Category: Customer Feedbacks

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Questions regarding PowerFlamer 160

Customer (PF13S160): 

I received the stove, and it’s wonderful. I was trying to submit the questions below via your web interface, but the server kept timing out. So, here it goes:

  1. The stove is nicely modular, meaning, modules/parts can be changed and replaced as needed and as available. In that respect, what are the chances of making a wok adapter ring that is slanted wand has rolled edges, like a typical Cantonese-style restaurant burner (see attached image)? With the current ring, the rocking, wok tossing technique isn’t quite as smooth to pull off. Also, the current flame guard only covers a quarter of the circle, which occasionally is not enough. A separate stove ring as pictured would be awesome, ideally one that could be attached somehow to improve stability. Are any other adapters planned, like a flat, cast-iron plate for more even heat distribution for making paella or other things that benefit from a flat surface/griddle?
  1. I am planning on integrating the burner into a stainless steel rolling cart. I’d like to attach a 90-degree adapter to the front, like others have done. Before I disconnect the hose, would you be so kind to let me know what the thread size is?               
  1. Also, for controlling output, ideally, I’d like to use a quarter-turn ball valve (i.e., have the current main gas valve wide open and control burner output via the quarter-turn ball valve). I am thinking of the valves that are typically used on commercial wok burners, like in the second image attached. Have you tried this approach, or are you otherwise aware of any suitable ball valves that cover the output range with a 90-degree turn, ideally linearly?
  1. Finally, the adjustment for changing air intake after the valves is difficult to operate. Is that intentional, and if so, what is the reason for not using a beefier, easily turnable ring as can be found on other wok burners?

Thank you so much in advance!

Outdoorstirfry: 

Very good questions.

  1.  All your suggestions are great.  At this point we don’t plan on adding anything like you described.   We will keep them in our mind.
  2. 3/8”
  3. The valve ¼ turn you show is not suitable.  It is typically used in low pressure appliance.  The stove you have uses high pressure gas.
  4. The air/fuel turn wheel is not meant to be adjusted all the time.  Once adjusted to achieve the best mixture (strongest flamer with full burner circle flame), it should be left not touched anymore.
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How does the electronic ignition work?

Customer (PF13L160EI):

    I just got a 160 propane w electronic ignition. How does the electronic ignition work? No documentation. All can light and adjust it manually. It also looks like it is mounted too far back from the burner.

Outdoorstirfry:

Attached is the user installation guide.  Basically when you turn the right knob, you should hear gas coming out of the ignition tube.  When you turn the knob further, a spark should strike the gas.   Usually it takes 3~4 strikes to get the flame shooting out the ignition tube to reach the main burner.

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Function of the wheel

Customer (PF13L160EI): 

I just start to use the power burner. It is great! There is a question I like to ask: What is the function of the wheel toward the burner inlet and when to use it?

Outdoorstirfry: 

Great!  The wheel is to control the fuel/air mixture.   Usually turning it away from the burner gives stronger flame however may not full circle of flame from the burner.   Optimal is to have full circle of flame while it is still strong enough. 

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Buying experience from one customer

Inquiry:

I am interested in this Power Flamer 16- with electronic ignition, and want the MOST RECENT model with the improvements. I had ordered this
product through Amazon, but it never got delivered even after repeated requests to track the package. How long will this take to ship to zip
code 78414?

Outdoorstirfry:

Ever since our new generation arrived, we never have time to deal with Amazon.  So Amazon’s stock on our product should remain at zero.  This means that if you order on amazon, we will never get any request from amazon to ship.   I search our order queue,  you are not in our order list.   If you order not, lead time to ship is 30 days.  It takes 4~5 business days to ship to Texas.
Hope we answer your question.
Customer (PF13L160EI):

Hello,  Yes, I originally ordered this Power Flamer 160 EI from Amazon on January 13, 2021, but never got the order even after repeated delivery updates, and never knew that you do not deal with Amazon any longer.
It is now March 7, 2021.
This is not my fault that I never received your Power Flamer 160 EI from Amazon, and I was waiting every day for it to arrive.  I was given several update messages that delivery would be delayed but  never told that it would NEVER be delivered to me.
I should have been informed when I submitted the first order to Amazon that I would NOT be delivered and wasted more than a month of my waiting for it to arrive.
So now I ordered it again directly from your website and now have to wait more than another month to get it.
Can I be put at the top of the list because of this?  Thank you,
Outdoorstirfry:
We were out of stock since 11/2020.  You probably ordered on Amazon from another seller.  Amazon allows multiple sellers on one listing.  Can you send us your Amazon purchase receipt for us to take a look?
Customer:
I ordered this on January 13, 2021, and never knew that Amazon did not have it any longer.  Here is my order details (receipt).
Outdoorstirfry:

Customer (PF13L160EI):

Hello,  I put in an order for the Power Flamer 160 with Electronic ignition.  I hope that this order will be delivered quickly because I have heard that other orders never got delivered.   I hope that my order is legitimate and accurate.
Outdoorstirfry:
You must have bought it from a seller hfgxus.   Hfgxus is based in China.   Amazon allows other sellers to sell our stove product if the seller claims so.   Unfortunately it never delivers.  Fortunately you got your money back.
Customer:

