The Breville Gourmet Wok Review

Is the Breville Gourmet Wok something you really need in your kitchen? Or is it just another kitchen appliance that you will end up putting away somewhere in your garage and forget about it? You can read in this article about my experience with this popular electric wok and find out if it is worth buying or not.

I really like to cook Chinese dishes, so a year ago I decided to buy a suitable wok. I used to own a wok, but was not satisfied with the results I was getting. After looking around I decided to go with the Breville EW30XL Electric Gourmet Wok, my choice was led by the great reviews I had read on the net.

When I received the wok, I was pleasantly surprised by its sturdy appearance (and it’s quite heavy, too: 12 pounds) and the simple, clean design.

The same day I decided to make my first dish in the wok (Five Spice Sautéed Beef and Pepper). I purposely chose a recipe that included stir fry because my main concern was whether the wok could generate enough heat for this cooking technique. And I have to say I was blown away! It generated heat like a stovetop wok. What’s more, it responded very quickly to changes in temperature (the temperature dial has many different heat levels, 15 in all).

So if you’re hesitant about using an electric wok to sauté and sear, let me tell you that you don’t need to, because this electric wok can get very hot (especially on the maximum “setting high” setting).

After trying it out for browning and sautéing, I decided to try a recipe that included steam (steamed vegetables with ginger-miso dressing). Steaming, as you know, can be very tricky. You must find the right measure in steaming so that the vegetables are crispy and not too tender or overcooked. The Breville wok has a great feature for these purposes. The wok comes with a glass lid with a stainless steel rim and the lid has a very convenient steam vent. Once you have finished steaming, you can open the vent and let the steam out. So you will be able to keep the food warm under the lid, but prevent it from further steaming.

As for the surface of the wok, it’s not really sticky so you really need small amounts of oil to cook. Just be sure to use the putty knife carefully to avoid scratching the surface. You can use the spatula that comes with the Breville wok but I advise you to get another one.

Another feature that I love is the removable base that allows you to put the wok in the dishwasher. Disassembly is very easy to do once you get the hang of it. Still, I try to avoid washing the wok in the dishwasher too often. I prefer to clean it with a cloth when it is still hot. This way I save some energy, water and my wok will hopefully last longer.

Overall, I have to say that the Breville wok has become my favorite tool in the kitchen. I use it almost every day, for all kinds of dishes (not just Chinese recipes). Because the wok has a temperature dial with so many levels, you can use it to fry, steam, boil, stew, etc., making it a really versatile tool in the kitchen.