extreme heat to get warm and there will be electric bill expense. But if you don’t have gas stove then you can go for the electric stove and you can use a wok on it. There are various steps you need to follow which mentioned above to get the best results.
What kind of electric stove best for a wok?
There are mainly two types of electric stoves namely glass-top stove and coil stove.
Coil Top Stove
Coil-top stove is applicable for flat bottomed wok as you can place it directly on the top of heating coils and it won’t move here and there. It will stay secure thus there will be no chances of any kind of mess and injuries like burning and all. But this kind of stove is not applicable for rounded bottom woks as it won’t seat on the heating coils properly.
On this kind of stove, you can use carbon steel wok as coil stove can easily handle the weight of these woks.
Glass Top Stove
It is usable for flat bottomed woks as this kind of stove is made of ceramic and mixtures of glasses making the surface of the stove well-ordered, shiny and easy to clean. But it is easily much more breakable than coil-top stove. If you put a wok with heavy weight on the glass stove, it may break it as this stove can’t handle too much physical force
On the other hand, carbon steel woks are light weight but it may give the stove scratches which are not removable. So, cast iron wok can be used on glass-top stove as it is not that much heavy.
Also Like It: Can You Use a Wok as a Slow Cooker?
Final verdict :
After all the comparisons, we can say that a coil-top stove is best for woks than a glass-top stove to get more fruitful results.
I hope you got all the answers to your queries regarding the topic “can you use a wok on an electric stove” after reading this article of mine!