Reddit reviews Craft Wok Traditional Hand Hammered Carbon Steel Pow Wok with Wooden and Steel Helper Handle (14 Inch, Round Bottom) / 731W88

Eastman Outdoors Portable Kahuna... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GISCDK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Craft Wok Traditional Hand... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PUZT9MU?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

TableCraft 32405 Bamboo Handle... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KD6MKMC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I know this dilemma, I had a beautiful authentic thin one, but it cracked in half, now back to my stupid anodized one. I think the carbon steel ones are the best, albeit slightly pricier & I think higher maintenance. I like the big 16" ones in this style - maybe not that exact one, but it's a good direction. Maybe this one or this one.

Also go to a restaurant supply store, instead of a home goods style store. You might be able to get away with a kitchen-style store, but I wouldn't risk it.

notes on burning the wok from this amazon review

Excellent traditional carbon steel wok. BUT -- and I emphasize this -- it MUST be properly tempered before use. None of the YouTube videos or comments I have seen understand this process, and you probably will not either. So read on.

This process of preparing the wok is NOT really a "seasoning" -- that implies some sort of cooking process. What is need is very high temperature tempering of the bare steel surface. This is metallurgy, not cooking! It is an ancient process used on steel to "blue" it. It is the same process used on old steel swords and gun barrels, to give them a protective non-rusting black-blue coating. Let me explain the "bluing process" you need to perform on your new wok.

Carbon steel is chemically very reactive. It rusts -- it reacts with oxygen and forms red iron oxide, Fe2O3, when exposed to oxygen, such as the oxygen in H20 water. Rusting, or red iron oxide, will form quickly on naked steel that is not properly prepared. The naked iron is also reactive with food moisture, and food will stick to it. BUT black iron oxide, formed on a steel surface that has been heated to HIGH temperatures, is less reactive, more stable, and adheres extremely well with oils. When well-oiled, the oil incorporates in the black iron oxide surface on the steel; this provides a non-reactive coating that protects the steel.

So what you need to do is BLUE the steel -- heat it to a very high temperature, and let the surface steel oxidize to black iron, Fe3O4, also called magnetite. Again this is not cooking. This is metallurgy!!

Let me repeat: If clean carbon steel is heated to above 550 degrees F. it reacts with the oxygen in the air, and the surface steel will oxidize to black iron oxide, Fe3O4. This black surface gives the steel a beautiful black-blue to aqua-blue patina. This blued steel, or black iron oxide surface, adheres quickly to oils. When coated with oil, the oiled blued steel is very rust resistant, it is also a non-stick surface for cooking. And it has been used by blacksmiths (and Chinese cooks) for millennia to treat steel surfaces.

The instructions that come with the wok tell you what to do. Do it. But they are brief. Here are the details.

FIRST STEP, you must clean the steel. It comes covered with oils to prevent rusting. You MUST strip all this oil off, to expose the bare steel surface. As instructed, use a scouring pad and go at it with detergent. Plan on working 30 minutes at this. Scrub, and rinse. Scrub and rinse. Take a white paper towel and rub the surface dry. If you are still getting black staining on the paper towel, then scrub some more. You want NAKED steel, without any oil residue on it. If there is oil on it, the oxygen cannot reach the surface when it is heated and oxidize the surface steel to black iron oxide, the beautiful blue magnetite surface you want.

SECOND step is heating to HIGH temperature. The instructions say put the wok on high heat until the steel turns BLUE. Few people understand what that means. It means REALLY heat the steel, really really really heat the steel -- all of it, all of the wok.

This requires a very hot gas flame. Use a 12,000 to 15,000 BTU (or higher) burner to do this. A BBQ is not hot enough, your oven is not hot enough. This is big flame on bare steel hot. Most modern stoves have at least one big high output burner. On my stove, I can take off the top diffuser plate from the big burner and and get a single huge gas jet -- this is what I use both for the bluing and for wok cooking. So get going. You might want to wear some heavy gloves while doing this. This is blacksmith work, not cooking. Keep animals and children away. If you touch that hot steel, it will not just burn you, it will brand you. Over a 15,000 BTU jet flame, it took my about 30 to 45 minutes to totally blue the entire wok.

