Eastman Outdoors 37212 Outdoor Gourmet 22 Inch Carbon Steel Wok Kit,Black & Steel

I purchased this last week and have already made a couple of meals with it. The wok is a bit more flimsy than I expected, but it’s still very very effective. Probably better that it’s flimsy considering it makes it lighter. I wish the handles had some kind of rubber or wood to keep your hand from getting burnt but I’ve been using potholders since it doesn’t. Very easy to season and the burner is very easy to use, hook up and adjust. With the legs down is perfect for sitting and cooking and when extended perfect for standing and cooking obviously. The utensils it came with are extremely sturdy and heavy. My arm is actually still sore from stirring the food and the weight of the utensils. Lol. This thing kicks ass and I look forward to using it for many years to come. Enjoy!

The media could not be loaded. Got this for my birthday. Now I’m wondering why I didn’t get one sooner! The high heat high powered burner burns true blue (little to no carbon deposits that you get with redder flames). See my posted videos and my first few christening meals. Wife and kids say it has that wonderful restaurant “wok hei” smoky flavor that my stove top cooking could never give me! Even Chinese chefs admit they can’t make their own cuisines at home on a regular stove. So that should tell you all you need to know. This thing takes my love for cooking to another level. Believe me when I say it’s not just the chef that makes the food great… but you have to have the right cooking tool. And boy is this the right tool! Be careful with the high heat though, it will burn your food quick! Be sure to position yourself next to the propane tank for easier control of the burner and you should be fine. Even the recent snow fall couldn’t stop me; it actually kept me very warm. Hahaha. Happy Woking!

I really value reading user reviews, but have to be pretty impressed or feel totally ripped off to write one. All aspects of this product seem excellent. The burner is rock solid and as powerful as everyone says. The power is not overkill, it is essential to it all working well. The tools and wok are high quality. Having abandoned my first wok experiment, an electric wok years ago, and approximated stir frying on electric stoves since then, I am delighted to say this is the real deal. I thought the wok itself might be way too big for a family of four (usually three). I bought a 16 inch wok expecting to use it more often than the included 22 inch wok, but I find the 22 inch wok is much easier to cook most things. The extra depth keeps all the spattering away from my arms and clothes and the space on the sides is great for holding cooked food out of the high heat used while cooking. The tools rest securely on the wok sides while you reach to add more food to the wok. I bought a 16 inch northern style wok with a long handle, but suspect it will take a while to figure out how to flip the food using it instead of using the excellent long handled tools supplied. Things cook so fast that I have not yet gotten comfortable with this flipping method, but I intend to master it.Every book I consulted said to stay with the carbon steel wok. I went that route so I haven't tried the stainless steel version. I am very happy with both carbon steel woks. The seasoning on the burner was not hard and the natural non-stick surface that results from use works well.The only issue is cleaning the beast. The 22 inch wok is too big to easily wash in the kitchen sink. It is possible, just not easy. Dumping the first batch of wok cleaning water (with a fair amount of food bits) into the yard when I wash it outside with a hose seems crude, green perhaps, but something done in the middle ages, not in todays burbs with neighbors close by. I am working through the cleaning issues and am very happy with all the pieces.The clip does not hold the thermometer in place securely while deep frying is my only complaint. I can't figure out how to keep it in the oil without it slipping and resting on the wok bottom while stirring up the food. I am going to make a small bamboo support and see if that solves the issue. We almost never deep fried things in the past, but felt I had to try it out while test driving the unit. This seems like an excellent way to deep fry, being outside is safer, the depth of the wok keeps the oil where it belongs, and the power lets you keep the oil at the right temperature no matter how much food you add. The next learning adventure will be to figure out how to deal with the oil. A lot of meals with something deep fried also include something else cooked in the wok, so just what do you do with a wok full of hot oil?Update Nov 2013: This review is NOT for the 18 inch carbon steel kit. It is for the 22 inch carbon steel wok kit with a 55,000 BTU (if I recall correctly) big Kahuna burner that Amazon no longer carries. I have never used the portable Kahuna burner and do not like the looks of the adjustable legs on the portable unit. I like the flip over wok holder that can support a flat bottom pot in the other position. I have enjoyed the 22 inch kit since buying it in 2008 and still use it. The burner has rusted in the 5 years of storing it covered on a Florida patio and the burner jets do not stay clear for very long after cleaning them out. I consider this a reasonable life span and am happy with the purchase. If I could purchase a new burner just like the original I would happily do so, alas neither Amazon nor the Eastman Outdoors sell it separately. I expect the Wok to last a lifetime and do not need another. Storing one 22 inch wok is hard enough. I may buy the portable Kahuna burner and move the burner head into my old stand if the adjustable legs are an issue. I doubt the adjustable legs on the portable burner would stay adjustable long when stored outdoors.I am not sure when Amazon moved my review from the 22 inch kit to this kit and somehow retained the verified purchase tag.

First item to address before I talk about the burner: the solution for the resin coating. No, it is not plastic as someone has claimed. The company describes it as resin, and I’m guessing from the looks and feel that it is shellac...a natural resin used in woodworking and food. (In fact, it is used on fruit to keep them shiny in the store and on M&Ms, etc to give them a durable shine. Yes, you can wash it off, though it will take s bit of time. Use s Brillo pad. However, shellac is alcohol-soluble. So after I used the Brillo pad to get most of it off, I used some denatured alcohol to remove some stubborn areas. Worked like a charm! I’m guessing the company didn’t want to publicize this because some dummies would put alcohol in the wok over the flame.This burner is simple to assemble. Either a few people got something defective or they cross-threaded their fuel line. It is brass, as usual, so it is soft, but everything went together like a charm. And this puppy is hot when you get it going! You will season the carbon steel in minutes! However, be extremely careful - especially with how large the wok is! 22” is a beast for someone not used to it! Be sure to have insulated gloves, and pull the heat back some when you add oil to season. If you are like me and used to an anemic gas stove (at least for stir-fry standards), you’re first inclination will be to crank the thermostat up. 65,000 BTUs goes along way!I highly recommend this burner.Michael