Is wok non-stick

Stir frying is one of the best methods in most Asia countries, especially China, to cook nice food using a wok. If you have visited any of the traditional restaurants in China where you can see the kitchen you Must have seen one.

Wok is used extensively in many parts of the world today due to its ability to cook a tasty meal and you will get it crunchy.

Wok as a cookware has been in existence for decades and has made a name when it comes to stir Frying and also can be used to deep fry. Like most of the utensils used long ago, wok is made of cast iron and this made it possible to withstand high temperature.

Most times cooking can take time and be stressful if the cooking utensils are not in the best shape. One of the attributes of good cooking equipment now is non-stick.

Is wok non stick? Generally, traditional wok is not non-stick and it is always seasoned by the chef using them with oils or fat to avoid sticking to the pan. To make Wok easy to use and to help people adapt to these cooking utensils, there is an impromptu on the wok material.

Modern  day woks are non-stick and can still give you the taste of the traditional wok that you are conversant with. All you need to do is use it as recommended.

There are other things you need to know about Wok, let us talk about the most important of them.

What is wok?

Traditionally, wok is a round bottomed, high wall cooking utensil made from cast iron or carbon steel. It has its origin in China. It is one the versatile cookware used for many of the pan frying recipes.

In past years, a flat bottomed wok has been introduced to help in adapting to the recent cooking equipment like the stovetop top. Flat bottomed wok are getting popular as they can be used in many homes for different reasons. It comes with either two side handles or one long handle

In the traditional setting, wok is normally used in stir-frying mainly due to its design. Because wok has a deep design, it can also be used in cooking other foods and sometimes deep frying. If you have a wok with a fitting lid, it can also be used in steaming seafood and vegetables.

Why use a work in stir-frying?

There are numerous benefits of using a wok in stir-frying. Heat distribution is one of the buying qualities of good Cookware, especially frying pan. When compared to the traditional frying pans, it has better heat transfer and distribution.

This heat distribution property of wok is solely because of its bowl shape design with sloped sides and the materials in which it is made. The benefits of good heat distribution of wok is that it reduces the hot and cold spots and this gives you and even stir-frying which makes you have an evenly cooked food.

When we look at it’s design, tossing food such as stir fry is very easy and simple and allows for the ingredients to fall back into the wok

What is the best material for work?

There are many types of materials that are used in the production of wok and all of them have their unique benefits. From the non-porous nature of stainless steel, to the non-stick perk of properly seasoned cast iron or carbon fiber. Having the best knowledge of these materials will help you make a good choice when trying to get the best work for your kitchen.

Carbon Steel Woks

Carbon steel is one of the most popular and recommended materials for wok. Some of the properties that makes carbon steel the best material for wok is it’s fast and even heating ability, coupled with durability. When properly seasoned, the chances of food sticking is reduced to the minimum. With its magnetic property, carbon steel wok can be used effectively with wok induction ranges  

Stainless Steel Woks

From it’s appearance, stainless steel woks look professional and are very durable, which is one of the reasons why many people with low budgets go for them. Also stainless steels are unreactive, this makes it the best wok material for making vinegary or acidic foods. 

Stainless steel has light weight and can be handled with less energy. It also has resistance to rust. Because stainless steel doesn’t rust, you do not need to heat your stainless steel woks for sometime after washing to avoid rusting as applicable to cast iron woks and carbon steel wok. Also you don’t have to apply rust oil to wok after use to avoid rusting.

One of the disadvantages of stainless steel woks is that they don’t have the non-stick property. For this reason, you must be careful not to scorch the pan. When heated to a high temperature, food will stick to the wok which will make us scrub the pan and it can cause uneven surfaces. Also it produces some black spots on the pan.

So the best way to use stainless steel woks is for steaming, stewing, and braising, especially when cooking acidic foods and not for stir-frying.

Cast Iron Woks

Durability and the ability to hold heat for a long period of time are some of the properties of cast iron woks that make people buy them. Once you heat a cast iron wok to high temperature, it will retain the temperature and as such saves energy. Though it doesn’t have a non-stick feature when bought, but with long-time seasoning and use, it develops non-stick properties. 

Cast iron woks are heavy and require care from users and constant seasoning. This does not mean that it is difficult to use or maintain. To make your cast iron wok last long, you need to season first before use. After use, wash it with soapy water and wipe dry. Apply vegetable oil on it and reheat it before storage.

In some stores like Amazon, you can get some light weight cast iron woks and they are not expensive. But to enjoy your cookware, you must take good care of it as stated above. All cast irons can rust if not properly taken care of.

Non-stick woks ( Teflon coated )

Teflon coated woks are another type of wok. One widely known advantage of the Teflon coated woks is its non-stick property. With this property, you don’t need to season your wok for stir frying. Also it is easy to clean and you don’t need to apply oil or reheat before storage. This is because it is resistant to rusting.

When buying Teflon coated non-stick woks, you have to have in mind that it cannot withstand very high temperatures. This is one of the disadvantages of Teflon coated non-stick woks. The best Teflon coated non-stick wok cannot withstand long time cooking with temperature above 500 degrees Fahrenheit and even if it does, it is not recommendable. So stir frying in non-stick woks for a long time is not advisable.

I also don’t recommend deep frying in a non-stick wok. This is because oil residue may cling on the non-stick surface through repeated usage, and for you to scrub a non-stick pan is not advisable to avoid eroding the surface.

What is Wok Hei?

“Wok hei ” when translated into English  means “breath of the wok”, or the effect that occurs which causes the wok to flame up and result in caramelization and the Maillard reaction. This creates the smoky flavour that is very nice to all. The reason this happens is that the oil from the wok when tossed drips down into the open flame and causes a flare up that comes into direct contact with the ingredients