Swapped my flat top for a wok station last month

I had to pick between keeping my flat top grill or adding a dedicated wok burner in the back line. I went with the wok station after seeing a guy at a dim sum spot in Seattle crank out 50 orders in 20 minutes. Has anyone else made a similar switch and regretted it or loved it?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannah4004d ago

My buddy Mike runs a food truck in Austin and he swapped his flat top for a wok setup last summer. He told me the first week was a nightmare because he kept reaching for a flat surface that wasn't there anymore. But by week three he was pumping out fried rice and noodle dishes faster than ever, like a whole new level of speed. The heat control is just different with a wok burner, you can go from searing to tossing to resting in seconds. He did say you have to really commit to cleaning it right though, that carbon buildup is no joke. He hasn't looked back since and his sales jumped like 15 percent after the switch.

ninaowens4d ago

Wait, 15 percent jump in sales? That's wild. I mean, that's a huge number for just swapping out one piece of equipment. I guess the hype is real then.

ninaowens4d ago

Mike's food truck story is actually a perfect example of why that 15 percent jump makes sense to me now. I mean, it's not just about the wok itself, it's the whole cooking style that comes with it. You can get way more food cooked in the same amount of time because the heat is so direct and you're constantly moving things around, not waiting for a flat surface to heat up again. And the flavor difference is real too, that smoky wok hei taste is something you just can't get from a flat top no matter how hot you crank it. So yeah, the cleaning part sounds like a pain, but if it means faster service and better food that keeps people coming back, that's worth the extra scrubbing in my book.