Definitive Guide on How to Use Round Bottom Wok on Electric Stove

Have you noticed the ever-changing trend of cooking ranges in your kitchen? With an introduction of a new design or modification to ease your cooking.  These changes, however helpful, at some point, require you to buy a new cooking appliance to catch up.

The round bottom wok is one of the appliances that have maintained its position in our kitchen. Initially used in gas stoves, which came with grills. So, you might be asking if you can use this type of wok on an electric stove.

In this article, you will learn how to use the round bottom wok on the electric stove. But firstly, let’s get a quick overview of this work and how to prepare it for use.

Let’s get into it.

What is a round bottom wok?

A round bottom wok is a thin-walled carbon steel or cast iron cooking pan, in a bowl shape with handles. Originating from China, this versatile cooking pan is now used all over the world in Chinese-style cooking. Its round bottom concentrates heat, hence faster cooking with little cooking oil.

The round bottom wok has some advantages such as:

• They don’t wrap
• Wok ladles and spatula work better on the round bottom wok
• Ease in stir-frying

When you buy a round bottom wok, it comes with some oil and dust from the stores. You will need to quickly clean it with mild soapy water, then season it for first-time use. The step-by-step procedure below gives an illustration of how to season it.

How to season a round bottom wok for first-time use

1. After washing it with soapy water, the towel dries it and then put on the stove.
2. Set your stove to the highest heat, and have a towel or a heatproof kitchen mitt
3. The industrial impurities from the wok will burn off. Tilt the wok to intensively heat one area after the other. You will notice the interior surface turn into a black and blue color as the carbon steel heats.
4. You will then turn off your stove and set your heated wok on the stove. Pour a cup of clean water into the wok to cool it off. Take caution against the hot splashing water that will come from the wok.
5. After cooling, using a scrubber and detergent, scrub the wok to clean the wok’s interior to a satisfactory level. You will then rinse it with cool, clean water.
6. When done, wipe excess water off the wok using a paper towel, then place the wok back on the stove to dry.
7. After drying, put a tablespoonful of cooking oil on the wok. While on low heat, tilt the wok to uniformly spread the oil on the surface.
8. Turn off the stove and wipe the surface using a folded paper towel. Since the wok will be hot, use a spatula while wiping until it cools off. Wipe the surface until it is clean. After that, your round-bottomed wok will be ready for first-time use.

Now that you have read how to prepare your work for first-time use, how do you use it on an electric stove with its round bottom?

How to use Round Bottom Wok on an Electric stove

Unlike the gas stove that comes with a burning grill, the electric stove has a flat cooking surface. And while the wok has a wobbly round bottom, you can use a wok ring on the electric stove burner area.

If you have a round-bottomed wok, you can use a wok ring. The ring flattens out the round-bottomed wok and allows it to sit flat. However, the ring puts a few inches between the wok and the heating surface.

To efficiently use the round bottom wok on an electric stove, use the following steps:

Step 1: Place your wok on the burner then turn on

Start with your wok ring on an electric burner. Place the wok on top and check to ensure that it’s sturdy. For effective heating, let the ring lift the round-bottomed wok by no more than an inch.

Step 2: Preheat

Let the wok preheat on the burner for around 10 minutes before adding either food or oil.  At this point, the wok will be slightly smoking.

Not that the preheating is essential whether on cast iron or carbon steel woks. The reason is, that on sudden temperature changes, the carbon steel wok may wrap, while cast iron ones can crack.

Step 3: Add cooking oil, heat, and then stir fry

After the wok is properly heated, add cold oil to the wok then lift and swirl for uniform coating. When ready you will hear it sizzle, you can now start cooking.

Things to consider when Choosing a Wok for Electric Stove

The following are factors to consider when choosing a wok for an electric stove

• Material

Woks come in either carbon steel or cast iron. Carbon steel is the better option for use on an electric stove compared to cast iron. The carbon steel transfers the heat of the electric stove faster and better.

• Shape

The work shape is one factor you must consider, a round-bottomed one, despite having advantages such as ease of mixing, hampers the heat from spreading evenly.  On the other hand, the flat-bottomed comes too shallow

• Handle

Woks come with two metallic loop-type handles or one small handle and a long wooden one. The handles stay cool for convenience when in use. So, if you don’t want to use a potholder, go for wok pots with convenient handles.

• Size

Woks come in 10-inch to 14-inch in size., the flat bottomed one comes with a 5-inch depth. So, depending on your use, you should consider the size when getting a wok.

Conclusion

To wrap up this article, a round bottom wok however wobbly on a flat surface, you can use on an electric stovetop. It has a center of gravity that prevents it from tipping over unless mishandled. But, to make cooking on a flat surface using a round bottom wok, you can use the wok ring.

With this, you will find that with its wicked heat distribution, even the hardest veggies are never undercooked. Remember that you should take care of your work for long use.