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You don't
absolutely need a wok to create satisfying
Chinese meals. Nonetheless, the bowl-shaped
utensil has several advantages - it spreads heat
evenly, uses less oil for deep-frying than a
traditional deep-fat fryer, and ensures that
food tossed during stir-frying lands back in the
pan and not on the stove. A good wok will make
it easier to cook Chinese food.
What Type
Should You Buy?
Remember that old adage?
You get what you pay
for? This is one of those rare cases where it
doesn't apply. There is no substitute for a good
carbon steel wok. Not only is it relatively
inexpensive, but it conducts heat evenly.. While
there many other types of woks on the market
today? aluminum, stainless steel, even copper?
every experienced Asian cook
I've spoken with
still swears by carbon steel, and I have to
agree.
Flat or Round
Bottom?
If you are cooking with a western electric
range your best option is to use a flat bottom
wok. Round bottom woks can reflect heat back on
the element, damaging it. A flat bottomed wok
can also be used on gas stoves.
Handle with
Care
Originally, woks came with two metal handles to
make them easy to lift in and out of the
traditional Chinese wood stove. Today, flat
bottom woks normally have a long wooden handle,
like a skillet. The long handle makes it easy to
move and tilt the wok when stir-frying. Most
also have a small helper? handle on the other
side, so the wok is still easy to lift. Round
bottom woks may follow the traditional wok
design with two small metal ears? or have a
single long metal or wooden handle.
Size Matters
Woks come in a variety of sizes - restaurants
may use woks that are several feet across. The
size of wok you choose will depend on several
factors, including your own preferences, the
type of stove you have, and the depth of the
wok.
What about
Non-Stick?
With the current interest in low-fat cooking,
many manufacturers now offer woks with a
non-stick coating. While it depends on the
individual coating and how it is applied,
generally non-stick coatings don't work well on
carbon steel. I use one as a secondary wok, but
despite my best efforts, there are still spots
where the coating has been damaged from frying
at high heat. If you really want the non-stick
coating, try a heavy gauge aluminum wok, such as
those made by Calphalon.
Care and
Maintenance
It's very important to season your wok
before using it for the first time. Seasoning
removes the preservative oil manufacturers place
on the wok to prevent rust, replacing it with a
light coating of cooking oil. It is also
important to clean your wok after each use.
Given the variety of woks on the market today,
it's difficult to give a general set of
seasoning and cleaning instructions. However,
below I do have instructions for seasoning and
cleaning a carbon steel wok
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