# Good quality wok or saute pan



## christinad (Apr 30, 2013)

I burnt my wok. (I guess it wasn't non stick). I am looking for a new one. Would stainless steel or no stick be better? It seems like there are problems with non stick pans peeling so i'm wondering how much I should spend if it isn't going to last long. It looks like Target has a good selection.

I'm also wondering if I could stirfry in a saute pan? I thought a saute pan would be more versatile because it has a lid.

I am looking for good value, not something cheap.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

I actually have a cast-iron wok, made by Lodge. It takes much longer to heat up than a standard wok, but once it reaches a good cooking temperature it does an excellent job -- I've been using it for about 12 years now and I don't think I'd go back to a standard wok. Food rarely sticks to it; I seasoned it when I first got it, never use soap or scouring pads when washing it.


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## Ihatetaxes (May 5, 2010)

Go to Chinatown if you are near Toronto, Vancouver etc. and get a real steel wok. Season it with high smoke point oil (not olive oil) and on high heat over the first few uses, never wash it with soap and it will last you forever.


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## wendi1 (Oct 2, 2013)

Woks are built for high-heat gas burners - a saute pan will work better for stir fries on typical North American stoves.

Myself, I like a cast iron frying pan - season regularly (as Ihatetaxes says above), or better still, get an old, old one at a garage sale or estate sale. They never wear out.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Depend on how much you want to spend and how you actually cook with a wok.

I don't like using any extra oil (waist line is getting up there), so I use a non stick pan. We use a wok a lot, so I have gone through quite. 

I have found those Teflon ones don't last, and the coating comes off. I have had good luck with the Analon. My current one is about 5 years old and is from costco ameriware is the brand. It looks almost new considering how often I use it. I still out a little oil, but not as much as with a real wok.

The stainless steel ones from Chinese restaurant suppliers are the best, but I have to use more oil than I want.


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## christinad (Apr 30, 2013)

A friend suggested I try a baking soda paste on the wok. It occurred to me I hadn't googled how to clean a burnt pan. I did and it suggested boiling baking soda and water and letting it simmer and then scraping with a wooden spoon. It worked, mostly. There is still one spot and I am trying letting the baking soda paste sit. However, like Plugging Along I am concerned about my waistline so am considering a no stick pan. What I don't like is throwing out a pan. How long are they in a landfill, forever? I don't think the wok is in good enough shape to go to Salvation army as it is slightly scratched too. These no stick pans don't seem to last as long.

Anyways, thanks for the replies. I am going to think about this more. Costco is a good suggestion to look.


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## christinad (Apr 30, 2013)

Apparently, pots and pans can be recycled as scrap metal so that is good to know.


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## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

christinad said:


> A friend suggested I try a baking soda paste on the wok. It occurred to me I hadn't googled how to clean a burnt pan. I did and it suggested boiling baking soda and water and letting it simmer and then scraping with a wooden spoon. It worked, mostly. There is still one spot and I am trying letting the baking soda paste sit. However, like Plugging Along I am concerned about my waistline so am considering a no stick pan. What I don't like is throwing out a pan. How long are they in a landfill, forever? I don't think the wok is in good enough shape to go to Salvation army as it is slightly scratched too. These no stick pans don't seem to last as long.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for the replies. I am going to think about this more. Costco is a good suggestion to look.


You're supposed to season the wok, that is basically "burn" on an oil film, which gives you an awesome no stick surface.
Baking soda works because the fine abrasive actually grinds the material off. It's a mechanical process, not chemical.

A tablespoon or so of oil, spread between a family is a small amount each. It's not going to be a huge health issue. 

Personally with Avacado oil, it's expensive but worth it. Costco has a great price on it BTW.
Avacado oil has a very high smoke point, and is mostly unsaturated fats


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

The Ameriware from costco is not a regular stock, it is a part of their event road shows. They are usually there twice a year. 

I also liked the titanium woks with a coating, but at $300 each, it was more than I wanted to spend.


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## ChrisR (Jul 13, 2009)

christinad said:


> ... I am concerned about my waistline so am considering a no stick pan.


Wok's are mostly used for cooking over very high heat (a conventional burner should be a nice orange!) On the other hand, non-stick pans should NEVER be used any higher than medium heat. High heat causes the non-stick coating to break down, which is why so many non-stick pans wear out too soon. 

(It has also been suggested that the non-stick coating breaking down releases chemicals into the food, but I don't know how much real scientific evidence there is to support this.)


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## randomthoughts (May 23, 2010)

Yeah, woks don't really operate well unless you have a restaurant-quality wok burner which requires special ventilation (or use it balanced on the top of a chimney starter full of hot coals). A saute pan or cast iron pan is your best bet. But unlike a wok, you don't have a crazy-hot and cool zone.

Edit: but if you insist on a wok, knowing that you won't get the restaurant 'wok-hey' flavors from the super hot fire, here's a reasonable guide:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/06/equipment-how-to-buy-a-wok-which-wok-is-the-best.html

If you're looking at non-stick, the best one out there right now is (surprise!) T-Fal's new coating "Pro-metal Pro". America's Test Kitchen did a comparison (how many eggs before the nonstick stopped working) and gave up - it easily beat out the next runner up, which was all-clad at around 70 eggs. Just make sure to get the right coating... T-Fal makes a lot of cheaper ones too. Costco is selling a set with the right coating.


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