

For one, the handle curves just above the rim of the wok and back down again so it can squeeze between racks in your oven for a braise (or, again, to get it hot before cooking). Though the stir fry is sacred in my house, Made In’s wok was designed with more in mind.
CARBON STEEL WOK REVIEWS FULL
It also means, when it’s full of food, it’s a pretty good as a makeup arm day workout. At nearly 4.5 pounds, Made In’s take on the wok is on the heavier side, which means getting those crusty bits on the edges of your meat and vegetables won’t be an issue. Weight is the key determining factor in heat retention a heavier pan will take longer to heat through, but it will hold that heat better if you throw a bowl of refrigerator-cold beef in it, too. But carbon steel and cast iron are prized by chefs for a more fundamental feature: their weight. Carbon steel is a bit like cast iron in that it is what’s called a “reactive” metal-AKA it will rust if you toss it in the dishwasher. Like many woks, Made In’s wok is made of carbon steel. Heat level comes down to a heat source (your stove) transferring energy into a cooking vessel (your wok), and that vessel’s ability to retain that heat no matter what you throw in it. Why does it cook so fast? Well… A carbon stealĬooking speed comes down to heat level. No joke, the time it takes to cook meals in this wok is more dependent on your ability to chop vegetables than it is any cooking time. Preheat the wok over the burner (bonus points for tossing it in the over while you get the prep work out of the way), oil it, and toss, stir fry, and sizzle your way to a completed meal in 10 or 15 minutes.

Woks are the ideal vessel for the temporally challenged home cook. It’s also got a flat bottom, which is untraditional but necessary-a normal wok has a more cone-shaped bottom, designed to sit over the burners that look like converted jet engines-because ranges in the US are almost all flat.įor better or worse, time seems short these days. It’s a touch heavier, for one, which means it holds heat brilliantly and is best handled with two hands. An American cookware company with a wide array of pots and pans to choose from, its wok is a bit different than most. There are loads of brands to choose from, but I prefer Made In’s version. They cook lightning fast, they last forever, and they’re just plain fun to use. Woks are almost non-existent here, which is a shame because their utility aligns with American values quite nicely. M aybe a cast-iron skillet, but the psycho-cultural brain fog hovering around the maintenance of one is so dense they are rarely used. Nowadays, most American kitchens are outfitted with a few stainless steel pans, a non-stick pan or two, and a few large pots. What Is the Made In Wok, and Why Do I Love It?
