Wok This Way

Whistlin'Dixie · Post by **Whistlin'Dixie** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:11 am

Anybody out there have a wok?

I've been thinking about getting one, but so many choices. Non-stick, regular, expensive, inexpensive....

And the thought of "seasoning" it ......seems so much trouble.

If y'all have one, do you use it much?
I've got a gas flame cooktop, if that helps

M

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:18 am

My wife has a carbon-steel wok from Joyce Chen (fairly inexpensive). It has a round bottom (not one of those with a flat spot) One of the nice tings is hoe responsive it is to heat. Some people manufacture cast iron woks, but this would make changes in temperature slow and would not work in the way most people would want (with a gas range you should be able to change temperature very quickly without having to change burners). For the round bottom wok, you need a ring to support the pan If you can bring one of the burner grill sand check if the ring will fit over it, on top of it, or if you will have to remove the pot support every time you cook.

Seasoning any pan is not really a big deal, it just becomes part of your cleaning routine. With the added care that non-stick pans need (special utensils etc.) one does not seem like more work than the other in my opinion. Non stick pans also seem to brown things differently.

This is all second hand knowledge though, I am not allowed to use the thing, not even to make popcorn.

chas · Post by **chas** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:30 am

I have a flat-bottom, nonstick wok with a big wooden handle. It serves its purpose; it was a gift. I use it quite a bit on a gas stove for stir frying and the occasional curry, although I generally do curry in a dutch oven now.

If I were gonna get a wok for myself I'd get a pounded steel one from an Asian market. The hammer marks allow you to pull food out of the oil for for a couple of minutes, say if you're stir frying a bit more food than will fit in a single batch. The round bottom allows you to deep-fry, say, peanuts in less oil than would be required in a flat-bottom. (The round bottom requires a ring, though, since it will just roll off a regular burner.) And it will last forever -- it needs to be seasoned, but if the seasoning wears off, you just re-season it, rather than needing to get a new one as with teflon or silverstone.

There's also the electric option, which I had for awhile. It does have a round bottom, but is still aluminum with nonstick coating. It's convenient in that it's a single unit with an appropriate temperature control, but it's difficult to clean the outside (really oughtn't be soaked), and once the coating is gone you either need to deal with everything sticking or you need to toss something with perfectly good electrical stuff in it.

If you're not into seasoning and dealing with a ring, I'd recommend getting a flat-bottom nonstick. If you don't mind dealing with the ring and spending a little while every few years seasoning it, I'd recommend a traditional wok.

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:46 am

chas wrote: If I were gonna get a wok for myself I'd get a pounded steel one from an Asian market. The hammer marks allow you to pull food out of the oil for for a couple of minutes, say if you're stir frying a bit more food than will fit in a single batch.

Saw a gorgeous one at a second hand store just like you described. The aluminum lid looked like it had been used as a gong or cymbal, but the wok itself was solid and in wonderful condition. Still kicking myself for not getting that one.

djm · Post by **djm** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:58 am

I have a Chinese wok, the type you see in any Asian shop. Keeping it seasoned is a pain in the butt and does not, in my experience make a darn bit of difference. I would like to get a non-stick one, but I haven't seen one with a round bottom - just flat, which is no use for stir-frying.

djm

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:12 pm

I've got a 13-inch (I think) aluminum dealie with a copper bottom. Since it's not cast-iron or steel, you don't have to season it.

I love it, personally. I use it more than any other cooking utensil in the kitchen - you can stir-, pan- or deep-fry, boil, steam, etc. Pretty much anything you want except stick it into an oven. It's probably no good for pan-frying more than one or two items at a time, since the flat part of the bottom is relatively small compared to a proper skillet, but if you're just cooking for yourself it's alright.

Mine isn't non-stick, but i just take a paper towel and wipe cooking oil over the entire interior before I start cooking and it seems to work fairly well. I use it to make everything from stir-fry to tempura to curries.

and a bit of snobbery - gas flame>electric, yay!

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:46 pm

My wife is from Hong Kong, so a wok was the first kitchenware we bought after we got married.

Inexpensive, round-bottomed, somewhere between 15-18 inches in size (I'm on a trip, so I can't measure it). Yes, it did come with a ring to allow us to use it on a standard stove. And it cost less than $20 at one of our local Asian markets.

We've had it for nearly 25 years now, and that inexpensive wok is still going strong, in use several times a week. Much to my surprise, even with the round bottom it works fine on a standard electric burner, if that's what you have. Seasoning it was simple, and all that's needed to keep it in shape (and functionally almost "non-stick") is to scrape any stuck bits off when done, rinse with hot water and a sponge or none-metal scouring pad till clean, and put back on the (hot) stove until dry.

