I want to purchase a wok to cook stirfry in such as char kway teow etc I've never really cooked with a wok before so I was hoping to get some advice on what to purchase.
I think carbon steel is the way to go? There's this one at Harris Scarfe currently on sale from $59.99 to $29.95 would it be ok?
I'll be cooking on a ceramic cooktop if that makes any difference.
Thanks all :)
whoops I did do a search prior to my post haha
one of the magic that happens in an asian kitchen is…..no not MSG (well. just a little)…..is their jet furnace. If you do not have those blasters, you wont get the same result.
If you use carbon steel woks, you will need to season it and use it often to prevent rust.
Yeah I figured I won't get the same results as an Asian kitchen. Currently I've been cooking stirfrys in a fry pan and I thought I might have better results with a wok, plus easier having more room in the pan. I was also thinking about maybe using my gas BBQ to cook on too.
woks are easier to toss and not have stuff flying everywhere. I use stainless steel pans and cast iron pans. i like to cook on the stove then chuck them into the open.
if you cook with high heat you also need to use oil with a high burning temp. no olive oil or butter
Scratch the one I posted. It's got a non stick coating.
Scratching will damage the coating.
I have seen households with a jet furnace setup in the back porches. dont figure those are safe to setup indoors
get one from an asian grocery shop and make sure to season it
Thats exactly what I was about to post. Maybe get a portable gas ring if the cooktop does not work well.
Asian grocer is your best bet. That said, with a ceramic cooktop I would recommend no wok, it just won't be hot enough and nothing will cook properly.
You won't be able to get the required heat to get "wok hei"
Look up the double fry method, it should help with the charring of the noodles. Small portions are the way to go.
You might want to read up on how to season the wok, can be a slightly involved process.
Gas BBQ will be the same issue, you'll want one of those jet furnace set ups to give it a proper go.
There is a reason why the chinese restaurant burners which are indoors are all cooled with a constant stream of water!
There is a reason why the chinese restaurant burners which are indoors are all cooled with a constant stream of water!
Why would burners need to be cooled? 99% sure the tap/water is just there to fill up pots to cook food and clean the wok between cooks/cooking area at the end of the night more easily/efficiently.
Source: My wife used to work in a Asian takeaway/restaurant.
This is a shitty source, but it gets the point across - they often are water cooled. Newer designs tend not to be because it's quite wasteful.
https://www.crownmelbourne.com.au/getmedia/eed5e0fc-1723-409…
edit: here you can buy a water cooled one if you really want ;)
https://luus.com.au/range/asian/traditional-woks/
or the "waterless" alternative (every supplier uses this terminology, and they don't mean there's no tap on hand)
Haha, I'll have to take the blame here, I thought we were talking about the taps near the burners, not the burners themselves. Don't know if they place my wife worked at had this technology you refer to, so I stand corrected and retract my previous comment.
I got a carbon steel and the bottom warped on my electrical cooktop. Then I got scanpan stainless steel and it’s great. I use it every day.
An electric burner won't be hot enough.
if you are using and electric, ceramic or induction top you will be better off with a flat bottom pan. a traditional wok wont have enough surface area to heat up enough to stirfry.
heat in these scenarios is the most important. the greater the surface area of the bottom of the pan comes in contact with the stove the hotter it will get yielding a better result.
if you have a room I would suggest a 9kg propane tank and wok burner in the backyard and use that traditional styled wok you linked
We have a stainless Steel Gabriel Gate one purchased from Harris Scarfe for around $60 about 12 years ago. Use it approx 3 times a week and its great. Im not the best asian cook in the world so theres probably better choices but in most cases something like that should be fine. We have Gas range with a wok burner.
Its carbon steel or nothing. Had a $150 dollar Scanpan non stick and it was the biggest piece of garbage because you can never get a high heat. Replaced it with a $30 Carbon Steel and once its all seasoned correctly its amazing.
On another note. FOR SALE: 1 x Non Stick Wok
Cook your stir fry noodles on a bbq hotplate, yakisoba style. You dont need a wok. Itll take a bit more preparation and probably cleaning, but you'll get the high temperatures.
Yeah, I used to cook on my bbq hotplate like that but my bbq has seen better days now lol
I think I need glasses…I initially read this as "Advice on Bullying at Work"
But you're still young, only 44!
Nah, I'm all good in that department. I bully everyone really well. You should see my lunch money stash!
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/446381