I had a package waiting this afternoon; no it wasn't the Baklava from Jo, it was the Eastman Big Kahuna Burner
I'd been waiting for this for a while. It's basically a heavy duty wok ring. Supposedly able to handle up to 50 lbs, and heat up to 55,000 BTU's, I'd be able to finally cook using high heat, perfect for Chinese cooking and other stir fry dishes. In other words the "I can't get the wok hot enough" excuse wouldn't "fly" anymore.
So I opened the box and uh-oh, the dreaded words "assembly required", along with an instruction manual; this was big trouble. So I read the instructions, and amazingly, I put it together in about 15 minutes
. And guess what? No leftover pieces! I hooked up the propane and did the "soap test", then turned the control valve on both the Big Kahuna and propane on and lit it and - KA-BOOM!!! Just kidding! It lit up and I cranked it up, and my god it was hot, I could feel it 15 feet away! I was still surprised that a notorious "brok-chanic" like me could actually do this so quickly. So my initial impression? Very sturdy, easy assembly, good price ($49.95 + free delivery), and hot as heck. Too bad we already had dinner; the virgin stir-fry would have to wait. But this is the 4th of July weekend, so I'm sure I can come up with something.........
Big Kahuna Burner huh? Would it be fair to presume that you are the "Kahuna" who is volunteering to get burnt? Does the Missus know how to treat 2nd & 3rd degree burns? Can I bring over my paella pan, some crabs, chicken, shrimp, arborio rice, saffron, chorizo, onions, peas, and roasted red peppers? Can we have hazelnut ice cream for dessert? Are we there yet? I have to go to the bathroom! ::giggling wildly::
Wow Kirk, when you said you had the bon fire going, I didn't realize you meant the real deal A! I have a Camp Chef, Tahoe 3 burner. For New Years Eve we host a seafood boil and I put 3 5 gallon pots FULL of water on max heat. They are going full tilt boogey in 10 to 15 minutes. Even when it's cold! Man, those crabs and lobsters are BEGGING for mercy all the way from the tub!
Posted by: Jo | Thursday, 30 June 2005 at 10:29 PM
Jo - My "Kahuna" is ahem... beyond burnt...we could go for the "crabs"! I don't kid about "bonfires".......
Posted by: Kirk | Thursday, 30 June 2005 at 10:38 PM
Yeowch! Should I mail you some bactraban?
Posted by: Jo | Thursday, 30 June 2005 at 10:47 PM
Sweeeet! I envy the wok-hey you'll be able to get into your stir fry's now!
Please update us on what the wonderful meals that thing will crank out!
Posted by: elmomonster | Friday, 01 July 2005 at 08:57 AM
Jo - Don't worry I've got silvadene.
Elmo - This is going to be interesting, I'm pretty sure that there's going to be a breaking in period here! But I'll be sure to document - only the stuff that comes out of course..... :)
Posted by: Kirk | Friday, 01 July 2005 at 09:09 AM
::grinning:: bet you could do some pretty awesome S'mores on that puppy!
Posted by: Jo | Friday, 01 July 2005 at 09:25 AM
Ya know, on closer inspection, it seems a trifle on the short side. I'm comparing it to the Weber in the background and the top of the ring is level with the bottom of the Weber bowl. Can you adjust the height here? Also, where does the flame come from, one central area at the bottom or is it a larger, circular area? They really do make special burners similar if not the same as that one for paellas. I'm wondering just how similar they are. Traditionally, paella is (was) cooked over an open "camp" style fire.
Posted by: Jo | Friday, 01 July 2005 at 09:42 AM
Jo - The legs telescope out to 28", the burner is in the middle, there's an adjustable "flip ring", that has a flat side that can handle up to a 36quart pot and the flip aide can handle up to a 22 inch wok. I turned it up, and it was really, really hot!
Features:
Deluxe CSA-Approved Revolution burner
Legs with easy adjustment from 18-Inch to 28-Inch
Flip-top burner rack for up to 22-Inch wok or 36-Quart Pot
Hose & QCC1 regulator
Posted by: Kirk | Friday, 01 July 2005 at 09:48 AM
Jo - If you click on the picture you can see it in better detail. If you click on the link it'll take you to the Amazon site with the specs...
Posted by: Kirk | Friday, 01 July 2005 at 09:49 AM
oh. my. gosh. i have been dreaming about getting one of these FOREVER. compared to getting a commercial Wolf or Montague Grizzly (and the necessary licenses, etc.), or a pro-style wok burner in the $1000+ price range, this is a gift from heaven. Looking forward to your posts about cooking on this animal! -- from the BTU freak
Posted by: stef | Friday, 01 July 2005 at 11:42 AM
How many gallons is 36 quarts? So this would hold a flat bottom container just as well as the bowl shape of a wok? ::smoke seeps from ears::
Posted by: Jo | Friday, 01 July 2005 at 01:29 PM
Stef - I'll keep you apprised of what I'm attempting on this....
Jo - I think it's 9 gallons? The rack on top of the burner can be flipped over to either fit a wok or have a flat surface for a pot - I don't think small pots will work real well on this - but I'm sure even a griddle or large size cast iron pan would be ok.
Posted by: Kirk | Friday, 01 July 2005 at 01:50 PM
You know what's funny...I saw this video of how not to use a rig like this the other day.
Can't resist sharing it with y'all
http://www.ul.com/turkeyfryers/fryer.mpg
Posted by: elmomonster | Friday, 01 July 2005 at 02:56 PM
BTW, I'm going to ask for this as my birthday present this year. Oh man...I don't think I can wait. I might buy it myself! Thanks for the link to Amazon by the way, I didn't even realize the ones with a telescoping feet are available!
Posted by: elmomonster | Friday, 01 July 2005 at 03:11 PM
Elmo - I took it for a "test drive" last night - and it's as advertised! Cooks sooooo fast and hot! Stay tuned I'll be posting soon!
Posted by: Kirk | Saturday, 02 July 2005 at 03:45 PM
I just might have to get one of these in the (near) future. Any idea if propane tanks are popular/available overseas? (I might out of the country at this time next year.) Also, what in the world is the "soap test"?
Posted by: Ed | Friday, 22 September 2006 at 10:56 PM
Hi Ed - I know that propane for cooking is very, very popular in Asia (think about all that street food), I don't know about the connectors tho'. The soap test is applying a solution of soap and water, by a brush or rag to test for leaks. If the connection leaks, bubbles will form - it does work really well.
Posted by: Kirk | Friday, 22 September 2006 at 11:13 PM
Kirk, How has this been working for you. I had not noticed you mentioning it in your cooking segments, so I was wondering if it was a boom or a bust?
Posted by: mindless | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 05:12 PM
Hi Mindless - I love the big kahuna.....the reason I haven't done many posts is that it is hard to take photos and cook with 50,000 BTU! I'll start using it again during the spring.
Posted by: Kirk | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 06:40 PM
Kirk, I've been reading mmm-yoso!!! for a few years now and somehow I missed this post about the big kahuna. I've got one of these, too, and it's fabulous. It gets the wok smoking hot and you can really bust out the food. I love how it lets you get a nice crust on the outside of meats. I'm looking forward to hearing about some of your summer recipes on the big kahuna.
Scott
Posted by: ScottyB | Saturday, 12 July 2008 at 11:10 PM