what kind of wok do chinese chefs use

Carbon steel woks develop a natural non-stick patina over time, enhancing their cooking performance. They are ideal for high-heat stir-frying and are the preferred choice of professional chefs.

What We Learned

Cooking eggs is the benchmark for testing the nonstick properties of virtually any cooking surface. Why? Eggs are rich in protein, which bonds to the surface of a hot pan in a process known as adsorption. Eggs are also mostly liquid, so they tend to seep into the cracks of the imperfect metal surface of a wok. Unless a wok is well seasoned, the amount of adsorption can be significant, which leads to lots of sticking.

In a perfect world, every wok would be well seasoned after years of cooking, practically guaranteeing a nonstick surface. But all of the tested models were brand new with only the four layers of light seasoning that we added. To maximize nonstick properties in this test, we made sure to heat each wok until it showed faint wisps of smoke, then swirled in a measured amount of vegetable oil until the surface was coated and just short of smoking. We fried one egg at a time, noting the time it took to release from the pan, as well as how much scraping was necessary to release the egg fully. We then repeated the test for each wok.

Top performers like our favorite from Yosukata and the Helen’s Asian Kitchen and Zhen San Huan woks exhibited minimal (though not zero) sticking on the first fry, and the eggs released with gentle scraping using a fish spatula. By the second fried egg, sticking was virtually nonexistent in these models. Most notably, these woks had ample flat surface areas—between five and six inches—which meant more direct contact with the heat source.

Poor performers in this test were kind of a nightmare in comparison, showing plenty of sticking. The Made In was perhaps the most egregious example: the eggs were completely stuck to the pan, and the yolks were either broken or overcooked by the time we managed to scrape everything off. Craft Wok was another subpar performer but for a different reason. This hand-hammered model showed an uneven distribution of heat, which led to uneven cooking. While one side of the egg released reasonably well, the other side was stuck.

Fried Rice: How Well Did the Woks Handle a Multi-Stage Recipe?

Even in its simplest forms, making fried rice is an effective test of a wok’s ability to shift gears and handle multiple stages of cooking. For example, many fried rice recipes begin with frying cooked rice in batches; the rice is emptied into a bowl, then the wok is reheated to continue cooking aromatics and any additions before finally incorporating the rice again. Throughout cooking, the wok rapidly heats, cools down, then heats up again. There are several potential points of concern: Does the rice stick to the pan? Do the aromatics stick to the pan or burn? Can you toss the rice in the pan to distribute sauce and seasonings evenly?

We made identical batches of garlic fried rice in each of the woks and recorded any differences in rice sticking, as well as performance when tossing and stirring. We noted heat responsiveness when cooking the garlic, and took an extra step to “sear” soy sauce around the outer edge of the wok to replicate the seasoning step in most recipes. Each batch was standardized by weight for each ingredient.

The best woks in this test exhibited virtually no sticking when tossing and stirring rice. Models like the Yosukata wok were easy to handle, and the tossing motion felt natural as the rice flipped up and cascaded back down to the center in separate grains. The top performers were also highly responsive to changes in heat so that we could lower the temperature enough to cook the garlic without burning it. When it came time to crank up the heat, sear the soy sauce, and toss everything together, these woks heated back up in less than 30 seconds.

Underperformers like the model from Craft Wok showed some signs of rice sticking and were generally a bit too heavy to toss food easily with the non-dominant hand. Because of that added weight, we didn’t feel particularly connected to or comfortable with these woks. Their heavier gauge also made them less responsive to changes in burner heat and sometimes led to bits of burnt garlic.

Woks: The King of Chinese Cooking Pans | Eat China: Back to Basics S4E7

FAQ

What kind of wok do professionals use?

What kind of wok is used in Chinese restaurants?

What is the best material for Chinese wok?

What is the difference between Mandarin wok and Cantonese wok?

What kind of wok do Chinese restaurants use?

Chinese restaurants prefer them, and we prefer using them at home as well. Whether it is a “pow wok” with a single handle or a large wok with two metal handles, carbon steel is our top choice. Fairly inexpensive and lighter than cast iron, carbon steel woks season nicely over time to create a non-stick surface.

What is a Chinese wok?

The design and construction of the wok is an essential aspect of Chinese cuisine. Woks are typically made from carbon steel or cast iron, and have a rounded bottom and high, sloping sides. This unique shape allows for even heat distribution and allows for food to be cooked quickly and efficiently.

Which material is best for a Chinese wok?

Traditional Chinese Woks are usually made from iron. But given the rusting nature of such a wok, soon cast iron come into the picture. But carbon steel is the best pick in terms of the most suitable material for a wok. Why carbon steel? Why not? It has a great heat distribution ability and heat retention power is lesser than a cast iron wok.

Which type of wok is best for electric stove?

Flat bottom carbon steel wok is the best type of wok for electric stove as it reacts well with the heat and compensate the high flame that you need for stir frying. One such wok is from Mammafong which manufactures the best flat bottom carbon steel woks ideal for your electric and induction stovetop.