Wok recommendations needed

overlykeensaver

If you have a chinese supermarket/shop near you, I would recommend buying a wok from there. We bought ours for about £5 six years ago and it is still going strong.

If you are reducing/cutting down on oil, you can get a oil spritzer so you can give the a pan a light coating but your food is not swamped in it.

Paulie'sGirl

I have a Tesco non-stick wok. My dad's had his for 4 years and its still in perfect condition. They cost about £8, so they're almost disposable.

They're thin like the carbon steel ones, so get really hot for stirfrying

arnie&caseysma!

Thermospot wok here for me aswell. Bought it from Makro a couple of years ago for not much money at all and it is still going great. You can use metal utensils on these ones but you have to take care not to gouge the non-stick as you are working with them.
I only have metal utensils (apart from the wooden spoons) and there is not a single scratch on the non-stick.

Pandora123_2

I'd be VERY wary of any Teflon cookware, if I were you. I don't use Teflon anymore... too many risks, IMO:

Teflon may raise the risk of allergies
A chemical found in Teflon non-stick coatings could raise the risk of allergies, researchers have said.

Coming to terms with perils of non-stick products
After nearly five decades of use, some chemicals behind popular non-stick products linked to cancers, even deaths, in lab animals.

The deadly toxins from non-stick frying pans
Non-stick frying pans release chemicals linked to liver disease and cancer into the environment when exposed to heat, warns a study.

You're much better off with a cast-iron wok, as odds-n-sods suggests. It will last a lifetime (literally) and won't cost nearly as much as Le Creuset.
:A

rygon

I find you need oil on woks to stop it from sticking. I use either veg oil or olive oil (NOT extra virgin as the heat breaks it down). For a meal or 2 i use approx half a tbsp

lolarentt

I've had an M&S wok for some years now and it's fine. Don't worry about not affording a Le Creuset one - I also have one of these but use it infrequently as it weighs about 3 tons and needs 5 people to lift it (excuse slight exageration!) Also I try to be virtually fat-free and use max 5ml oil which is olny around 48 calories.

ceridwen

I agree with Pandora - I wont give non-stick saucepans houseroom. Even with good-quality ones ones can see the scratches where the lining has come off after a while - and its sitting in my stomach instead:eek:

You dont HAVE to use oil to do a stirfry - stirfry on a diet to me means a little veg stock powder diluted in hot water used instead of oil. Then add other flavouring things as required whilst cooking - eg soy sauce.

soba

I've made spagbol in my wok as usual this afternoon, but it's got a metallic taste to it (again). I'm thinking of trying a cast iron wok - we already have a couple of cast iron skillets and to be honest they're the best thing we ever bought - no washing IYKWIM!!
Does anyone have a cast iron wok and what do you think of it? Also can you recommend a good place to buy one? I already know it'll be the weight of a small car due to my experience with skillets!
Thanks.

Jayar

I wouldn't be without my cast iron wok - it's great. it's got the best heat distribution of any pan I have used. Had it so long though I'm afraid I can't remember where I bought it.
It's important to care for it right though, Each and every time you use it, wash it out asap, dry thoroughly and smear a bit of oil all over to seal it again. It will last for years and years.

Gatos

It depends what you badget is. You can buy the Le Creuset wok in different colours. Amazon sells them for £85-£95, but they currently selling the blue one for £65 incl delivery.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creuset-Wok-Glass-Lid-Blue/dp/B000E3LKFW/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1199036399&sr=8-1

They also sell the Chasseur range with and without lid for £41 and £56 respectively

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chasseur-Cast-Iron-37cm-Black/dp/B0000C8RKG/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1199036560&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chilli-Red-Chasseur-Wok-accessories/dp/B000SM3NR2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1199036560&sr=8-2

I own the Chasseur wok and have been really happy with it and my mother owns the Le Creuset one and she is also very happy with it. The only drawback with the Le Creuset and Chasseur is that they have enamel coatings on the inside and you cannot use them in maximum heat because it can damage the enamel. You can not use metal utensils either because they will scratch the enamel surface. Saying that, they are a lot easier to wash and you don't have to worry about rust.

You can finally try a large chinese supermarket where you can find plain cast iron woks and the price should be between £20-30. They are supposed to be very durable and can be used with very high heat for stir friied etc. I know there are quite a few large chinese supermarkets in London, but if you leave elsewhere I cannot help.