Carbon Steel Flat Bottom Wok and Stir Fry Pan, 14-Inch

This wok is so big and beautiful, it's a pleasure to have it on my stove and to cook in it. However, it gave me a very hard time when cooking with it initially. I learned to cook well with every other wok we have (cast iron, stainless steel, and non-stick) and I am definitely not new to carbon steel pans (thicker French ones), but this one was way too unusual and the eggs were sticking and burning, tasting bitter, no matter what I was trying to do, I was not able to pass the fried egg test three times in a row. One or even two out of three eggs were sticking. In desperation, I tried the rural Chinese method of frying pork skin with green onions in it, smothering the sides and rubbing the bottom forcefully with pig skin and onions, until the onions were charred, and washing it with boiling water and that did it. It is now as non-stick as Teflon, i.e. I can fry an Asian style egg in it (or three eggs in a row) even without oiling the wok, and it/they won't stick and taste crunchy-crispy and delicious. It heats up so fast, within a minute, and its bottom cooking surface gets so exceptionally hot even on medium setting (on 5 out of 10 it reaches 300C!!!), that I am only able to use it on 3.5/10 level max. The bottom gets hot very evenly and the sides stay cool or warmish for a fairly long time, it takes them 5-10 min to get too hot to touch. This makes stir-frying very easy and quick, in a true Asian fashion. There is no warping of the bottom at any temperature, it is sturdy. So, in the end I am very happy with this wok. It is a bit heavy for me, but only because I don't really have a use for the helper handle when stir-frying and the helper handle does warm up significantly with time and requires a silicone handle cover. The protruding pieces of rivets on the inner surface do not allow me to use a 32cm/12.5" steaming insert that I have. I would have to either search for a steamer basket with a smaller or larger diameter or forget about steaming things in that wok. which is a pity for water boils in that wok instantly and it is very well suited for steaming jobs. These two things are the only mildly inconvenient details about this wok that I found. Everything else is simply extraordinary, very high level of quality of design and functionality. For those who look for a carbon steel wok, this one is a winner.

I got this Wok because it was recommended from a YouTube channel called Cult Flav where they made a video reviewing a bunch of different woks. I got this Wok used in pretty good condition. Little bit of rust around the small handle rivits, might be a problem/annoying to clean but I don't think it'll be a big issue. The wooden handle is easy to remove and reattach making it really easy to clean the wok in the sink. I know some people that have reviewed this Wok have said this wok is pretty heavy but I think it's pretty light (hit the gym people. I'm just joking). But this wok does has some heft to it so that can it's retain heat to deep fry stuff. If you don't want a countertop home deep fryer, Woks are actually ideal to deep fry stuff according Kenji Alt Lopez since it actually uses less oil, high wide walls help with oil splatter and overfilling/oil rise once the food is placed in. This wok being kinda heavy to retain heat and having a flat bottom is great for at home cooks that want to deep fry food and don't have Wok burner. For seasoning the Wok, I use a mix of Avocado Oil and Flax Seed Oil. I followed the directions for Oven seasoning and seasoned it 3 times. I have not have any issues with food sticking to the Wok. Due the weight I can see this being a problem for some that like to toss their food while stir frying (Not me though cuz I'm a big strong boy lol). Overall I think this is an great all purpose wok that can be used to stir fry and deep fry food and has a easy removable handle for ease of cleaning.

Just what I hoped for. This wok is big, has a good surface area flat bottom, subtle ridges around the sides (helps hold food pushed up the sides), good handle length and angle made from insulating wood, stiff/no flex, and not to heavy. Tried others, even at higher price points, and they were cheap and flimsy compared to this Babish wok. Works just how you would hope good carbon steel would work.

I have been using this for a couple of months now and I am very happy with it so far. I did quite a bit of shopping around before choosing this particular wok. I chose it for a number of reasons. First, it it is deeper than most "traditional" woks so I get less spill over (i.e. less rice, etc. flying out of the wok). The depth also makes it better for deep frying. Second, I like the long, comfortable wooden handle. It doesn't heat up and you can keep your hands far away from the steel. I also appreciate that is also detachable. Lastly, I like the heavy gauge steel - (while not specifically started I'd say it has to be about 1.7mm based on the weight). My experience has been very positive. I seasoned it 3 times before using, twice over flame and once in the oven. I have found it to be largely non-stick providing you use it correctly (you need the right temperature and you need to allow food to 'release" before moving it around). It heats up quickly and retains heat very well. I have made a variety of stir fries, fried rice, done some deep frying and make lots of eggs. Clean up is pretty simple with a quick scrub using a light nylon brush. On rare occasions when food has stuck - it scrapes off easily with a wooden spoon. Things to consider: It is on the heavier side. Smaller chefs will have a hard time handing it with one arm. The shape / ergonomics are not really traditional and not optimized for stir fry "tossing". You can do it - but it is not as natural a motion as you get with true Asian inspired woks. It requires a bit more care than the average pan (as do all carbon steel works). You should dry it over low heat and give it a light wiping with oil before putting it away.

Take your time seasoning it, it does require some patience but once its done it will last FOREVER! Took some time to get it seasoned just right, but now it works amazing and I'm not looking back. I've bought multiple items from Babish/Andrew Rea's line and each and every item has arrived and significantly surpassed all expectations! Hence why I keep purchasing more of his products. High quality, incredible detail, works like magic!