djwalker60 Posted July 30, 2010 Report Share Posted July 30, 2010 We'll it appears my selection of a WOK has failed... Twice now... Anyone know a good online store to buy a good flat bottom WOK? Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert S. Posted July 30, 2010 Report Share Posted July 30, 2010 I get my woks at Korean food stores. They have good long-lasting coating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhou Zhou Posted July 31, 2010 Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 Lao po says that my Wok is bu hao kan, but it cooks good. It's an el cheapo from a Chinese grocery store. I saw some really nice one here: <http://www.cooking.com/> ...they even have the nice stainless steel one that Ming Tsi uses on PBS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilton747 Posted July 31, 2010 Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 http://www.wokshop.com/ I bought mine from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus Posted July 31, 2010 Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 I get my woks at Korean food stores. They have good long-lasting coating. Robert and DJ, Robert is dead on target My wife actually brings back her own "hand-hammered" woks for China (Sichuan Province), in her carry-on baggage. However, she does complain that the original item are a bit to heavy for her to easily handle, while cooking. Physical strength issue. However, since my wife is on a long time visit to China I did the same as RobertS. RobertS is dead on right, to check the Korean stores. Woks are very easy to find, in larger Korean stores. Not the Mom and Pop stores! DJ, there is another alternative I want to add, and that is to check the large Vietnamese stores, which will also cater to Chinese tastes/dishes/myun, etc, etc. They will carry the same item. I have two woks from Vietnamese stores, and a large hand-hammered wok from China. The US purchased woks are both one-piece, die-forged forged, cold-rolled steel, of which the handle is one piece and rolled into one unit. The Chinese wok is the same, but differs as to divots. The Chinese wok I have, is hand-hammered, and designed in China to hold the food on the side of the wok, while juices simmer in the middle. The hand-hammered wok has small circular divots beginning on the bottom, and continue up the entire side of the wok on the all sides in a circular pattern. These woks work best over a high heat, and I use mine on a gas BBQ when we cook out. The heat is very high and quick, and my wife loves it! As compared to the die-forged these Korean/Vietnamese woks, which are smooth-sided, retain and distribute the heat very well, and are ideal on electric burners, woks retain heat very well, spread the heat out properly, etc, etc. Just insure that you do season the wok, and maintain a small oil coating on it, after it has been seasoned. Yes! The bamboo scrub brushes are a bit hard to find. For these items; got to the kitchen accessory portion of a large Japanese store. Very easily found. For these kitchen accessories and in the case that you can't find them....I can give you a hyperlink to.order them. Just PM me, and I will make this happen too. As you might detect; I NEVER cook Chinese/Thai/Korean/Filipino food do I? This is a passion for me, to learn to make Chinese food to the right taste, texture, proper time and temperature, the exact spices. I will add to beware of those woks which carry any screws holding the handle in. The "cheapo" woks only last about 6 to 9 months, and then the handles loosen, can become very dangerous when hot oil/food spills out. NO! You can't screw them back in with a screwdriver. I have already tried this numerous times, and the repair never lasts. Better to throw the wok out for safety sake. It saves you an Emergency Room visit for 2d and 3d degree burns. BTW DJ. You want to shop the Internet? Been there, done that, and have the T-shirt to prove it! They are generally the "cheapo" crap, and you will still have the same problems I mentioned previously. My wife already did this and boy did she get screwed. Have you ever seen a Chinese woman screwed over in a "on-line" financial deal? I assure you of this; It was my fault! And! It will also be your fault too! Just attempting to save you from an ass-chewing! Like I stated previously....I have the T-shirt to prove IT! Send me a PM, and I will find stores for you. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted July 31, 2010 Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 I think we got ours at Dillards. It's a flat bottom wok that works well on our glass stove top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert S. Posted July 31, 2010 Report Share Posted July 31, 2010 (edited) Unless you have a stainless steel or iron wok, which requires seasoning the metal surface, you are going to be getting a wok with coating. Chinese ladies are rough on the coating. It is difficult to remember not to let metal touch the coating if you have used an iron wok all your life. So you are going to be buying a new wok pretty often and you might as well buy inexpensive woks, about $30. But you don't want a cheapo wok made in China because the coating will wear out in no time. Therefore the thing to do is buy one at a Korean store. My wife was angry with me that I would not agree to buy one of the new flat stove top kind of stoves when we bought a new one a few years ago. But I just could not agree, could not believe that it would work that well because the bottom of all my pans is not flat. It might be supposed to be flat but really it is not. Therefore the pan would not be touching the cooking surface all that well. So I picked a nice GE oven/stove with the old fashioned eyes. She quit complaining about it after a while. The flat stove top at my dad's house broke just recently so I remained convinced the old way was best. Edited July 31, 2010 by Robert S. (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhou Zhou Posted August 1, 2010 Report Share Posted August 1, 2010 Along with the steel Wok from the Chinese market I have an electric and a cast iron one. The electric was a gift, it's non-stick and doesn't get very hot. Not the problem with the cast iron. I use it in the winter because it heats the kitchen nice and cozy. It does hold the heat and cooks great and never sticks....how many Tai Tai have so many choices? ZZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilton747 Posted August 1, 2010 Report Share Posted August 1, 2010 Question fer ya DJ...........Was it because she didn't like the wok or was it because it was your choice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hakkamike Posted August 1, 2010 Report Share Posted August 1, 2010 you cant beat a good carbon steel wok. Now that I said that Lusheng has used it only 3 or 4 times in 9 years lol lol, she prefers the old cast iron skillet we have. When we went out shopping for a new stove many moons ago I picked on from Sears that came with a wok ring for the burner, hell I may slap her around a bit tonight and make her use the damn thing!! http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL150/9001338/16579737/286604018.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhou Zhou Posted August 1, 2010 Report Share Posted August 1, 2010 We just got home from the farmers market and Tai Tai got the wok hot and made smoke and lots of veggies...I rewarded her with her favorite US ice cream. I apologetically mentioned to her that we don't have the number and large variety of vegetables she's used to in the PRC. She replied that vegetables in China aren't very good because they sprayed with pesticides...how enlightening, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joecy Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Don't understand why this post was buried here, and yes, I am frustrated with the wok! Very helpful discussion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnoblett Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Don't understand why this post was buried here, and yes, I am frustrated with the wok!Very helpful discussion!Yep, I moved it to Ask a Chinese Woman. I did respond to the other Wok thread regarding the heavy duty one my wife has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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