JOYCE CHEN Classic Series 14-Inch Carbon Steel Wok with Birch Handles

Just got this wok today. This is the first stovetop wok I've owned. My previous was an electric, non-stick wok whose non-stick finish finally wore out after many years. This one seems to be good quality and hopefully it's the last one I'll ever buy. I read many of the reviews, and it seems many people are having a problem removing the factory anti-rust coating and getting it seasoned properly. I was able to get it done and seasoned, at least to my satisfaction. Here's what I did: 1) The most important step is to completely remove the factory coating. I followed the instructions on the cardboard label as to boiling water for in the wok for 5-10 minutes. I did 10. To remove the coating, use a steel wool soap pad (Brillo) and LOTS of elbow grease. Don't be afraid to scrub hard, inside and out, adding a little water to keep things flowing. When you think you have it, rinse and check for any places where the water seems to bead up and scrub that area some more. When you're satisfied, dry it with paper towels and heat it on the stove to dry thoroughly. 2) Now "Blue" the wok. This is a step that's not in the enclosed instructions, but it's important according to what I read on Youtube. Turn the burner up high and heat the pan until it turns blue. Tilt and rotate to hold different parts over the flame until each part, bottom and all sides, turn approximately the same shade of blue. 3) Time to season the wok. While it's still hot, coat the inside and outside with a high temperature oil. I used Canola oil cooking spray. Use a paper towel pad held in tongs to remove ALLthe oil, leaving a very thin, even coating. Repeat the same heating routine you used to blue the wok, heating each area, bottom and sides, until it no longer smokes (Open the windows and use an exhaust fan if you have it). Repeat the seasoning step twice more. If you did it properly it should look about like the attached photo. If it comes out mottled a lot , you didn't scrub the factory finish off thoroughly enough. Start again with the Brillo pad. I have a gas range. If you have electric, you may be able to get the same results; no guarantees.

This is a carbon steel wok with a flat bottom - it's in the description but somehow I missed that and thought it had a round bottom. However, as it turns out, I am happier with this flat bottom; even on a gas stove, I think it works better to get heat to the food since I'm not cranking huge BTUs. I've had it for about a month and seasoned it according to the directions on the blog Woks of Life. Even with scrubbing first, the initial fumes are... really strong. Make sure you have good ventilation when you do this because wow. However, once that seasoning was done, I have not noticed any other off odors or remaining factory oils. It was reasonably non-stick right away, but after several weeks of use was really great. I clean it with a Scotch Brite type sponge, using the scrubby side. Soap if necessary. I then towel dry and heat it back up to make sure it's completely dry, then coat with just a tiny bit of oil. Grace Young says in Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge that this is not necessary, but I feel like when I do so it's helped the nonstick nature to develop further. Perhaps after longer use I won't need to do that anymore. I have not noticed any rust, even one night when I (oops) forgot to clean it after making a vinegar-based sauce. The next morning it was just fine. I do think it's important to clean and dry immediately, as a general rule, and you shouldn't have any problems. The handles seem very securely bolted on. The weight of the carbon steel is just right - it responds very quickly to temperature changes and it's not too heavy to move around a lot with one hand. I recommended this wok to a friend and they are also very happy with it.

This was a registry item so I eagerly followed all the printed instructions to a T, but the problems began before I could even wok up a single meal. Like many of the other reviewers, the product came bent & warped but I tried shrugging it off, figuring it wouldn't affect cooking too much. Well the ominous signs started stacking up pretty quick, when right out of the cardboard packing, I noticed a white stain in the shape of a ring on both the inside and outside of the wok and figured it'd go away with scrubbing. Boy was I wrong. Even after furious washing it stayed on. What's worse is that the next day, I came back to it and discovered horrible rust stains all over the product! Nonetheless, having been misguided by another review I read online, I tried giving it another change and exchanged it for a new one. SAME STORY! Except this time the plot thickened when the product started smoking over medium-heat, because the "lacquer" that was supposed to come off with hot water and soap (and mind you, I washed it three times just to be safe), was smeared on so thick that it filled me entire kitchen with a burnt plastic smell. With God knows what chemicals are lathered on, and the clear lack of quality control, I won't even bother wasting my time trying to season this piece of junk. It's such a shame that all the high reviews are from over six years ago, misleading people into thinking this is still a decent product. TRUST the recent reviews and AVOID!

I hadn't used a wok since the last century, but I decided it would be fun to try a better wok than my old one that I'd relegated to the basement.. A wok cookbook I got recommended a carbon steel wok with a flat bottom, & that's what this is. I like that it has two handles, both covered with birch so I won't burn my hands. I like that it is made in Taiwan & sold by a small business in Minneapolis. The price is inexpensive. I tried seasoning it 4 times, but did not succeed in getting the seasoned look much beyond the bottom. The 4th time, I tried it on my induction burner, which I set to Stir-Fry, about 464F. The bottom turned red, & the canola oil caught fire! Henceforth, I will be cautious about using the wok on my induction burner. Later, I read that cooking with a wok means cooking first the ingredients that need the most cooking & then removing them. I thought the wok was designed to move those ingredients up the sides while cooking the other ingredients. I have my old cover & stainless steel utensils. I still have a steamer insert, but it is probably aluminum, so a bamboo one would probably be safer.

