Outdoor Stir Fry Stove - Frequent Asked Questions.

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Answer: I appreciate this feedback. My neighbor (an American), who has been using one of our sample stoves for a while now, also has the same comment. We are working hard coming up solution for this. So far we setup a table for all ingredients and have a tray of all spices. The table is setup besides the stove. We move all ingredients and the spice tray before starting the stove to cook. Some of our video demos show this arrangement.

Answer: We have plastic boxes which have tight covers. Once a dish is cooked, we put it into a box which would not give any smell to us, nor to flies. Occasionally, we have guests, then we put cooked foods to plates and then immediately transfer them to inside the house, thanks to extra hands available. One benefit is that our guests do not feel bored and start to feel helpful in terms of creating their own dinner. If you have kids around, you may be able to use this to ask help from them and have activity together.

Answer: We would view this as a good thing. My neighbor (an American) got to know it and starts to use the stove for his daily dinner now and loves to do away of all those oily smoke residue if he had to cook in their kitchen.

Answer: We would not deny this possibility. However, we would like to mention that a grill will do much worse, simply by considering meats are stuck on grill after being cooked. On the contrary, since a wok is bigger than the stove, it is hard for any meat or vegetable pieces to go inward to be stuck on the stove ring. Even let’s assume this happens, the stove will be able to dry the pieces pretty well because of high temperature during cooking. We have been putting our stove beside a bucket flower plant for a half year. All what we notice about is army of ants march up and down on the plant, instead on the stove. You can see the violet flower plant beside the stove on our long leg stove product picture (PowerFlamer PFL) on our web page http://www.OutdoorStirFry.com/products.htm. By the way, we never need to clean the stove since we built it half year ago. We simply let the heat do the work.

Answer: We agree that components from high pressure propane industry need to be improved. They are confusing to use. At the mean time, if we give ourselves some time to get familiar with the switch, it might help.

Answer: The power of the stove is adjustable. At its high end, it delivers 137,000BTU/hr (about 40kW). A regular kitchen electric stove is about 4kW. Of course, if the stove is adjusted to give minimum power, which we usually do before putting all ingredients on the wok, then it may not be as powerful as it is thought of. One of our sample stove goes to a Mom and Dad. Their first time cooked dishes were also raw. After getting used to the stove, they recover and start to make use of the extra power from the stove. One year later, their feedback is that they love the stove very much!

Answer: This concern has been expressed to us before and we are delaying coming up solution because the stove ring during cooking is fairly hot. Any electric wire is not be able to withstand that temperature. So far what we found is, since we need to adjust the regulator (red cap) anyway, lightening a lighter does not add that much work.

It is best used outdoor when your cooking may generate a lot of oily and spicy smoke (for example, deep fry and pepper dishes). Over years due to in-house stove limitation, people either refrain from cooking such delicious dishes by dining out in restaurants, or ends up massive cleaning of their stove top, exhaust fan and kitchen cabinet area.

It is again best used outdoor when you want to cook very healthy, green looking, fresh retaining, crispy, tasty stir fry dishes.

The powerful stove is built to suit for wok cooking. Its cooking (stir fry) is completely different from BBQ-ing. It is not suitable for BBQ. However, since most people have BBQ as their only outdoor cooking now, the outdoor stir fry stove provides an alternative way of living besides BBQ. It is our belief that outdoor stir fry produces healthier foods. Both stove and BBQ grill use the same propane tank. Thus outdoor stir fry and BBQ in fact complement each other.

17. He is looking for solution to replace his electric stove top with a gas one (He prefers more power and likes to use round bottom wok). However, He does not havel gas line to his kitchen. What can he do?

In fact a regular stand alone gas stove, such as a portable butane stove, is what he needs. If he worries too much that he has to stack up too many butane bottles (indeed he has to), then he may go buy a stand alone Chinese stove, such as those we see from flea market. Remember those stoves come with automatic ignition switch too, a feature he might be looking for. A few concerns here: he has to make sure that the stove will work with an American tank (the stove may not be designed to use propane gas, for example), gas consumption (stove efficiency) is acceptable to him, be safe in kitchen since the tank might be just outside of his oven.

