Thanks Debbie. My main concern is that a stainless clad, or thinner metal wok,
would cool down too quickly once the food was added, and the food would be
soggy. I wanted to go with the cast iron, as I felt that once heated, it would
retain the heat when food was added, and keep the sizzle. I once had a carbon
steel wok, and hated the rusting, and having to keep seasoning it. It also
looked quite unsightly.

I liked the Le Creuset, as it was enamel coated, and needed no real seasoning.
I think it's beautiful too! Got a great deal on it, so the price wasn't too
bad;-).


<< Ditto on your comment about getting an inexpensive wok from a Chinese
market. My favorite wok cost $8.50 and is 14" wide and quite deep. It is
thin black steel and has a long handle sticking out. It heats quickly when
I put it on a hot burner and cools quickly when I take it off. This gives
a lot of control over cooking. I also have a small cast-iron wok from a
Chinese market. It is only about 12" wide and quite shallow. Unlike the
LC, there is no enamel on it. Even though it is relatively thin as cast
iron goes, this wok definitely takes more time to heat and cool down.
(This cast iron wok cost me about $12, IIRC.)

Like you, I have a larger steel wok for bigger productions.

FWIW, as far as I can tell, Chen-san uses the same kind of wok on Iron
Chef. You don't necessarily need expensive equipment to cook authentically
and well.

Debbie >>