Wok Hei and the usage of a wok in home kitchens

Which is not without importance

Most are. But some of them now are built in such a way that you can easily cook with a wok without having to buy wok rings, etc. For example, the iron piece in the middle (above the fire) can be removed to accommodate the curved bottom of the wok.

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Robots to stir fry.
Robochef, for making Chinese cuisine without shaking a heavy frypan #DigInfo - YouTube
AmazingChina: Robotic Wok - YouTube

This is why I have a small, but relatively undetermined, quest to make a wok ring for my Smokey Joe. I think I could approach the kind of heat in those kitchens, but with coal. Just gotta get the wok “booty” close enough to the coals, but not too close. It’ll take some dabblin’ I don’t have time for lately.

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Hey, how you like that M Steel wok? I’m becoming a big fan of M steel. Is it pretty heavy?

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Or maybe its just that the part you quoted could be the true secret for wok hei?

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Ha.

Currently I own 3 woks - 2 Demeyere and 1 Mauviel. The De Buyer wok was cr_ap.

I remember commenting Debuyer wok shape too on Chowhound. I did not like its small flat bottom and its almost straight side (no curvature). Sorry to hear

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Argh yes that debuyer wok looks pretty bad, at least for any flat electricity using cooktop. The Mauviel way better and something I was also considering at some point.

My woks and “woks” are:

Falk cc 24cm. Using it to boil noodles and rice, or like today shallow frying tofu. Then I made zucchini noodles to go with them, but chose a Lagostina stainless pan to cook those today.

Debuyer 32cm double handle countrypan. Well, not really a wok, but kind “works” for highe heat stir frying still, wouldn’t recommend it highly though for the purpose :)… I keep thinking someone might like this on radiant or gas for general cooking, but I dont know.

30cm BK black steel wokarang. Weirdo shape and I don’t hate it… easy to “toss” with a spatula in it, its thin.

Craft 14" craft carbon steel flat bottom. This is what I use mainly for stir fries, but honestly wish it had a slightly bigger flat still.

Proteins I’ll usually cook in a frypan before mixing them in the wok toward the end then.

This has been my “wokking” adventures on induction in a nutshell.

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I actually got it by mistake from Amazon.

I ordered the De Buyer Mineral B Pro 24 cm frying pan, but received the 28 or 30 cm De Buyer MIneral B Wok. It looks like a joke with a tiny small flat bottom and a far too straight upside curve.

I gave it away to my fathers´neighbour - I couldn’t charge people money for such a gimmicky wok.
I tried it once - it performed very poorly.

De Buyer usually makes high quality cookware, but this Mineral B wok is a total failure in my opinion.

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Exactly. I should have said that I am sure the material (steel) is awesome. It is just that it has a strange shape.

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Does anyone have an intro citation to this? Has heat alone been established to be the cause?

I like it quite a bit.

It is heavy, but that is to be expected with a carbon steel wok, but not super super heavy.

Thanks, I love the build of these. Strong pans. Old school feel.

Love wide handles.

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True - that, and being able to quickly use different cooking techniques right after each other. If you look at the video I posted above, Hong Kong street food, it’s amazing to see how quickly he makes that first dish - clams in garlic.

First he puts boiling water in the wok to steam open the clams, for not more than 1 minute. Then he throws away the water, puts in oil, and adds back the now cooked clams with seasonings. Another minute. Dish done and served.

This sequencing of techniques is what you’ll often see professional wok cooks do. Deep fry shrimps, take out shrimps, take out most of the oil, add garlic and seasonings and back in with shrimps.

Boiling, deep frying, frying, steaming, all sequenced if necessary.

From what I’ve seen, Hong Kong people are one of the most extreme in this fondness for pace in cooking, probably as it keeps the flavour of the ingredients intact as much as possible. Freshness is key - also why they would have live fish in restaurants, only to be cooked when ordered.

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Now, now. The best live fish should only be cooked by steaming. :star_struck:

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:heart_eyes: with ginger, spring onion, soy sauce, and then drizzled over with piping hot oil…

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Or stunned in hot broth and served still gasping!

…and ikejime.