Anyone use a wok for cooking? I picked one up a few weeks ago and just seasoned it but havent cooked with it yet because I dont know where the cook book for chinese food is at.

Used it some. I don't think we can get the heat high enough in a home to properly use one.

You can tell by the way I use my wok, I'm a chinese cook, no time to talk...

How do you season a wok? I was watching Americas test Kitchen(love that show) and they mentioned about seasoning a frying pan but didn't elaborate on how to do it, so whats the procedure?

Google is your friend...

How to Season a Wok | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_1176_season-wok.html)

Google is your friend...

How to Season a Wok | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_1176_season-wok.html)

Are these forums not for discussion? If we went to google for every answer this forum would be a desolate place:rolleyes:

Are these forums not for discussion? If we went to google for every answer this forum would be a desolate place:rolleyes:

Of course these forums are for discussion. It just seemed easier, for me at least, to show you the Google answer than to type out all the steps. ;)

I posted the question to generate some fourm activity, maybe some people have different ways of doing things? I think most people are aware Google exists. "Google is your friend" is a great way of driving people away.

For God's sakes, get over it...

Hey, at the end of the day...Starman asked a question, bobby gave an answer. Took the time to find a valid answer based on his own knowlege and post it. I honestly don't think there was any slight here...

But anyway, my advice with regards to seasoning a wok is to turn your smoke alarms off in the interim, because after a while it starts to really let off a lot of residue once the steel starts darkening.

I've had my fun with a pure steel wok in my time, but these days...I'll stick with the teflon. Just don't have the time or the patience anymore I'm afraid...

I use mine all the time; make sure you have a quality wok and if you do not a have a gas stovetop then buy a separate burner unit for your wok use. And before anyone asks; NEVER one that is non-stick or coated. If you cant get high enough gas heat on your stovetop and do not want the separte burner; then a XL, well seasoned cast iron skillet made in the good old USofA does basically the same basic thing.


http://www.wokshop.com/

I guess I should try my wok on the side burner on my Weber grill. Maybe that'll get hot enough. Hotter than an inside residential gas stove?

I guess I should try my wok on the side burner on my Weber grill. Maybe that'll get hot enough. Hotter than an inside residential gas stove?

I have a Weber gasser with a side burner as well as an indoor residential Maytag gas-top stove and I know for a fact, my indoor stove-top can burn higher than my Weber side burner.

I have a Weber gasser with a side burner as well as an indoor residential Maytag gas-top stove and I know for a fact, my indoor stove-top can burn higher than my Weber side burner.

I don't know...my sideburner can fire it up pretty good. Either way, if there is any positive argument in favor of seasoning a wok outdoors, its to avoid the splatter and the mess indoors.... :p

I good buddy bought some kind of commercial unit that sat in a heavy-duty frame with a large burner powered by a 20 lb propane tank. Made a hell of a roar when it was running so he used it outside or in his open garage. (Conjured-up visions of Tim the Toolman the first time I saw it! More power, arrrgggghhh !!!)

Anyway - he had taken classes in Thai cooking and made a number of great meals with it! Was always one to stretch the envelope and take everything to an extreme...

Mines non stick and non coated and actually a walmart purchase. The seasonig with mine involved heating water in the bottom 1/3 of the wok to boiling and then tilting the water around the sides to get any remaining oil off the surface. After drying a half cup of oil is placed in the bottom and heated for 10 mins and then a paper towel is used to spread the oil around the sides to coat and then the wok is rotated around on its side over the heat source.

I still havent used it yet and still no idea where the cook book is but I dont think the eletric range will do it heat wise so I'll have to dig out the cole camp stove for that.

So last week I tried out the wok, cut up onions and potatoes and beef liver into strips and gave it a whirl, used canola oil with no seasoning on an electric range. The heat transfer to the wok was pretty limited to the bottom quarter of the wok. I think that I'll need to get an independent propane burner strictly for the wok to cook with which may not be a bad thing considering that I still have about $120 to go to balance out my balanced electric bill.