What do you think of this Lodge cast iron wok?

[mshan]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obi...ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

I read I can't use it on my smooth top stove without some heat diffuser (?)

And will it be ok on my Weber Baby Q 100 gas grill?

 

[Howard]

I can tell you that it'll take forever to heat up. If it's a round-bottom wok, you'll need a wok ring of some sort to keep it balanced. Obviously, if you have an electric range you'll be wasting time and money if you go with a round-bottom wok.

I prefer the East Asian style of wok myself. http://www.amazon.com/inch-Tra...qid=1211769282&sr=1-17

 

[mshan]

That particular wok, or any cast iron wok in general?

And will the portable gas grill make it heat up any faster than a smooth top stove with some sort of protective heat diffuser?

 

[xSauronx]

you can get one identical from amazon for under 20 bucks, i got one a few weeks ago. 60 bucks is rape for that. mine has a flat bottom

the handles absolutely suck and make it a bitch to move around at all. i like the one howard linked to better, and better still, now that i know, would possibly be one with a long handle on one side.

 

[mshan]

Are you referring to that that Mr. Bar-B-Que one that has very mixed reviews?

 

[LS21]

cast-iron material (heat retention and even heat distribution) goes against what a wok is about. it should be carbon steel and cost 15$ from a chinese store

 

[mshan]

Found this one on Howard's cooking essentials thread: http://www.wokshop.com/HTML/pr...s/wok-iron-enamel.html

Is this the one people would recommend for a smooth top stove?

And would using a wok on a gas grill (Weber Baby Q 100) be better or worse than a electric smooth top stove when trying to cook with a wok?

 

[LS21]

a wok is supposed to be extremely hot at the center, with a large surface area, so that you can push food off to the side that you do not want to heat. itll be best on a coal grill with a wok stand, or a really, really good gas stove.

on a smooth top, you can use a wok that has a flat bottom for contact

 

[Scarpozzi]

Lodge is a great brand cause it's made here in the USA rather than in China. They make the best cast iron in my opinion.

As far as the wok goes, it looks good, but I think it's overpriced by $20-30. You can get a really good Calphalon every day pan that will work just as good in an anodized aluminum.....it's just easier to clean since you can scrub it and use hot soap & water. If you can find a Lodge Factory Outlet, you can sometimes get 2nds that have a mild blemish somewhere for a lot cheaper. I got a 10 or 12 inch skillet from them for $7.50 last year...I use it when I make Fried Chicken. :thumbsup:

 

[hiromizu]

I bought a cast iron pan directly from Lodge. Good people and great product. Can't say anything bad about them. My steaks are killer now.

 

[IGBT]

..looks good. I ended up wit a carbon steel wok. Cast is great if you don't mind the weight.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: LS21
cast-iron material (heat retention and even heat distribution) goes against what a wok is about. it should be carbon steel and cost 15$ from a chinese store

Not so. Cast iron has been used for a very long time in China. Heat retention is proportional to mass given any one material - a thin cast iron wok will not hold onto high amounts of heat. I also prefer cast iron because it tends to hold onto seasoning better.

Originally posted by: mshan
Found this one on Howard's cooking essentials thread: http://www.wokshop.com/HTML/pr...s/wok-iron-enamel.html

Is this the one people would recommend for a smooth top stove?

And would using a wok on a gas grill (Weber Baby Q 100) be better or worse than a electric smooth top stove when trying to cook with a wok?

I have one just like that. Works perfectly for my purposes.

If you plan to cook outdoors and don't have a large burner (like one on a turkey fryer), you should use a charcoal grill as opposed to a gas grill. Put the wok right on the hot coals and you can get hotter than on a grates of a gas grill.

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
Lodge is a great brand cause it's made here in the USA rather than in China. They make the best cast iron in my opinion.

As far as the wok goes, it looks good, but I think it's overpriced by $20-30. You can get a really good Calphalon every day pan that will work just as good in an anodized aluminum.....it's just easier to clean since you can scrub it and use hot soap & water. If you can find a Lodge Factory Outlet, you can sometimes get 2nds that have a mild blemish somewhere for a lot cheaper. I got a 10 or 12 inch skillet from them for $7.50 last year...I use it when I make Fried Chicken. :thumbsup:

It strikes me as odd that a product that is mainly used for cuisine from eastern Asian countries would be better if it's made in the states. Not that it's not true... just kinda "odd".

 

[0roo0roo]

yea alton brown used a turkey fryer burner with his wok
you need sufficient heat for good cooking, and well electrics don't cut it generally

 

[0roo0roo]

lol wiki everything
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wok

 

[LS21]

Originally posted by: Howard

Not so. Cast iron has been used for a very long time in China. Heat retention is proportional to mass given any one material - a thin cast iron wok will not hold onto high amounts of heat. I also prefer cast iron because it tends to hold onto seasoning better.

