Hi. I read the previous review and just wanted to put in a correction and a FYI so people don't think these cast iron cooking utensils are defective. I cook alot with cast iron and have bought new cast iron cookware from the US and China. When a cast iron cooking vessel is brand new and hasn't been "seasoned" by the manufacturer (like Lodge does for some of their skillets and such), it is covered with a thin film of machine oil to prevent rust and corrosion in transit. This is what needs to be washed off before use. Non-seasoned cast iron is a very gray colorindeed, almost looking painted gray if you're expecting it to look black. It will not develop the black patina until you start cooking with it. It is essentially baked on oil that turns the iron black. The best way is to season your new pan is to coat the whole (dry) pan inside and out with vegetable oil and put it in the oven to bake. A very thorough explanation of the seasoning process is given at the Lodge Manufacturing website: www.lodgemfg.com When you're done cooking with your cast iron, scrub it out with hot water only, and then put it on the stove-top to dry. Re-apply a bit of oil as needed. Iron rusts without this protection to moisture from washing or in the air. Cast iron does take a bit of maintenance, but is a superior and very safe cooking surface. Enjoy.
This cast iron wok is not the same as those Lodge cast iron wok you have seen. It's much thinner, and if you hold the two handles (which are really small) and push towards the middle, you can bend the wok (try bend a Lodge skillet instead).
Thinner wok does have its advantage you might say, as it encourages faster heat distribution. However, the thinness of this wok has gotten to a point that it makes me uncomfortable using it (I actually think I can break this wok but knocking my spatula on the side of the wok a habit that doesn't bother any other wok I have. Why I do that? Have you ever knocked your tong on the rim of a pan? Not to mention I can even bend this wok. Remember, this is NOT a carbon steel wok). This is just not the same wok I used to use in China.
The one that I used in China for 10 years is also a cast iron wok. Its shape is similar to the above item, but the cast iron material is different. The old wok I had is heavier (but not as heavy as Lodge's) and not flexible. The old wok is built with the same material as Lodge's but not as thick as Lodge's. Therefore, it holds heat better than the one above, and still doesn't require extensive preheating time as Lodge's.
I bought this item with expectation that this item will be the same as the old wok but it's not. I might accept the claim that this wok is 'authentic' wok that is popular in the countryside of China (where wok sits on a big brick oven and gets fueled by the fire below, like a chimney). But, do you have this setup at home? The label of this item does read "traditional" Chinese wok, I guess I should have red it more carefully.
The wok is not cheap either. $30 total if you don't live in CA, and the shop will charge you a 15% restocking fee if you return it (that's after you pay another $8 to ship it back). If you bought it, you bought it.
I guess if you want a cast iron wok as light as a carbon steel one, then you might consider this wok. But the price doesn't seem to justify its advantage. And I personally will feel much comfortable knocking the wok with my spatula in a carbon steel one.
Finally, I will say this wok is suitable for those who have high BTU burner at home and have a nostalgia feeling about countryside wok as well. If you are not one of them, there are better choices.
Ah, the wok ring. It is too big to fit in my stove top grate slot. My stove is a standard 4 burners (with one "power burner", one "simmer burner" and two "all purpose burner") stand alone stove. I bet you will have the same problem if you have a standard stove top. But you can use the wok ring even it doesn't fit into the slot well(it will wobble). One thing I noticed is that the wok ring prevents the air flow, therefore, the flame is somehow "flowing and dancing" outside of the wok ring and next to the side of the wok. The flame looks light, fluffy, and not substantial. If I remove the wok ring, the flame goes back to normal straightforward and strong. I don't think I will use this wok ring. Instead, I will go with a wok ring that is made with stainless wire that I saw in Chinatown. The wired version (made entirely by wire) should not have problem with the air flow.
Like others, I did receive a complimentary wok spatula and two pairs of chopsticks within the package.
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To the previous reviewer with the "gray paint" problem on the unseasoned iron wok, that grayish "paint" is either a coat of oil or wax. The film of oil or wax is used to protect an unseasoned cast iron product from rusting. Follow the following instructions, and your wok will be seasoned and ready for use.As long as the wok is not repeatedly dropped from a high enough place, it should be at your service for a long, long time. This wok is a much easier piece to handle than a regular cast iron skillet (Lodge Logic's 12" cast iron skillet weights 8.5 lb.; and the 10 1/4" cast iron skillet weights 5.8 lb.) If you have a dome lid to go with your wok, you can also steam (deep-fry, braise, or make soup) quite a good amount of food in the wok. Just try not to leave the tomato based food in the pan too long--acidic products tend to break down the seasoning. By the way, if a cast iron product does rust, just scrub away the rust, then re-season.
