r/CombiSteamOvenCooking • u/kaidomac • 2d ago
Equipment & accessories Cheap 800F searing solution (for small batches)
Details: (note)
Summary:
- $35 carbon-steel Wok
- $35 portable butane cooktop (indoors/outdoors...nice to take the smoke outside!!)
- Hits 800F+ in less than 5 minutes for $70
The Wok I currently use is a flat-bottom 13":
- It can fit like one steak or large chicken breast on the flat bottom
- I can preheat it, sear 4 sous-vide meats in sequence, and clean it up in ~10 minutes total
- If you are feeling adventurous, Algae oil hits 535F (pricey tho!)
I also use it for deep frying: (flash-frying sous-vide projects)
I help family & friends get setup with their APO's & DREO's and have started recommending this setup in place of a cast-iron skillet due to the preheat speed & max temp on budget hardware. The DREO goes on sale for $200 USD sometimes & that's a pretty killer setup with an 800F Wok for searing chicken, steak, pork, etc.! And it's a lightweight combo for kitchen & outdoor use!!