Oh, the spouse that washes off the seasoning… I understand your pain kristin! Glad you enjoyed the post. We were lucky to grab a really nice steel example from Goodwill last year. The difference between a wok and a regular pan may seem superficial, but I really do think it improves the quality of the food. Thank you for the historical information and product recommendations.
We cook a lot of asian foods in our house but we do not have a wok. I have never used one in fact. I am just wondering if cooking in a one as compared to a nice cast iron pan really makes much of a difference? This is the only thing truly holding me back from getting one. Any thoughts? I love cast iron, but for Asian dishes my carbon steel wok gets the top shelf.
I have been using woks almost every day for most of the last 30 odd years. I have been toying with getting a stainless one for at least a decade, but would prefer something bigger than the usual offerings.
Does anybody here know of such a thing, that is reasonably priced and available in Australia? Hmm, you might need to make a trip to one of the Chinatown districts… any Aussies out there with a tip for udi? Well I happen to love a good stir fry, and having a good wok really makes a big difference when it comes to the ease of preparing and cooking the whole meal. Sturdiness and ease of cleaning are probably the two factors that I would say mean the most to me, and for that I think that I have found a good one.
I have a carbon steel wok, and it is a good weight and pretty easy to clean afterwards, even when using some of those sloppy sauces.
Thanks for sharing this, and I might just have to whip up some stir fry here pretty soon. Carbon steel is a wonderful wok material rz. Thanks to your informative article I will be able to get the best possible one for my kitchen. Seasoning sounds fun, cast iron seems heavy, and the stainless steel will never be nonstick without a ton of oil, in my experience.
Cast iron, on the other hand, may scratch the surface of your stovetop, and materials such as porcelain-coated enamel may actually melt and fuse with the surface of your cooktop.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Anderson As these nomads conquered and expanded their territory, the wok was introduced to many more cultures and its popularity grew in new realms — particularly in regions of harsh geography and uncertain political climates.
Construction Today, woks are available in a wide variety of materials, but the traditional model made of uncoated carbon steel is still the most popular choice. Carbon steel remains one of the best choices in construction. Round-bottomed woks work best on stoves that can accommodate them — in China and some other Asian countries, both commercial and residential stoves are equipped with a high-BTU wok burner.
Shape Regardless of the material used in construction, the shape, diameter and height should be considered — i. Accessories and Utensils Some woks are sold as an individual unit, while others come in a set with a lid, burner rings, a thin metal spatula chuan , ladle, steamer tray, etc.
VERTI Stainless Steel Asian Turner Chuan Determine the most common uses in your home before making your selection — besides stir frying, steaming, smoking or deep frying are all options , and will require extra pieces for culinary success. Wok Reviews Lodge: Best Rated Cast Iron Model Pre-seasoned and ready for use, this one-piece construction cast iron wok features two loop handles, making it oven safe, and the sturdy flat bottom is good on all stove tops.
What Others Are Saying Fantastic, heavy duty performance, the cast iron gets blazing hot and holds the heat for outstanding performance. What Others Are Saying The sturdy, padded bottom heats quickly and holds heat well, and it is made for durability. What Others Are Saying The positive reviews indicate a well-constructed pan with good conductivity, and even heating throughout the surface areas.
What Others Are Saying Satisfied customers report this is a good product of sturdy construction, the handles stay cool, and it heats evenly with easy clean up. The high heat is ideal for wok cooking and advantageous because of the deep and thin walls. Hence a wok burner is a perfect partner for a wok. On high heat, a well-crafted wok becomes like a hot sun that radiates heat from each side.
Your food with the help of some fat retains all of its flavors while gets cooked evenly because of the equal distribution of heat in a wok. Cooks who have years of experience with the wok, take advantage of the slopes, to keep the food warm without overcooking it. And this is the secret behind the tasty wok-cooked meal. However, if you want to make the perfect stir fry at home even on low flame then these tips to wok stir fry vegetables like Chinese Chefs at home and an outdoor kitchen might interest you.
However, the popularity of wok cooked meals in the household market has revolutionized the round bottom into flat bottom woks that are compatible with any stovetop. From induction oven, glass stove-top, grill, to BBQ , you can cook with a wok on anything. Truth be told, when it comes to cooking, with a wok you need to hone your skills. However, if you have the right material or a perfectly crafted wok at your home, making delicious Chinese food becomes easier than it seems.
Over the years, wok has become a popular choice in every American, European, and Asian household. Now the market offers flat bottom woks for the suitability of using on any stovetop induction, glass stovetop, etc. Not only by its base, but a wok can also be distinguished in several types and choices. There is one for everyone. This is why buying a wok provides you with a handful of customization. You can find several types of wok on the market. Here we have divided the types of wok in the most simplified and comprehensive manner.