Yeah so. Cast iron has been used for a very long time - a) Doesnt mean cast iron has been the preferred choice for WOKS. Heat retention is proportional to mass - 2) yes duh 3) thats NOT what is desired in a wok.

So no what you say is not wrong but in context they are inappropriate. A wok should be thin carbon steel to cook the way chinese chefs intended

 

[Gibson486]

I just bought a wok from Chinatown 2 weeks ago. It cost me $20 and has a flat bottom (I have an electric stove....boooo!). It works great. As for the material, i have no idea. It could be thin cast iron, i guess.....but it really is not that heavy...or it could be thick crabon steel....but it was not a shiny silver when i got it (it was black and rough). I am a noob when it comes to cooking with good cook ware.


the one thing I hate about his owk though is that it is so dam hard to season it. I want to season it all around, but all the oil just ends up dripping back to the bottom....so only the bottom is really seasoned at the moment.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: LS21

Originally posted by: Howard

Not so. Cast iron has been used for a very long time in China. Heat retention is proportional to mass given any one material - a thin cast iron wok will not hold onto high amounts of heat. I also prefer cast iron because it tends to hold onto seasoning better.

Yeah so. Cast iron has been used for a very long time - a) Doesnt mean cast iron has been the preferred choice for WOKS. Heat retention is proportional to mass - 2) yes duh 3) thats NOT what is desired in a wok.

I don't know what the hell you are trying to say but a carbon steel wok and a cast iron wok of the same mass will have the same heat retention. Now, if you're familiar only with the type of cast iron wok that Lodge makes, then I can forgive your ignorance - otherwise, WTF?

Originally posted by: Gibson486
I just bought a wok from Chinatown 2 weeks ago. It cost me $20 and has a flat bottom (I have an electric stove....boooo!). It works great. As for the material, i have no idea. It could be thin cast iron, i guess.....but it really is not that heavy...or it could be thick crabon steel....but it was not a shiny silver when i got it (it was black and rough). I am a noob when it comes to cooking with good cook ware.


the one thing I hate about his owk though is that it is so dam hard to season it. I want to season it all around, but all the oil just ends up dripping back to the bottom....so only the bottom is really seasoned at the moment.

If the oil is dripping, there's too much oil.

 

[Capt Caveman]

I would never go with a cast iron wok. Carbon Steel is the way to go.

 

[LS21]

Originally posted by: Howard

I don't know what the hell you are trying to say but a carbon steel wok and a cast iron wok of the same mass will have the same heat retention. Now, if you're familiar only with the type of cast iron wok that Lodge makes, then I can forgive your ignorance - otherwise, WTF?

hey thats cool and all but have you ever seen a 2lb carbon steel wok? theyre all thin. for a reason.

i dont use a lodge cast iron wok - for good reasons explained above (though i do have a lodge 12" griddle - also for good reasons).

now if youre still confused, answer yourself these 2 questions: 1) are you chinese 2) have you been in a chinese kitchen?

 

[Scarpozzi]

Originally posted by: Injury
It strikes me as odd that a product that is mainly used for cuisine from eastern Asian countries would be better if it's made in the states. Not that it's not true... just kinda "odd".

I'm not talking about Woks in general. The chinaman is NOT THE ISSUE. (sorry couldn't resist) Just saying that the quality of the metal used to make the cast iron is said to be superior by most cast iron junkies....as well as Alton Brown. Lodge skillets and dutch ovens are made here in the states by a company that stands behind its products. I'm sure their woks are no exception to their standards of quality. The imports tend to be thinner (which may be better for true wokness) but can have other impurities in the metal simpy because their standards are lower and they manufacture for volume with whatever metal scrap they find and not quality.

Lodge kind of does the same thing, but when they measure out raw materials, they have a certain mix they go for to ensure that the iron is the right consistancy for more even heating....or so they say.

Plus, you're keeping the $$ here in the states by supporting a real American manufacturing company...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgTKTh1UfiU

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: LS21

Originally posted by: Howard

I don't know what the hell you are trying to say but a carbon steel wok and a cast iron wok of the same mass will have the same heat retention. Now, if you're familiar only with the type of cast iron wok that Lodge makes, then I can forgive your ignorance - otherwise, WTF?

hey thats cool and all but have you ever seen a 2lb carbon steel wok? theyre all thin. for a reason.

i dont use a lodge cast iron wok - for good reasons explained above (though i do have a lodge 12" griddle - also for good reasons).

now if youre still confused, answer yourself these 2 questions: 1) are you chinese 2) have you been in a chinese kitchen?

1) Yes
2) Yes

I have seen cast iron woks about the same mass and dimension as carbon steel. Maybe you don't know what kinds of cast iron woks are made, hm?