Where do you buy your woks? I’m looking for a sturdy but inexpensive one with a handle. Chinatown is convenient for me.
Kam-Man on Canal is a good place to start–there are other stores on Mott Street (names escape me) that sell them…I think in most places, there will be a basic type, no-frills, needing to be “broken in”. Make sure you get a stand that goes on top of the stove and under the wok. A cover is also useful for certain dishes (steaming)…
Plus one on Kam Man. That’s where we got our wok. It’s (super thin) cast iron - together with the burner stand it was about $16 when we got it about six years ago. Housewares are in the basement. There are many other places that sell woks down there, I don’t know that other places might not have a better selection. But we’re very happy with the one we have, and it was certainly cheap.
I also bought my wok at Kam Man. Hung Chong Imports, at 14 Bowery also has a good selection. Based on a recommendation from Grace Young, author of “Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge,” I bought a flat bottom wok, which can be used without a burner stand. A cover and a steamer stand are useful, but not crucial.
If you can get hold of her book, she goes into great detail about choosing, seasoning and using a wok.
Thanks, everyone. I’m unfamiliar with the idea of a burner stand, as my parents never used one with their wok, which we threw away when they died because the handles had broken off and it was kind of dangerous to use.
I’ll definitely go to Kam Man, as the recommendation is unanimous.