Our daughter in college wants a wok of her own. She's been told that we'll help her get one and season it, but our "good" wok is off limits.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:54 pm

DCrom wrote:Seasoning it was simple, and all that's needed to keep it in shape (and functionally almost "non-stick") is to scrape any stuck bits off when done, rinse with hot water and a sponge or none-metal scouring pad till clean, and put back on the (hot) stove until dry.

If you use soap, that'll undo your seasoning for you. I have a 30-year-old cast-iron skillet, and every time some well-meaning soul has washed and scoured it with detergent, I've had to reseason it all over again. Although close to it, it's not completely non-stick, but then, how else would you get those tasty leftover bits for sauces?

dfernandez77 · Post by **dfernandez77** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:11 pm

I cook in a Wok all the time. Most of what I cook is Chinese or Asian style food.

I've tried many Woks. After much experience I have come down to this one recommendation.
Nonstick Flat Bottom Wok with Lid (14-in.) by Joyce Chen
http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=102374

I've used it on standard gas burners, wok burners, turkey deep fry burners, and electric burners. It works pretty good even on electric. The heat is spread evenly and it retains heat (very important) very well.

It took about 5 years of several times a week use to tire the nonstick surface on my first one. I still use it for steaming things and for soupy preparations.

So I bought another one that I now use for the stuff that needs good non stick. The commercial non-stick surface works well and I don't have to worry about "seasoning" issues - except spices for the food.

fel bautista · Post by **fel bautista** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:58 pm

I've got a steel, needs to be seasoned- 15 inch, wok for about the last 25 years. Same one. I've used it over electric and a small butane?? burner (prefered). Got the wok at an asian market for $10-$15. It looks all black and pretty used up- but it works like a charm.

I also have my mom's cast iron frying pan that unstoppable. I don't think you can do anything to that thing to remove its seasoning.

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 8:34 am

I've got both a flat bottom and a round bottom nonstick wok. Our range is a glasstop electric (

I'd rather have a gas), so the support ring gets kicked about if one's not careful. Because of this and the little hands running around the house I generally use the flat bottom more than the other.
I've been talking to the wife about getting a decent one to take camping with us. Anyone ever use on over an open fire while camping?

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:03 am

Nanohedron wrote:
DCrom wrote:Seasoning it was simple, and all that's needed to keep it in shape (and functionally almost "non-stick") is to scrape any stuck bits off when done, rinse with hot water and a sponge or none-metal scouring pad till clean, and put back on the (hot) stove until dry.
If you use soap, that'll undo your seasoning for you. I have a 30-year-old cast-iron skillet, and every time some well-meaning soul has washed and scoured it with detergent, I've had to reseason it all over again. Although close to it, it's not completely non-stick, but then, how else would you get those tasty leftover bits for sauces?

I have read about how you are supposed to season a cast iron skillet. The instructions for cleaning in the above quote is the problem that I have with such methods: "rinse with hot water and a sponge or non-metal scouring pad till clean". The only problem with this method is that the surface of the skillet will not actually be "clean". I, too, have had a cast iron skillet for thirty years, or more. I scrub mine with a green abrasive 3M pad and wash it with soap and water. In my mind, a seasoned skillet surface is a black, unclean surface of hardened, old and rancid oils. I try to remove the old oils after using the skillet, and I add fresh, clean oil when I again use the skillet. So, things do stick a little bit, but it is no problem for me; I just scrub it clean again. Ditto for the beautiful stainless steel skillet that I recently purchased.

dfernandez77 · Post by **dfernandez77** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:23 am

Tyler Morris wrote:I've got both a flat bottom...

Me too.

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:36 am

dfernandez77 wrote:
Tyler Morris wrote:I've got both a flat bottom...
Me too.

Guess that's what happens when we sit around too much

Hey didn't Queen do a song about flat bottoms?

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 10:03 am

Tyler Morris wrote:I've got both a flat bottom and a round bottom nonstick wok. Our range is a glasstop electric ( I'd rather have a gas), so the support ring gets kicked about if one's not careful. Because of this and the little hands running around the house I generally use the flat bottom more than the other.
I've been talking to the wife about getting a decent one to take camping with us. Anyone ever use on over an open fire while camping?

Like Tyler, I currently am using a glasstop electric stove, which I like. My parents always had a gas stove. However, as an adult I found it difficult to be in the kitchen when my parents were using even just one burner. Now, it is common knowledge that kitchen gas ranges are one of the greatest sources of indoor air polution, partially responsible for the growing occurances of respiratory problems, such as asthma. This is only my personal opinion, but I think that it would be irresponsible to use a gas range if there are young children in the household, just as I think it is irresponsible to smoke in a car where young children are passengers.