Recommendations for a good Wok
May 1, 2013 2:45 PM Subscribe
So we are all into stir fry cooking now and looking for a good quality WOK
Having never used a wok before, we would love some pointers and maybe links to the best quality ones out there. Don't mind spending a bit more if it will last for awhile. One caveat is that we want to avoid any teflon like qualities and prefer cast iron material (not sure if it even exist or they make it out of a totally different material).
We will be using this mostly for stir fry for Chinese/Thai dishes.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Having never used a wok before, we would love some pointers and maybe links to the best quality ones out there. Don't mind spending a bit more if it will last for awhile. One caveat is that we want to avoid any teflon like qualities and prefer cast iron material (not sure if it even exist or they make it out of a totally different material).
We will be using this mostly for stir fry for Chinese/Thai dishes.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Head to your nearest Chinese store, check out the goods and talk to the salespeople. Tell them what you cook on.
The best woks out there don't have a brand that you or me can read, let alone pronounce. Get the original stuff from the people who know how to use it.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:59 PM on May 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
The best woks out there don't have a brand that you or me can read, let alone pronounce. Get the original stuff from the people who know how to use it.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:59 PM on May 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
Thin carbon steel woks--the kind you can buy for $10 USD in Chinatown--are wonderful and an incredible value but practically depend on having a high-powered burner, because they have so little thermal mass that adding even a relatively small amount of food can cool them to below proper stir-frying temperature. However, if you have a burner that can deliver, this should be your first choice. Seriously, buy the cheapest wok you can: you should be able to get a wok, a wok scoop or ladle, and a set of bamboo steamers for less than $30 USD. I would avoid the kind with a black coating (I think it's supposed to approximate seasoning but who knows what it really is) and get an unseasoned steel wok. It will be coated in a sticky layer of cosmoline to prevent rust, which you must remove with steel wool and soap before you season it yourself.
If you don't have a powerful burner or gas ring, consider a cast-iron wok for extra heat-retaining mass. It will perform much more satisfyingly over a standard western burner.
posted by pullayup at 3:10 PM on May 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you don't have a powerful burner or gas ring, consider a cast-iron wok for extra heat-retaining mass. It will perform much more satisfyingly over a standard western burner.
posted by pullayup at 3:10 PM on May 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
How serious are you about this wok business? In Chinese restaurants they usually have round- bottom woks which sit in a ring burner. You get direct heat on about the bottom third of the bowl of the wok, helps a lot with making sure everything gets a nice crust instead of stewing/steaming. If you have a gas stove, I believe you can get an adapter which will enable you to mimic this pretty well. But if you have an electric stove you're SOL. Better off getting a wide flat pan.
posted by Diablevert at 3:13 PM on May 1, 2013
posted by Diablevert at 3:13 PM on May 1, 2013
That Lodge wok I linked to has a flat bottom, making it usable on an electric stove. You can see it in the profile view here. It isn't perfect, but it will make decent contact with an electric burner.
posted by pullayup at 3:18 PM on May 1, 2013
posted by pullayup at 3:18 PM on May 1, 2013
I have an electric stove, so a regular wok is out. I have an electric wok. Obviously this will not do if you are looking for authenticity, but I adore mine and use it all the time for stir fry. I think it does a great job.
posted by Wordwoman at 3:23 PM on May 1, 2013
posted by Wordwoman at 3:23 PM on May 1, 2013
If you have outdoor space, a propane burner will absolutely give you the best possible wok experience that you can get at home. Then you can use the thin carbon steel woks and cook a meal in two minutes flat.
posted by supercres at 3:29 PM on May 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by supercres at 3:29 PM on May 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I have an electric wok too. I can't say enough good things about it. I cooked my way through Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge with it.
posted by bearwife at 3:32 PM on May 1, 2013
posted by bearwife at 3:32 PM on May 1, 2013
"I defer to Kenji"
That's a rule of thumb that usually works for me, too. Kenji's co-worker, Chichi Wang, disagrees. If you're using a regular old home stove she makes some good arguments for using non-stick anodized aluminum. (To be fair, I don't think she tested the $350.00 All-Clad Copper Core wok.)
posted by Room 641-A at 5:20 PM on May 1, 2013
That's a rule of thumb that usually works for me, too. Kenji's co-worker, Chichi Wang, disagrees. If you're using a regular old home stove she makes some good arguments for using non-stick anodized aluminum. (To be fair, I don't think she tested the $350.00 All-Clad Copper Core wok.)
posted by Room 641-A at 5:20 PM on May 1, 2013
I've found pullayup's suggestion to be true too. $12 wok, dirty peanut oil, and a high flame works great. Also important: treat the wok like it's a cast-iron pan--wipe it out, use a little water if you have to, and no soap ever. Don't try to clean it: try to keep it seasoned, polishing a little dirty oil in if you need to.
