Cool experiment. It would be great if you can post pictures of each of these. I've often thought about getting a dedicated wok hob but don't want to spend the money without trying it first. To me, wok cooking = gas so it's hard to make the leap. Here's another candidate for you review: http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Pro-Logic-14-Inch-Cast-Iron-Handles/dp/B00063RXQK I assume this is the one you got: http://www.amazon.com/Demeyere-Apollo-14-2-Inch-Wok/dp/B000GT44IO A head to head competition of these two would be quite interesting since there's such a price difference. The Demeyere seems to have a very impressive boil time but I'm not sure I can live with the shiny SS finish. I'd get seriously mocked by my wok using friends. :)

The two loop version is common in the home and in larger woks. Some restaurants use them in smaller sizes but that becomes nearly impossible with the high power jet burners. Go with the long handle one (aka "pow" wok). Yes, a damp towel is typically used to handle a wok without the long handle. The all metal long handles can sometimes get hot as well (noted above). I've "flipped" using the loop version and it's actually easier to lift but the grip isn't as good and your fingertips definitely gets close to the fire. Not recommended for beginners. Hand hammered ones are indeed thinner than machine pressed but that's part of the attraction. Thinner means lighter and better heat control. I've also found that after long use, the hand hammered ones hold the seasoning better. The steel used in the hand hammered ones are a bit different both due to actual composition and tempering process. On the plus side, this (some believe) creates a surface that can hold an ingredient a up on the side of the wok which can aid in fast cooking of different "stages" without removing the previous stage completely. For instance meat can be browned and pushed up the side before adding veggies in the middle. AFAIK, there is no scientific evidence of this so take it for what it's worth. I think there might be a slight benefit in this regard but hardly something most people will notice. The negative of the hand hammered woks is that the steel is more brittle than the machine pressed. That's why most restaurants don't use hand hammered woks even though many "traditional" chinese chefs prefer them at home. The abuse a wok goes through in a restaurant makes hand hammered impractical. sfjeff is correct in preferring welded handles. I've seen numerous woks fail at rivet points after just a few months in a restaurant. At home, it's probably fine. That said, not all welds are created equal. If you get a welded handle, then make sure the weld is not just along the rim of the wok. Personally, I think a 14" or even 16" hand hammered wok is perfectly fine. The flex is normal and doesn't indicate weakness. The handle will likely fail before the flex in the wok bowl becomes a problem. Carrying around a wok full of water usually requires counter support regardless of the type of wok. There is a trick or short cut to the initial cleaning and seasoning. You can burn away the protective coat instead of scrubbing. The coat is basically industrial oil/grease which can be melted with high heat. I'd suggest doing it outside on a turkey fryer burner or with very good ventilation if done indoors. Heat up the wok until it starts to smoke. Poor in about 1/2 to 1 cup of plain table salt. Let the salt and wok sit on high for a few minutes. There will be some smoke (maybe lots) and you'll start to see the steel change color to a slight bluish tint. Tilt the wok and move the salt around so that it has enough time to sit in each area of the wok for a minute or so. The salt might become clumply because it's drawing in the melted coating. If that happens, poor the dirty salt *carefully* in a flame proof container. DO NOT put in in water as that might cause an explosive release of steam. Poor some clean salt back in the wok to continue the process. The whole thing should take no more than 10-15min. Once the inside of the wok is clean, then let cool. Once cooled, wash with soap and water. This is the only time you'll want to wash with soap unless you decide to re-season for some reason. Now dry with a towel or paper towel and return to the burner. Heat it up to dry completely. If you've never done this before, it's better to wait until the wok cools again at this point. I typically proceed to apply the oil for seasoning while the wok is hot but that can be dangerous if you aren't extremely careful. Once cooled, take a dry paper towel and put some oil on it. Use something with a high vapor point like soy/canola/peanut/vegetable. Don't use olive oil. Put a thin to medium coat of oil all around the inside of the wok. You can also coat the outside. Now just apply heat to all parts of the wok until it starts to turn from bluish gray to a copper brown color. It might turn blackish in parts but that's ok. You'll need to heat each part of the wok past the point it starts to smoke so be patient and look for the color change. Once the complete inside surface is a nice brown to black color, then the seasoning is complete. This step should take at most 5 min or so on the 22k burner. You can let it cool a bit and then wipe with a clean paper towel and you are done. Don't apply water at this point or you'll need to heat it up again to get rid of any water. This doesn't produce the "pretty" finish sometimes seen in ads but it's fast and functional. I think it produces a longer lasting seasoning layer due to the higher temps but it can look a bit splotchy. To produce the "pretty" finish, you'll need to do it in an oven. Coat the wok and put in a 400-450F oven for 30min. For best results, put the wok upside down so the oil doesn't pool in the middle. Of course that means you'll have to put something under it large enough to catch any oil that might drip off. This will produce a very nice looking even season but it can be more difficult when there is a wood handle. Frankly, the wok will eventually turn black with use so I don't have a problem with it looking a bit splotchy at first.

North...one should de-glaze with room temperature liquid, and do it slowly, to avoid thermal shock. Never use cold water or a significant amount of cooler liquid quickly. Most warping occurs from incorrect usage: Bring the cookware to temperature slowly. Do not dump cold water into or on top of a hot pan. Always match the burner size to the pan size. Large pans can be more susceptible to warping if the burner is a ring. This is due to the lack of even heating across the surface. A pan with excellent heat conductivity, such as copper, will mitigate this. Some high-quality stainless steel brands are Demeyere, Viking, and Mauviel.

I get where you are coming from, flashfryer. I have only a mid-range Frigidaire, but I too wish that I could swap the stove's burner for a more straight up one. I can say that the KitchenAid Wok Ring (8284965) is genius for fitting a wide range of stoves ... but yeah, the flame is still the same shape.