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Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 3:50 pm
by Chappychap
Exactly as it says in the subject :).

After spending Saturday and Sunday following the Cooks Illustrated approach to reseasoning my wok with flax oil, only for the seasoning to come right off at lunch today, I'm throwing in the towel with this wok.

Any recommendations?

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:02 pm
by ronnie_suburban
I'd love some recommendations, too. I own four woks and there are significant attributes of each that I really dislike. I've gotten to the point where my favorite of the four is the one with a nonstick coating! :o

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:05 pm
by Kalaeb
ronnie_suburban wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:02 pm I'd love some recommendations, too. I own four woks and there are significant attributes of each that I really dislike. I've gotten to the point where my favorite of the four is the one with a nonstick coating! :o
By non stick coating I assume you mean you just seasoned one really well :).

A teflon coated wok...seems the high heat generally associated with wok cooking would not be ideal for this.

Also tuning in to see what other suggest. Wok cooking is on my list to start this year.

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:06 pm
by ronnie_suburban
Kalaeb wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:05 pm A teflon coated wok...seems the high heat generally associated with wok cooking would not be ideal for this.
Bingo! I keep it right next to my slow-cook microwave oven . . . 8-)

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:30 pm
by Chappychap
Looks like a few of us are in the same boat. In my research these are emerging as front runners:

https://foodal.com/kitchen/pots-pots-sk ... de-in-wok/

https://www.surlatable.com/christopher- ... Time%20Inc.

Interestingly this one was Cooks Illustrated pick, despite it being non stick. Seems that rather than non-stick, it may just be that it's pre seasoned, but investigating:

https://www.taylorandng.com/woks/woks-n ... stick.html

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:49 pm
by Jeff B
Flaxseed oil SUCKS for seasoning carbon, will never understand how it got such a good rep for that. Do yourself a favor and go buy a tub of lard or Crisco or fry a bunch of bacon and use the grease from it. Grape and peanut oils are other popular oils because of there high smoke points. Even vegetable oil works better than Flaxseed. Beyond that just use the shit out of it, lots of oil at high temps for as long as you can. It took me months to get the seasoning the way I like but now I use my wok more than any skillet I have.

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:55 pm
by ChefKnivesToGo
Tub of lard... :)

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:57 pm
by Jeff B
ChefKnivesToGo wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:55 pm Tub of lard... :)
HEY, I resemble that remark! :evil: :?

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:00 pm
by ronnie_suburban
Chappychap wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:30 pm Interestingly this one was Cooks Illustrated pick, despite it being non stick. Seems that rather than non-stick, it may just be that it's pre seasoned, but investigating:

https://www.taylorandng.com/woks/woks-n ... stick.html
Yeah, it appears to be pre-seasoned:
Taylor & Ng's website wrote:Before TAYLOR & NG® created the Preseasoned Wok, a carbon steel wok needed to be seasoned before it could be used for the first time. Seasoning is a tedious process that requires deep cleaning and repeated heating and oiling of the wok over very high heat. Properly seasoned carbon steel has proven to be one of the best materials for all around cooking ease - it is a superior material for fast, efficient heating and even heat distribution. All Chinese restaurant chefs worldwide would confirm and attest to this fact. There is no coating to peel or crack. It is NATURAL. This preseasoned carbon steel wok is ready to use to provide a virtually non-stick cooking surface.

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:33 pm
by Kalaeb
People usually say Wok Shop. But which wok is the question.

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:36 pm
by Chappychap
ronnie_suburban wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:00 pm
Chappychap wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:30 pm Interestingly this one was Cooks Illustrated pick, despite it being non stick. Seems that rather than non-stick, it may just be that it's pre seasoned, but investigating:

https://www.taylorandng.com/woks/woks-n ... stick.html
Yeah, it appears to be pre-seasoned:
Taylor & Ng's website wrote:Before TAYLOR & NG® created the Preseasoned Wok, a carbon steel wok needed to be seasoned before it could be used for the first time. Seasoning is a tedious process that requires deep cleaning and repeated heating and oiling of the wok over very high heat. Properly seasoned carbon steel has proven to be one of the best materials for all around cooking ease - it is a superior material for fast, efficient heating and even heat distribution. All Chinese restaurant chefs worldwide would confirm and attest to this fact. There is no coating to peel or crack. It is NATURAL. This preseasoned carbon steel wok is ready to use to provide a virtually non-stick cooking surface.
After eighteen hours, six 500f oven cycles, and smoking out my house repeatedly, with the seasoning only to come off this morning anyway, a pre-seasoned wok is a huge selling point to me in this moment...

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 5:48 pm
by Chappychap
Continuing to search... OMG choosing a decent wok is so much more difficult than I expected. I think I'd rather do all over again the painful research project of choosing my first Japanese knife over this :lol:

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:42 pm
by mauichef
Just checked out the ones in the links. Sorry...not impressed with the style or price.
For me a non stick wok is a complete oxymoron!

This is a wok. Eastman Outdoors Carbon Steel 22" Wok.
It cost $35 from my Gaspro store.

As for seasoning, it is so unnecessary in my experience.
Especially oven seasoning. Waste of time. Ditto Flaxseed.

Use it.
A lot. Then use it more and more......
Done!

Image

Image

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:21 pm
by AdamPT
I have 3 woks and a cheap but light 15$ wok is my favorite:

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/town-3 ... 34734.html

I have a much more expensive wok but it’s heavy and does not toss food as well.

