Stir Frying in Stainless Steel

[chozume]

 

On 12/31/2018 at 2:16 AM, liuzhou said:

All I am saying is that I've never seen a stainless steel wok in China.

 

I've been nosing around eateries throughout Asia for 30 years now and I can second that comment 😊

Carbon steel is all you see in kitchens, with very occasionally cast iron types (expensive).

The main variable is wall thickness (thin for stir frying vs thicker for deep frying). Next is handle style, 雙耳 vs 單柄.

The hand-hammered woks are generally regarded higher than stamped ones.

The cooking range is invariably a ridiculously high-caloric-output gas stove.

From what I gathered by talking to various Chinese chefs, stainless is not a preferable wok material due to its poor heat conduction properties, and difficulty in building a lasting seasoning.

Edited January 3, 2019 by chozume (log)