Helen Chen's Asian Kitchen 14-inch Carbon Steel Flat Bottom Lidded Review

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I have this wok and was surprised at the number of negative reviews...especially as regards rusting. I treat this wok in the same manner that I treat my cast-iron. Living in the South, everyone has a cast-iron skillet and knowledge of how to properly treat one, so maybe that give me an advantage, who knows? The fact is that you should dry this wok immediately after use and cleaning. I like to clean mine as soon as I'm done cooking b/c the residual heat makes it very easy to remove any leftover bits of food or sauce. To clean, I don't use any soap, so as not to disturb the seasoning...merely run hot water over it and scrub away any food particles with a stiff bristle brush. A bit of manuevering is needed b/c of the size of this wok and the small sink in my house, but all in all it takes no more than a minute or two to get it clean. Afterwards, I use a single paper towel to get the water off and wipe the inside with a bit of oil. In the two years I've owned this wok, I never had a bit of rust show up. I do, however, concede that the seasoning instructions that came with the wok aren't as good as what you can find online. I used the onion method (found a great vid on Youtube), and my wok developed a nice, brown seasoning that has, over the last couple of years, developed into a pitch black, non-stick area. The only down side to this is that I'd really love to start steaming some meals, and I worry that repeated use of boililng water would degrade the seasoning over time. In that respect, I suppose a non-stick variety, which didn't require an outside process, would be better suited.

Yes, the lid is thin and easy to ding, but the wok is heavy enough that I already need two hands to move it from point A to B, I don't want a heavy lid to contend with either. That's just personal preference; however, having Chinese friends whose woks (some actually brought over from the mainland) have lids just as thin and look like they've been through meteor shower, I believe this trait is actually motivated by functionality and authenticity than just the company trying cut corners.

My favorite part of this wok is how it cooks. I have a little 10 inch nonstick model that I love because it's so light and easy to work with, however, the nonstick never gets hot enough to add that bit of char that I find so tasty in stirfries. I recently made some shrimp with vegetables and white sauce, and (when done right) the shrimp have these wonderful little singed edges that add such a wonderful nuance to the dish. The trick to to stirfry each group separately and then join them together at the end so as not to disperse the heat too much. Will post pictures soon. I've cooked squid stirfry, fried rice, shrimp stirfry, bitter melon with pork, and a host of other things that turned out really well.

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This is a great wok. The carbon steel is easy to season, making it virtually non-stick (without the chemicals), the flat bottom means it is stable while sitting on a burner, and the heft keeps it from slipping around. The domed lid is great for steaming, and there is ample space inside for a bamboo steamer.

I priced these in retail stores in the area, as well as other outlets online, and this sells for at least a competitive price.

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This is a great wok for the price. Be sure you follow the instructions and "season" it well first so nothing sticks. Also you need to immediately dry it after washing. Other than that I am thrilled with the wok.

Honest reviews on Helen Chen's Asian Kitchen 14-inch Carbon Steel Flat Bottom Lidded

I honestly felt like I was stealing from somebody when I clicked the "purchase" button. After researching the best equipment for Asian cooking, the experts concluded that the carbon steel flat bottom wok scored top marks with professional chefs. The idea is to season the wok (you can find out how to do this on about.com) instead of purchasing a teflon coated one. I cannot emphasise how important this step is if you want to create the perfect Singapore Noodles or Chow Mein! You will be cooking like a pro in no time, for almost no cost at all.

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Carbon steel is definitely the way to go; I've used nonstick & cast iron, which have problems when trying to do stir-fries. I especially like the handles on this wok; being wood, I don't need a potholder, and the combination of long handle & helper handle makes this pan easy to work with. The pan comes with the long handle detached, which I prefer because I like to initially season the pan using the oven. Since the helper handle has a bamboo handle which can be harmed by high oven heat, you must protect it during the seasoning: first wrap the wood with damp washcloths, then cover them with aluminum foil crimped all around the washcloths. Grace Young, who has written several great stir-fry cookbooks, has a very helpful video online on how to season a wok. The part that this pan's instructions leaves out is to initially season the outside of the pan along with the inside when doing the oven part of the seasoning; this protects the outside surface from rust & gives it a great patina color. I also line the oven rack with foil & turn the wok upside down so the applied coating of shortening or oil does not pool in the bottom of the wok. After three trips into the 450 degree oven to season the pan, I followed Grace Young's instructions to stirfry green onions & ginger slices in the wok until they were black (they are then discarded). As I've used the pan, some of the seasoning has scraped off using the recommended wok "shovel", but it still performed beautifully. A wok seasoned like this can be cleaned by putting hot water in it for a few minutes to soak, then wiping it out with a sponge, rinsing with hot water, & placing back on a low burner to bake off all moisture. I usually wipe a small bit of peanut oil on the inside while the wok is still warm. Grace Young says it takes a year of cooking in a carbon steel wok to fully develop its patina, and I can see this happening. She recommends popping popcorn in the wok as a way to speed up the seasoning process, and this works for me.