I didn’t season it but I did blue it before I started using it and the wok developed a really nice seasoning over time. Since I’ve switched from a 30k btu camp chef stove to a 100k btu Chinese wok burner i tend to scrap off the seasoning and burn it off regularly since it discolors the food when I cook at high temps. With the really high heat, a little oil, and constant movement of the wok most items do not stick.

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:46 pm
by XexoX
Chappy Chap, did you do a search for woks here? I did a while back and someone bought one from Japan. Can't remember the user name, or the brand name, but they really liked the wok.

Another user here bought one from the wok shop, a thicker one. You might want to read about woks at the Wok Shop. There are shallow and deep ones, hand hammered, spun, and cast.

Searching the web I find US, China, Japan, and Thai made. Well, at least ones sold in Thai shops. I saw Cantonese, Mandarin, and Peking woks at webstaurantstore.com.in different sizes. Searched for Ray's, but could only find burner kits to use the wok on.

Also fun, do you want a flat bottom one, or a round bottom one? Carbon steel or cast iron? I've even seen a brass one from Thailand. Oh, Nordicware has an aluminium one.

Good luck hunting and let us know what you decide on.

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:02 pm
by 7x57mm@gmail.com
Jeff B wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:49 pm Flaxseed oil SUCKS for seasoning carbon, will never understand how it got such a good rep for that. Do yourself a favor and go buy a tub of lard or Crisco or fry a bunch of bacon and use the grease from it. Grape and peanut oils are other popular oils because of there high smoke points. Even vegetable oil works better than Flaxseed. Beyond that just use the shit out of it, lots of oil at high temps for as long as you can. It took me months to get the seasoning the way I like but now I use my wok more than any skillet I have.
Agree 100% with Jeff B. The initial "9" coat seasoning of flaxseed on my carbon steel wok and carbon steel fry pans years ago were absolutely gorgeous initially...until I cooked something in them :) Season it just like you would cast iron (Crisco is awesome for oven seasoning) and then use it A LOT. Carbon steel is more difficult to season than cast iron but it will take a good seasoning, just takes longer. For some ideas on how to season your wok, check out youtube videos by Grace Young, The wok shop and Jeffrey B Rogers (Culinary fanatic). Of course, there are hundreds of ideas and how-to's out there. I've seasoned a lot of carbon steel and cast iron and I usually follow (general application) Jeffrey's routine for everything:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNPe5-swL-k San Fran Wok Shop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZjkTPWBOf8 Grace Young
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Tz3HnnCFs Culinary Fanatic...focus on Crisco application, temps, time etc

Once you get there, cooking in a wok is simply fantastic.

I want to add: avoid acidic foods and ingredients in your wok or cast iron until you build up a good layer of seasoning. It will strip seasoning off new or freshly seasoned cast iron/carbon steel ricky tick.

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:17 pm
by lsboogy
mauichef wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:42 pm Just checked out the ones in the links. Sorry...not impressed with the style or price.
For me a non stick wok is a complete oxymoron!

This is a wok. Eastman Outdoors Carbon Steel 22" Wok.
It cost $35 from my Gaspro store.

As for seasoning, it is so unnecessary in my experience.
Especially oven seasoning. Waste of time. Ditto Flaxseed.

Use it.
A lot. Then use it more and more......
Done!

Image

Image
I have nearly the same wok - cheap ($15-20 bucks or so at United Noodle in Mpls 25 years ago), light, and have only seasoned it during cooking - obviously not as nice as Ray's, but.... My brother gave me a "nice" wok - heavy and does not heat or cool quickly so I can't figure out how to use it. 10 seconds in a wok is like 2 minutes on a debuyer mineral b pan

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:54 pm
by jbart65
Wok Shop, simple as that.

I got a new wok last year after the handle on my old Joyce Chen broke. Huge difference. Less stickage, better heat retention and distribution. Really well made.

I did a ton of research before getting it. A ton. Really no need to duplicate my work! (-:

I bought the "Carbon Steel Wok With Metal Side Handle, Flat Bottom, 14-inch"

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 11:20 pm
by JASinIL2006
Jeff B wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:49 pm Flaxseed oil SUCKS for seasoning carbon, will never understand how it got such a good rep for that. Do yourself a favor and go buy a tub of lard or Crisco or fry a bunch of bacon and use the grease from it. Grape and peanut oils are other popular oils because of there high smoke points. Even vegetable oil works better than Flaxseed. Beyond that just use the shit out of it, lots of oil at high temps for as long as you can. It took me months to get the seasoning the way I like but now I use my wok more than any skillet I have.
Agree completely. I seasoned a carbon steel wok and a carbon skillet with flaxseed oil. it created a lovely burnished color on the metal that promptly flaked off the first times I use the pans. Complete crap.

I now season with plain old canola oil. Works great.

Re: Wok suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 11:22 pm
by JASinIL2006
mauichef wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:42 pm Just checked out the ones in the links. Sorry...not impressed with the style or price.
For me a non stick wok is a complete oxymoron!

This is a wok. Eastman Outdoors Carbon Steel 22" Wok.
It cost $35 from my Gaspro store.

As for seasoning, it is so unnecessary in my experience.
Especially oven seasoning. Waste of time. Ditto Flaxseed.

Use it.
A lot. Then use it more and more......
Done!

Image

Image
I have several carbon steel woks, including one of these bad boys. Mine might even be a bit larger. I really like Eastman woks. They season nicely, are well-made, and the larger ones have plenty of room for food.