Woks are bowl-shaped utensils that evenly spread heat. It only makes use of less oil. It ensures that the food is tossed back inside the pan and not on the stove during stir-frying.
Most woks have a diameter range of 30 cm to 2 meters or more. The shape of woks depends on the type of stove or burner being used. You can measure the size and even the depth in diameter.
Cast Iron Wok
Here are the two defining wok types that must be considered in order to get the right wok suitable for you:
Traditional Round Bottom Wok
Round bottom woks are designed for "over the fire pit" type of cooking as well as on top of a gas stove. It makes food easier to toss, preventing grease fire by minimizing the splatters. On the other hand, round bottom woks can damage the heating elements when heat is reflected back.
When cleaning woks, the round bottom types should not be cleaned after each use. The continuous shape enables the scraping out of food.
Flat Bottom Wok
A flat bottom wok works best with an electric stove. It is designed to balance well with modern stoves, providing high heat for quick stir-frying. Most flat bottom woks have long wooden handles, making it easier to move and tilt it.
In contrast, a flat bottom wok can produce uneven heat, making food get burned easily. It is difficult to toss food and it can scratch wok surfaces. Aside from this, it must be quickly cleaned after each usage so as to avoid foods getting stuck on some parts of the wok.
The best wok shape is a medium concave wok rather than the shallow and deep concave wok. The heat from the wok would mostly concentrate at the bottom part, if you will be using a deep one. If it is too shallow, only the center of the wok would become heated.
Moreover, the material used when choosing a wok is very important. Stainless steel, carbon steel and iron are material choices that are gaining popularity over the years. Below are the features that can help you compare each:
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel woks are great for steaming and boiling purposes. It does not need to be seasoned, posing no risk of accumulating rust.
Stainless steel is the right material when it comes to appearance. It can be scoured with steel wool in order to restore the newness after each use. On the down side, it poorly conducts heat and tends to reflect the heat back to the stove.
It is best if you choose a stainless wok with a slightly flat bottom. This is since it can provide a greater contact with the heating element of an electric stove. Stainless steel is recommended for camping and for outdoor usage because of its lightweight feature.
Cast Iron
An iron wok has a natural non-stick surface once it is seasoned. Cast iron is also good for tossing and stirring. You can use warm or hot water in washing the wok so as to avoid the risk of ruining the seasoning of the wok. Thus, the iron wok can become damaged when it drops on the floor.
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel woks are better conductors of heat. However, the food may stick on the sides as compared to the others. Most Asian cooks still prefer the carbon steel type because it is inexpensive. It can last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance.
Most cooking wok types are used for deep frying, roasting and even boiling. There are Chinese woks, electric woks and non stick type of woks you can choose from.
Chinese woks are traditional woks used by most Chinese chefs. This is while electric woks are a proven great partner for electric stoves. Non-stick woks can provide easier clean-ups but this requires less oil.
Due to the different varieties of cooking woks in the market today, it is best to become familiar with each type to know what can best fit your kitchen and cooking style.
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