One of the most common ways to categorize wok, is based on their bottom. While some of them have round-bottoms, its counterpart has a flat-bottom design. Buying a wok comes with choices. One of the first queries a buyer has- is whether to go with a round or flat bottom wok.
Below are some advantages and disadvantages of both the base type. This will be enough to make a decision or to choose the right one for you. We have a list of Reviewed top 10 Round Bottom Woks of this year. You may find it useful. Two of the most widely used wok handles are Cantonese and Mandarin. A brief difference between the two is given below:.
The Cantonese woks have a very distinctive feature of two U-shaped handles that are actually riveted on both sides of the wok. The pictured wok is It also has gorgeous chip-resistant enamel which comes in five colors and can be used on all heat sources, including outdoor grills and induction. It has a clear glass lid and also a half-moon stainless steel rack that attaches to the pan so you can set items on it while you cook.
It has hundreds of reviews online with a 4. Add more cooking surface to your kitchen with this electric, stainless steel wok that lives on your countertop instead of your stove.
The lid is made of tempered glass and can withstand high temperatures. You can use the wok to stir fry, make soups, sauces or anything that needs to keep warm for serving. Before cooking with a carbon steel or cast iron wok, you'll need to season it to make sure food doesn't stick. To season:.
It heats up quickly and evenly, and if cleaned and treated properly, becomes non-stick over time. Carbon steel woks aren't as popular as they once were since they require seasoning before use. Be careful with washing: they can't be used with soap or thrown in the dishwasher. Carbon steel also flavors the food a little, which some people find unpleasant, though other say this means it's properly seasoned.
Like a carbon steel wok, a cast iron wok also needs to be seasoned before first use to help prevent sticking, though some are sold pre-seasoned.
Like a carbon steel wok, it too will become non-stick over time if treated properly. Cast iron tends to be heavy, which may make moving the wok difficult. In such cases, a wok spatula may be used to stir the food; it has a shovel-like design, ideal for moving food around quickly and easily.
While stainless steel takes some time to heat, it has good, even heat distribution. Traditionalists are opposed to stainless steel woks because they can be heavy and don't respond quickly to temperature changes the way carbon steel woks do. They're durable, however, and don't need to be seasoned. Stainless steel woks are often combined with other types of metal, like an aluminum core, which help them heat up quicker.
They're also usually dishwasher safe. Nonstick woks also can't be heated too hot, so it's hard to get a sear on meats and veggies. Low and steady wins the race with nonstick, which some might argue defeats the purpose of using a wok, which are traditionally used at super high heats.
Product Reviews. Home Ideas. United States. Cast iron is great at heating up quickly and distributing the heat evenly. This result in great stir fry. This is the primary reason why Chefs love cast iron as a wok material.
The market offers numerous pre-seasoned cast iron woks. Among which the 14 inch Lodge Cast iron wok is the most popular one. This Cantonese style wok is highly durable and extremely cheap as compared to wok materials.
These are not resistant to rust and need to be seasoned often. Maintenance is very high. However enameled cast iron does not need seasoning and reasonable maintenance but offer same quality cooking like cast iron. When an enamel glaze vitreous is applied to the surface of the cast iron, it is known as enameled cast iron.
The glaze prevents rusting of the cast iron. Cleaning an enamel cast iron is a breeze. It is a far better option than cast iron. Some cast iron woks also carry unhealthy substances, whereas enameled cast iron is a safer wok material. The above enameled cast-iron wok is from Le Creuset , a very popular and high end model. This 5-quart wok demands little maintenance and does not need seasoning. The tight glass lid makes this wok a versatile cooking tool. Aluminum woks are very common kitchen tools in Asian Households.
As our kitchen has low BTU gas ranges, aluminum is the perfect wok material to make apt stir fry. This metal has a better and faster heat distribution ability than cast iron or carbon steel wok, so on low heat, your ingredients get cooked evenly.
Aluminum is cheap too and needs less maintenance. The aluminum wok is corrosion resistant and thus highly durable. However, the heat retention ability of an aluminum wok is not good hence, if you put the wok out of the fire, it will get cold sooner.
But the main issue is the safety of the material. You cannot cook acidic food in an aluminum wok as it reacts with the metal. By immersing the aluminum metal in the chemical bath and applying electrical current hard-anodized aluminum is produced. It is nothing but a layer of oxide that hardens the aluminum and makes it rust-proof. It is like an aluminum 2.
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