I ordered this from Amazon because I read from you that your new product was not available directly, and had hoped that Amazon would cover me if there were any problems with seller, which did happen, because Amazon guarantees good customer service and refund if any problems with order.  I waited a long time for your product.
It seems that you do, too, and am satisfied that you are responsive to my requests and communications.
I had no idea that this company  hfgxus  would not deliver the product.
I am very happy to deal with you directly.
Outdoorstirfry:
We see your order of 3/5.   It will be another couple weeks before we get to yours.  We will email when ship.
Customer:

Thank  you, I would like to get this as quickly as possible.  Please package this properly so that it does not arrive damaged.  I was hoping to put a good rating for you on your website if you allow it, otherwise I will do it publicly, perhaps through Facebook..  Do you plan to sell though Amazon, or only direct?  Either way, I will give you a good rating though some source, even on Facebook.   Thank you!
Outdoorstirfry:

We are lagging behind not having facebook and tweeters.   After receiving the stove, you can write to us about all this experience starting from Amazon purchase to from us after receiving the stove.   Then we can combine all our conversation to put on our website anonymously.   Of course you are welcome to put it anywhere including facebook.

We had a dispute with Amazon in January on that Amazon encourages sellers like hfgxus to sell on our product page.   We are extremely discouraged to list there so far.   We will re-consider in the future.

Customer:
Thank you,  I am very supportive of your position with Amazon allowing the seller hfgxus to continue to sell though their website , all you wanted to do was to have a great product at a fair price sold and supported honestly and correctly.  And all I wanted was to get your stove as soon as possible, honestly.
I will do everything I can to give you good product and customer service ratings everywhere that I can because you have  earned it though great customer relations and service, and I can see that others are happy with you.
If I would have known back in early January that Amazon was not being honest with me, I would have ONLY ordered your great product though your website directly, but I thought  that I would get the product faster through Amazon because of a previous message that the stoves with not be available on your website until later in January or February.
I am very happy and satisfied that you did things correctly and well.    Thank you once again.
Customer:

I received the wok burner by UpS, thank you very much for your fast service!  I have not opened the box yet, but will do that Thursday and set it up completely.  Very happy with your service!

Yes, everything was intact in the shipping box.    I set up the 160 EI and have two questions….
First, since I have the 160 EI version is the pilot tube supposed to be so far back from the burner?   It seems to be back at the outer most ring, and I cannot move it forward any more and do not want to break anything…There is what appears to be a grooved rest closer to the burner ring…is the EI tube supposed to rest on that?
Second, I want to use a 90 degree elbow Flare connecter at the burner assembly and wonder what size thread size to use?  Is it 3/8 or 1/2 inch? Thanks, looking forward to cooking my first stir fry!
Outdoorstirfry:

For the 1st item, can you send us a picture on what you are talking about?   2nd item, it is 3/8”.

Customer:

Good morning, Very happy with your 160 Wok burner,  cooked my first meal, loved how it turned out.Thank you for getting back to me, here are photos explaining my question about the position of the electric spark generator.

I wanted to confirm that the fittings are 3/8 so that I purchase the correct ones.  Thank you for everything, you have been wonderful in every way!
Outdoorstirfry:

The electronic ignition unit is positioned outside of the wind guard to prevent too much heat on the electric wire insulation.   When it ignites, it shoot out a flame that is long enough to reach the main burner.

Glad that you satisfy with the outcome of your dish.

Customer:

Based on what you wrote to me about the wind guard and the igniter,  I will position the igniter a little bit further outside the bowl so it is barely inside the  the external bowl. I had no problems with my first cooking experience with the spark igniter. I read your previous comments about not burning the wires on the igniter. Your customer service is outstanding, and I will go back to Amazon and complement you as the inventor and developer of this wok burner with outstanding customer service, even if you’re selling it through a new distributor , so should I recommend that they go directly with outdoorstirfry.com or continue to buy it through Amazon?

Customer:

Hello!  After using your outstanding Power Flamer 160 for several months, I am extremely pleased to give it and you a fantastic positive review because of how good the product is, and especially how you, Dong,  have provided great customer service and guidance during and after the entire ordering and delivery process. It arrived very safe in good packaging and I set it up with no problems but did send you a couple of questions that you answered immediately.  The Power Flamer is very easy to use, and if any potential user has any doubts as to how it works and of the quality, rest assured that this is a wonderful well designed and manufactured quality product that puts out high heat (160 BTU  Plus) and I am very glad that I purchased this from Dong who has been very helpful and communicative, responding to me immediately, the same day.  I am also complementing you on getting this Power Flamer to me very quickly, and I recommend that everyone go directly to the outdoorstirfry.com website and submit the order there.  Once you get your delivery you will be very glad that you ordered from Dong. I highly recommend this!
Please publish on your website and feel free to contact me at any time.
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Pilot issue

Customer (PF13L160):

Good afternoon, I have received my wok and have made delicious stir fry with it already. One issue though, the pilot light knob is very sensitive and I can essentially only do very high or off. It also gets adjusted higher just from shaking the wok stand.   It’s very hard to use otherwise.   Any help?

