1

I need a non stick wok for my Frigidaire electric induction cook top. What do you think of the the copycat technique? Why don't I just buy the type of wok used by Chinese restaurant chefs?

  1. But what type of wok do Chinese restaurants use? Carbon steel? Cast iron?

  2. How often do these chefs season their woks? But will this work for me at home? I've never seasoned a wok before! I'm afraid I can't maintain and preserve these woks like these Cantonese restaurant chefs can. What if I don't have enough time to season?

enter image description here

Anastasia Zendaya
  • 3,581
  • 9
  • 25

1 Answers1

5

You don't buy a wok like a Chinese restaurant uses because you can't use a round-bottom wok on an induction hob.
You can buy induction hobs specifically for woks, but they're a bit specialist, as are those colossal burners in the picture above.

Generally speaking, for a wok you want as much of it heated as possible. Induction [or any electric hob] will only ever heat the flat surface in contact with the ring. Domestic gas is better, & you can tilt the wok to aid ingredient distribution rather than having to leave it flat on the ring all the time.
Home-cooked Chinese-style food must necessarily adopt a different technique because you simply cannot generate the same amount of heat as a commercial kitchen.

If you don't have time/skill/patience to season a wok & keep it seasoned, then get a non-stick. Just don't get a cheap one, or it will peel off in three months.

My own wok is one of these - Masterclass - and has withstood everything I can throw at it for over two years, without showing any sign of scratching, burning, evaporating or anything else detrimental to the surface. I treat it with little respect, though I only use wooden or plastic utensils for all my pans, & wash it in regular washing-up liquid (dish soap) with the same brush I use for everything else. The outside is scuffed & scratched, but the inside still looks as new.
And it only cost 30 quid [bucks/euros].

When you're throwing food around in this, you will quickly realise why you don't want a cast iron one… the weight.

Tetsujin
  • 29,950
  • 5
  • 75
  • 116