Cooking Wok

[Natasha 0]

Hi all,

Can share with me what brand of wok did you all buy? I heard that we need to consider factors like the size, depth etc. to determine a "good" wok.

Please share:

1. Brand of wok (if any)

2. Where you purchase

3. Price

4. Reviews

Thanks in advance!

[applefreak 1]

personally, a good wok is a wok that suits your purpose

if you do mainly western style cooking, you are better off without a wok

if you only cook for one or two, 40cm is overkill

if really say good wok, i'll say those traditional black iron wok is the BEST

but i'm using a 40cm stainless steel wok at home now - brand starts with U (something like Uchief or what), cost me $188 with free roaster at OG. so far not bad loh, a wok is a wok

[s&s 0]

Due to the nature of cooking with a wok, there's much scrapping action, we prefer not to buy a wok coated with Teflon or any other metals. For small families like us, we use WMF Skillet Wok, 32cm. It is made of SS and made in Germany.We like this wok beacuse it feels really durable, its a much trusted brand and it has a handle. You can get if from most departmental stores in Orchard.

Edited November 9, 2007 by s&s

[rummi 0]

our family-of-2 ,on the other hand, substituted our wok with sautee-pan, 28cm diameter (u koe, the tefal flat bottom high sides kind).

however, since its teflon-coated (thus NO HIGH HEAT), deep-frying will be done in our stainless steel pot.

[myle 0]

Currently I own 2 woks, which are:

- 13-inch/33cm WMF stainless-Steel skillet wok bought from metro

- 14-inch/36cm CCK (hong kong brand) iron wok with one handle bought from siahuat@Temple Street for $40+

Mainly I use iron wok for all chinese cooking except steaming as:

- food tastier as got "wok hei" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wok_hei

- iron wok heat up faster and hotter so ease for faster stir-fry to preserve the natural taste of the food

- Food doesn't stick easily to the wok as compared to stainless steel wok

- heard that stainless steel will have chemical reaction to certain things such as chinese herbal, salt, etc...

- easier to wash as no need to user detergent and scrap hardly

I'm planning to get myself another smaller iron wok (12-inch or smaller), hope my wife will not make too much noise

[little_sunshine 1]

Currently I own 2 woks, which are:

- 13-inch/33cm WMF stainless-Steel skillet wok bought from metro

- 14-inch/36cm CCK (hong kong brand) iron wok with one handle bought from siahuat@Temple Street for $40+

Mainly I use iron wok for all chinese cooking except steaming as:

- food tastier as got "wok hei" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wok_hei

- iron wok heat up faster and hotter so ease for faster stir-fry to preserve the natural taste of the food

- Food doesn't stick easily to the wok as compared to stainless steel wok

- heard that stainless steel will have chemical reaction to certain things such as chinese herbal, salt, etc...

- easier to wash as no need to user detergent and scrap hardly

I'm planning to get myself another smaller iron wok (12-inch or smaller), hope my wife will not make too much noise

Do not know where u get the impression that stainless steel reacts to certain things in food. Using the correct grade of stainless steel is a lot safer than any other type of material, e.g. iron, Teflon, aluminium, etc. The best stainless steel in the market is 18/8 stainless steel.

After switching over to stainless steel, my wife n myself hv been very satisfied with the performance. With low heat way of cooking, we have managed to get the original taste of the food without any seasoning whatsoever. Very difficult for me to describe in words, best to taste it. Yummy

[applefreak 1]

erm 18/8 is entry grade, most cooking utensils should be at least 18/10

i do agree with the wok hei part, s/s just don't cut it

neither does anodised woks

[myle 0]

Do not know where u get the impression that stainless steel reacts to certain things in food. Using the correct grade of stainless steel is a lot safer than any other type of material, e.g. iron, Teflon, aluminium, etc. The best stainless steel in the market is 18/8 stainless steel.

After switching over to stainless steel, my wife n myself hv been very satisfied with the performance. With low heat way of cooking, we have managed to get the original taste of the food without any seasoning whatsoever. Very difficult for me to describe in words, best to taste it. Yummy

I read it from magazines, newspapers and also internet. Cannot retrieve the info so I do a google search and some efforts are needed to search for the right contents, phew!

http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/11/17/05948/770

I read from somewhere that iron is actually quite safe to human body as it is part of the mineral we need daily. Not 100% sure but I think to certain extend lor as long as don't exceed a safety level lor. Teflon is always no no as it is the worst which will cause cancer. I tot 18/10 SS is the best, or I remember wrongly?

stainless steel is good, as long as the base and wall is thick enough, or else the the food is easily get burned with medium or high heat. stainless steel is not so good for chinese stir-fry method as it usually need to be cooked in shortest time (high heat is very very important for chinese stir-fry).

[applefreak 1]

heat-wise, i think s/s does a very good job

it ensures that heat is spread evenly and remains hot even after the fire is turned off

but like i mentioned earlier, the wok hei is not there

[myle 0]

It really surprised me that chinese treditional medicine/herb will lose the effect when cooking in in SS cookware when I read the article some where. Which means alot ppl (our mum and auntie) did the wrong things (cook chinese herbal soup in stanless steel pot). So there is reason why ancient ppl use claypot to cook chinese medicine. Unfortunately alot knowledges are not transfered to the next generation.

heat-wise, i think s/s does a very good job

it ensures that heat is spread evenly and remains hot even after the fire is turned off

but like i mentioned earlier, the wok hei is not there

probably spill some drops of water to the hot wok can help abit

[applefreak 1]

tried so many things but the taste is just different

don't know how to put it but it's just not the same

worst thing is s/s doesn't spoil so easily

wonder when i can change my wok

[myle 0]

tried so many things but the taste is just different

don't know how to put it but it's just not the same

worst thing is s/s doesn't spoil so easily

wonder when i can change my wok

ya i understand what u mean as i use ss wok before and i will never return back to ss wok

I think s/s will never spoil kuah, never heard it got spoilt. But u always can stock up another different wok like what i do. Can cook simultaneously with 2 wok

[applefreak 1]

sigh, after i buy my wok then discover my dad got two s/s wok also

so now i got 1 that we're using, and two brand new one to replace the spoilt one

[myle 0]

sigh, after i buy my wok then discover my dad got two s/s wok also

so now i got 1 that we're using, and two brand new one to replace the spoilt one

wow, for others may feel **** happy as no need to buy wok for the rest of life. But for u such a mixed feeling. y u dad got 2 brand new one? Probably can give away as a gift, save the money to buy new wok. ebay it lor

[applefreak 1]

that's a good idea, shall try to sell the remaining two