Outdoorstirfry:

Your dishes in your pictures look very delicious.   Sorry for the pilot knob issue.   The 2nd video on this link https://outdoorstirfry.com/support/product-documentation/ shows how to light the pilot flame.  After that please adjust it to about 1 inch in length.   It is sensitive under windy condition.

At home we are using similar stove 5~6 generation earlier.   My wife never bothers to light the pilot flame.   She is used to light the burner from the long nose BBQ ignitor and keeps cooking until done.   Cooking for a meal for family of 4 usually takes 5~10 minutes.

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Height of the stove

Customer (PF13L160):

Thanks, that’s very exciting, can’t wait. Thanks very much for all your patience in answering my various questions. If I could ask one more, what would you say is the best height from ground to where wok will be placed (will that be about 110-120cm) and also if legs are not used how high is the unit so I can maybe already start working on a table to put the wok burner on separately as an alternative to the long leg option. Also will a wooden top be ok for that?

Outdoorstirfry:

The height is optimal when it is easy for your hand to operate the wok.   It is about your waist line.   We would not recommend combustible material under the stove or 1 foot around it.

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Questions on electronic ignitor head and wok adaptor ring

Customer (PF13CL160EI): 

Thanks. I received the package, put everything together and am excited to start using it. I just had a few quick questions. 

1) In the manual you sent, I saw that there were installation instructions for leg stabilizers, but none were included in the box. Do these need to be purchased separately?

2) Based on the FAQ and other comments that I’ve read, it is my understanding that the piezo electric ignitor cannot be used as a pilot light because the wire will melt. If the ignitor ultimately fails or the wires melt at some point, can I continue to use the valve manually by lighting it with a match or lighter? Under these circumstances, could I then use it as a pilot light and leave it on while cooking?

3) The materials included a base (where flame comes out and the legs are attached), as well as a ring that appears like it should be placed on top of the base. The instructions do not mention this top ring piece. My guess is that the wok sits inside this ring (as my 14″ wok appears to fit inside this perfectly). Is this something that is necessary to use when cooking? If removed, can one cook on the base directly (presumably with a bigger wok)?

Thanks in advance for your help. 

Outdoorstirfry:

Very good questions.

  1. The stabilizers are optional and need to be purchase separately.  
  2. You are right.  If the piezoelectric ignitor fails, you can use it as a pilot flame as the concern of the wire insulation is no longer valid. 
  3. The wok adaptor ring needs to be on top of the wind guard.   Flame needs to be coming out of this wok adaptor ring around bottom of your wok.   If this wok adaptor ring is not used and the wok tugs the wind guard tightly, the flame will not be able to come out to the top.  The flame will be forced to go downward, which can ignite other thing s underneath and heat up the entire stove.   This is dangerous!  So please always use the wok adaptor ring on top of the wind guard.   We provide the wok adaptor ring as a separate piece as you can turn its flame shielding quarter toward you to protect your hand to be burnt by flame.  
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Optimal wok size and how to cover?

Customer (PF13L160):

2 questions if I may:

  1.  What’s the optimize size round bottom wok to get?  36cm/14in?
  2. I will be keeping this outside in Maryland.  Is there a cover you can recommend?

Thanks again.  Looking forward to using your invention.

Outdoorstirfry:

  1. 14” to 16” wok size is the best.   Especially 14” you can heat up fastest.
  2. We simply flip the wok upside down to cover the burner.   Some customer buy a tarp sheet.
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this burner is fantastic

Customer (PF13L160EI):

Just want to say this burner is fantastic!  I am enjoying getting to know how to take full advantage of this power.  Can you tell me just how hot it gets or will get my carbon steel wok?

Outdoorstirfry:

Thank you for your good words.  There is a web page describing color vs temperature at https://outdoorstirfry.com/cooking-library/cooking-techniques/advanced-stir-fry-technique-wok-hei/.   You can tell how hot your wok gets to by color.   Just be extra cautious as it can hurt if people touch.

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ingenuity, dedication, and commitment to quality

Customer (PF13L160): 

I am writing to thank you for your ingenuity, dedication, and commitment to quality. I have been using my brand new 160 (latest model) frequently since I received it. I am amazed at the quality of components, consistent results, and superior effectiveness of the centrally-focused burner. 

In fact, I love it so much that I am only afraid of what I would do if any part broke? Is it possible to order spare regulators and hoses? That seems like the most likely point to fail. 

Also, I am loving the updated pilot light design. It has been working flawlessly. I am excited to feed a small crowd!

Anyway, I just want to thank you again for bringing something truly fresh to the American market.

Outdoorstirfry: 

Thank you for your good words.  We agree that the regulator is the most frequent part needs to be changed.  We usually support once customer reports of such failure.  We would discourage buying individual part as most people don’t know well enough how to restore the entire system.