18. Can OutdoorStirfry.com's stoves accommodate a flat bottom skillet (frying pan)?

If the diameter of the flat bottom of the skillet is less than 9" (inches), you can use a skillet to cook with our stove. However, there are several precautions: 1) although the skillet fits the wind guard of the stove, it may not as steady; 2). the skillet may leave some gap between the burner and you. The high pressure power flames may come close to your operating hand. This will results in instant burning; 3). Most available skillet on the market has a anti-stick coating which will not sustain high temperature cooking.

As stated in its best uses, the outdoor stir fry stove will enable a family to enjoy home style restaurant quality foods. The stove empowers its family ability to create new dish and meal with 10 times more power. This high power makes possible for healthier (vitamin retaining) food cooking. A general comparison is below among in-house stove, BBQ grill and this outdoor stir fry stove:

Brief Comparison Between In-House Stove Top, Outdoor BBQ and Outdoor Stirfry Stove

	In-House Stove Top	Outdoor BBQ Grill	Outdoor Stirfry Stove
Can it stir fry?	Yes	No without add on	Yes
Can it grill?	No	Yes	No
What is its power rating?	At most 14,000BTU/hr (4.1kW)	At most 14,000BTU/hr (4.1kW)	137,000BTU/hr (60kW)
Time to cook a regular dish?	10 minutes (600 seconds)	40 minutes	40 seconds
Result of your vegetable dish?	Soggy	Soggy	Crispy, fresh and tasty
Where are you and your family?	Inside the house	Outdoor	Can be outdoor
Can you cook smoky dish?	No (add cleaning life-time)	Yes	Inherent

20. Stove came in today but hose seems short. Can I send just the burner back for you to install a 4' hose?

The output heat is adjustable. The lowest is about 15,000 BTU/hr with conservative top of 137,000BTU/hr. Depend on availability, some of our stoves can reach 167kBTU/hr.

22. I would also like to use the unit to deep fry a turkey and boil lobster. Is it suitable for this as well (assuming I use the appropriate pot)?

This is a tough one. Usually frying a turkey is done with a tall pot. Since our stove wind guard is round (matching to a round bottom wok) without any slippery protection, it is tricky to set a tall pot with full boiled oil to maintain stability (usually backyard is windy). This is why most of southern deep turkey fry stoves are in low profile to maintain sturdiness. We do have a PowerFlamer PFS which is low profile. However no prevention against slippery is a still concern. With respect to boil lobster, if your pot is not high profile it should be fine. In summary, maintaining pot stability with our stove is the key if you are not using a round bottom wok. We will think of how to adapt our stove to southern cooking. Thank you for your questions.

A propane bottle typically lasts about 1.5 hours. And a 20lbs propane tank lasts about 9 months for 40 minutes cooking every week.

24. Can a PFS stove be used with a propane bottle? How much is the max BTU for a PFS?

PFS stove does not provide connection to a propane bottle. PFS can only be used to connect to a propane tank. PFCS can be used to connect to a propane bottle or a propane tank. Both PFS and PFCS can be adjusted to about 137,000BTU/hr maximum and down to about 15,000BTU/hr at their lowest.

25. I have an 18" round bottom wok, is that too big for your tall legged stove? What wok sizes are best for your stove? Is the wok you sell stainless steel, and how big?

18" round bottom wok should just work fine. The wok we are selling is stainless and about 14".

The stove puts out about 137kBTU/hr. We acquire burners from our vendor and this is the size we can get now.

We recommend stainless wok. The reason is ease of maintenance. Iorn wok is only better than stainless when the stove is not powerful enough. Since our stove provides powerful heat, there is no concern in heat transfer to stainless wok. You do not worry about getting rusty if you use stainless.

31. Is this stove legal? It sounds too powerful to use in the home, is there a regulation for this type of cooking?

We are not aware of any regulation against this kind of stoves inside a home. However, we do have a couple links on safety in using propane gas in general at http://www.outdoorstirfry.com/support.htm. If you find out any regulation, please let us know the link.

