School of Wok - 14"/36cm Carbon Steel Wok, Flat Bottom, Bamboo Handle

Having used a range of non-stick and pseudo woks, I finally came to the conclusion that I needed the real thing after trying a friend's professional-class wok.This wok fits the bill nicely, with the one concession being a small flat bottom: big enough to use over your gas wok ring, although I expect it won't be so good for electric (those of you looking for something that will work over those glassy glass or ceramic easy-clean sufaces, give up and get a gas hob, as you cannot seriously cook with a wok without a true flame).Good solid traditional construction, this wok seasons easily over a good flame and has the right composition and wall thickness to get heat right to the food quickly. Heat distribution is very good and food seals and cooks rapidly.UPDATE 2024: The wok is still going strong! Apart from some scorching to the bamboo on the D-handle, this wok keeps getting better.However, most of the negative reviews for this wok are revealing rookie mistakes in failing to either prep the wok correctly, failing to season properly, failing to follow care instructions or having unrealistic expectations (especially re. use on anything other than a gas wok burner).If you purchase a real wok like this, you have to accept that this is a traditional tool and not a modern non-stick convenience pan. The advantages over modern pans - higher heat transfer leading to a more authentic high temperature cook - outweigh the inconvenience for me, but you may think differently. I would therefore not recommend this for anyone looking for a zero-maintenance option that'll work on induction or electric rings.But for those of you prepared to put some work in to get great cooking results, here's some tips:1. Follow the wok preparation instructions to the letter. Take time to ensure that the (bees)wax coating is fully removed and the steel has blued correctly.2. Follow the seasoning instructions to the letter. If you're not familiar with seasoning pans - a skill that has all but been lost since the inception of non-stick coatings - it takes some time to get the hang of it. So practice! What you're looking for is an almost solid, but very thin, "gel" coat on your pan. Once you get the hang of this, you'll be rewarded with a higher temperature cook than you can ever achieve with non-stick coatings, which insulate from the heat. Plus you'll acquire a skill you can transfer to your stainless steel and even cast iron pans that will take your cooking to the next level, as well as keeping all those nasty non-stick chemicals out of your body.3. Follow the care instructions to the letter. Woks should be washed, dried and seasoned as soon as possible after cooking. If you don't, you may find rust spots forming (remember, this is NOT stainless steel, as some reviewers have misunderstood). If you have rust spots, well then you need to put some work in to remove these (a good scourer with something like Pink Stuff will make short work of this). Then season - twice if needs be (I usually do two passes) and make sure you haven't burnt-off the seasoning.Do this and you'll be fine.As for reviews citing poor handles, clearly if it breaks, you may have a faulty one so return it. Mine are solid still, with only occasional tightening of the main handle needed (the steel hanging eyelet is actually the end of a screw-fitting for the handle, so just requires tightening occasionally by turning clockwise).

Had a steel wok years ago and moved to a non-stick. Then after watching a film called Dark Waters (2019) about DuPont and the C8 (and possibly the newer chemical as well) in their non-stick coating being poisonous, I decided to go back to steel. Am loving it so far, forgot how great food tastes in them.You must prepare it properly before use. There is a coating on there I scrubbed twice with a scouring pad and when I tempered the steel in a gas flame it still gave off a plastic smell for a while. I use it on a halogen hob but had a camping gas stove that I used to temper the steel and then season it with oil. The guide in another review using the oven would be good if you don't have a gas stove, or maybe use a barbecue.I followed a YouTube video on how to do this and it took me about one hour to finish. I heated the wok all over until it went dark, then rubbed oil all over it and smoked it off three times, again turning the wok so all parts got very hot. I fried two onions in it and threw them away, then cooked a meal. Tasted great and cleaned up very easy. To store I put a thin layer of oil all over the inside to prevent any rusting. See picture after first cook.Very happy so far will update if have any problems.Update after 2 months use:Handles became a bit loose so I had to hammer the rivets on the back of a vice, they have been solid ever since. They say to re-season the wok after the silver metal shows through (see picture) but I have not needed to do this as any food that sticks on the base comes of so easy with hot water and a scouring pad that it seems pointless to re-season.Update after 1 year:Handles still solid and only needed the rivets hammering that one time. Still not re-seasoned it as its not an issue, found that using a lot of oil to cook will almost eliminate all sticking, but not really needed as cleaning is still not much of a problem. This wok is really only for people who take the time to look after it.Great wok will probably have it for many years.

Here are some points to keep in mind:- The wok is constructed from carbon steel, so it MUST be seasoned or else it will rust. It is not made out of stainless steel like many pans.- The small 'helper handle' is useful, but unfortunately it cannot be removed so the wok cannot be seasoned in the oven.- The sticker on the inside of the wok is extremely difficult to remove.This is irritating, especially as the residue left by the sticker is hard to get off.- The entire wok has a coating to protect it from rusting during transport, and this coating must be removed before seasoning and cooking. It requires very thorough scrubbing with steel wool and soap, until the bare metal underneath is exposed. This can take some time but it may be easier if you pour some boiling water over it before hand.- To season, use paper towels to coat the wok in a thin layer of oil, inside and out. You can use vegetable, corn or peanut oil. Some suggest using flaxseed oil because it can make seasoning easier. Then use a dry paper towel to wipe the pan to get rid of excess oil. Only a very thin layer should remain. Place the wok over a high heat. The wok should start to smoke and blacken. As this happens, tilt the pan to make sure all areas are seasoned. Once the wok stops smoking, turn off the heat and let the wok cool naturally. Repeat the seasoning another few times until your wok is blackened. At this point the wok is rust-resistand and food will not stick to it as much, however you must always hand wash a carbon steel or cast iron wok by hand and dry it immediately. If you take care of the wok like this it will last for years. Over time and with frequent use the seasoning will become even better.