Choosing a wok

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Thanks for the link!Think ill get the 14" Helen Chen Carbon Steel Flat-Bottom Wok 4-Pc Set.$36($44.94 shipped) with lid is best deal I seen.Is helen chen a good brand?What brands do you all have?I'm with gadzooks on lids.Seems hard to find one that fits right
Bought mine (16" with ring) 23 years ago in a NYC Chinatown restaurant supply store for $8.
 
Thanks for the link!Think ill get the 14" Helen Chen Carbon Steel Flat-Bottom Wok 4-Pc Set.$36($44.94 shipped) with lid is best deal I seen.Is helen chen a good brand?What brands do you all have?I'm with gadzooks on lids.Seems hard to find one that fits right

My wok is a 14" Atlas Metal Spinning Co. (Taiwan) from a thrift store. Nice. Wooden pan handle plus wooden loop handle. I took a shallow ss bowl, like used for letting yeast dough rise, 12" approx. and drilled a hole in the side, about 2/3 of the way up from the bottom, and put a single screw wooden drawer pull knob on it. The lid doubles as a prep bowl and I can lift it off without getting burned. Marinated whatever goes from bowl to wok and pop the lid on in a single move. Is Helen Chen related to Joyce Chen? I don't know, but I looked at her website and woks. They look good. Flat bottom wok...you have an electric stove? That's what flat bottoms are made for.
 
Atlas Metal Spinning was in S. San Francisco, not Taiwan, and has closed its doors, sadly. Their woks were the first choice of thousands of hippies back in the day.
 
Atlas pans are the best, though they are now closed, you can find some woks and fry pans on ebay. I have had the same set for 18 years now, and they are still in fantastic condition.
 
Atlas Metal Spinning was in S. San Francisco, not Taiwan, and has closed its doors, sadly. Their woks were the first choice of thousands of hippies back in the day.

correct!! they are american made, they were located across from costco on s. airport.
 
I received a non-stick electric wok for a wedding present 28 years ago and it's still going strong. I don't have enough storage space, or I'd get an electric griddle, too ;) I heat it to 400* on the dial and in a minute or so, pour in the oil, ginger and garlic, and sear the meat. Gets nice and brown. Remove to a plate, stir-fry veggies, add sauce, stir till thickened, add meat, stir till heated, done. I use the lid only for keeping the rest warm while we eat a first serving.

btw, SteamyKitchen.com's Jaden recommends letting food sit in an American wok to brown, rather than stir-frying too much. Most home kitchens can't get the same temps as restaurants, so spreading it out and letting it sear gives better browning. Have fun!
 
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