32. I will be using this with a van conversion and at home. I would like a full leg version and short leg version to use with 1lb propane and 20lb propane tanks. That is, at full height and table height. Do you have a configuration for this?

33. I don't have a shed and probably will leave this unit out on the patio. How rustproof is it? Do I have to get a separate cover to protect it from the elements?

It is the same as any grill product. If it sits under rain, eventually it will start to rust. In fact I just had an early morning rain here. This afternoon after I flip the burner upside down to pour out any water, it works as usual. The high temperature grill paint does not last for 2 years primarily because of the stove power. If you mind, you can clean off the cooking oil with Easy Off Oven Cleaner, then wire brush any remaining rust off the steel, then paint with the high temperature grill paint. However I do not care that much since I’m cooking in a wok, rusty wind guard does not affect my food. You might agree that rusty grill is an issue. Another way of protecting the stove from rusting is to put a 5-gallon plastic bucket upside down on top of the stove. Typically you can get a 5 gallon plastic bucket for a few dollars from your local hardware store. Although the bucket on top of the stove does not look nice, it is a practical approach.

34. I just ordered one of your PowerFlamer Home Backyard Stoves. It looks great! How often do you use yours?

Thank you for your order. We use it every weekend since two years ago. We cook all our meals using that stove. We do not have time to cook during weekdays. We just replaced our third tank of propane gas. After using it for while, please send us your feedback. Best Regards. (reply on April 5th, 2005)

Question: Hi, you got a very nice website. I'm looking for a HIGH BTU burner for my BBQ island. Regular side burners put out too little BTU. If I try to sit one of your high pressure stoves into the BBQ island, do you have any recommendation for the installation? How big the cutoff should it be? I assume the island is built with bricks/block concrete. Thanks.

Answer: Thank you for praising our web site. Our product page has dimensions for each product. For example, our PowerFlamer PF9S weighs about 8lbs, has height of about 13", leg base diameter of 13" and wok ring of 9". I would suggest to cut a hole of >13" (for example of 13.9") such that the legs can go in. Please also note that the burner sticks out on the side, you want to give room for it. This burner sticking out area should not be surrounded by your brick or stone since the area provides air for the burner power flame combustion.

thanks for the information. I'm going to make a cut-off in my BBQ island for this burner. I remember you mentioned that I only need 13.5 inch opening for the burner. Is that going to be enough? I know I need to put the burner high enough so that the back openings in the burner can 'breath'. Do you know if any other customers had done similar setup with the PowerFlamer?

Although the leg spacing is 13", I would not suggest a hole of less than 14" because the burner sticks out. If you are able to build a hole with bigger diameter at the bottom than the top, that would be perfect and your hole top diameter does not need to be >= 14". If you have a hole of >=13.5", then the PowerFlamer PF9CS windows should have enough room for exhaust, i.e., you can make you hole the same height as the stove. Let me know if I confuse you. We do have customers who use our PowerFlamer and EasyFlamer stoves in their built-in BBQ islands. When you complete your project, please send us some pictures of your setup.

37. Would you recommend the 13" versus 9"? Which one are you using in the video?

38. What's the difference between PF13L and the PF13CL? Is it that the PF13CL uses another regulator for small propane bottles?

39. I, like another person who wrote in, believe a handle on the wok would probably be a good idea. I think you should offer one like that, too.

If you order a 13” stove along with a wok, we know you need a bigger wok and will supply one that fits.

PF9L will only work with a 20lbs propane tank while additionally PF9CL can work with a throwaway propane bottle. PF9CL is easier to carry for light weight camping purpose. If you only look for home backyard cooking, PF9L is sufficient.

42. please tell me how to care for my cast iron ware. i washed my grandma's fry pan in the dish washer and it came out rusty. I'm not sure what i am supposed to do to restore it to the black shinny condition it was in before I washed it.

Hope above helps. In your case, since you already observe rust, you can bring it out and polish the rust off with a steel cleaning ball and water. Then follow step #2 above to store it away. Any moisture will bring back the rust.

In today's busy society, it might not be easy to maintain an iron ware. That's why we do not recommend using iron wok on our web site. Our stove products are powerful enough to compensate the inferior heat transfer of stainless wok as compared with an iron one. For a video please see here.

