JOYCE CHEN Classic Series 14-Inch Carbon Steel Wok with Birch Handles

Bought this one after several decades of using a thrift shop, second-hand round bottom wok . . . on an electric stove. Who knew this didn't work? It actually produced good dinners for us, but when I read more on using a wok, I realized that a flat bottom, carbon-steel wok would likely work better for most uses. So, I ordered this one. I followed instructions for cleaning (stainless steel scouring pad and dishwashing soap) and seasoning (stir fry scallions and ginger in peanut oil for 15 minutes, allow to cool, then wash with water -- no soap! -- and warm on stovetop to dry; and then just used as normal for cooking) and it works great. Initial seasoning went fine, and it continues to season up just like the old one did. No big deal, so long as you follow the basic procedure, which starts with a good wash and scour (which is never repeated unless you want to begin the process all over again). And don't treat this like your non-stick aluminum fancy cookware. Respect it like a good iron pan, and it'll treat you well. Toss it in the dishwasher and you'll have earned your punishment. (Please. Just. Don't.) I'm quite happy with this one. Love the wood handles. Cooked a great Kung Pao chicken tonight on it. The flat bottom does help with getting a higher temperature from a flat-top electric stove. Treat it nice and it'll treat you nice.

Just got this wok today. This is the first stovetop wok I've owned. My previous was an electric, non-stick wok whose non-stick finish finally wore out after many years. This one seems to be good quality and hopefully it's the last one I'll ever buy. I read many of the reviews, and it seems many people are having a problem removing the factory anti-rust coating and getting it seasoned properly. I was able to get it done and seasoned, at least to my satisfaction. Here's what I did: 1) The most important step is to completely remove the factory coating. I followed the instructions on the cardboard label as to boiling water for in the wok for 5-10 minutes. I did 10. To remove the coating, use a steel wool soap pad (Brillo) and LOTS of elbow grease. Don't be afraid to scrub hard, inside and out, adding a little water to keep things flowing. When you think you have it, rinse and check for any places where the water seems to bead up and scrub that area some more. When you're satisfied, dry it with paper towels and heat it on the stove to dry thoroughly. 2) Now "Blue" the wok. This is a step that's not in the enclosed instructions, but it's important according to what I read on Youtube. Turn the burner up high and heat the pan until it turns blue. Tilt and rotate to hold different parts over the flame until each part, bottom and all sides, turn approximately the same shade of blue. 3) Time to season the wok. While it's still hot, coat the inside and outside with a high temperature oil. I used Canola oil cooking spray. Use a paper towel pad held in tongs to remove ALLthe oil, leaving a very thin, even coating. Repeat the same heating routine you used to blue the wok, heating each area, bottom and sides, until it no longer smokes (Open the windows and use an exhaust fan if you have it). Repeat the seasoning step twice more. If you did it properly it should look about like the attached photo. If it comes out mottled a lot , you didn't scrub the factory finish off thoroughly enough. Start again with the Brillo pad. I have a gas range. If you have electric, you may be able to get the same results; no guarantees.

We followed the seasoning instructions carefully several times, but the results were disappointing. The surface developed several uneven patches, and it gets a rust covering all over. Food consistently sticks when sautéing or frying, making it difficult to use. Would not recommend this to anyone.

The instructions that come with the wok on how to season it did not work very well for me. I ended up with burned food the first time I used it, had to strip it all off and start over again. After doing some research and watching a few YouTube videos, I learned that the included instructions skipped the important step of blueing the steel over high heat before seasoning with oil, and also that one should use much less oil to season the pan, a teaspoon at a time versus the larger amount that’s recommended on the manufacturer instructions. Otherwise love the pan now that it is seasoned properly.

I love this wok and paused when I saw that it didn't have amazing reviews, I now think I know why. If you don't season this properly, treat it with respect and understand how to use a wok, this isn't the cooking implement for you. You really need to spend a lot of time seasoning this wok right when you first get it. I used a combination of Grace Young's ginger and scallion method and then seasoned it in the oven multiple times (we're talking 15-20 times). I put the link to Grace Young's guide to wok seasoning below, for the oven method, heat the oven to 450* and cover the wooden handles with damp cloths and then cover the cloths with tin foil, rub a thin layer of vegetable oil just on the inside of the wok. Place in the oven and let bake for 20 min. Take out and let cool completely, your wok should have taken on a copper color. If you continue to repeat this multiple times, it will take on a dark color. That is what you want. Until your wok is older, stay away from metal utensils as they can chip away at the seasoning on your wok and try not to boil and steam in your wok until it is older. If your wok feels sticky, use Grace Young's method of rubbing about a teaspoon or two of oil in your wok with a teaspoon or two of salt. This will get rid of any sticky oil residue and can also help get off food particles. When you want to wash your wok just use hot water and a natural fiber brush with no soap, then let dry on your stover over low heat until it is fully dry. Rub with oil and put away. If you love cooking asian food, this is a perfect tool for your kitchen, I have made many stir-frys, traditional Sichuan and Chinese recipes and it has performed beautifully. If you're a once-a-year stir-fry enthusiast, maybe just get a non-stick pan as this is a pretty clunky pot to have if you don't use it regularly and see it's worth in the kitchen. I love this pot and am very happy with it and can see it lasting the rest of my life and hopefully into my children's life. http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-season-a-wok-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-171893

