Gents, I think it's time to talk about our Wok's

BUDFORCE

BUDFORCE

BUDFORCE

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Ok silly thread title, forgive me. I am after a new wok and need suggestions.

First to mention I have an induction hob, so obviously would need to work on that and have a flat bottom, I also prefer ones with more curved edges, I have seen some in a shop today that are almost like pans the sides go up so steeply.

I have had a few Wok's, first was a traditional carbon steel wok I got from a chinese shop, was ok, but the base warped making it not flat, which made it difficult to use on the flat surface, the other thing with the carbon steel is being thin, the heat kinda just went straight through it, and it got very hot at the bottom, without the sides getting to hot, so you ended up easily burning the base. It also, being carbon steel needed seasoning and honestly prefer a more maintenance free one.

Second one I tried has ceramic surface, I like the cooking surface, and its heavier so radiates the heat through better, the only issue is whatever is it made of doesnt react very well to my hob, meaning that even if I put it on max heat (and leave it for 5 minutes) it still doesnt get anywhere near hot enough to use it effectively as a wok.

So, I though I would turn to the OC experts here, and take suggestions.

Budget, whatever, ideally about £50, if I can spend less and get a good one that's bonus.
 
I don't bother with a wok these days and just use an aluminium pan. Gets hot and reacts instantly, you would obviously need one with some steel or such in the base as well.
I also have a stainless pan that's decent but doesn't react as fast.
 
Until I get back to gas I'm resigned to not using a wok :(... see earlier thread discussion

jpaul said:
+1 carbon steel wok should be a wok for life (if handle is well made/stuck)
easy clean hot water, scrube,wipe-out
Run at high 250C + temps with metal implements that will kill non-stick, will also get browning/caramelisation if you want it.
Used a cast iron creuset one for 25years, takes longer to get the (gas) heat into it , but does not move on the hob, so can use one-handed adding ingrediants with other.
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You know what, that is actually a really good idea.

I still have my carbon steel wok and I have a camping stove in the loft, one of those £10 flat ones that use what look like deodorant cans of butane for fuel.

I didn't get on with that wok due to the above mentioned reasons, but I bet it would work well on that gas stove.

Genius, thanks!
 
rexehuk said:
The solution is buying an induction with gas! I love ours as it's a big 5kw burner.

Some stuff you simply need gas for, so was crucial for me to have that.
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Yup. Do you have piped gas where you live? I live in a rural area so no gas, hence the need for an induction hob, as it is far the best option as electric hobs go.

I guess it would be possible to get one that uses a bas bottle.
 
We're off the grid for gas, so buy in bottled propane. £40 or so for 19kg, which lasts about 8 months just powering the hobs.

Would actually be tempted to go induction next time we replace the oven, for the easy cleaning as much as anything. Don't use a wok often.
 
Oh yeah, dont get me wrong, I love my induction hob.

Easy to clean as you say, energy efficient as it only heats when the pan is on, no fire hazzard, no gas hazzard, doesnt get rediculously hot (yes you can still burn yourself, but you would almost need to be trying!), it also heats up pans very fast, if you get the right pans, to be honest, I think it outperforms gas on say heating up a pot of water, it'll boil it really fast.

Downsides... you gotta make sure your pans are magnetic, when we got ours all those years back I had to replace most of the pots/pans. This also makes the choice of pans slightly more limited as you need to make sure they work with induction.

And as I guess mentioned in this thread, they are lousy to use a wok on!
 
Ok so, gas camping stove was a success.

Carbon Steel wok that had been sitting there neglected for easily over a year however, was not....

It has been cast into the void.

I will try the ceramic one on the gas next, otherwise I still may be in the market for a new Wok, and I would be able to get a proper rounded bottom one this time.
 
Woks work best with gas and the trick is to get them as hot as you can without burning everything. Once you get used to it you see the signs and up / down the heat quickly while cooking to get the best results.

I just use a carbon steel one but whatever suits you best.
 
Well after looking at YouTube vids on seasoning woks, I had a change of heart last night and rescued the carbon steel one from the bin.

I used to cover it oil before storing it, but apparently you shouldn't do that, as it just builds up layers of rancid oil on the surface.

So I completely scrubbed it with a wire brush, then put in over the gas, until it all changed colour, then rubbed some ghee over it with a paper towel when hot, so it all smoked off.

See what happens next time I use it.
 
NickK said:
wok, kettle or for steaks
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good comment ... I forgot have not been able to griddle a steak, either, since I moved away from gas.

BUDFORCE said:
This also makes the choice of pans slightly more limited as you need to make sure they work with induction.
Click to expand...
Are all the, supposedly, induction compatible pans as good as one another ? do some have a much bigger magnetic/ferrous section so they will heat much faster.

LeCrueset make a flat bottomed, but fully concave iron wok, and I think that would be best of induction options, but, how long would it take to heat up ? look 2nd hand.
in a fry pan with high sides cannot really see how you could toss the ingredients, and the fat would not run to centre
 
SPG said:
Cast iron

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lodge-35-56-inch-Pre-Seasoned-Handles/dp/B00063RXQK/ref=sr_1_13?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1546418285&sr=1-13&refinements=p_n_material_browse:373009011

I went through the same issues moving to induction, the only problem i have with it how will be able to pick it up and clean it when i am in my 80s its built to last, also retains the heat like a volcano, but takes a little longer to heat up.
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Will be a beast no doubt, it's also £115...

That being said, as you mentioned, it probably will last longer than any of us.
 
jpaul said:
Are all the, supposedly, induction compatible pans as good as one another ? do some have a much bigger magnetic/ferrous section so they will heat much faster.
Click to expand...

Yea they vary, for example my cast iron griddle and my carbon steel wok get ferociously hot and as mentioned that cermanic surfaced wok barely gets to frying temperature.

Most "normal" pans are pretty consistent though, at least the ones I have. I think it has something to do with how ferrous they are, but I'll stop there on the science side!
 
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