JOYCE CHEN23-0003, Lightweight Cast Iron Stir Fry, 11.5-Inch

Very good entry level wok. I've used it on gas and electric both and it works very well.Light weight steel tends to dent, but so what?Easy to clean if you have seasoned it correctly.Sized right for a small kitchen and light use.Wooden handle is a plus.

I'm on my second on of these (for reasons explained below). All in all this is a good wok with a couple of silly flaws that increase the learning curve for people new to carbon steel cookware.The good:+ Over time and with frequent use the seasoning on the pan will build and form a natural nonstick layer. It's important to note that this takes 1) time and 2) frequent use. I think manufacturers' (all manufacturers) instructions are misleading because seasoning the pan is not a one-time thing. My first pan I did not enjoy cooking with until after a few months of sparse use, and during that time I treated it more like I treat my stainless steel pans. After that the bottom of the wok had turned black and I found that if I cooked more like I was using a well seasoned cast iron pan it performed very well. After 5 years it was so nicely seasoned that my mom preferred it to her new calphalon non stick and stole it from me. Hence, I bought a new one.+ The handle is so much more ergonomic than the cheaper carbon steel pans you can get elsewhere. Some might say this is a dumb point, but having the width and length for grip and leverage as well as the wood for insulation makes holding the wok to tip food out with one hand so much easier than doing so with the small ring handle you find on so many cheaper woks.+ I find the 12in size a little more convenient.The bad:- Another reviewer noted this but for some reason the Joyce Chen wok ships with some layer of lacquer/resin. I am guessing that this is to prevent any oxidation while shipping and storage and some cast iron cookware also ships this way. The problem is that the resin needs to come off before use, either by extensive scrubbing or by heat. I'm guessing some of the difficulties others are having with sticking and funny flavors have to do with this resin.- It can rust. This is true though of almost any pan that needs seasoning, and the one star review complaining about this is someone who just didn't do their homework. However there is an easy way to avoid this: dry the pan after washing. For me, rather than toweling it off, I put it back on the range I just used so that as the range cools it helps to cook off any moisture on the pan.

I just received this wok/fry pan today and used it this evening, with excellent results. I wanted a 12 inch pan because the 14 inch normal size was too large for a single person. The 12 inch pan is perfect for one or two people. My choice was between this pan and Joyce Chen's 12 inch Peking pan. The differences are the Peking pan is somewhat thicker and has a narrower base which was the deciding factor for me. A wider base allows food to be spread out over a greater heat area to cook evenly - I like to roast red peppers and the wider bottom allows them to be spread out and blacken more evenly.As for seasoning the pan and removing the coating used to protect it in transit, that turned out to be quite easy. There is a reviewer/expert on Chinese cooking who produced a YouTube video on just those tasks. Her first step was to scrub off the lacquer coating. I started doing that but it looked like too much work. I found a commenter on Amazon who shared his technique which worked quite well:First of all, I did this outside to prevent inside heat and smoke. I used an induction cooktop that worked out very well. The technique for cleaning the lacquer was to boil water with about 10 black teabags for about 20 min. I left it on for about 30 min. and saw the loosened lacquer float to the top which I skimmed off. After that I let it cool and washed the pan in the sink with a little soap and water. For any spots that appeared to still be present I just ran some steel wool over the area with moderate pressure.The next step was to season the pan. That too was very easy. Again, I did this out of doors to prevent smoke indoors. I first heated the pan up at a high temperature, at which point the pan started changing colors and darkening. This is normal. After the pan was heating for a few minutes I poured some oil into the pan and using wadded paper towels and a tong to hold the towels, I spread the oil over the inside of the wok. I lowered the heat and let the oil cook in for about 15 min. then let the pan cool down. I then washed the pan again with little soap and for any residual spots including some residual oil that turned sticky, I lightly ran some steel wool over the area. I could have stopped there but, perfectionist that I am, I repeated the heating process once more. The pan was then "seasoned" well enough to start cooking on it. After I completed that process I noticed that the wok would fit into my toaster oven (with the handle hanging outside and the door partially open). So, again, I moved my toaster oven outside, put a little oil in the wok, and then turned on the broil function for about 15 min. This was to take care of the sides of the wok which were not really affected by my first steps. Because the handle hung out of the toaster oven, I shifted it from one side to the other and again ran the broiler for another 15 min. The final result was a seasoned wok on which I cooked my first meal that evening, with excellent results.The steps may sound somewhat complicated but they are well suited to quickly seasoning a wok with a minimal of time and effort. I didn't have to stand over a sink and with great effort remove the lacquer since it easily came off just by boiling. And the seasoning was actually very easy and required little effort.I had previously purchased a nonstick wok. I liked it but there is no comparison to a seasoned carbon steel wok. I always had the fear, with a nonstick wok, of emissions and I found the coating did not last much more than a year or so. I got better results on my new, seasoned wok.As for cleaning, I found this works very well: when you finish cooking, while the pan is still hot, pour a little water into the pan and you can then easily scrape off any residual stuck food. Then quickly rinse the pan in hot water, put a little oil on it, and you are done. This takes about 30 seconds. I usually dry the wok with a little paper toweling and about 15 or so seconds on the range. Make sure you rub a little cooking oil into the wok when done, to prevent rusting.Edit: occasionally there will be some burnt spots. These are very easy to get rid of. First, try adding a little water to the hot wok and scrape using whatever utensil you have. If that doesn't clear everything up then try briefly scrubbing with a soft scrubber under hot water. If that doesn't work then use a copper or steel scouring pad. There is no need to press hard and just use whatever pressure it takes to clear up the spot. Don't worry about the "patina" since it will take care of itself as you continue cooking. Another hint, is to occasionally use a drop or two of liquid dishwasher soap. There is nothing wrong with this and it will do no harm whatsoever to the wok. What it does is remove excess carbon that could discolor food the next time you use the wok (try rubbing a paper towel with a little oil in the wok and you will see what I mean). Always remember, after washing and drying the wok, to put a little oil in it.