I wanted a light weight wok, so tried this one. Looks nice, but the steel is very thin, and I found that the oil scorched and the surface turned black very easily when going through the arduous seasoning process. Ending up throwing the wok away, then buying a good quality pre-seasoned one for about twice the price. The new one still needed to be seasoned a bit, but that process was easy and didn't take long. The new one (a Yosukata) is not too heavy for my starting-to-get-older arms and wrists, and I would say that a good standard-thickness wok is necessary for even heat distribution. I tried the Joyce Chen one to begin with because I thought that a light weight wok would be easier to cook with. Wrong. Super easy to scorch with.

Our non-stick wok began showing its age after about 12 years and so I looked into getting more of a "buy it for life" type of product, which led me down the rabbit hole of looking at carbon steel woks. I am not sure if I'll necessarily have this wok for life but our use of it so far signals that it may be awhile before it is replaced. I looked up how to season carbon steel on Youtube and decided that doing it outside on our high BTU stove would do the trick. It DID season it pretty well except I did singe the wooden handle because it got so hot. We have used the wok regularly in our home since and it is really easy to take care of. I am hopeful that it becomes super seasoned with more use. It is exciting to see the patina get better over time. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a wok (especially those that are in the non-stick camp - come over here, it's not so scary and it's likely healthier!!).

The most important thing is to clean and season the WOK. The instructions call for boiling water in the wok and then scrubbing it vigorously with an abrasive scouring pad. I recommend Brillo. Then it calls for seasoning the wok on the stove top. This is not necessary. You can season the wok in the oven by removing the handle by turning off the eye bolt on the end; then cover the helper handle with a wet cloth or paper towel, be sure it's completely covered including the sides, then cover the wet paper towel with aluminum foil (shiny side out). Again, be sure the handle is well covered by several layers of foil making sure you seal off the sides. As you are doing this, pre-heat your oven to 450F or 500F. Lightly oil the inside and outside of he wok using a high smoke point oil (vegetable, peanut, etc. NOT OLIVE OIL!) Place the wok upside down on the middle rack and set a timer for 30 minutes to an hour (I heated it for one hour). Repeat this process three times, re-wrapping the helper handle each time. If you don't rewrap the handle, it will burn! Wipe out the wok with a clean cloth or rag and re-apply oil. Once seasoned heat the hock on the stove top to temperature, add some oil and stir fry aromatics such as onion, garlic, ginger, etc. This will flavor the seasoning and help to remove the metallic flavor from a new wok. Hope this helps.

This is one of the worst products I have bought from Amazon. Seasoning instructions obeyed to the letter caused uneven black with ridges. Smoked so badly I had to throw it into the garden.

I like the wok, built is pretty good, a bit heavy for me but I'm a petite woman. Haha. Seasoned it 3 times according to the instructions included. 4th time I stir fried some ginger, scallions and celery leaves (you may use other veggies) - i saw this step in some of the YT videos I watched about seasoning a wok. Used once since I got it, all good! I only wash with hot water and put a bit of oil to protect the surface.

Buenísimo wok de acero al carbono (ligero y resistente). Es el material más tradicional y el mejor para este tipo de herramientas porque te permite saltear el stir fry como es debido. Lo recomiendo muy por encima de los de hierro fundido (a menos que tengas brazos de Terminator). ***Les recomiendo mucho leer las instrucciones incluídas para obtener un curado adecuado. NO SE BRINQUEN EL PASO DE TALLAR CON FUERZA TODO EL WOK ANTES DE CURARLO. Trae una laca protectora para evitar que se oxide y debe ser removida *antes* del curado***

Useful. Kitchen must have.

Difficult time seasoning it but its great now that the hard part is done. If you dont want to season it and clean/maintain it properly then dont get a carbon steel wok. Alot of the reviews on here that are poor seem like they didnt season it right or wont clean/dry it properly after using it. Dont see any rust and it works great! Warning. One mistake i made was to clean the chemical protection layer in my bath tub. My sink is white and i was afraid it would stain it. Well guess what. It stained my white tub black. So be careful where you do the initial clean. I guess im glad i did it in the tub rather than my sink where it would be visible to everyone.