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Where can I find a good Wok?

post #1 of 13
2/8/07 at 5:53pm
Thread Starter 
Where can I find a good Wok? I've heard about AllCald and stuff, but I can't find a wok on their site...
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post #2 of 13
2/8/07 at 5:56pm
In a oriental market.
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post #3 of 13
2/8/07 at 7:02pm
Don't get a no stick wok. Woks are meant to be used at a very high heat and the non stick could give off unwanted chemicals. Season your wok just like a cast iron skillet.
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post #4 of 13
2/8/07 at 7:07pm
As much as I like All-Clad, I wouldn't buy one from them, Le Creuset or anyone like that. The best one I bought was in a Chinese hardware store on Wentworth St. in Chicago's Chinatown years ago. dledmo is correct: with proper care it'll last a lifetime and never rust, never let food stick to it.
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post #5 of 13
2/8/07 at 7:10pm
True, if you want a real wok, go to an Asian store (or Asian cookware Web site). What you can find there will be less expensive than All Clad, and last just as well if you care for it properly.

That said, if you are set on All Clad, do a search for "Chefs Pan". Those have domed covers. There is also an MC2 Open Stir Fry without a lid.

I have a 10-year-old Master Chef Chefs Pan that is a real workhorse. I also have a black steel wok bought in NYC's Chinatown that requires more work, but holds up just fine.
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post #6 of 13
2/8/07 at 7:29pm
I certainly agree with what has been said . A Chinese steel one once properly seasoned is far better and cheaper than anything else. You should be able to just wipe it clean after use.

Get a big one and if possible use it outdoors atop a gas bbq grill where you can get it nice and hot and wont fill your house with smoke and oil.
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post #7 of 13
2/8/07 at 9:11pm
In addition to Asian markets, at least in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can get excellent (and inexpensive) carbon steel woks in most restaurant supply houses and many of the larger semi-independent megamarts.

In fact, I was eyeing a nice northern Chinese style wok today at the local Cash & Carry. It was less than $20. Didn't buy it, as I already have one (and few other ones, too).

If you have no luck finding any in your area, you can also check out www.wokshop.com. They're priced higher than at traditional Asian outlets, being at tourist oriented, but they're good quality.

As has been universally said above, avoid "brand name" woks. You'd never see one in an Asian's kitchen, so there's no reason to see one in yours.
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post #8 of 13
2/8/07 at 10:05pm
A wok on a normal stove isn't much good, doesn't matter what material or brand.

Look, a normal western commercial range in a restaurant puts out about 25,000 to 30,000 btus. A Kwali, the oriental version of a cooking range looks like a volcano, a hole that the wok sits over. But this hole puts out 80 to 100,000 btus, almost 4 times the heat of a normal western range. If you look inside a Kwali, (with the gas turned off...) you'll see a series of jets, aimed all over the surface of the outside of the wok. Which means you get serious heat ALL OVER the wok, not just on the bottom, like western pots and pans do.

Something to think about.
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post #9 of 13
2/9/07 at 12:01pm
Thanks, FP, I laughed my head off at this one :) Looney Tune-esque images of blackened faces filled my wittle head.

Has anyone tried a wok over the base of one of those turkey fryers? Alton Brown did that in his wok episode, and it looked like fun :)

-Joe
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post #10 of 13
2/9/07 at 2:38pm
Has anyone tried a wok over the base of one of those turkey fryers? Alton Brown did that in his wok episode, and it looked like fun :)

That, in fact , is the way to wok if you can wo(r)k outside. Those things put out about 75,000btu (I'm sure you can get hotter ones) and that should scorch your veggies pretty well.

Mike
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post #11 of 13
2/9/07 at 11:07pm
I do it a lot. My 165K BTU turkey fryer does a great job. I used it a couple weekends ago on a snow camping trip with my Boy Scout troop. The boys were using the rig to make chorizo and eggs. Before I could advise otherwise, they dumped two quarts of whole eggs in at once. I would have done it in batches, fearing that it would take too long to cook, especially as the temperatures were in the low 20s. (Basically, it was like cooking in a giant walk-in freezer.) Much to my surprise, the eggs set up nicely in a few minutes and breakfast was delicious.

BTW, Camp Chef makes a wok ring specifically for outdoor propane burners. It has "cleats" on the bottom that hold really well and keep it in place.
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post #12 of 13
3/1/07 at 11:36pm
I second the Asian Store for wok buying. If possible, go to Chinatown and get more selection and lower prices. Big name brands just jack up the prices for these products which are made with relatively inexpensive materials when compared to saute pans and skillets.
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post #13 of 13
3/3/07 at 7:02am
I got a 14"carbon steele wok at an Asian store for $15, seasoned it now all I need is something to cook it on :blush: . Thanks for the turkey cooker suggestion :D . I also just recieved a 12.5" cast iron wok from sportsmens guide that I seasoned as well. It has at large flat area of cast iron on the bottom but the interior is round. Takes awhile to heat up but boy when it does it gets screaming :eek: hot! Made beef and brocoli last night on my electric stove using the CI wok, all items were done to perfection within approximatly 2 mins of starting cooking, over so fast I wondered what happened. I must say the CI wok is heavy around 8lbs and it takes a long time to cool off. I like it though :smoking:
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