posted by mimi at 6:21 PM on May 1, 2013
posted by mimi at 6:21 PM on May 1, 2013
Mine was hand-hammered while I watched, in a store in Chinatown. For something like 10 dollars. I'd say it's worth traveling quite far both for the experience, and the quality of the wok. I use it for many things beyond Asian food
posted by mumimor at 7:22 PM on May 1, 2013
posted by mumimor at 7:22 PM on May 1, 2013
For years and years I used a cheap spun-steel wok from a hardware store in Chinatown and it worked fine on both gas and electric stoves. If economy is important I think this is your best bet.
I recommend one with a long wooden handle so you can keep a good grip on it without a potholder. (If you stir-fry with proper gusto you will need a good grip.) Also choose one with a rounded bottom rather than flat so that the curved spatula will make good contact everywhere. You will need a collar to rest it in so it sits stably on a Western stovetop but it will work on gas or electric burners.
The downside is that steel loses its patina easily and you have to season it after every use. You can't leave the leftovers in the wok while you sit down to eat your dinner; you have to season it right away. I can't stand cast iron for the same reason, but if you like cast iron you'll be OK with a steel wok.
However, a few years ago I splurged on a stainless steel All-Clad wok and it is a magnificent thing of beauty. No hot spots or scorching on my crummy stove, no seasoning required, it's heavy enough to stay put while stir-frying, it can go in the dishwasher - I adore it! I've told Hubby I want to be buried with it, even. If you can drop some serious cash on a wok, this one will delight you every time you use it and it will probably be going strong well into the next century. Unless you also decide to take it into the afterlife with you ;-)
posted by Quietgal at 8:14 PM on May 1, 2013
I recommend one with a long wooden handle so you can keep a good grip on it without a potholder. (If you stir-fry with proper gusto you will need a good grip.) Also choose one with a rounded bottom rather than flat so that the curved spatula will make good contact everywhere. You will need a collar to rest it in so it sits stably on a Western stovetop but it will work on gas or electric burners.
The downside is that steel loses its patina easily and you have to season it after every use. You can't leave the leftovers in the wok while you sit down to eat your dinner; you have to season it right away. I can't stand cast iron for the same reason, but if you like cast iron you'll be OK with a steel wok.
However, a few years ago I splurged on a stainless steel All-Clad wok and it is a magnificent thing of beauty. No hot spots or scorching on my crummy stove, no seasoning required, it's heavy enough to stay put while stir-frying, it can go in the dishwasher - I adore it! I've told Hubby I want to be buried with it, even. If you can drop some serious cash on a wok, this one will delight you every time you use it and it will probably be going strong well into the next century. Unless you also decide to take it into the afterlife with you ;-)
posted by Quietgal at 8:14 PM on May 1, 2013
If you can't get to Chinatown to watch them hand-hammer a wok to order, I have had good luck with The Wok Shop in SFO - good quality traditional steel woks, at reasonable prices, mail order.
posted by mr vino at 9:18 PM on May 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by mr vino at 9:18 PM on May 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I have a cast iron wok. It's made by Bodum. I'm not sure I'd pay retail for it, but it was worth the thrift store price. Before that I had a cheap handmedown teflon thing that was kind of a pain.
The cast iron wok is heavy as fuck. It's enormous (I store it in the oven because I have limited cabinet space). There is definitely no shaking the pan on the stove. It gets really hot and then stays hot. But it's so big that I can drag stuff up out of the heat to rest on the side when I need to.
If cast iron is a priority then I'm guessing you're prepared to deal with the cumbersomeness of such pans. I've been really happy with the way mine handles heat.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 10:09 PM on May 1, 2013
The cast iron wok is heavy as fuck. It's enormous (I store it in the oven because I have limited cabinet space). There is definitely no shaking the pan on the stove. It gets really hot and then stays hot. But it's so big that I can drag stuff up out of the heat to rest on the side when I need to.
If cast iron is a priority then I'm guessing you're prepared to deal with the cumbersomeness of such pans. I've been really happy with the way mine handles heat.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 10:09 PM on May 1, 2013
Response by poster: wow, great suggestions. Thank you all so much!
posted by pakora1 at 2:23 PM on May 3, 2013
posted by pakora1 at 2:23 PM on May 3, 2013
We've had ikea's $10 wok for like 8 years and are really happy with it.
posted by reddot at 11:02 AM on May 5, 2013
posted by reddot at 11:02 AM on May 5, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by supercres at 2:47 PM on May 1, 2013 [2 favorites]