There is no difference of power between natural and propane gas stoves. Since energy per unit for natural gas is lower than propane gas, the volume you consume for the same power during same time for natural gas will be higher than propane. This is compensated by the price difference of these two gas types.

44. what i was trying to ask you is that you sell at least 3 stoves with different max BTU settings (50k,70k 130k) all for wok cooking. I am interested in the 9 inch ring model. what do i need to know to decide between the 3.

45. Although I don't want to be underpowered for stirfry, I'm concerned about how low the heat goes on the powerflame model. For example, I would like to use my wok to deep fry which is typically done at 350 degrees. On my gas range, I can adjust the heat to maintain a steady temperature at this level. Will the powerflamer be too hot at the low end to be able to maintain a 350 temp. for deep fry?

All our PowerFlamer series PF9x50, PF9x70, PF9x130, PF13x50, PF13x70 and PF13x130 can be adjusted to provide from zero to their maximum heat range. No only you can maintain one heat in the middle (for deep fry), but also you can do simmer (slow cooking) if you like.

46. Like to have a cover to cover up the burner of EasyFlamer stove when not using it.

You can use your wok upside down on the burner such that no dirt can get into the burner holes.

50. I purchased the outdoor stove with you sometime ago. I have used it multiple times with the throwaway propane bottles, and it worked just fine. However I am not able to connect it to the 20lbs propane tank. The end of the stove fits well with the propane bottles, but it doesn't connect to the tank. Can you please suggest a way to connect it to the propane tank?

You must have bought a configurable stove. You can detach the throwaway bottle connector by screwing it (it is shown on the picture on page 1 of attached installation guide, also on the web http://www.outdoorstirfry.com/SetupConfigurableStove.htm). Once unscrewed, the remaining connector is for 20 lbs propane tank connection. You can put the throwaway bottle connector back if you like to use bottle again.

We recommend up to 18", although some of our customers use bigger one. The stove is less stable when people use bigger wok.

We do not have any particular cook book in mind. However if you need recipes, our web site provides a lot from page http://www.outdoorstirfry.com/TOCRecipesTips.htm. In terms of cooking technique, you can make use of videos from our web site page http://www.outdoorstirfry.com/howtouse.htm.

If you place the stove directly on a table or deck, it is fine. We do not suggest any combustible material like paper, clothes underneath it.

54. I am planning to build simple shelter for the stove on my deck so that I can cook if even if it rains, which one of your stoves will be a good choice ?

If you need more power, use PowerFlamer stove which can be ignited by a BBQ igniter. IF you like ease of use, use EasyFlamer stove which comes with a electronic igniter.

55. The stove I bought, is it for outdoor use or in door use ? I have a outdoor barbecue stove connected to natural gas. But it looks like the connector to my barbecue stove is smaller than the connector on the stove I bought ? Is there I can use connector to my barbecue stove to connect to the stove I bought ?

The stove is for outdoor use. For natural gas stove we supply a 1/2" male pipe connector. If the connector is too big in diameter, it indicates that you might have a 3/8" natural gas pipe connector. You can either go to a hardware store

Hardware store also sells flexible natural gas connector. You might be able to find one that matches both ends. Let us know how it works out.

56. Given the different sizes 9, 11, 13 etc of the rings I am unsure about the wok sizes usable to the different ring sizes? Is there a diameter range for each?

We found that wok size 4 to 5 inches more than the stove ring diameter yields very good cooking result.

57. Is the EasyFlamer EF13LN50: High Power Long Leg Natural Gas Stove the same as the EasyFlamer EF13SN50: High Power Natural Gas Stove except that it comes with legs? Or are the 2 models different in some other way?

Both EF13LN50 and EF13SN50 are the same except that EF13LN50 comes with 3 long legs and their adaptors.

58. I am interested in purchasing - EasyFlamer EF11LN50WG: High Power Long Leg Natural Gas Stove with Wind Guard. I would like to know if it is easy to detach the legs and the wind guard. Also, I would like to know if you have some adapter for flat bottom frying pans. (I have 2 pans 10" & 11,5" diameters).

