CALLING ALL CHEFS - what wok do I buy?

[Knife Attack]

The adventure of this bachelor living on his own for only the second time of his life continues.

Who gives a fork about a wok? Well I do for the moment.  Truth is I'm now looking at frying pans and wok(s). Can any women, men or chefs give m advice about buy woks and frying pans?

I took a saunter around one store today and I gather the woks that'll make me a hit with Angelina Jolie (if you don't know what I'm on about check out the other thread on knives) - or at least are impressive brands are Tefal, Meyer and Le Creuset.

However, when I look at Singapore's hawkers - most of them aren't into your basic aluminium woks but go for heavy metal - cast iron woks, or certainly black heavy ones.

Also, one poster in the other thread said that I should never consider buying any non-stick wok even Le Creuset. I think I know why. Most woks are used for stir-frying and I doubt that there's any wok (no matter how expensive it is) that can stand up to such treatment.

What have I used woks for before - most of the time for stir-frying and making fried rice. I do use a non-stick pan for frying eggs and that's easy enough to protect. For curries, I'll probably buy an earthenware pot in Serangoon Road.

I understand that with the more expensive non-stick woks you can actually use an abrasive scouring pad to clean up or am I wrong about this?

I did go to Sia Huat in Temple street last week and saw woks there - of the hawker variety and I suspct this might be one place considering - once I know what I have in mind.

For those who don't know I'm setting up my own kitchen as a bachelor and living on my own for only the second time in my life.

Okay, ladies, gentlemen and experts - tell me what to do, where to go and what you think about woks and frying pans.

Please don't tell me you like a particular brand 'cos you like the sound it made on your husband's head when he came home drunker than usual one night

[How About?]

What you see the hawker use is called a "kuali" and is favoured by them because they need a heavy duty wok to withstand the daily abuse.

For home cooking, especially if it is just simple chinese cooking, a non-stick wok would be sufficient.  It is erroneous to think that you can subject even the best non-stick wok to abrasive scouring pads.  A good non-stick wok would never need to be scrubbed anyway.  Dishwashing detergent and sponge is good enough.

Most Chinese will not favour an aluminium wok because of the chemical reaction as Chinese cooking usually requires a very large flame e.g. stir frying vegetables.

When considering a wok, you might like one that has a long handle as opposed to 2 short ones.  It makes dishing out alot easier.

In addition, you might want to decide between a glass cover or an opaque metal cover.  Glass is good for see-through to check on your cooking but you need to be mindful not to run a hot cover under cold tap water.  (mine broke to smithereens when my maid forgot to let it cool before washing).  An opaque metal cover is not high on aesthetics but it is definitely lighter and easier to maintain.

When using a non-stick wok, you must use a wooden spatula.

Check whether the wok has a flat base or convex base.  If you have a conventional stove, it won't matter.  But if you have a flat stove, you either have to get a wok stand or you buy one with a flat base.

Between Tefal and Meyer, I find Tefal longer lasting, maybe because the non-stick is by 3M.

[Alamak]

There is no difference between a "wok" and a "kwali". Kwali is simply the malay word for "wok".

[momofour]

I bought those black heavy wok before and ended up throwing it away....

Once it is HOT and you pour little bit of oil to swirl around, nothing sticks to it...its great~   BUT, when you are done cooking you have to take good care of it by rubbing it down with oil and store it completely dry from water, otherwise it will rust.  Once rust sets in, even on small spot, it will continue to return even if you rub it with oil.  I hated the taste of rust in my food.  

I love my Myers non-stick wok.
Robinsons has big selection of woks to chose from.
Good luck~

momofour

[Paella]

Sorry to hijack your thread, but does anyone know where one can buy a paella pan in Singapore?

Thanks

[want_to_believe]

My personal favorite is Le Creuset. This is not a non stick coated wok, it’s an iron one. There are 2 major things why I go for the le creuset. It is convex on the inside but has a flat bottom outside.
Also , the bottom is ceramic coated, that mean you can use it on a modern glass ceramic stove as well as on a normal gas stove.
Also, spring ( Switzerland) use to make a very nice stainless steal wok with an inside copper layer for better heat conductivity , but I'm not sure if you can get it in Singapore.
I would stay away from almost all non stick coated cookware in general. PFA coatings ( like Teflon from Dupont ) are not very good for your health as soon as they have the slightest damage.

