REVIEW: Breville EW30XL Gourmet Wok

There can't be many of us who haven't tried to cook in a wok by now.

But an (almost) equal number will have been disappointed by the results. After all, the true wok chefs use high heat and high flames to get those tasty results; but none of us really want to mess with that much fire in our home kitchens.

So what about an electric wok? Can it deliver the goods?

The Breville EW30XL Electric Gourmet Wok certainly has its fans.

Made by Breville and priced at $99.95 this could be the answer to all your Asian cooking dreams.

This is quite a beast. Large and heavy; it has a quick release removable base (dishwasher safe); a heavy glass lid with steam vent, a 'butterfly' element with 14 heat settings and high-sear option and a, '4-Layer quantanium non-stick cooking surface.'

(Whatever quantanium might be... it's the non-stick bit that matters.)

This product, 'updates the electric wok design in every detail,' say Breville. 

The butterfly element creates a 'heat zone' over the entire surface. The wok is designed for 'simpler clean-up, scratch-resistance, and reduced-fat cooking' so you can whip up healthy and delicious stir fry dinners with whatever's in the garden. 

The quick-release base allows you to put everything but the temperature probe and power cord in the dishwasher (great feature!) and the serious heat keeps the chefs happy.

'As a professional chef with Asian style recipes on the menu I've used many a stove top wok,' said one. 'Until now I'd never found an electric wok that could generate enough heat to sear in the flavors of meats and vegetables.'

'Every thing about the wok is clever, from the detachable base, to the dishwasher safe parts, to the cook and look glass lid,' he continues. 'Whoever designed this is in to wok cooking in a big way. Very clever, very stylish, very hot.'

And the 'customers' (i.e. your family!) are equally happy.

'Stir-fry is my teenaged son's favorite meal,' said one buyer, 'and without a good wok, I hardly ever cooked it for him. Now when I tell him we're having stir-fry, he's thrilled.'

This product will make proper stir-fry food, not the dreaded 'soggy stews'.

'The biggest complaint with the electric woks is they don’t heat high enough and evenly to make a proper stir-fry,' said one reviewer. '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 non-stick surface also means that you need less oil, which means 'less fat and fewer fire alarms'. And people really like the large, shallow bowl, which means you can sear (not steam) veggies; and the heavy construction which allows the wok to retain heat (and therefore save money).

Customer did mention that this wok is large. A 'monster' even. No problem if you have plenty of storage space. Clean up is also very easy - a quick wipe down is generally sufficient or pop it in the dishwasher.

There were some warnings about the non-stick feature - which is 'fantastic' according to many reviews. But the advice is only to use silicon spatulas and tongs if you want to avoid scratches. The instructions say you can use wooden utensils but the surface gets so hot that users say, 'you can see lines and potential fissures if you use wood or regular non sticks.'

Breville have a great reputation for customer service and customers who had any issues with their appliance were sent replacements at the company's expense, so no anxieties there.

And customers like the additional details a lot. 'Excellent instructions are provided in the book this comes with,' said one. 'Great recipes,' said another.

Overall a very solid, very attractive and desirable product. My taste buds are tingling from here!