Buying a Wok

[GA Home Cook]

I have been mulling over buying a wok. so I have some questions of the group. Looks like there are four basic metals. Stainless Steel, non stick, cast iron and Carbon steel.
1. Which one do you recommend?
2. Do you use it for more than the occassion fried rice?
3. Is the 14" the standard?

 

[GotGarlic]

It depends on how authentic you want to get I have an electric non-stick wok that I received as a wedding present 30 years ago. It works fine for what I primarily use it for, which is stir-fries, although lately I find it's just easier to use my 3-quart SS saute pan. We had a similar thread on this not too long ago: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f89/which-cookware-to-buy-for-stir-frying-84141.html

 

[Hoot]

I have several woks. I prefer carbon steel. One thing you should look for is that the steel at the bottom should be significantly thicker than the sides.
I use my wok for many things beyond fried rice. It can be used as a deep fry pan, for example.
As for a standard size, woks can be small (14" is good for a family of 4) or large (up to about 2 -2.5 ft) as you can see in Chinese restaurants.

 

[GA Home Cook]

Hoot - does your Carbon Steel season up like Cast iron?

 

[forty_caliber]

I've purchased several woks over the years. Seems like they got used until the new was worn off and then got put or given away. We don't do lots of Asian cuisine at our house and that probably has more to do with it than any particular dislike.

A chef's pan works just fine when I get that occasional craving for fried rice.

.40

 

[Andy M.]

I use a 14" carbon steel wok. Yes, you season it like a CI pan.

Browse here: Woks

 

[Steve Kroll]

Another consideration is the type of stove. I have a ceramic cooktop myself and have found that the design just doesn't work well with a traditional wok. A few years back, I picked up a Le Creuset "Karahi" pan in London. I absolutely love it for stir frying. The bottom is flat, so it makes good contact with the burner. But it also has sloped sides like a wok, so that as you finish browning things on the bottom you can push them up onto the sides where the pan is a little cooler. Since it's made of cast iron, it gets very hot and holds the heat well.

One thing to note. With this particular pan, they recommend it be washed without soap, dried over high heat on the stove, and then seasoned with a couple of drops of oil before storing.

 

[Mad Cook]

I have several woks. I prefer carbon steel. One thing you should look for is that the steel at the bottom should be significantly thicker than the sides.
I use my wok for many things beyond fried rice. It can be used as a deep fry pan, for example.
As for a standard size, woks can be small (14" is good for a family of 4) or large (up to about 2 -2.5 ft) as you can see in Chinese restaurants.

I'm with Hoot on this.

I use mine for lots of things and prefer carbon steel. Lets face it, it's the wok of choice for Chinese cooks and one billion Chinese can't be wrong I find that things burn to easily in stainless steel. Non-stick is not a good idea as you need to heat the empty, dry wok to a high temp before adding the oil for stir frying and with non-stick you can't do this. Le Creuset style cast iron woks are far to heavy to be manageable.

Another thing about carbon steel woks - they are inexpensive so it's not a major disaster if you ruin it. Having said that, I've had mine for over 15 years and however I try to destroy it it comes up smiling. When I was in the middle of moving house a couple of winters back it got abandoned in the garage and developed a fine dusting of rust but I scrubbed it and re-seasoned it and it was as good as new. Hint - With a carbon steel wok it's a good idea to line it with a sheet of foil if you are going to steam over water in order to protect the steel from rusting.

Whichever you go for, I'd choose one with a sticky out handle like this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Swift-Spice...&ie=UTF8&qid=1411141092&sr=1-13&keywords=wok'

rather than one with two grab handles. The type pictured are easier to shake about without burning yourself. 14" is a good size even for one person - "What holds a lot holds a little" and you have more room to manoeuvre in the 14" wok than the smaller ones.

This is useful info about seasoning:-

How to Care for Your Carbon-Steel Wok - FineCooking.com

 

[jennyema]

Carbon Steel

Woks need to be screaming hot so non-stick probably isn't the best choice

I use it to make all kinds of Asian dishes

 

[Roll_Bones]

I also have a carbon steel wok, but it has a flat bottom.
With electric stove tops, a flat bottom is paramount IMO.

Its been in my basement for years.

 

[powerplantop]

I have several woks that see use. My favorite is the thin cast iron one.

 

[Janet H]

I also prefer carbon steel and got a new one fairly recently that is made in japan - Yamada Wok. Best one I've ever had - hands down. Hand hammered, carbon steel. It's lightweight (about half the weight of my old spun steel wok) and lovely. The seasoning instructions worked perfectly.


Initially I ordered a 12 inch but a 14 inch would be a more useful size for a family.

You can see them here: Product : Hitachiya USA

 

[powerplantop]

I also prefer carbon steel and got a new one fairly recently that is made in japan - Yamada Wok. Best one I've ever had - hands down. Hand hammered, carbon steel. It's lightweight (about half the weight of my old spun steel wok) and lovely. The seasoning instructions worked perfectly.


Initially I ordered a 12 inch but a 14 inch would be a more useful size for a family.

You can see them here: Product : Hitachiya USA

That is a nice looking wok.

I book marked the page, want one of the clay rice pots.

 

[buckytom]

14" carbon steel here.

it was handed down to me by my uncle. he bought it from one of the very first infomercials ever seen on tv, " the great wok of china" from about 30 years ago. hand hammered, ultra flat bottom. comes with wok tools (ladle, scoop, spider, giant cooking chopsticks, and a bamboo cleaning brush) and a "flavor dome".

gotta have the flavor dome.

but really, it also came with a heat ring. it's a ring base that goes over the burners that the wok sits in.
DO NOT USE THE HEAT RING ON A STOVE TOP. the built up heat ends up discolouring the stove top surface around the burner.

 

[Mad Cook]

14" carbon steel here.

it was handed down to me by my uncle. he bought it from one of the very first infomercials ever seen on tv, " the great wok of china" from about 30 years ago. hand hammered, ultra flat bottom. comes with wok tools (ladle, scoop, spider, giant cooking chopsticks, and a bamboo cleaning brush) and a "flavor dome".

gotta have the flavor dome.

but really, it also came with a heat ring. it's a ring base that goes over the burners that the wok sits in.
DO NOT USE THE HEAT RING ON A STOVE TOP. the built up heat ends up discolouring the stove top surface around the burner.

My new cooker has a built in Wok burner and ring. Not used it, however, as it is is at the back of the hob and involves leaning across the hob to reach it. Who designs these things!

 

[Steve Kroll]

I also prefer carbon steel and got a new one fairly recently that is made in japan - Yamada Wok. Best one I've ever had - hands down. Hand hammered, carbon steel. It's lightweight (about half the weight of my old spun steel wok) and lovely. The seasoning instructions worked perfectly.


Initially I ordered a 12 inch but a 14 inch would be a more useful size for a family.

You can see them here: Product : Hitachiya USA

Ooh.... I like those! And they do make a flat bottomed model.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Way too pricy for a retired old goat on a fixed income.

I paid 12 bucks for my 14-inch hand hammered carbon steel wok at Cost Plus World Market about 20 years ago and it has seen a lot of stir frying since. It has a flat bottom, so it works fine on my ceramic range, but it also works great on the side burner of my barbecue grill.

I also have a 24-inch cast iron wok in the Amoretti Test Kitchen that I picked up in a thrift store, brand new and still in the box, for around 10 bucks, but most people find it a bit cumbersome to use.