A power burner — a high-output single gas burner producing 30,000 to 60,000 BTU — is one of the most useful specialty appliances available for a Broken Arrow or Tulsa masonry outdoor kitchen, and one of the least commonly considered during the initial planning stage. A power burner’s high BTU output enables outdoor cooking techniques that are impossible or impractical on a standard grill or side burner: wok cooking at authentic restaurant-level heat (a standard kitchen range produces only 15,000 to 25,000 BTU at full output — a 60,000 BTU power burner produces the intense heat that gives wok-cooked dishes their characteristic sear and smoky wok hei flavor), large-batch cooking in stockpots (crawfish boils, crab boils, turkey fryers, and large-batch pasta require sustained high heat that a standard burner cannot maintain efficiently), and outdoor canning operations that benefit from the power burner’s ability to bring large water-bath canners to a full boil quickly.
Power Burner Placement in the Kitchen Layout
A power burner in a masonry outdoor kitchen base is installed in a masonry cutout adjacent to the primary grill run — typically to one side of the grill or at the end of the cooking section — with a flat iron grate over the burner opening and adequate clearance beneath the grate for the burner’s flame and airflow. The masonry section containing the power burner must be designed with the appropriate cutout dimensions for the specific burner model (a Blaze, Coyote, or Bull power burner has specific cutout requirements that differ from a standard side burner) and must include a dedicated gas supply connection at the appropriate BTU capacity — a 60,000 BTU power burner requires the same gas supply capacity as the primary grill and should be accounted for in the total BTU calculation when sizing the outdoor kitchen’s supply line. We position the power burner in the kitchen layout so the host can manage the wok or stockpot while still monitoring the grill, and so the power burner’s flame is directed away from the covered patio’s ceiling structure to prevent heat damage to the overhead panels.
Wok Rings and Accessories
A carbon steel wok used on an outdoor power burner requires a wok ring — a circular steel ring that positions the wok’s round bottom over the center of the power burner’s flame — to prevent the wok from tipping and to concentrate the flame against the wok’s cooking surface. Wok rings are available in standard sizes (most outdoor power burners use a 12-inch or 14-inch ring diameter) and are simply set on the burner grate before wok cooking. Seasoning the carbon steel wok before first use and after each cleaning (heating the pan on the power burner with a thin coat of oil until it smokes, then wiping clean) builds the non-stick polymerized oil layer that makes carbon steel wok cooking progressively better with each use. The outdoor power burner’s high heat and open-air environment make it a dramatically more effective wok burner than any indoor range, and for homeowners who cook Asian cuisine regularly, the outdoor kitchen power burner becomes one of the most-used appliances in the kitchen.
Call VistaScapes & Design at (918) 779-1317 for a free outdoor kitchen consultation in Tulsa. We’ll design a kitchen layout that includes a power burner alongside your grill and bar for a fully equipped cooking station.
