What do I need to know before buying a wok?
Online Answer
Look for carbon steel woks that are at least 14-gauge—about two millimeters thick—which won't bend when you press on the sides. Avoid nonstick woks at all costs. Most nonstick coatings cannot handle the high heat necessary for a proper stir-fry.
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When you add food to the pan, it rapidly loses heat. A Wester skillet will drop to around 480°F, while a wok, because of its lower amount of stored heat energy, will drop all the way down to nearly 400°F.
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Non-stick coatings have developed over the years to withstand the higher temperatures needed for stir-frying. They still don't sear the food in quite the same way as carbon steel, but they do a good job and are certainly easier to clean and maintain..
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Flat bottom woks are very versatile and wok efficiently on gas or electric (coil) stoves. Hand-hammered flat bottom woks not recommended for ceramic stove tops or induction burner because of the "uneven" hand-hammered divits/markings on the flattened bottom surface, approximately 5.5" -6" diameter..
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Can a wok at a Chinese restaurant get hotter than a cast iron pan at home? Yes it can. Their burners are usually far more powerful than yours probably is. Wok burners are usually around 5 to 15 Kw (17,000 to 50,000 BTU ) whereas the largest burner on a domestic cooktop burner is usually around 3.5Kw or 12,000 Btu..
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