Linda,

The kind of wok you get depends a lot of how your DIL cooks. Traditional Chinese woks are carbon steel, require seasoning but once that is done, are wonderful to use. A good source is http://www.wokshop.com/ I have two woks from them, one has two handles like ears, the other has a single handle. Call and ask for Tane Chan. She is very knowledgeable and can help you select the right wok. I have no affiliation with this shop, I'm just a happy customer.

If you DIL would prefer something more Western, you could get her an anodized aluminium wok. Calphalon makes a flat-bottomed wok which needs no seasoning, will work on gas or electric smoothtop (but not induction). Amazon has these for sale - see link below. I have two of these too, from my days cooking on an electric range.

Hope this helps,
Cheryl

Here is a link that might be useful: Calphalon anodized aluminum wok

For me, storage was an issue. If dil has storage, then you should decide on the merits of the wok. But handles, size, can dictate which wok to get.

I prefer carbon steel, flat bottom and with 2 "ear" handles rather than one "ear" and one long handle....that makes it harder to store.

Carbon steel with wok ring. You cannot really go wrong. I would get it from the Wok shop, with all the wrapping and packaging, for branding's sake. One handle or two, about equal, but add a good wok spatula.

Plain ol" carbon steel with a long handle and smaller knob at the other end.We hang ours on the pot rack so no problems with storage. Have had mine for about 12 years and it is seasoned so well. I do not care for the non-stick lining woks. We have had 2 of those and after a while (because of high heat usage and pre heating)the non-stick effects wear off. Basic and simple is best when it comes to woks I have found out. We purchased our carbon steel one at an Asian store so I don't know the brand name. My neighbor likes her CS Joyce Chen wok. NancyLouise

Think about the point of wok cooking. Food is cut into small, uniform pieces, and cooked quickly at high heat. It's hard to get a stove-top wok hot enough on a home range, and then once the food is added, the temperature of the wok drops significantly. The carbon steel ones are generaly relatively thin, and have that problem.

Many years back, DH bought me a wok at a farm supply store, in the camping section. It's a very thick (almost and inch thick), cast iron wok. One 'loopy' handle with a long handle opposite it. When that wok gets hot, it STAYS hot and is absolutely the best wok I've ever used (and I've had: carbon steel, stainless, non-stick). Yes, it's heavy, but that's part of why it works so well, and yes, you do have to take the time to heat it for about 10-15 minutes before using. But it's far and away, the best choice. Oh, and did I forget to mention? Cast iron woks aren't that expensive, either.

I vote for cast iron--it's not as traditional as the carbon steel, but it's very effective.

Oh, and don't forget to get her a pair of the long cooking chopsticks to go with it! Not everyone has those in their kitchen and they're such fun to use.

Wok is a very versitle cookware. Get the biggest one that you can get away with in your kitchen.

1. Do it right, get a long handle one, just like a Chinese chef would prefer.

2. Get a round bottom one, not a flat one. The whole idea for the round bottom is to allow the use of small amount of oil, for the oil to drain and collect better, and to be able to do deep frying from very small quantity to large quantity.

3. Get a high dome cover. With it you can use the wok to do smoking and steaming.

4. Get a half-round tempura rack. It makes deep frying much better for draining the oil than using paper towel because the heat from the wok makes the oil drain much faster.

5. As John said, get a wok spatula. The spatula's round front edge makes it work well with the wok's shape.

dcarch

I love my cast iron wok stays hot I had an electric wok and a steel one and neither kept the heat like this one. Down falls it is heavy so I have to be careful on my glass top stove but love it, love it, love it.

I had a carbon steel one and it didn't fit in any of my cupboards and the ring wouldn't sit on my gas stovetop grates. The round bottom wouldn't sit there either, and it was a huge PIA, I finally gave it away.

So, I can't help you on choosing material but I can tell you that you definitely want the stove ring if you get one with a round bottom.

Annie

You can't use a cast iron wok and cook stir-fry appropriately. The reason is exactly as stated above...it gets very hot and stays hot all over ! This is NOT a good thing. In the 2nd pic above you will note the food pushed up on the side. This is the correct way to stir fry. You add ingredients in the proper order and as they cook you push them up on the sides and add more and then finish the dish by pulling all back down and adding sauce ingredients and then complete the heating and serve. Think of a French Top cooktop only in a wok :) The other problem is the huge weight of the cast iron wok. You need to be able to pick up the wok and dump out the contents...never scoop out ...that is awkward and time consuming and you now have the over-heated cast iron wok continuing to cook...none of this is conducive to a great stir fry. Also do not use a ring under your wok...grab the handle and hold on !

Our carbon steel wok is 40 years old and DH uses it several times a week. To get the best and most authentic wok-hay you must use your charcoal grill. You set the wok in the hot coals and heat it quickly and complete the dish in moments. Only when the dish cooks quickly and efficiently do you retain the freshness/crispness and flavor of a true stir-fry. Once you have experienced the smoky essence of a perfect stir fry you will know exactly what I mean. See the excerpt below and the link . c

From GRACE YOUNG author of the book "The Breath of a Wok."

