How to Buy a Wok: What We Recommend
If you’re new to Chinese cooking, you’ve probably asked yourself: what kind of wok should I buy? Stainless steel? Cast iron? Non-stick? Don’t worry! We’re here to help you with a comprehensive guide to buying the right wok (it’s what we use!) so you can cook our recipes and get the best possible results.
How to Season a Wok & Daily Wok Care
We’ll walk you through the detailed first-time seasoning process you should apply to your new wok. For ongoing care, we’ll show you how to maintain it for years to come. We’ll also go over some key misconceptions about wok care. Follow this advice, and your carbon steel wok will form a beautiful seasoned patina that any Chinese cook would be proud of.
How to Prevent Food from Sticking to a Wok!
We’ve all dealt with terrible messes from food sticking to a wok. A pan-fried fish ending up skinless, a crusty coating of rice or noodles impossible to scrub off, or bits of meat that just won’t come loose. Frustrating. In this post, we’ll share the ONLY technique you need to keep food from sticking without special equipment or ingredients!
How to Make Stir-fry: The Right Way
Though cooking a stir-fry dish takes minutes, there’s more to stir-fry technique than meets the eye. In this post, we’re sharing our need-to-know tips on how to make Asian stir-fry dishes in your wok the right way, no matter what ingredients you’re using.
I did buy a wok but found it too heavy for me to work with quickly and easily. Lately I’ve used my cast iron pan instead. It’s still heavy but more manageable for me. I’m considering buying smaller carbon steel pan since I only cook for myself. Do you think that option would be better in my situation? I’m 70 years old and my structural problems that I was unaware of in the past have taken over and have put a limit on what I am able to do.
If your wok is heavier than a cast iron pan, then it may not be carbon steel. I would get a small 12-inch wok if you’re cooking for 1, and make it a lightweight carbon steel. That said, if the cast iron pan is working for you, by all means use it!
Thank you Sarah. Could you explain to my why a 12″ wok is better than a 8″ carbon steel pan? My cast iron pan is heavier than my wok but it’s easier to maneuver I like the idea of a pan with larger surface area more than the more round shape of wok..
Hi Liz, a wok’s thin metal sides are better at heating up quickly and staying hot during stir-frying. It’s shape is also more ideal for stir-frying, since there is more surface area. It’s also a more versatile cooking vessel, for steaming, frying, blanching, etc. But I wouldn’t want you to buy something that you didn’t like or use, so if the cast iron pan is working for you, then by all means keep using it!
Thank you. Will do.
Hi, hoping you can help. Not realising that carbon steel needed to be seasoned, we started using our new carbon steel d.line wok right away like a usual non stick wok. After a couple of stir frys, I have found this site and realised that the wok we have requires seasoning. The colour of the wok has darkened, it almost looks burnt. Is it too late for this wok? Can I start the seasoning process and save this wok? Thanks in advance, Anthony
You’ve “accidentally” seasoned your wok. Yes, the color is supposed to change, and it will dark substantially. Read the guide, and go ahead with the steps.
Hi Anthony, you can start over with seasoning like we describe in the post, but I kinda think you have already started the gradual seasoning process. :)