Bought this one after several decades of using a thrift shop, second-hand round bottom wok . . . on an electric stove. Who knew this didn't work? It actually produced good dinners for us, but when I read more on using a wok, I realized that a flat bottom, carbon-steel wok would likely work better for most uses. So, I ordered this one. I followed instructions for cleaning (stainless steel scouring pad and dishwashing soap) and seasoning (stir fry scallions and ginger in peanut oil for 15 minutes, allow to cool, then wash with water -- no soap! -- and warm on stovetop to dry; and then just used as normal for cooking) and it works great. Initial seasoning went fine, and it continues to season up just like the old one did. No big deal, so long as you follow the basic procedure, which starts with a good wash and scour (which is never repeated unless you want to begin the process all over again). And don't treat this like your non-stick aluminum fancy cookware. Respect it like a good iron pan, and it'll treat you well. Toss it in the dishwasher and you'll have earned your punishment. (Please. Just. Don't.) I'm quite happy with this one. Love the wood handles. Cooked a great Kung Pao chicken tonight on it. The flat bottom does help with getting a higher temperature from a flat-top electric stove. Treat it nice and it'll treat you nice.

Decent price however the aluminum rivets came loose immediately, so unless your handy and feel like replacing them your self I would look elsewhere. Not too hard to season and keep clean, although this is a DIY piece of cookware which you should know going into owning a carbon steel implement of any kind.

The most important thing is to clean and season the WOK. The instructions call for boiling water in the wok and then scrubbing it vigorously with an abrasive scouring pad. I recommend Brillo. Then it calls for seasoning the wok on the stove top. This is not necessary. You can season the wok in the oven by removing the handle by turning off the eye bolt on the end; then cover the helper handle with a wet cloth or paper towel, be sure it's completely covered including the sides, then cover the wet paper towel with aluminum foil (shiny side out). Again, be sure the handle is well covered by several layers of foil making sure you seal off the sides. As you are doing this, pre-heat your oven to 450F or 500F. Lightly oil the inside and outside of he wok using a high smoke point oil (vegetable, peanut, etc. NOT OLIVE OIL!) Place the wok upside down on the middle rack and set a timer for 30 minutes to an hour (I heated it for one hour). Repeat this process three times, re-wrapping the helper handle each time. If you don't rewrap the handle, it will burn! Wipe out the wok with a clean cloth or rag and re-apply oil. Once seasoned heat the hock on the stove top to temperature, add some oil and stir fry aromatics such as onion, garlic, ginger, etc. This will flavor the seasoning and help to remove the metallic flavor from a new wok. Hope this helps.

Our non-stick wok began showing its age after about 12 years and so I looked into getting more of a "buy it for life" type of product, which led me down the rabbit hole of looking at carbon steel woks. I am not sure if I'll necessarily have this wok for life but our use of it so far signals that it may be awhile before it is replaced. I looked up how to season carbon steel on Youtube and decided that doing it outside on our high BTU stove would do the trick. It DID season it pretty well except I did singe the wooden handle because it got so hot. We have used the wok regularly in our home since and it is really easy to take care of. I am hopeful that it becomes super seasoned with more use. It is exciting to see the patina get better over time. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a wok (especially those that are in the non-stick camp - come over here, it's not so scary and it's likely healthier!!).

This is one of the worst products I have bought from Amazon. Seasoning instructions obeyed to the letter caused uneven black with ridges. Smoked so badly I had to throw it into the garden.

Good

Buenísimo wok de acero al carbono (ligero y resistente). Es el material más tradicional y el mejor para este tipo de herramientas porque te permite saltear el stir fry como es debido. Lo recomiendo muy por encima de los de hierro fundido (a menos que tengas brazos de Terminator). ***Les recomiendo mucho leer las instrucciones incluídas para obtener un curado adecuado. NO SE BRINQUEN EL PASO DE TALLAR CON FUERZA TODO EL WOK ANTES DE CURARLO. Trae una laca protectora para evitar que se oxide y debe ser removida *antes* del curado***

Useful. Kitchen must have.

I've owned four other woks over the years (stainless steel, carbon steel and non-stick). I decided to go back to carbon steel after getting rid of all my non-stick pans. I've read reviews about the wok rusting and discolouring. Carbon steel will turn dark as it is seasoned by cooking which creates the non-stick finish, which is the goal. Many years ago I ruined a carbon steel wok by not cleaning it properly and earned a lecture from my mother - my parents owned a Chinese restaurant. Carbon steel should not be washed with soap - just scrub it under hot water, dry over heat and wipe a bit of oil in it. The wok has a flat bottom which I wanted for my induction cooktop. The drawback is it is difficult to season up along the sides. So far the wok is working out well. I've used it several times now and it is slowly developing a nice dark seasoning.