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This wok set from Helen Chen is all you need to start cooking. It comes with a domed lid, a bamboo spatula, and a recipe booklet. Two wooden handles make for easy maneuvering and serving, though one of the handle screws did become a little loose during testing. However, we were still able to continue the full testing process, and we noted that the metal attachments for the handles did get hot during cooking. This wok is heavier than other woks we tested and we found it necessary to maneuver with two hands during cooking. More than 2,000 years ago, during China’s Han Dynasty, cast iron was smelt into a unique form, one where a curved bottom flared out into an expansive width ending in high walls designed to retain both heat and ingredients. The name it was given was simple: wok. In the Cantonese spoken in its region of origin, wok literally means “cooking pot.” Not particularly specific, perhaps, but neither are its uses. As time has shown, the wok's design is that of a workhorse—a multi-cooking wonder with infinite capabilities. Traditional, round-bottomed woks are meant to be used with a special stove featuring a burner that is fitted to cradle a wok. This setup creates a hotspot at the bottom while sending heat up the sides of the wok, and also allows for a smooth scooping motion to stir ingredients around. Flat bottoms are an evolutionary allowance for flat cooktops. These center the hot point on the surface that touches the burner, taking a longer time for the sides to capture and keep higher temperatures. Pre-seasoned means a covering of wax or vegetable oilhas been applied to prevent the cookware-as a rule cast iron from rusting while it sits in the store or in the storeroom. It is alright to utilize a cleanser since you are planning to re-season the cookware.
After your wok is cool enough to handle, move it to your kitchen sink, and use your scrubbing pad and some water to lightly scrub and rinse the wok clean. (You can use dish soap, but it’s not required for a light dish like this.) This wok is 14 inches in diameter, so it’s big enough to make a stir-fry for six people. It has a helper handle so you can lift and swish your wok around with little effort. The main handle is covered in wood, which allows you to nimbly flip food in your wok without burning yourself. It also has a flat-bottom design, so it’s compatible with electric stovetops. Typically, it is recommended to use vegetable oils to cook dishes in a carbon steel pre-seasoned wok. In general, you have to use high smoke point oils such as sesame, avocado, grapeseed, coconut, and other oils. How do I clean it?
Conclusion
Many people are wondering what is pre-seasoned wok. In particular, customers are interested whether these utensils require seasoning or if they are ready for use. In this regard, pre-seasoned means covered by wax or vegetable oil to prevent rusting, so they still require further seasoning. Here are some more selection criteria to consider: While this wok’s size means that it can cook a large amount of food, it also makes it pretty cumbersome to work with—and this could be challenging for beginners who aren’t used to heavy pans. However, it has a wooden handle and an accompanying steel helper handle that make it easier to lift and move while cooking.
Every business or industry strives to provide ease to its consumers. The reason behind manufacturers offering pre-season wok is simple. The foremost aim behind pre-seasoning is it makes the wok ready to use on unboxing, and there is no pre-treatment required. Pre-seasoning also prevents the wok from rusting, which maintains the quality of cookware and offers better service to customers. We tested 18 woks side-by-side in our Birmingham, Alabama, testing labto find out which were easiest to use and produced accurate readings. Additionally, our expert testers use certain models in their home kitchens, and regularly supply us with home-cooking insights and updates on long-term wear and tear.Just follow these steps and essential pointers, and your carbon steel wok will age gracefully and form a beautiful patina that any Chinese cook would be proud of. It is important to note that a carbon steel wok must be seasoned prior to each use. This helps to keep the wok from rusting and also helps to impart flavor to the food cooked in it. How to Season a Wok on an Electric Stove? But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square. Also consider how easy the wok is to use: Is stirring and tossing ingredients simple and efficient? Another important factor to consider is cleanup. Ideally, a wok is easy to clean with water and a little mild dish soap. After you go through the initial wok seasoning process, all you need to do is cook with your wok often and follow our easy directions to care for it properly!
Woks are incredibly versatile," says Chen. "Stir-frys are easy because you can toss the vegetables easily in the conical shape of a wok as it creates more even cooking. One can deep fry, steam, poach as the shape allows for more efficient use of liquids like water and oil." What is the best way to prepare your wok for cooking? A wok's handle is equally as important: A too-short wok handle could mean it getting too hot to handle (or worse, using a kitchen rag and risking it catch on fire). An uncomfortable handle means tossing food with two hands or arm fatigue while cooking. The worst handle is one that can't be taken off and can't go into an oven when the wok itself needs proper oven seasoning. The best woks can do it all, but only a wok can turn out stir-fry as it's meant to be: with vegetables that are vibrant, blissfully blistered, yet tender-crisp; meat that captures a little browning without drying out; and dishes with little oil but a lot of naturally extruded flavor. Not only does a wok allow you to cook high-volume ingredients—like the vegetable-heavy dishes Asian cuisine is known for—by virtue of its tall sides, but its sloping sides also catch heat in a blooming pattern, creating different zones. Where the flames hug the bowl is where you sear; up toward the edge is where you keep warm and dry. When using a flat-bottom wok on a ceramic glass top stove, you’ll need to be a bit more patient, as you have to wait for your wok to completely heat up before adding in your food. (Proteins and veggies should go in a single layer on the bottom of the wok to prevent overcrowding.) You’ll have to wait again for things to get charred, but it’s worth it to have a crispy stir-fry.
What I looked for
Cantonese woks have two small handles made out of cast iron or carbon steel, but Young finds them to be “much clumsier to use because you cannot lift the wok with one hand, and it definitely requires potholders.” Cast iron woks tend to be constructed in this style. Once the oil has been heated, the wok should be removed from the heat and allowed to cool. Once cooled, a paper towel can be used to wipe away any excess oil from the wok.
Cast iron is a porous metal, and its seasoning is essential. The pre-seasoned cast iron wok makes it convenient for you to get a better experience with wok cooking and its prevention from rusting. Metal like cast iron may get rusted so, always go for a pre-seasoned pan as it is safe and ready to use. Pre-seasoned iron wok
The handles on this wok are carbon steel as well and felt sturdier than others we’ve tested. (Use pot holders when cooking as the handles become extremely hot.) We learned through testing that this wok works best when paired with a wok ring to stabilize it on your cooktop, and we found it also worked best with smaller amounts of food, so it’s ideal for preparing meals for a few people. We found tossing food in it quite easy compared to some other woks we tested.
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