Turn the heat on high. Put the wok on the hot flame, and wait. And wait. And wait. You must heat the steel to over 550 F. (around 300 C.) before the steel will begin oxidizing properly. First you will see orange yellow steel, then suddenly it will start to look "blue." That blue is the black iron oxide surface forming -- the black iron on top of the silvery steel underneath gives a bluish color. If you have properly cleaned the wok, there will be very little to NO smoke. Smoking indicates you did not properly clean off the oils, which are burning and smoking, and probably contaminating your steel surface. If you are getting lots of smoke, STOP. Go back to step one and get the steel cleaned of oils.

Now watch the blue surface expand. Carefully turn the wok over the hottest portion of the flame, move the wok very slowly so the blue transformation moves all the way to the edge. Slowly, very slowly, move up and down and around over the fire, working outward from the hottest blue edge, from center to top, expanding the blue area. When you are done, the ENTIRE surface of the wok should be beautiful blue steel. This is the the black iron oxide coat to the steel called "bluing." If there are orange or yellow-orange areas on the wok, then you did not fully heat and transform them. Heat them again until they turn blue.

Okay, blacksmith work done. The factory could do this I suppose, but none do. Chinese cooks know how to do it on a hot fire -- and a wok lasts a lifetime, so one only needs to do it once in a life!

STEP THREE. We are following the instructions that came with the wok. I am just explaining. Let the wok cool. If you put oil on that 550 degree F. steel, you will have a kitchen of smoke! When it cools quite a bit, put it back on medium flame. Now oil it, following instructions. This part may cause some smoke. It you are getting lots of smoke, turn the heat down. Use a high-temperature tolerant cooking oil, like Safflower oil, refined Light Olive Oil (NOT regular olive oil), or Peanut oil. Canola oil also works, but I hate the smell of hot Canola oil.

The black iron oxide surface you have created on your "blued" carbon steel wok loves oil. It combines with oil quickly, it hugs and bonds with oil. And when coated with oil, it is a surface that is both non-stick, and non-reactive to rusting. Look at the color! It will be shimmering with an agua-blue hue, not a really black color.

Cool the wok a bit. Turn it over. Look at that beautiful blue-black surface of magnetite you have created by proper tempering. It will be darker and thicker on the outside surface, which got hotter. Coat the outside with a thin coat of oil. Marvel at the pretty color. Coat it with more oil occasionally.

There you have it. Your are now ready to use the wok. It is properly tempered, blued; you have created a traditional non-rusting, and non-sticking surface. Traditionally, now start the wok by cooking onions and ginger. This "seasons" the surface. This is the only part of the process properly called "seasoning a wok"!

Attached are a few photos. In the first one, I added a faded blue sink cloth to help show the color. Notice the aqua-blue hue of the metal? This is blued steel color. (I have cooked a few dishes in this pan, so there is some brown oil gunk at the bottom.) At the top of wok, by the handle rivets, you will see an area that is orangish to silver -- well, that is an area I did not get properly blued. It was hard to get that area hot enough. So it goes, the job was less than perfect. But you should not have many areas like this on your perfectly blued steel wok.

The second photo shows the outside surface, and its beautiful blue-black iron oxide surface. This is what you are shooting to obtain in this process.

The third photo shows my stove burner on high flame, with the top diffusion plate remove. This gives a real jet flame, and I use it this way for wok cooking. I used this flame for the bluing process. Is that safe, you ask? Well, so far, both I and the stove are doing well, thank you. But I can offer no further guarantees. I added a photo of the wok on the jet gas flame, with the diffuser plater removed. Believe me, it is perfect for wok cooking.

