JIA Carbon Steel Companion Wok with Lid - 32CM, Black

Big fan of cast iron and carbon steel here. Clearly the 1 star reviewers are not familiar with carbon steel management. I grabbed this wok on Milk Street’s recommendation as my cast iron wok is cumbersome for camping and getting heavier as I get older. Enter hardened carbon steel - think gun metal surface when you hear nitride treated. Not a coating but a structural change to the metal surface that when seasoned properly helps prevent rusting. Again, not a toxic coating.This is a game changer for a wok on high heat, camping/cooking in salt air environments, cleaning/seasoning as you would a fine carbon steel/cast iron pan. Crisby Stick or homemade beeswax/lard seasoning works wonders to augment the pans textured, hardened low-stick surface. Cooking technique for carbon steel applies perfectly here. High smoke point fat (fav: grape seed … olive oil - really?) high heat quick food surface contact yields wok hei, easy cleanup and a durable, not-gonna-throw-it-away-cuz-it’s-rusted-and-I-don’t-know-how-to-manage-a-fine-cooking-tool-that-will-last-for-generations, super heat responsive, perfect on that camp chef burner anywhere you want a quick stir fry kind of wok.Wife loves it and she’s not as passionate about seasoning/cooking as I am. We do, however, avoid Teflon coated pans and use seasoned carbon/iron exclusively in our house so the learning curve is ancient history - even with the kids that now in their older years have become accustomed to a perfectly seasoned pan and are learning to maintain seasoning as their college roommates jack up a surface. Read a bit, pay just a touch more for pans like this and you will save loads of cash, landfill space and frustration with Teflon, ceramic, anodized coated pans.

First out of the box, this wok looks really nice and well made. It was easy to season, I followed the instructions that Kenji Lopez-Alt provided that works for any new carbon steel (different brand) wok that he showed on his Youtube channel. The first thing I tried making was a simple stir fried rice with lots of veggies and an egg. The wok works really well. It's really easy to clean by simply rinsing it out with lots of hot water and gentle scrubbing with a delicate cleaning sponge. Immediately after washing, the wok was heat dried on low heat on the stove. I ordered a bamboo brush for cleaning the wok ongoing. Here's the first dish I made using the wok.Update after using it for several months:The wok is holding up really well. It's important to heat dry it after cleaning it with hot water and a stiff bamboo brush, and finally wipe it out with a thin coat of high-heat neutral oil such as Avocado oil. I've stir fried many meals in it and it delivers great tasting results. I use high heat when stir frying to get the proper taste and add liquid seasonings to the sides of the wok only after the wok is sizzling hot. It's a splurge wok, but I'm happy I spent the money on it due to it's quality, performance, and handsome appearance.

My search for a wok ended when I found this one! Looks and cooks beautifully. Heating seems even. First use was for Shrimp Fried Rice and the wok did not disappoint. Super easy clean up. Just follow instructions before first use and after and this should last a long time.

I use it every day. This pan is much better than stainless and anodized aluminum. Both of those alloys top temperatures are 450 F. This carbon steel can handle a natural gas flame, which is approximately 750 F. Better to use avocado oil and not olive oil. Clean with liquid soap and water. Rinse, so easy to make one pan mealThen reheat pan 40 to 60 seconds to evaporate any water, turn off burner and apply a coating of avocado oil with paper towel. The pan will not rust and I have used a lite Brillo pad to the surface for cleaning. So easy to make one pan meal in 15 minutes.

This wok is a total game changer, amazing! I got it today and used it to make dinner this evening and I know my fried rice has never been so perfect--do it!

It’s larger than I need for 2 people, but very serviceable.

I wanted to buy my husband a wok to replace the old one. He's the Chef at home, so I wanted something special and of good quality. Well, I'm not disappointed! He loves it! It’s really non stick and easy to clean up. It makes it resistant to rust! The heat distributes evenly in the pan which is deeper than the usual ones. Light weight and perfect with the glass cover! I strongly recommend it!

This item was designed for use and longevity.

As aboveToo heavyRusting after one use.Not easy to maintain and clean.

Very poor wok. I used olive oil and only turned heat as high as 7. It burnt my food quickly and now has left this burnt stained area on bottom. Not happy with with wok