A carbon steel wok is a popular type of cookware for wok cooking due to its ability to withstand high temperatures. It heats unevenly, making it ideal for frying foods. It can be conical or flat-bottomed and must be seasoned before use.
A carbon steel wok is a specialized piece of cookware made from carbon steel, a material that can handle the high temperatures used in wok cooking. Traditionally, woks are cone-shaped pans that are used to quickly mix meats, vegetables, and grains. Modern woks come in a variety of different shapes and can be made from different materials. Made from a relatively inexpensive metal, the carbon steel wok is one of the more popular types of woks.
There are a few reasons carbon steel is commonly used in cookware, including woks. This material is extremely hard and can withstand high heat without melting or warping. Woks are designed to be used at high temperatures and must be made from a material, such as carbon steel, that can tolerate these temperatures. Carbon steel cookware is also safe to use with food.
While a carbon steel wok can withstand high temperatures, the pan itself doesn’t heat evenly because carbon steel doesn’t transfer heat well. This allows the center of the wok to get very hot while the sides stay relatively cool. When frying, foods are cooked rapidly in the center of a wok and moved to the sides to keep them from overcooking, making carbon steel an ideal material to use in a wok.
Both conical and flat-bottomed carbon steel woks can be used for frying foods. The cone shape is the traditional shape of a wok because it traps heat in the center, but this shape can be difficult to use on some types of stovetops. In most cases, a metal ring can be used to lift a conical carbon steel wok above a flat cooking surface, but holding the wok over an electric heat source may not allow the pan to heat properly. Many woks are made with a flat bottom so they can sit easily on a burner.
Before a carbon steel wok can be used, it must be seasoned. In this process, the wok is heated, covered in oil, and then cleaned. When this process is used on a new wok, it cleans the pan so it’s safe to eat out of. Seasoning is also important after cooking on a wok because the oil protects the carbon steel from oxidation. With use, the color of a carbon steel wok will darken to black.
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