A wok is one of my favorite ways to cook, I even use a wok to cook my sausage and peppers for pizza and for a ton of other things. I may have to replace my stove as the oven is screwed up after using the self clean and wont heat above 375 and was considering a unit with a induction top. I am curious as to power consumption on the indiction units. I have been using a electric wok for a few years so I may get one of the induction units with a flat bottom wok and see how it goes. I like the size of the units so I can grab it when I go to a friends house to cook and probably save on their power bill and mine.

I have a twin burner 30K per burner stove outside but it sucks in the summer to cook outside in Arizona so this may be a good option for me. I would like the option of using cast iron again inside and since it is more than I want to pay to install a gas stove induction may work for me. 

Any equipment from Adcraft is low end. (Remember saying: You get what you pay for) Adcrafts warranty is usually crap. And knowing them they will change the unit  a year from know, when a small part WILL break. You will be S.O.L. because wang chung redesigned the unit.

I am wondering: how long have you now had the induction wok hob and do you still like it?  Does it seem to fit well "standard" 14"  woks such as sold by the wok shop in San Francisco?

Also, are you convinced that the amount of heat transferred to the bottom of a round bottom wok is greater than when using a 12,000 or 15,000 btu gas stove burner with a wok ring?

Any new comments on your experience would be appreciated.

Solvang Papa from California

It's been almost year since you purchased the Adcraft induction cooker.  Is it still working?  How is the performance?

phatch, I am so on the fence about picking this Adcraft unit up...! I have been obsessed with stir-frying for a few years now, and have tested and seasoned over 18 woks in the last 3 years, using them over many heat sources. I have an outdoor propane wok burner that can get up to 50K, but I generally use it around 20K or even a tad less (otherwise it just continually burns the seasoning away, and over chars foods. Chinese restaurants with 150K wok burners go through carbon steel woks in under 6 months as not only does the seasoning rarely stay on, but the steel literally melts in internal form and can't hold the wok shape anymore. They also don't do the entire stir-fry at these temps, only at certain times, controlling the fire intensity with a knee or foot control.)

I've also used flat bottomed woks on electric coils (average for 8" electric coil elements is 6,000 btu's--but most woks only have under 6" of surface that actually touches the element), and was surprised how hot the flat bottom can get—to where the seasoning is starting to burn off the flat area in contact with the coiled element, and foods will char if you don't keep the food moving. It's decent, but you can only cook for 2 people at most and must watch over-loading the wok. But like you, phatch, I find flat bottom woks not nearly as much fun and fluid as a Cantonese round bottomed wok (not a big fan either of the more oval silhouette of the Mandarin style's round bottom, or POW wok).

I've also used a high power 15,000 btu Iwatani butane burner with very good results on round bottoms, but again, only for 2 people and you must watch overloading, and the butane cartridges are a royal pain...!

I've measured temperatures of all these woks over these burners and stoves with my infrared laser thermometer gun, and find the best results when the bottom of the wok is starting to smoke nicely and the temp at the bottom is around 550F-600F. Ideally this happens within 30 seconds (propane wok burner, Iwatani, and flat bottomed over heated up electric coils). With my experiments with round bottoms over wok rings over electrical coils, getting over 500F and to smoking takes closer to a minute, and one must be particularly careful about bringing the temp down too much with overloading.

The Adcraft looks so ideal—just plug in and GO—and if it works for a decent hot temperature (up to temp and smoking in under 30 seconds) in a 14" wok with enough food for 2 people (3/4 lb. meat, 2-3 cups veggies), I think it would work around here and even become beloved (to cook indoors!) But I am just petrified of spending yet more on this obsession and being really let-down...!

I hope this post gives some idea of what I am used to and looking for and if you can comment on what I might expect, phatch, with this unit in regards to my experience...

I have a cast iron wok that we use on our current gas range.  Do you think an induction unit could handle such a heavy piece being on it?

I can't think of any American made round bottomed cast irons woks (as the Lodge doesn't count as truly round bottom). Do you have a thin walled Chinese made cast iron wok?  (the kind that looks real rough and hand made) I would think these would fit ideally into a curved induction unit, and they are almost as light as carbon steel woks...

The bottom is a cast iron ring that makes for a flat bottom.  I think it is the http://www.peppercorn.com/cookware.html?sq=cast iron wok

The bottom is a flat circular shape.

You can certainly buy the Cantonese thin walled cast iron woks from Eleanor, but it's a VERY expensive option (sweet as she is!)

If you leave near a Chinatown you can get these same woks for under or around $10.00. If you don't leave near a cheap Chinese outlet, you get still get them reasonably priced at the wokshop.com (like $16.00, plus shipping). Either way they are cheaper than from Eleanor, though she does do the initial seasoning on her woks (which is not hard—bake with a thin coat of peanut oil in the oven at 450F until smoking stops, around 30 minutes, repeat once more, and then stir fry some scallions and ginger in the wok at medium-high heat, smearing the veggies into the wok sides and bottom, until charred, wipe out with a paper towel, and viola, wok is initially seasoned and you're ready to go...

The wokshop offerings are here:

http://www.wokshop.com/store/detail.php?show=47