Am I wrong to want this wok?

[Jenise]

https://store.177milkstreet.com/product ... fNE.Vdqjt7

My current one doesn't need replacing. On the other hand, I might be deluding myself, it's Circulon and teflon-coated. The coating doesn't appear to be failing, but I'm probably wrong about that since I've owned it for about 30 years.

What you want is a carbon steel wok, not a Teflon-coated one. High heat and Teflon doesn't mix. Emitted fumes will kill any pet birds and are probably not good for you, either. Plain steel will get seasoned like cast iron and will become non-stick. Hammered steel is top of the line, but plain ones work well, too. The hammered version has more friction to help food from sliding down the sides.

I sure wouldn't buy one with a metal handle, though. I have a similar model, but with a wooden handle. And it was cheaper, too. Been using it for decades. I've even seen them at garage sales and thrift shops.

Oh yeah, don't buy stainless steel, either. They stick. I have several woks. The one I use most is similar to a Yosukata 14-inch round-bottom wok with wooden handle, and with a spun aluminum cover. FWIW, you might find a nice one at a restaurant supply or Chinese market.

[Jenise]

Larry, for the last 30 years I've lived in two highly corrosive salt-water environments. Metals that otherwise do well in dry areas rust like crazy, and that was why I went with Circulon in the first place. I've enjoyed this one, but I recognize that I should move it on. I love the hammered metal on this one, but I just realized the size. It's smaller than standard, only 13". Too small for the way I cook even when cooking for just two.

[Robin Garr]

I hate to be that person, but I'm wary of Milk Street for overhype and overprice.

This wok looks like it was made in the traditional way: place a thin sheet of carbon steel over a mold and then hammer it into shape. The more modern way is to tightly coil a sheet of carbon steel, cut it crosswise into a circle, then machine-press it into a mold to get the curved shape. Woks made the modern way are more common and a helluva lot less expensive. It's easy to tell the two apart. With the machine-made woks you can still see a bit of the circular pattern from the original rolled-up metal sheet. With the hammered woks you can see the hammer marks.

I own a machine-made carbon steel wok. You do have to keep it seasoned, but having done so you should have no corrosion problems. Note that the Milk Street wok is carbon steel and so it, too, will need to be kept seasoned.

One concern I'd have is that those bumpy hammer marks might tend to stick and might make cleaning harder.

That trivet insert looks pretty useless. If you're doing steaming with a wok, you want a bamboo steamer with a slightly smaller diameter than the wok. That trivet thingy is way too small.

My parents gave me a teflon-lined electric wok for Christmas. I use that for steaming because boiling water in the carbon steel wok tends to remove the seasoning. I also use the electric wok for deep-frying because it's way easier to control the oil temperature with the electric wok.

-Paul W.

I'm with Paul. Once the wok is seasoned, you shouldn't have any problem with corrosion. And it becomes non-stick, like cast iron.

I endured a non-stick wok for years, am so much happier with carbon steel. Wood handle, wood lid (which almost never use). Mine looks hammered, but it's actually machine made I'm sure. About a 1/3 price of the Milk Street. I agree with Paul- just use a bamboo steamer, that insert looks like it wouldn't be real practical. Agree that steaming can eventually remove seasoning, but easy to reseason. I do find that occasionally with the carbon steel I get a little sticking when stirfrying noodles (recently making longevity noodles), but never with proteins or vegetables, and with the noodles it's minimal.

This is the one I have and love it. It heats evenly and fast. It never sticks and clean up is a breeze.
https://www.amazon.com/Professional-14- ... QIP4&psc=1

I own four or five woks, including one flat bottom similar to yours. But my number one preference is my round-bottom carbon steel wok. I have a gas stove with a high-btu burner, so it works just fine. On an electric stove it wouldn't, of course.

I've even seen ATK push using a flat skillet instead of a wok. Whatever works for you is my motto, though.

It's a little bit easier to keep the food moving while stir-frying using a round-bottomed wok. But on an electric stove you really have no choice except the flat-bottomed wok. Many Asian markets sell portable, single-ring, butane-fueled burners. I use one of those with my carbon steel wok. I also have a 100,000 BTU propane burner (the kind you use for deep-fried turkey), but it's outdoor use only. But it does a great job and gives dishes that "wok breath" aroma and flavor.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

The one I bought is very similar to what Dale describes. To be honest I didn't stop to think about round bottom vs. flat, though I have a high BTU gas so could have gone with flat. I just like the hammered look and the way I expect that to hold meats and stuff up the sides of the pan. The Circulon is gone!

[Jenise]

The one I bought (not the one from Chris Kimball, but one that looks identical for a discounted $41 on Amazon) is very similar to what Dale describes. To be honest I didn't stop to think about round bottom vs. flat, though I have a high BTU gas so could have gone with flat. I just like the hammered look and the way I expect that to hold meats and stuff up the sides of the pan. The Circulon is gone!

I picked up my woks on trips to San Francisco. There is a shop in Chinatown called "The Wok Shop". It's a great little place run by a husband and wife duo. I bought a carbon steel round bottom wok and another that I never use my wife got a bunch of things from chopsticks to CS rests. I haven't been there (SF or TWS) in ages but they do have a web presence.

Jenise, you regularly visit the second largest concentration of Asian cooks on the West Coast (LA is largest and Seattle is third). Stop in at Osake Foods next time you re up here and have a browse. Of course there are a lot of other outlets in Chinatown.

[Jenise]

Oh would have been easy to do that, and I appreciate the advice. T&T has quite a selection too. But I was ready to make a change NOW so I went ahead with an Amazon purchase. What I got will be just fine for using 2-3 times a week, though it probably wouldn't suit a Chinese cook using one 2-3 times a day.