In article 0>,
Debbie Deutsch > wrote:
> Phaedrine Stonebridge > wrote in
> news
>
> > In article 2>,
> > Debbie Deutsch > wrote:
> >
> >> (Sheellah) wrote in
> >> :
> >>
> >> > 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.
> >>
> >> The way to keep a thin steel wok from cooling down when you add food is
> >> to keep the burner cranked up high. It does no damage to the wok.
> >
> >
> > Oh yes it does. It will eventually warp the bottom. No problem on gas
> > but on a flat-top range, it will no longer function even adequately with
> > a warped bottom.
>
> I've never had a problem with the bottom of my wok warping, and my big one
> is at least 15 years old. However, if it does, no problem. A thin steel
> wok costs about $10, give or take, if you buy it at a Chinese market. Who
> cares if you replace it every few years at a cost of a few dollars per
> year? (Once again, I will point out that I have never had that problem.)
Most people don't notice the warping until they try to use it on a glass
or induction top which requires a rolling-pin flat pan. My Atlas
(carbon steel) wok "looks" pretty flat until you heat it on the
glass-top lol. The higher the BTUs and the thinner the metal, the more
likely it is to warp. If yours is absolutely flat, then you are very
lucky.
Most of the "thin" steel woks I have seen at Asian markets are round
bottom woks requiring a collar to use on gas and are, of course,
unusable on a flat-top range. Because you have not had a problem is no
indication that others will not--- especially if they are using higher
BTUs than you are. Moreover, one never sees such thin-walled woks in
use at any Asian restaurant. They use heavy carbon steel, usually, for
obvious reasons.
For those who prefer or who must get a heavier, rolling pin-flat bottom
wok, there is the small DeMeyere and the Le Creuset. For those who
don't, there are many other choices in addition to the $10 cheapies
(caveat emptor) including the Atlas and Joyce Chen (made by Atlas I
think) woks which have maintained great reviews by the pros. These
choices are always subjective and there is no one solution best for all.
..