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dsi1[_15_] dsi1[_15_] is offline
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Default Preference for Carbon Steel over Stainless Steel

On 5/27/2014 12:26 AM, T Blake wrote:
> When looking to buy a wok, even in the Posh Chinese supermarkets they are
> all Carbon Steel. I know I can easily buy a stainless steel or non-stick
> coated ones in department stores.
>
> But since the Chinese are the masters of the wok, i wonder if there is a
> reason in terms of their use and convenience for this *preference* for
> carbon steel ?
>
>


My guess is that the non-stick ones are made of aluminum. I'd stay away
from woks made of aluminum. You need to be able to get the pan up to
high heat which would really mess up aluminum and non-stick coatings.

I've never seen a stainless steel wok so I don't have anything to
mention about that. The carbon steel woks will develop a hard black
non-stick coating with use and proper cleaning. The great thing about a
wok is that it only takes a few seconds to clean one. When picking a
wok, I'd get a heavy one with a smoother finish.