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.
My husband got a wok secondhand and I can’t tell if it’s carbon steel or not. It has some scratches in the bottom, but is very smooth feeling. When I cook with it food sticks terribly and when I wipe it with oiled paper towel and salt the paper towel comes away brown, but with no black bits. It is magnetic. How can I find out what I have?
Hi Laura, it sounds like you do have a carbon steel wok. High heat and oil should help with nonstick cooking. See Judy’s post on how to keep food from sticking to your wok.
what if we have only electric stove not gas?
I have an electric stove how do I season my wok and maintain it I bought my wok at an international super market they sell the same kind of wok the Chinese restaurants use
Hi Richard, seasoning is a continued effort, so initially super-heating the wok (should be flat-bottomed for an electric stove) over the electric stove to burn off any impurities as best as possible is all you can do. Continued care and cleaning are the keys to seasoning over time, regardless of whether you are cooking on a gas or electric burner.
Hi Patricia, you can heat the wok as best as you can on the electric stove. Even if does not turn blue, it’s ok. Most important is the continued maintenance and care to have your wok seasoned over time.
Hi Bill, I bought the carbon wok yesterday and am reading your post on wok seasoning. It is mentioned in your post “Towel the wok dry, reheat, and after it is cool enough to touch, wipe the entire wok down with a paper towel and a few drops of vegetable oil. Your wok’s ready for storage until your next dish!” Do I need to do this after each cooking when the wok is well used and seasoned?
Thanks :)
Hi Cherie, yes, that is the best practice to maintain the wok :)
Hi,Thank you for sharing the complete wok guide. We have been using high end non stick pans that cost a lot more than the carbon steel wok but somehow we are not happy with them as after a while they don’t seem to work well. It could be we have not used the right way? Anyway, we are getting a carbon steel wok. Saw some online such as D.Line Carmen steel wok. What is your recommendation? Thank you
Hi Cherie, although we have never used it, the d.line wok you mention looks like a good choice!
Thanks Bill. Your Complete Wok Guide is awesome. It helps a lot when you have no idea what wok to buy and how to use it properly ! Thanks again :)
I like the type of wok you are using but currently I still strungle to some those to do my cooking. May be some times when I have enough money to pay for those because our shops are expensive.
Hi Margaret, if the woks are very expensive where you live, try using a carbon steel pan if you can source those.
I recently found your website and am learning a lot! Have you ever cooked on a brass wok? I have been using a cast iron wok. It seems to hold heat much better when cooking on a regular stove.
Hi Rob, I have to admit that I have never tried a brass wok. Cast iron is a bit heavy and takes longer to heat, but I agree that it does hold its heat much better once it’s hot.
Can you recommend a wok?
Hi Georgina, I don’t have any specific wok recommendations but you should look at the stove you have and whether a flat bottomed wok or round bottom is better. For electric stoves flat bottoms are required. I also recommend a carbon steel wok with handles on both side and a cover for more versatility. We have some examples in our article on what wok to buy and our cooking tools page.
After each use do you oil the outside of the wok too ?
Hi Gerry, we don’t oil the outside of the wok as it just burns off and generates smoke. If the outside of the wok is a little rusty, it’s not an issue.
My husbands brother showed me your website two years ago and I have been obsessed with it ever since. He even made our wedding cake from the basil berry recipe. Among many, the beef curry recipe has always been such a HUGE hit in our home. Can’t wait to continue new recipes and buy our first WOK with your recommendations. Thanks for being here.
Hi Michele, happy to hear you’re cooking with us! We’ll be here for you :)
Hi Michele, that’s so awesome! I’m flattered to hear that our basil berry cake was made into a wedding cake! WOW! So happy you’re enjoying the blog and the recipes. :)
I’m so happy I found u. Luv all your wonderful recipes. Can’t wait to get started making shrimp and chicken egg foo young
Thanks Rosemarie, we’re glad you found us too! Happy cooking and hope you enjoy those recipes!