Joyce Chen Traditional 14-Inch Flat Bottom Wok Set

This is a great wok!
I got this wok a week ago after contemplating on steel vs non stick. I almost decided an bought the Scan pan wok 14" but it seemed too high a price but I was sure of the quality. The other woks which has good nonstick quality were to be babied and as you all know, woks need very high heat and I was not sure if hte non stick could withstand this.

Finally, I decided carbon steel was the way to go. This wok is very good, size 14" is a good size for a family of four adults and also if you have guests over. I cook chinese abt once a week but also plan to use the wok for deep frying. That was one another reason I went in for the carbon steel one. The seasonging shd not be a prob as it just says not to USE soap to clean it. Just wash with warm water and rinse adn apply a coating of oil. That is all...I can handle that!

If your main consideration is good tasting chinese food and a big size wok this is the one to use. If you are particular abt nonstick i would...

Good Buy
I previously owned an electric stainless steel wok that was given to me as a gift. I used it a few times but wasn't really pleased with the results and rarely used it since if I heated it up high enough to stir fry, the base of it would burn and give an awful taste to the food. While researching bamboo steamers, I came across a lot of articles where the flat bottomed carbon steel wok was recommended. I decided to get this one only because the Joyce Chen brand was mentioned a few times and it stuck with me. This is so much better than the electric wok and I suspect that it's better than the non stick woks since non stick doesn't really sear to well. Seasoning the wok was really easy, and I successfully made Cashew Chicken after doing so! I read somewhere that seasoning would generate a lot of smoke, but I didn't have that problem. I think this is a pretty good buy and recommend it over expensive stainless steel wok skillets that go for $100 or more.

Carbon Steel vs. Quality Non-Stick
I have been cooking Chinese for over 20 years now, using all kinds of woks, from carbon steel, to non-stick, and electric.

- A seasoned carbon steel wok still requires more oil to cook with than a non-stick. For many this isn't necessarily bad, because a little oil is OK and gives the food flavor, esp. when infused with garlic and / or ginger. A non-stick can cook with no or very little oil, so if that is a priority then this isn't the wok for you.

- Steaming with a seasoned carbon steel wok can negatively affect the "patina", or seasoning. With a non-stick this isn't an issue.

- Cleaning a seasoned Wok requires more work than a non-stick. It's not quite as "in the kitchen, out of the kitchen"; it's an extra step, and in busy lifestyles, it might be a step worth eliminating.

I have had good luck with Calphalon, Analon, and Circulon non-stick woks. All of them have retained their non-stick coating even after cooking at high...

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