Topic: new wok

[Fi5H]

Im going to buy a new flat bottomed wok today.. i have my eye on 2, one an aluminium one and the other is a carbon steel one.. anyone got any info on which is the best

[chriswg]

I'd probably go for the steel over the alaminium. I found this online:

Remember that old adage ?You get what you pay for?? This is one of those rare cases where it doesn?t apply. There is no substitute for a good carbon steel wok. Not only is it relatively inexpensive, but it conducts heat evenly.. While there many other types of woks on the market today ? aluminum, stainless steel, even copper ? every experienced Asian cook I?ve spoken with still swears by carbon steel, and I have to agree.

[solarsplace]

Hi

I was myself using a stainless steel wok for curries until recently, but I found that the wok was just too heat sensitive and made cooking the curry without burning the spices etc a real battle. Perhaps a cast iron wok would be better.

However just got a small and large one of these: http://www.catering-suppliers.com/cgi-bin/2008productView.cgi?prodID=97

Would highly recommend these pans, make cooking the curry so much more easy compared to the wok.

[Fi5H]

thanks for that guys.. i did a bit of research and found that the carbon steel are more used but if it s not made correctly can cause hot spots.. I`m going out today so i`ll tell you what i got.

[PaulP]

I find my 13 inch carbon steel wok does a good job for cooking curries.
Mine is a round bottomed one, however, I'm not sure whether a flat bottomed one would be so good.

Stainless steel is probably worse for a wok as it is well known for being a poor heat conductor thus producing hot spots.

Paul.

[Fi5H]

does a rounded bottom sit will on a gas cooker?

[solarsplace]

Hi

Interesting question! and one to which I had no idea of!

Mine is flat bottomed on a standard gas stove, and brilliant for Chinese style stir fry, but a bit of a pain to stop curries burning.

EDIT: In no way should you let my opinion of flat bottom woks and curry put you off - as it has already been said above, stainless steel works may have hot spots and perhaps mine has a big one!

Seems like a lot of people on the internet do though, this looks to be a reasonably interesting article that may help explain things: http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/woktype.html

Cheers

[Stephen Lindsay]

I have managed to get by over the past 25 years with only two woks, i.e. they last and last and last! Both have been steel and therefore require "tempering" but once you have used them a few times they build up a "patina" which means they become quite non-stick. I would also suggest go for one with only one handle and a wooden one at that so it doesn't conduct heat and burn your hand. I have used both flat and round bottomed without any noticeable difference. You can usually balance a round one on a gas burner. Your local Chinese supermarket sells the best woks at the cheapest prices. Go for something with deep sides to prevent splashes on your cooker!

Hope this helps.

[Fi5H]

would you go for a non stick one or not?

[solarsplace]

Hi

Do you use a metal chef's spoon when you make your curries?

If so, then a non stick work will probably not be the best tool for the job?

cheers