Last year when we remodeled our kitchen I was able to replace my old smooth surface cook top with a gas cook top. It was one of the main things I was hoping to do in the kitchen remodel and I was so happy that it worked out. And actually it is propane not natural gas, but it works the same and I love it.
One of the things I love about cooking on gas is that it is instant heat. And not only is it instant heat, it gets really hot. After cooking on it a few months I knew that I wanted to invest in a good wok. For good stir fry type cooking you need high heat. A gas stove gets you a higher heat than an electric or smooth top stove, so it is perfect for cooking stir fry.
We eat a lot of stir fry and fried rice, so I knew I would get a lot of use out of a wok. And since I had a gas stove years ago, I knew I would love using a wok on a gas stove.
My goal had been to make it to one of the Asian stores in Tulsa to get a wok, but it just never happened. So, I gave up on that idea and went ahead and ordered a wok 
on Amazon. I read quite a few reviews and ended up with a pretty basic wok, that was not too expensive and that had pretty good reviews.
After using it a few months for cooking things like stir fried cabbage and pork and fried rice, I can easily say that I love it and am so glad I bought it.
A wok is larger than a regular pan and has high sides so it has a larger cooking area than a regular pan. It also gets really hot, which makes it great for Asian type cooking.
My wok is now one of my favorite kitchen tools. Having the right tool for the right job makes life in the kitchen so much easier.
The one thing I don’t like about it is storing it. It is large and takes up a lot of room. Currently I am keeping it in a closet in my laundry room. Not the best place for it, but it fits and is out of the way when I am not using it.
If you have a wok I would love to hear what you think of it.
Love my wok! It is very heavy, non-stick, Joyce Chen brand, gets a lot of use, very easy to clean and the non-stick finish still looks perfect. I use my wok for Asian stir-fry recipes, chicken wings, strips of meat or poultry for fajitas, fried rice, and the few times when I deep fry. The pan is over 20 years old and I take good care of it: tip out all the food when finished cooking, use a plastic brush or nylon scrubber with hot water and a little detergent to clean, dry with a cloth or put back on a low heat to dry completely, I hang it in my pantry and only use wood or high heat resistant utensils when cooking.
I hope mine lasts that long. 🙂 I am glad to know that brand is a good pan. Hanging the pan up is a good idea! I have not used it for fajitas, but love that idea. I am going to have to do that next time I make them. Thanks!
The shape of the wok makes it easy on the angle our arm joints too. We got rid of our old wok and got a super lightweight and thin cast iron wok, the kind with a layer of lightweight aluminum underneath the entire bottom surface. We can’t live without it. We love how it adds super delicious flavor to the food from the higher heat we get from cast iron….vegetables start to caramelized for example. Storage is a problem for us too. We ended up storing the wok in our oven so we can grab it more quickly, but it is not the best place. We have a very small apartment-sized kitchen in a large house, so we don’t have much of an option.
I love my wok too. Ours is a hand-hammered wok we have had for over 20 years. Just like a good cast iron skillet the blacker it is the better it is seasoned. 🙂 We never use soap on it, we just use very hot water and a scrubber. Some may have issues with that concept, but no germs can live through the high heat used to cook with a wok. We store ours on top of the refrigerator. Not everyone has space there, or wants it to be visible, but it works for us. Close and convenient, but not taking up cabinet space. I’ll never forget something we picked up from watching The Frugal Gourmet (I just dated myself didn’t I?). Hot wok, cold oil, food won’t stick! Enjoy reading your blog especially as a fellow Okie.
I agree on it being like cast iron pans. The more I use my wok, the better seasoned and more non-stick it is. I am going to be very careful how I clean and care for mine. I am hoping it lasts a long time! Thanks for the tips. Oh and I remember the frugal groumet too. I kind of wish cooking shows were still like those old ones. I loved watching them.