Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is a nice carbon steel wok, made in USA as well. I had used larger size ones before, but now I prefer a 9-12" wok for ease of control. It has a laminated wood handle, which is a very good heat insulator and water-proof. The wok is relatively thin, but sturdy. Thus, it is not too heavy. In addition, this wok has a relatively steeper curvature, so tossing foods is easy with this wok. The main handle (the straight one) is detachable, but it is extremely stable once it is attached. As mentioned, I had also owned the two larger versions and their handles have always been sturdy. The helper handle (the loop one) is not rotatable: the wood part is not symmetric along the axis and therefore prevents it from rotating on the steel core. Almost all the other carbon steel woks I found locally have a free-to-rotate wood handle and I do not like that flimsy feel. Carbon steel woks need to be seasoned before its first use and need to be seasoned occasionally afterward. This wok is no exception. After seasoning, the wok becomes stick resistant. I have upload a customer image to show the appearance of a seasoned wok. If you own a cast iron skillet, then you know this. Seasoning a cookware can be time consuming, but it is also rewarding. If you are new to stir fry and have never seasoned a cookware before, then you may want to consider learning with a nonstick wok first.
I have purchased many cooking tools from the Wok Shop. It is always a pleasure buying online from the Wok Shop. In fact, I used to live in the Bay Area, 30 minutes away from San Francisco Chinatown where the actual Wok Shop resides. Most of its customers are Chinese. If you have a chance, you should swing by and visit. It is a nice little store filled with helpful people and unique items. The Wok Shop always promptly ships out your goods. Usually, you will get your goods in about 1 week (from my 4 online purchase experience).
***Background Information for People who are New to Carbon-steel Woks***
You may ask why go through all the troubles to season a cookware, why not uses a nonstick wok? The reason is simple: taste. Just like a nonstick skillet cannot match a cast iron skillet, a nonstick wok cannot touch a carbon steel wok. To stir fry properly, foods (especially meats) need to be cook at high temperature in a short period of time. Nonstick cookware simply cannot tolerate the heat requirement. Stainless steel, carbon steel and cast iron can handle the high temperature. The problem for a stainless steel wok is that it cannot be seasoned, so meats stick to it easily. Not only this is a challenge for cooking, but it is also a problem for cleaning. A cast iron wok is fairly well-respected. It retains heat well and it is also stick-resistant when seasoned. However, it is slightly heavier and its heat response time is slower. In order words, it is more difficult to handle and it takes a longer time to heat up and cool down. Most importantly, cast iron is more brittle, so a cast iron wok can crack if not correctly handled. This is why carbon steel is the most popular material for Chinese woks. It is inexpensive, light weight, and has a relatively good heat response. It is also stick-resistant when seasoned. Is it perfect? No. It takes time to season, its seasoned coating (patina) can wear off, and its heat capacity is lower than that of a cast iron wok. Keep in mind, its advantages far outweigh its disadvantages. Different material has different advantages and a cook need to know the strengths and weaknesses of his/her cookware. I have recently wrote a review on the Calphalon One Infused-Anodized 10-Inch Stir Fry Pan. It is a good pan but it is not as authentic as this wok. The Calphalon pan has the advantages of no seasoning is required and it can cook watery foods without the risk of rusting. However, the Calphalon pan is more expensive, easy to scratch, and foods do stick to it.
Finally, it is useful to purchase a brush for a carbon steel wok or for a cast iron wok. Every now and then, small amount of foods will stick to the cookware. Unlike a stainless steel wok, you should avoid using a steel wool to get the foods off. It will just scratch up the seasoning surface. You want something softer. Therefore, a bamboo wok brush is prefect. It is hard enough to get most of the stuck foods off, and soft enough not to scratch the cookware. Bamboo also has antibacterial property, so you do not have to clean a bamboo brush very often. This is another reason why I like bamboo rayon kitchen towel, but that is another story. If you do not know where to get a bamboo brush, the Wok shop sells an inexpensive 7" Cleaning Whisk. Of course, you do not have to have a bamboo brush, most dish brushes will work. An old credit card also works.
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12 inch Carbon Steel Wok w/ Helper Handle (flat bottom) USA madeThis heavy 14-gauge wok is an easy and fun to use. The natural, blond, wooden handle and side spool handle allows the cook full command of the wok. The flat bottom wok is designed to sit directly on an electric stove or ceramic stovetop to take advantage of all the heat. Wok cooking is done with high heat. The flat bottom wok also works very efficiently on a gas stove. If cooking with gas, the same wok is available in round bottom. Wok measures 4" in depth. Cooking recommendations: 12" for up to 5 people, 14" for 6 to 12 people, and 16" for over 12 people. Must be seasoned.
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