I've done a fair amount of stirfry over the years, and for a long time had a professional level one similar to this Breville. Once it died, I did not get another, and anytime I tried to do stirfry on the oven it was a disaster. Even a new pretty powerful $800 gas oven did NOT get the on-the-stove pan hot enough. I would end up 'stewing' the food, and it bore little resemblance to my stirfry's of the past.
I was VERY impressed with the excellent instructions that are provided in the book this comes with. I studied all their tips for an hour, and was amazed at the things I did NOT know, or had forgotten. Someone who never stirfried before could get first rate results by studying just a few pages. Little things are important - I used to just turn it on, and throw in the oil and wait for it to get hot. WRONG! You are supposed to turn it on EMPTY, let it get VERY hot, and only then put in the oil. And I realized I had started to get lazy, and was not doing smaller batches of items at a time, which does end up with better results.
If I need to get things out of the pan, I just hold a big bowl or plastic container next to it, and slide stuff up the side and out - or I just tip it up and dump it on a plate. Although it is good to know that once every few months I could actually take it apart for an old-fashioned cleaning, all you really need to do is wipe it out with a sponge. The non-stick surface is fantastic. The temperature dial is excellent, and it comes with the most heavy duty cord you ever saw!
Stir-fry is my teenaged son's favorite meal, 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. Remember this thing would be good for a lot more than just stirfry too. I was amazed that it could slow cook as well. I can make beef stew a one pot dish. Can't wait to try it out on tempura, which it will also be great for! There are also a lot of great recipes in the book.