I think of wok hay as the breath of a wok - when a wok breathes energy into a stir-fry, giving foods a unique concentrated flavor and aroma. Of course, the Cantonese definition of wok hay varies from cook to cook. Many chefs will immediately talk about controlling the fo hao, fire power, for only the correct intense heat combined with a short cooking time elicits the heung mei, the fragrant aroma that characterizes wok hay. "A wok must be very hot for stir-fries to have the grilled, smoky flavor that is so distinctive of wok hay," says Chinese cooking authority Ken Hom. "A well-seasoned carbon-steel wok is also essential for creating wok hay- the blacker the pan, the more intense the wok hay flavor."

Some cooks define wok hay as the "taste of the wok." Other cooks describe wok hay in near poetic terms. My friend Vivien Cheung says, "Wok hay is both elusive and real." She speculates that it has to do with the design of the wok. "I imagine the wok to be like a volcano. Stir-frying on high heat incorporates hot air and motion, releasing a prized essence into the food. In a skillet that essence is all dissipated." Hong Kong heritage researcher Nevin Lim thinks wok hay is a harmony of taste. "When the Cantonese stir-fry garlic and spinach, they use the garlic to remove the raw taste of spinach. With good wok hay you will not taste the harsh flavor of garlic. Instead, the two ingredients combine to create a harmony of taste," says Lim.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Breath of Wok

Thanks everyone for your information and suggestions. There are a couple possibilities on the wok shop website, I appreciate that link!

I believe she'd prefer the two smaller handles as opposed to the long handle. And I am thinking carbon steel would be the way to go for her wok as well.

So...off to order a wok!

Linda

Glad you decided...good luck and post back with pics ! c

LOl Trailrunner, your wok pictures remind me of my first wok. It was steel (not sure if it was carbonized steel) I got it at the cheapo asian import shop while in college. It had a long wooden handle. Never worked too well for me because most of the time I lived in apartments with electric stoves. But when I had gas it was great! Then I made the mistake of using it on a cookout over and open fire and completely burned off the handle. I didn't even notice what was happening until it was too late, since it was the bottom part that burned. I still have and use the two utensils that came with it though! They look just like yours!!

I kept the wok for years after but never was able to use it for the reasons I stated, so finally recycled it. I now have a cast aluminum one with a flat bottom and non-stick coating. It is totally unauthentic and I know that what I make in it is not good stir fry. But it works for me given the electric stove limits I have to get something akin to stir fry on the table in a hurry. Sometimes if I want something really good, I just flash fry the veggies separately so they retain the right amount of cripness. I'm not recommending any of this!! Just brought back some memories. Oh I was so shocked when that handle went up in smoke!! Details, details!!

lpink : that is a hilarious story. I should post a pic of our first Chinese Cookbook. We had an electric stove in an apt in New Orleans. DH laid the book on one of the burners so he could read the recipe...yes...you can guess what I did. I turned on the burner by mistake and when we both began to smell something burning we immediately thought that it was the stir-fry ! We still laugh about it and love to look at that old cover and the circular burn on it.

Memories are really good things...thank you . c

LOL I have the same circular burn pattern on the cover of my first canning recipe book! Thank G-d that time I did have electric and not gas, or the whole book would have gone up in smoke!!

I want a wok for Christmas. I got it down to a carbon steel, round bottom with a long and helper handle. Do I go for the pre-seasoned or is that a big no no? And I have a Bluestar range so what size should I get. Thanks!

I've never bought a pre-seasoned wok, but if it's properly done it could save you some time. It's not hard to season a wok but some people agonize over it.

Size depends entirely on you. I like BIG woks because that's what I'm used to, and how I cook. My induction-ready woks are 16" and 18". Pre-induction, my woks were 18" and 22".

Many people find these sizes difficult to store. Mine are hung from a ceiling pot rack which is the most convenient way to store big pots. They're a pain to store in a cupboard. Also note that big woks full of food are heavy and hot. If you're not comfortable with it, go for a smaller size.

Cheryl

I generally cook for two or three. I bought an 18" and a 16" wok, each of cheap carbon steel with two loop handles.

Observations: The 18" is way too big for my needs. The 16" is plenty big. I have gone out and bought a 14" with a long handle and a loop handle, for when it's just DW and me.

If you use your wok frequently, it'll become seasoned by itself as long as you don't scrub off the seasoning. Don't worry about it. I tend to stir fry with grapeseed oil, which not only has a high smoke point which is good for stir fry, but it also polymerizes well and is good for seasoning carbon steel and iron.

I ended up doing something entirely different for my daughter in law's birthday. BUT...

I got her a 16" carbon steel wok with two wooden handles, a domed lid and a wok spatula for Christmas.

Thanks to all that recommended the Wok Shop....great place to get exactly what you want.

Linda

Otterkill - your question has been discussed many times on Appliances, and the concensus seems to be that 16" fits best in the bowl with grate removed. Have fun!

You guys have been a great help. The Wok shop is out of stock right now on their wok package...I'll keep checking back..no hurry.

You could try

culinarydistrict.com