It is very easy to detach the legs and wind guard. You simply lift the stove off the wind guard. We stop selling adaptor for flat bottom cookware for our EasyFlamer stoves. The reason is that the EasyFlamer stove has 3 inner stands between the inner burner ring and the outer ring. Most of the flat pan (<7" in diameter) can just sit on them. In your case, your 10" and 11" pans would have to sit on the outer stands.

59. Hi, I just bought your burner online and am waiting for it. I've been looking at your other products and I'm wondering if they use compressed air or air intake valves to increase the power and efficiency of the flame by mixing propane and air (like a bunsen burner). Also, I'm wondering when you'll come out with the 160K BTU stoves in 9 inch diameter.

Both PowerFlamer and EasyFlamer stoves utilize Venturi effect for mixing gas and air. The amount of air intake depends on both the gas pressure and air shuttle position. High pressure gas tends to produce higher power by passing more gas at a given time. The burner we acquire at the present time would not make it possible for us to make a 9" 160KBTU stove.

60. I noticed that your powerflamer puts out 137btu, but I did not see it available in natural gas. It looks to me as if the natural gas easyflamer only puts out about 50btu. I was wondering if you had any natural gas models that put out higher heat. Thanks

Typically Natural Gas is a low pressure gas. IT would not deliver as much heat as a high pressure propane gas. You get natural gas from home gas supply pipe. You get propane gas typically from a bottle. It makes sense that if natural gas is as powerful as propane gas, then nobody would not be able to sell propane gas bottle anymore. Hope this answer your question.

61. Can I put this stove on the back of a boat as part of my outdoor cooking center, and as part of my LPG system (see set-up at http://tridentmarine.com/stage/lpg_diagram2.htm -- Please let me know if I can hook-up this unit to the stepped-down LPG system and how I should isolate the surroundings. Thanks

I took a look at the link you provided. Since your regulator provides low pressure gas, only our low pressure propane stoves (http://www.outdoorstirfry.com/ProductsPropaneGasEF.htm) would fit your system. If you are cooking under windy situation, you might want to consider a wind guard. Since the pilot of the stove uses underneath of the stove to ignite the rings, it is recommended not to use the stove indoor and material underneath of the stove can not be flammable. Since you have a regulator on the front, you can bypass the regulator that comes with the stove. Hope this helps.

62. I needed to know if the burner was made of steel, and what grade of steel: 304, 316, or 316L. This is for a marine application and I'm looking for the best possible grade of steel for the burner.

I check out steel grade 304, 316 and 316L. They are all stainless steel. Since our burners are of die-cast iron, they would be not meet your requirement if you are only looking for stainless stove.

No, you can connect to your residential natural gas line directly with EasyFlamer stove.

64. Hi, in describing the difference between the 50k BTU and the 70k stove you said the 50 offers more thermal protection for the propane tank; does that mean the 70k BTU stove is not as safe for the tank?

The PF9L50 has a connector which is claimed by its manufacturer that it can shut off at excessive temperature. This connector inherently limits the BTU output of the stove even at normal operation. The PF9L70 does not have this connector and can achieve higher output BTU.

65. when ordering, do I use the "add to shopping cart" device even if I want to pay be check?

Since you order through a check, you do not need to go through the on-line ordering process (do not use any ‘add to shopping cart’). Once the check is made, just mail it to:

OutdoorStirfry.com (We will provide address)

Once we receive your payment, we can ship out the products to you.

66. Is your company in the USA? if it is, do you have a show room?

We are in USA. We do not have a showroom. We try to provide as much detail as possible at our web site. If you do not see something, please let us know, we will do our best to make it available on-line;

67. Do you offer local distributor and/or repair service? What is the guarantee policy for this product?

We do not offer local distributor as of this writing. If you need repair or are not satisfied with our product, you can send it back to us; We will refund you if you return the product within 60 days of your payment.

68. Is it possible to get a powerflamer stove but with natural gas? I have an outdoor natural gas line and from what I've read, it seems that the easyflamer series may not have enough BTUs as I would prefer to be in the 70K - 100K range.

Our PowerFlamer product line uses high pressure gas. Natural gas is not high pressure. It is impossible to use PowerFlamer stove with natural gas.