Also, aluminum cookware is not one of my favorites. The heat conductivity is very bad, compared to iron and copper. That’s why good stainless steal cookware has a copper layer inside ( for example Spring or SUS , Schulte Ufer) , and Aluminum can give a bad taste on some foods , specially with fruit acid’s

[cabriolet]

Do you need a cover for a wok?
I am not an expert but I understood wok cooking to be very high flame and short duration cooking with lots of tossing hence a deep wok preferred.

The cover traps the moisture in the food and results reduces the temperature. It causes the food to boil and it becomes soggy food whereas with the wok open you drive moisture out of the food quickly and the oil remains to cook the food crispy not soggy.

[Knife attack]

WTB just to ensure I understand you - are you saying that Le Creuset ALSO makes non-stick woks? I gathered all their woks were non-stick?

What about frying pans folks - ladies (I presume most ladies spend more time in kitchens than men) - how many frying pans do you think I should get?

So far, I have this plan:

1 Large wok
1 Medium sized wok
1 big non-stick frying pan?

[Knife attack]

Sorry I mistyped WTB. I mean your Le Creuset wok makes woks that do stick i.e. it DOESN'T have a non-stick surface.

[chinatown]

to ALL:
the best place to buy and get GOOD advice and selection is at tsia-huat in smith street (or parallel to it) in chinatown. thats wher the locals buy and all the hawkers too....
got all my stuff there for kitchen etc. and always go back in case i need something...

[fifa]

no saucepan? When I was living on my own I had the following:

1 med wok
1 med frying pan
2 med saucepans (dif sizes/heights)
1 lg stock pot (to cook spaghetti!)

Saucepans nicely double up as a small frying pan if needed. I used my saucepans a lots.

The wok I got was actually a tempura frying pan which worked really well, not too large and quite light but durable.

[This message has been edited by fifa (edited 12-08-2003).]

[want_to_believe]

I was a Le Creuset dealer for years , some time ago to be hounest, but I never herad that Le Creuset makes any non stick coated equipment. Maybe thats new. In general, Le Creuset makes very high quality iron cookware with no coating on the inside at all . On the outside you have a choice of uncoated or glass-ceramic coating in several colors. Depending on the country , LeCreuset comes with a 10 year, 30 year or lifetime garantie.

[Knife Attack]

So WTB, are you telling me that Le Creuset is actually a conventional wok? The inside has a non-stick feel to it? Can I used a metal ladle on it then and stir-fry with gusto like I would with a cast-iron wok?

Sadly most staff in shops here don't understand me and that's why I'm in a quandary.

[want to know]

Where can I buy a Le Creuset wok please?

[Sharp thoughts]

WOK:

1. No need for a lid - it will spoil the food (previous post is correct)

2. Certainly not Aluminium, it reacts with acid in food and is also strongly suspected of provoking altzheimers

3. Don't touch non-stick. It won't stand up to wok abuse (which is an integral part of wok cooking and is not necessary anyway.

4. I actually have a stainless steel wok (like my pans) and it is great.

FRYING PAN

1. I love my WMF stainless steel one. It is huge (you can buy one too big unless you have a half-sized hob), and very heavy. When you put a bit of meat into it the meat initially sticks but soon releases itself (don't try pulling it off). Then in the latter stages of the cooking process when you pour in the wine (might apply for other liquids too, but I always use wine) all the sticking bits lift as though you had just poured in some industrial oven cleaner. Cleaning it is a breeze. I wouldn't have anything else, the initial cost was more than worth it.

Good luck.

[How About?]

Those who do not use a wok cover obviously hasn't simmered food in gravy as part of Chinese cooking process.

It depends what you are cooking to decide whether you need a wok cover or not.  Please do not generalise that a wok cover is not needed.

[Msimbati]

Bought a red Tefal wok about 2.5 years ago - fantastic quality.  More expensive - but def recommend the brand.

[native]

How About? is right, the wok cover is used to simmer food, usually applied after the initial high heat stir fry phase, when gravy is introduced to the dish.  you can't achieve the right crunchyness in stir fry veges without covering it for a bit.  knowing when and for how long to place the wok cover while cooking is an art in itself.

also, many people use the wok for steaming, which requires a cover.

[Knife Attack]

So I gather the leading money is on:

1. Buying a cast iron wok that the hawkers use but take real good care of it by making sure it remains bone dry and oiling it when storing.