This wok was my ideal wok to buy for a electric stove top because I wanted a large flat bottom wok with a wooden handle, and no extra handle on the other side like some others. Its extremely easy to season both on the stove or in the oven since the handle comes off by twisting the metal ring. I use it frequently with no sticking at all.The one major flaw is the bottom is the weight of the handle makes it tilt to one side making the whole bottom not make contact with the stove top. This causes far less heat distribution on the pan and and cause the back end to almost be cold.I wanted to love this wok because it is cheap and seasons so well but until I find one where the weight distribution is not an issue I will stick to a thick heavy wok that will hold heat.

Followed video instructions on how to season this pan and then used it a few times. The handle is too heavy making the pan tilt and therefore, your oil accumulates on one side. This could be the reason that food sticks to the bottom. I fried an egg to test it. When you put an egg on the part where oil accumulates, it slides out perfectly well without sticking. But when the entire bottom is covered with stir fry ingredients they sticks quite a lot. A good part is that it is easy to clean but you have to use a soft wire scrubber and season it again after each use. Not sure how long it will last with scrubbing all the time. A helper handle on the other side would help as it gets heavy when you add food.

The media could not be loaded.  La calidad es muy buena, se siente pesado y aunque es delgado esta bien, se calienta muy rápido, no recomiendo los que traen antiadherentes ya que los woks son para usarse a fuego alto y eso echa a perder el antiadherente.Ahí vienen las instrucción es mas o menos lo que hice y creo que si funcionó. El video lo dejé hasta la mitad porque si se lleva su tiempo pero se ve como va cambiando de color a azul. En las imagenes se ve como esta nuevo y como quedó al final, después de varios usos se deberá ir quedando negro completamente. Parece que esta sucio pero así es, al tocarlo no se siente pegajoso, se siente liso y resbaladizo.Primero hay que lavar bien el wok con agua caliente, jabón y estropajo verde o lana de acero. Secar, calentar a fuego medio a que se empiece a quemar o agarrar un tono azulado.Dejar enfriar y luego poner una capa de aceite en todo el wok y poner al fuego a que humee. Así varias veces 2 o 3. Cocinar unas cebollas, papas o jengibre hasta quemar y ya estará listo para usar. Se puede lavar solo con agua, secar, poner a calentar a fuego bajo y volver a poner una capa de aceite, dejar enfriar y guardar.Si lo consiguen a un precio similar comprenlo, si lo recomiendo bastante.

I really love this wok. It takes a seasoning well and heats up really nicely.The one issue I have with it is the handle is heavy enough to cause it to sit unevenly on the stove. So it doesn't heat evenly and isn't very stable. The addition of a small metal handle on the other side to counterbalance would probably fix this problem.

This wok is great but you have to prepare it properly. Initially heat the wok over a flame. You will see the wok turn brown to black and eventually turn back to silver/blue. (this burns the coating off) Do it all over the wok. Once it turns back silver you won't see anymore smoke. If you heat around the handle, you may find that the rivets might come a bit loose. I grabbed a vice grip clamp and clamped both riviets tight again. Seasoning will take a while. Do not pour too much oil in the wok and let it sit, It will have clumps. Grab a paper towel and wipe a thin layer all over the wok and heat it up. Once it starts to smoke, pull off the burner wipe another layer of oil on it with a paper towel. (Even coats) Then back on the burner. Keep repeating 5-6 times or as needed. Don't wash with dish detergent. Boil any water off when clean and wipe a thin later of oil all around (and underneath too) Over time it will get better as you use the wok often.