Purchasing a wok

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N

NetWareHead

THAT guy
Aug 10, 2002
5,847
154
106
Im looking at getting a wok since i've been getting more into chinese/indian/asian cooking. The question is what material do I purchase? Cast iron or carbon steel? I've done enough research to see that stainless steel is not recommended.

Some basic facts:
-gas stove so i will need a wok ring too
-i'm used to cast iron pans and skillets so seasoning and maintaining a cast iron or carbon steel wok should not be hard.
-i wont be deep frying much or at all...i'm mainly interested in stir frying/sauteeing

There seems to be an even divide on whether cast iron or carbon steel is the better material.. Suggestions?

P.S. Also machine made or hand hammered? Thanks...
 
H

Howard

Lifer
Oct 14, 1999
47,986
11
81
If you have a gas stove, stay with a round bottom.

Stay away from Western-style woks, or woks with a non-stick coating.

I don't think the method of manufacture matters too much as long as the material appears to be robust (consistent thickness, no pitting or cracks, etc.) and the handles are attached sturdily with rivets or a weld with a high "perimeter". I've seen some woks with welds that haven't been ground smooth, so watch out for that, too.

I like woks with stick handles as opposed to loop handles as they are a little easier to manuever on the range, but they can be a little more difficult to store. Furthermore, strong loop handles are more common than strong stick handles, especially as Asian woks tend to be made with a thin metal.

Cast iron supposedly holds onto seasoning (carbonized, not flavoring) better.
 
A

Agentbolt

Diamond Member
Jul 9, 2004
3,340
1
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Just get a 15 dollar carbon steel wok. As long as you season it correctly, you are golden. It's tough to make a bad wok.
 
sdifox

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
101,243
18,237
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Originally posted by: Agentbolt
Just get a 15 dollar carbon steel wok. As long as you season it correctly, you are golden. It's tough to make a bad wok.
Click to expand...

lol, not true. It's just that it is not so easy to find good woks in NA.
 
K

Kaieye

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,275
0
0
Most steel woks are all the same. Its that most stoves don't produce enough heat to get a wok hot enough to cook. Look for at least 40k btu's...
 
S

Semidevil

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2002
3,017
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kind of related, but how do I re-season a wok after I messed it up? I bought the wok, used it right away without seasoning, and now it just looks nasty and does not cook well.

suggestions?
 
IronWing

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
73,781
35,650
136
Originally posted by: Semidevil
kind of related, but how do I re-season a wok after I messed it up? I bought the wok, used it right away without seasoning, and now it just looks nasty and does not cook well.

suggestions?
Click to expand...

Coat the entire wok in veg shortening and bake in oven at ~400 for awhile.

We have two woks, a 1/16 inch or so carbon steel one and a 1/8 inch cast iron one. The thin carbon steel one is better for stir frying and the heavy cast wok is better for Indian sauces.
 
H

Howard

Lifer
Oct 14, 1999
47,986
11
81
Better to do it on the stove, I think. Seasoning tends to form very, very slowly unless the oil is heated past the smoke point. This temperature can be reached either in the oven or on the range, but the range hood sucks smoke out better from the top than from inside the oven.
 
Baked

Baked

Lifer
Dec 28, 2004
36,052
17
81
Costco sells wok, but it's the non-stick kind. It's heavy as hell though. You want a proper wok, go to China town. They have iron wok w/ wood handle. That's what we use.
 
idiotekniQues

idiotekniQues

Platinum Member
Jan 4, 2007
2,572
0
76
you dont want a non-stick period because you will not get the wok hay from a non stick.

and that is where the magic happens in the cooking.
 
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