2. Buying  Le Creuset (though no one can clarify for me whether it's non-stick on stick)

3. Buying a stainless steel wok that's heavy.

4. Avoid buying an aluminium one.

5. Somebody suggested that as a bachelor I'd be doing myself a favour by getting a Le Creuset grilling pan thingy as well?

Stay tune folks, next week, I'm going to ask about pressure cookers  

[Chief Chef]

So what did you buy in the end?

[quite concerned]

regarding Alzheimer's disease and aluminum cookware!  Most of my pots and pans are stainless steel but also have aluminum bottom or core for better heat conductivity.   AHHHHH!  Now I hear about Alzheimer's and aluminum!  Has anyone bought new cookware due to this?  Would you recommend iron or copper?  
Oh-one more question about oiling pots and pans-how to do this, and how often to do this? Do all types of cookware need to be oiled?  
Thanks!

[Pressure Cooker]

Knife Attack, loved your posts as well as the replies. I do Chinese-styled home-cooked food on a daily basis for my family. i.e. nothing fancy, just normal stir-fry and steaming - veg, soups, fish & some chicken, no red meat. Here's what I use:

WMF pressure cooker - great for soups as it saves me a lot of time (chicken soup & stock-making, herbal soup, red bean soup, etc). Actually, using earthen pots over charcoal for soups / double-boiling for herbal soup is the best but who has the time & space?

WMF big wok - for steaming fish and braising vegetables. And stir-fried veg, noodles & nasi goreng. However, cleaning off the residue is a pain for stir-fried food. BTW, this wok came free with the pressure cooker, wait for some good deals - got mine at CK Tang.

For cooking smaller portions - I go for Tefal non-stick pots & pans.

?? forgot the brand - Anodised iron wok with a long handle & glass cover. My alternate wok for steaming & stir-fry.

I think I'll try out Le Creuset next. I see them in Takashimaya & CK Tang.

So Knife Attack, have you bought any woks yet?

[Knife Attack]

Hi All,

Been busy meeting ridiculous deadlines and putting out fires in the kitchen. Never knew boiling water could be so complicated.

Fear not, the adentures of Bachelor boy Knife Attackwill be back.

In brief, the search continues but it looks like the leading money's on Le Creuset at the moment....

[want_to_believe]

sorry for answering so late, I'm traveling at the moment.
Yes, le crueset has no coating on the inside, no problem to use metal objetcs . The lcookware is handmade in sandforms by the way. The also make a very nice gourmet pan, one of my favourites , but not cheap

[Knife Attack]

Hello all.

Well, I decide on a Creuset Wok - but didn't buy one just yet because at almost $400 it was difficult to justify.

So I bought a cast iron wok of a cheaper variety - yes, the type that has to be bone dry and oiled before storing away.

However, the full story of Le Creuset has yet to be written - this bachelor boy who is finding it hard to divide his attention between the birds and culinary skills and impressing both with both is adopting a new strategy.

He is putting away $100 a month so he can buy a Creuset wok by the year's end. And drop broad hints to the parents to get him a Creuset baking dish for Christmas.

Pretty smart huh? So that's it for this chapter, next week young Knife Attack will take on Pressure Cookers!!!

[Too heavy]

Don't you find those black woks too heavy though?

I prefer stainless steel ones - they're heavy but not so bad that you can't carry it from the cooker to the table.

[word of advice]

If you're not much of a chef yet, why not buy something cheaper until you have practiced a bit more.  Then you'll know what you want from a wok.  

By all means get some good knives (as your other topic), but I wouldn't splash out  on a le crueset wok NOW, let alone when I first started cooking.  They're just too heavy for a decent stir fry.  You have to move the pan around when you're stir frying stuff, and those cast iron pans are good for sitting still and simmering, not being thrashed around the kitchen.

just my opinion!

[Knife Attack]

Made some very decent Fried Rice in my big black wok already and passed the test. My friends actually asked for second helpings!

Mate, if you want to impress the babes (and Angelina Jolie) - you need Le Creuset. So my lady friends and board members here tell me.

[Trouble by Wok]

Hi,

I have a WMF stainless steel non-stick wok.  Was very troubled by this wok because it is very smokey whenever I stir-fried.  It also causes food to stick at the bottom.

Any idea is it all stainless steel wok has this problem? or is it I did not season it when I first bought it?

Kindly advise pls.
Thanks in advance.

[hmm...]

apparently, those non-stick pans are made of cancer-causing material???