69. I am trying to decide whether to buy your propane powerflamer or natural gas easy flamer stove. The easy flamer has the advantage that I could hook it up to my home natural gas line, and I wouldn't have to buy propane. I realize that it is not nearly as hot as the powerflamer, and was wondering if the heat difference makes a big difference in cooking quality. We have never cooked with a stove hotter than 16k btu; we do not know how difficult it would be to cook on a powerflamer stove. We also do not know if we would often use it at the high heats that the easy flamer does not produce (what do most people do?). We wondered what stove you would suggest, for ease of cooking and best food quality.

First thing to mention: all our stoves are for outdoor uses. If you have a natural gas line that can be extended to outside of your house, then EasyFlamer natural gas stove is applicable. Assume that your choice of propane and natural gas is valid, PowerFlamer stove might be a better choice for your situation. You only need to buy a propane tank every other 3-6 months. PowerFlamer stove provides much wider power adjustment for much better cooking experience. Its wind guard is also superb for all time outdoor cooking.

70. I was thinking of buying the PowerFlamer PF9L130 burner and I have a few question. Is it possible to ship to Europe? And are the propane tank and connecting device the same, so I can use it with a local propane tank.

We do have customers in Europe. Every European customer has this question about if the connector can fit their local propane tank and somehow solves this issue after receiving the unit. Here below are the thread pattern and dimension of the connector (actual shipped product might have slightly different look. However the thread and pattern should be same). Then you can look up to see if it fits your tank.

71. I'm interested in the EF natural gas stove. With the electronic ignition, do I need a outlet?

You do need to connect to a natural gas source. Usually natural gas comes in to the house in a pipe, then you need to have an outlet outside of your house. Our stove is outdoor only.

72. Once I receive the unit, I will will mount it within a very decorative "BBQ/Wok Island" on my patio. I will probably have a stainless steel "hood" or cover made to match the new BBQ/Grill so dirt and debris will not be an issue. Also, can the control & ignitor switch be mounted in such a way that it looks like a "Built-in"?

The ignition is an integral piece of the stove. We would imagine fairly hard to detach it and re-do all pipes and connection. However, the stove is about 2 feet long. You might be able to size your customized patio island such that the ignition just comes out right.

73. Which wok burner do you recommend? I notice the BTU ratings are different. I assume it would be better to go with the higher ratings 130-160? Are they easily adjustable, low, med, high? Also, the long leg burners, - do you have the option of taking the legs off?

At the end of our product selection guide http://www.outdoorstirfry.com/ProductSelectionGuide.htm. There is some general guideline on selecting the stoves.

The higher the BTU, the faster you can cook the dish. Or you can cook more with a bigger wok. Generally speaking PowerFlamer family stoves (except the PF13xx130EI) have better adjustment than the EasyFlamer ones. Yes, the long legs can be detached.

74. Do you know what fittings I will need to connect it to my natural gas line?

We supply a 3/8 male pipe connector at end of the hose. If your natural pipe diameter is different, you can go to any hardware store to buy different connector for it. We also can supply a quick connector at http://www.outdoorstirfry.com/ProductsAccessory.htm#Product_NaturalGasQuickConnect.

75. I've been looking all over for a wok stove that is affordable and multifunctional and your website has so many to choose from, I've become a bit overwhelmed. After looking through all your stoves it looks as if your PowerFlamer PF9CL70: long leg stove configurable for camping, home backyard, ground and table uses, is a really good choice. I do have a question two. Does the stove come with all the necessary connectors for using coleman style propane tanks and 20lb. propane tanks? What size and style wok would you recommend for this stove? (I'm used to 14" carbon steel, Iron/enamel, and cast iron woks). Your stoves make a fellow like myself want to go out in the 2 feet or so of snow we have had on the ground the past couple months to learn how to achieve that so elusive, at least on an indoor electric stove, wok hei.

Thanks for your comments. 1. the stove will come with the coleman style throw away bottle connector installed. The user guide will have instruction on how to detach for adapting to 20lb tank; 2. 14" wok is very appropriate for a PF9 stove.