Addendum: Someone asked me about the handle wrap. I added another photo. The lower metal section of the handle gets very hot while cooking, and it is easy to slide your hand on to it. Ouch. I do what our cook in Taiwan did when I was a kid fifty years ago. I wrap it tightly with cotton fabric. Take an old t-shirt, cut a three inch wide and fairly long piece. Wrap the metal very tightly with several wraps of the cotton strip. Then put on a wrap of old-fashion friction tape over that to hold the wrap tight. Tuck the top and bottom ends of the cotton under the wrap. Coat the friction tape with some corn starch or flour to take away its sticky surface. This lasts a long time, and is easy to redo if needed.

How to maintain: Simple. Never use abrasives (like a steel scrub) on the surface; doing so will remove the finish. Never use a detergent on the pan; doing so will remove the oil finish on the bluing, and detergent may contaminate the oil coating. One can usually clean the surface with very hot water and a kitchen dish brush. It really is a non-stick surface, when properly prepared and used. After washing, dry well and wipe a few drops of cooking oil over the inside and outside. And of course, don't store it in a wet place.

I would recommend a carbon steel wok like this: https://www.amazon.com/Craft-Wok-Traditional-Hammered-731W88/dp/B00PUZT9MU/ref=asc_df_B00PUZT9MU/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167135614232&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1831352049261272180&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9025161&hvtargid=aud-801381245258:pla-307223985981&psc=1

Though I don't have particular expertise with woks, it is ideal for heating up fast and the best material for woks that I've seen referenced.

This is what I bought. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PUZT9MU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4PvPDbQEHTACE
I used canola oil on paper towel and wiped it all over. Am I doing something wrong?

I pretty much agree with u/TheBigreenmonster save for a few things. I also have recommendations for you.

I’ve actually been researching pans myself and have bitten the bullet in buying, so far, two: one cast iron and one stainless steel. My requirements were: versatility, value for money and likely to last a lifetime.

Why cast iron? Closest thing to non-stick without the coating (from what I've read). It will require some solid seasoning but should work if you have the patience and time to do it. I bought a BIOL 28cm deep pan (£21) with detachable wooden handle as I knew that that a one-piece cast-iron handled skillet would cause my partner a lot of problems. It also makes the dish more versatile as it's easier to use in the oven etc. I haven't cooked with this yet as I haven't had the time to season it properly. It looks great though and, unlike a lot of newer cast iron pans, the surface is fairly smooth. It's large, deep and great value for money. Apparently there is no difference in cast iron quality between manufacturer so it won't really pay to get a more expensive one unless you want a specific brand or a polished surface. Pros: Cheap, versatile, non-iron handle. Cons: heavy, requires further seasoning and maintenance.

Why stainless steel? For use when cooking with acidic ingredients. I make a lot of tomato sauces etc and apparently these will readily strip cast iron of its seasoning. An enamelled cast iron could work but would be more expensive and would also be at risk of chipping. I went to a few shops and even ordered/returned a few online. I went with the 28cm Ikea Sensuell tri-ply pan (£35). Budget really wasn't an issue for me - this pan just looked and felt superior to even the le creuset SS pan. I've been using it for about a week now and I swear food tastes as though it has a greater depth of flavour. Possibly due to the increased caramelisation and fond. It's also weighty and fun to use. I couldn't get a hold of all-clad pan but can't imagine it being worth the extra cost over the IKEA pan. I would have been interested in testing the material kitchen classic pan, though. Pros: Not very expensive, versatile, 15 year guarantee. Cons: heavy, no hole in handle to hang it.

I will be buying one more pan: a carbon steel, round-bottomed, hammered wok. This is for stir-frying loads of veg, smoking, cooking fish and anything else I can think of. Carbon steel gains and loses heat very quickly so it isn't completely ideal for home use but is the best we can get. The hammered nature of the wok allows you to move food around without it sliding straight back down into the centre of the wok. Pros:

You can get the BIOL pans with/without lids and also in shallow/deep versions. The IKEA pan has a separate lid and splatter screen - each of which fits the BIOL pan. Additionally, the IKEA one has a 15 year guarantee.

I was expecting to spend around £100 on each pan but ended up spending less than that on two which should get better and better with use.