(Tip: Don't own a steamer? No problem, simply add enough water, place 2 sturdy wooden chop-sticks {with some distance apart}in the wok, set a plate on top of the chop-sticks, then follow the usual steaming procedures. Make sure that your wok is big enough/plate is small enough, so that the plate's edge/food does not touch the wok and that the hot plate can be easily/safely removed from the wok.)
Try either one of the following instructions to season a new wok:
A. Place the new wok over high heat to blacken the inside--this burns off any dust and factory coating (remember to turn the fan on). Leave the wok to cool, then immerse it in hot, soapy water and clean it with an abrasive pad or stiff brush. Rinse it well and dry over a medium heat. Rub a little cooking oil all over the surface of the wok. Now the wok is ready for use.
After each use, clean the wok with hot water only, dry it over a medium heat, and wipe a thin layer of oil over the surface. This will ensure that it doesn't get rusty. The wok will acquire a dark and glossy seasoned look over time. This method seasons the wok over time (the non-stick quality is slowly added), and it is best suited for woks used mainly for the quickly-cooked Chinese dishes (at least initially, before the non-stick quality is established).
B. Instructions for Seasoning and Caring for Your Iron Cookware--Season the cast iron product either on the grill or in a gas or electric oven. Best results are achieved by using a gas or electric oven. Proper seasoning requires several steps. Once completed you will experience years of use.
General Seasoning Instructions:
1.Wash cookware with hot soapy water and scrub with a scouring pad to remove the protective coating prior to seasoning.
2.Rinse and dry thoroughly.
3.Use vegetable oil (not butter or olive oil; shortening is the best).
Seasoning in an Oven:
Line the lower rack or bottom of the oven with aluminum foil (to catch the drippings), then preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Apply a thin, even coat of oil onto the entire cast iron surface. Do not use too much oil. Place unit in the oven for one hour. Using an oven mitt, either allow the unit to cool in the oven or remove it from the oven and let cool. When cool, wipe off any excess oil with a paper towel. The surface should be shiny but not sticky.
Seasoning on a Grill:
Follow same instruction as above then place the unit on a preheated barbecue. Cover the grill and heat for one hour. Continue with above instructions.
Care/Cleaning/Storage:
To keep your cast iron properly seasoned, do not wash in a dishwasher or use detergents, which will remove the seasoning. Instead, pour some very hot water into the wok, soak it for several minutes and scrub with a plastic scouring pad or nylon brush (if the mess is not too bad, scrub with a plastic scouring pad or nylon brush directly under hot running water). Dry thoroughly right away to prevent rusting. Apply a thin coat of oil prior to storing.With repeated seasoning and use, the natural patina will develop and it may no longer be necessary to oil the pan prior to storage. Always store cast iron products in a dry place.
Read Best Reviews of 16 inch Traditional Cast Iron Wok (incl. ring) Here
There are a lot of really bad woks out there but this wok is great!!! This thin cast iron wok is made as a cast iron wok should be made. The heavy woks made by Lodge and other western manufacturers are much too thick to use properly. Stir frying is very fast and requires rapid temperature changes. A heavy cast iron wok cannot cool down rapidly when you turn down the flame and it takes forever to heat up. You might as well be trying to cook with a wok on an electric stove. You heat your wok to one temperature in a heavy cast iron wok and your are stuck with it for awhile. I've used both and this is far superior.If you want more info on wok cooking read "The Key to Chinese Cooking" and "The Breath of a Wok" and the really wonderful cooking blog "Tigers and Strawberries."
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I shopped online for a cast iron wok for a long time. When I found this one on Amazon I read all the reviews and became thoroughly confused. So I emailed The Wok Shop with my questions and received a quick reply. They answered all my questions and highly recommended the wok and suggested I try the wok for myself. They also emailed me a link to an illustrated website that explained how these particular woks are made and still being made by the same process in Guangdong, China since the mid 1800s. I found it very interesting and on my next trip to San Francisco I visited The Wok Shop and inspected the woks myself. The surface is not smooth like the old Wagner/Griswold cast iron skillets nor is it sandpapery like the Lodges. It's also much lighter in weight than the cast iron skillets, flexible but still very sturdy. The pattern in the cast is also very interesting, a combination of cracks and brushstrokes much like an old painting. I bought one and brought it home. I sanded and scrubbed it down to remove the grey finish and seasoned it several times in the oven until it developed the shiney black finish. The cracks/brushstroke pattern is still visible through the seasoning, its just beautiful. I have now cooked with it a number of times and I just love it. I would recommend this wok to all my friends. I had a friend over for dinner last week and she commented on how beautiful and interesting my wok was. Only time can test the durability of this wok but I think this wok is quickly on it's way to becoming a family heirloom.
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