On 12/17/2010 11:50 PM, spamtrap1888 wrote:
> On Dec 17, 3:07 pm, "Pete > wrote:
>> sf wrote:
>>
>>> On Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:11:25 -0800 (PST), spamtrap1888
>>> > wrote:
>>
>>>> On Dec 17, 12:18 pm, "Pete > wrote:
>>>>> Brooklyn1 wrote:
>>
>>>>>> On Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:25:55 -0600, wrote:
>>
>>>>>>> I'm not much of a cook at all.... but one thing I do
>>>>>>> like is fried potatoes and stir fry type dishes
>>
>>>>>>> I have a nice skillet (probably too small) though.....
>>>>>>> but have wondered if maybe a wok is the better "tool"
>>>>>>> for me?
>>
>>>>>>> Can someone give this neophyte cook some advice on the
>>>>>>> advantages of wok vs BIG skillet?
>>
>>>>>> Big skillet wins... raw spuds is not something lends itself to stir
>>>>>> frying. I see no point to a wok unless one cooks very teeny
>>>>>> quantities or has a huge BTU gas burner. The vast majority of folks
>>>>>> who wok at home are just fooling themselves (ie. masturbating).
>>
>>>>> I agree, unless you have a high BTU burner (or cook over a wood or
>>>>> charcoal fire) you don't have enough heat input for a wok to function
>>>>> properly and you may as well use an ordinary large skillet.
>>
>>>> Hmm... should I go by this unsupported assertion, or rely on over
>>>> thirty years of personal experience stir-frying on ordinary gas
>>>> stoves?
>>
>>> They're from the "Tim, the Toolman, Taylor" school of thought.
>>
>> You'll find that same "unsupported" assertion from many professional
>> chefs and you'll find they all use woks on burners with much higher BTU
>> output than an "ordinary" gas stove.
>>
>
> Funnily enough, most Chinese meals are not cooked by professional
> chefs, but by home cooks. A typical wok burner puts out 4.5kW, or
> 15,350 BTU, easily achievable from any US range.

You seem to want to rearrange the question to fit your objection.

No one suggested that you can't use a wok to cook food on a "household"
burner. What was noted is that if want the extra flavor associated with
good restaurant wok cooking because of "wok hei" you aren't going to get
that on a household burner. If storage space/budget/whatever were
limited and if no high heat burner is available then skip the wok.