I love Asian cooking and have been cooking with a wok at home for a long time. Recently a good friend of mind had decided he wanted to eat healthier and was looking to start making stir-fry dishes for him and his family. He asked me to help him find the best wok for him.
We found the Breville EW30XL to be the best option by far. He’s been using it for a few months now and loves it, and I’ve now got one myself. Read on to see why we rate this one the best, as do so many other people.
Breville EW30XL Electric Wok Review
It’s all about the heat
High heat levels are essential for stir frying. Unless you want your stir-fry to turn into a mushy soup of the day, you need high even heating. If you’ve ever seen a chef cooking in a traditional wok you’d have seen that it sits inside the flame. This produces a very high even heat.
There are some nice stovetop woks that can get this same degree of even heating, though not the same high temperature – have you seen those flames on a professional wok grill? If not – let me tell you they are huge! But you can still get it plenty hot on a home stove for a proper stirfry.
The biggest complaint with the electric woks is they don’t heat high enough and evenly to make a proper stir-fry. Not a problem with the Breville EW30XL – this wok has the heat you need to sear your foods right. No other electric wok comes close.
The heat is also very even across the cooking surface thanks to their unique butterfly element. The wok is also made of a heavy die-cast construction so that it retains heat, and saves energy which is another nice feature.
This alone makes this wok the best electric wok for sale, and it is worth every penny.
Non-Stick Surface – Dishwasher Safe – Easy Cleanup
The non-stick cooking surface on this wok is amazing. They call it Quantanium, it sounds like some sort of new undiscovered element, which I’m sure it’s not, but it does work great. Food doesn’t stick, and it makes cleaning out a breeze. A simple wipe down with a sponge is usually all you’ll need between cooking.
However it is dishwasher safe, so every so often you can break it down and give it a good thorough cleaning. The heating element is completely sealed so you can place it in the dishwasher or submerge it in a sink full of water for a good cleaning.
Now while non-stick surfaces are great, with most stir fry’s you’ll still have a need to add oil, I would try cooking without it. However it reduces the amount you need which means healthier meals.
One thing you may notice is a discoloration of the cooking surface after you’ve been using the wok for a while. This is normal when cooking at high heat. It won’t effect the performance or taste of your food.
One other thing to note about the EW30XL’s non stick surface is that they tout it as being scratch resistant, so much so you can even use metal utensils. Don’t do it, it’s not worth the risk of having the coating scratched or peeling off. In the manual they even stipulate that they are not responsible for damage if metal utensils or sharp objects are used. Stick with plastic.
Seasoning the wok
With most traditional woks you need to go through a pretty hearty seasoning process. With this non-stick surface, Breville does recommend you lightly grease the surface the first time you use it. After that you are good to go. Ease of use and maintenance is a big benefit for us so I really liked not having to season it.
Cooking Great Meals
With over 6qt capacity and a 14 inch diameter on the Breville EW30XL wok, it is the perfect size for most recipes you’ll find that server around 4 – 5 people. You can easily make a meal for the whole family.
Woks and Asian cooking is not all stir-fry’s. Which is why you’ll also love the wide range of temperatures and cooking settings you’ll find on this wok. From slow cooking and curries to deep frying and soups, you can cook just about any type of Asian dish you can think of in this wok…and plenty of western dishes as well. Thai curries are some of my favorites, and are very easy to prepare in the wok.
Take a look at the temperature chart below and the many different cooking options available to you.
Cook ‘n’ Look Glass Lid
The see through lid on the wok is a great feature you don’t find on traditional woks. It can be used when you are cooking stews, soups, or casseroles. Thai curries are some of my favorites, and are very easy to prepare in the wok thanks to the lid. The built in steam vent is great for releasing excess steam during slow cooking or when you are trying to reduce some liquids from your dishes.
Great warranty and customer service
This wok comes with a 1 year replacement warranty. This is a well built an reliable wok, hopefully this is something we’ll never have to use but it is nice to know that it is available. I did read plenty of other customer reviews before buying, and it was nice to see customers that did have issues found Breville great to work with, and they sent out a replacement wok at their expense when trouble did arise. I like a company that stands behind their product.
Wok Cooking Tips and Recipes
Definitely read the manual before you start cooking. There are a lot of tips and tricks listed that will make the difference between an OK meal and a great one. I won’t rehash them all here to save my already strained fingers from tapping any more excessively on the keyboard, just read them the manual and you’ll be glad you did.
They also include some recipes in the back of the manual for those just starting out. I can’t say that I’ve tried them or even glanced at them. I’ve got a couple of great Thai Cook Books that I love.
If you can’t tell by now, I am crazy about this wok. I don’t hesitate to recommend this to anyone and everyone looking to take the plunge.
Buy the Breville EW30XL at the best price
After much research, I’ve found that Amazon had the best price online for the Breville EW30XL electric wok. I’ve bought tons of stuff from them over the years and like that they stand behind their products and make customer service easy. Give them a look, they had a nice discount off list price when I bough mine.
To see the deals on Amazon click here - Breville EW30XL
