I Bought a French Wok

[@mbrez4271]

I am a research chemist. You have a very good analytical minds for designing and carrying out experiments. Your reviews are complete and in-depth. Just excellent work and a great presentation. Always look forward to your stuff!!!

[@ABACUStoPC]

Good review Scott. For woks, I would personally suggest that stay away from European brands, not because of the quality, but these manufacturers usually have plenty of design problems associated with Asian woks. Take De Buyer's wok for example, the weird shape is one of the reasons makes flipping difficult, a properly designed wok has to be rounded (regardless with a flat bottom or not) in order to flip food well, a wooden handle is preferred because works are always used on high heat.. Also 2.00mm thickness is definitely too thick for any woks, believe or not 1.00mm preform far better, when cooking, the side is always hotter than the bottom, so you do need to stir the food around or do the flipping to get everything cooked evenly, not solely rely on heat retention of the wok itself, woks are NOT designed to have good heat retention as compared to most European cookware, they have to be thin and light weight to handle the cooking task well, what you need is high gas power and good heat control. BTW, I absolutely agree with you that woks are not for electric stoves.. There are manufacturers specialized in making properly designed, good quality woks, mostly based in China and Japan, makers like Zhensanhuan from China make high end handmade woks these days but their price is often overpriced on online platform, these Northern style woks are usually heavier than most Cantonese style woks and require some experience to handle and maintain, I personally recommend Japanese brands like Kankuma, Riverlight and Cook-Pal (Yoshikawa), their woks are excellent in quality and light wight too which is perfect for the (Asian) cooking purpose, and the steel is Nitriding treated so you don't need to reseason them regularly as the wok has good rust resistant ability

[@brokula1312]

I agree with almost everything you said. BTW, do you have any suggestions for wok that is somewhat good on flat top stoves?

[@Visitkarte]

@@brokula1312I bought the hand hammered and already seasoned and blued wok from Flavemotion on Amazon. I cook on a decent induction stove top and I am very happy with it. That’s what got me interested in carbon steel to begin with. I was so happy with it’s non stick properties and the cooking qualities that I wanted a pan of the same material. And the rest is history. I still love the blue steel line of De Buyer because it reminds me of my beautiful wok.

[@RefinerSimilitude]

When I saw "De Buyer", I thought, "Of course he's going to give it the thumbs up." Clearly I didn't know you well enough. Much respect on your analysis to help us make a more informed decision. Thank you.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thanks, Refiner! It doesn't always work perfectly, but I really try to put myself in the place of the consumer... would I be happy if someone told me to buy a pan and I spent my own money on it?

[@kamvalkov]

@@UncleScottsKitchen hey amazing video I recently got the ikea carbon steel pans and am very impressed with them for the price, I would love to know what you think?

[@julesl6910]

This video is a sham, woks require much more powerful burners

[@WanderingBobAK]

@@julesl6910 Wow! Glad you are here to save us!

[@julesl6910]

@@WanderingBobAK You're welcome

[@gregtinnes3496]

I got the Mauviel wok a few months ago, and love it! Flat bottom, 5 1/2 inches diameter, top diameter is 32 cm, or 12.6 inches. all metal handles, can season in the oven, which I did. I cook on electric coil, and it's great. I've owned lots of Chinese style carbon steel woks, various makes and styles, and this is the absolute best performing wok ever, for me. A bit heavy, but thinner than Mauviel skillets, which I also love. I don't toss, I stir with wooden wok shovels, which are also my all time faves. I think they might have quit producing it, or at least, exporting to the US, but, there are some around, new.

[@Kidraver555]

I just bought the mauviel 30cm and am gifting my 32cm debuyer which I never used, thanks for the positive review, has been a bit tricky finding the perfect wok but I think the mauviel will really do the job, there are some good cheap wooden wok shovels on ebay.

[@deborahtanaka3527]

Good review! Really covered the various downsides with a flat bottom wok and heroic efforts to overcome them. Thanks!

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thank you, Deborah!

[@Iyosha]

I recommend you to continuously stir when cooking with a wok. Food is not meant to sit and wait to be cooked in a wok. Great in depth review. Thank you very much!

[@asoggyburger479]

I have a mineral b pan with the same handle that I have seasoned in the oven. The manufacturer doesn’t recommend it however I had 0 issues seasoning at 450° for 1hr multiple times. Just something to consider!

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I guess I'm going to have to try it and see what happens!

[@asoggyburger479]

@@UncleScottsKitchen @Cook Culture has a video where he did it, gave me the confidence to try it lol kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJnLememhNmjecU

[@es2056]

An excellent and honest review with extensive testing - not just a quick, from the hip report. Thank you, I appreciate your efforts to inform us all. I looked at this wok several times over the past months but I always came away with the idea that the shape and design would be a problem. Compound this with the weight and it is a no-go in my book. It might be a good pan for other uses - other than Asian stir fry cooking, but the traditional de Buyer french pans would probably do just as well or better. I recently purchased a "hand hammered" wok sold by a popular KZbin Chinese cook for about $35. It is the best wok I have ever used and I have three others. If you are interested in seeing it I can send you a link.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thanks, Ernestos! I really try to make the reviews as honest and unbiased as possible. Post a link to the wok and I'll check it out.

[@CleoParta1965]

Can I have the link pls.

[@farrownicholas]

It sounds like what you may find better is the De Buyer Country Chef pan, which is either a wok with a wider, flat bottomed cooking surface or simply a frying pan with higher sides. I find I use it when cooking things requiring more stirring or when I’m feeling lazy and want the high sides to reduce the amount of cleanup afterwards in the kitchen.

[@philipp594]

I am sorry but just don't go european with a wok (I am european myself, my wife is asian). Buy the flat top taiwanese made one that americas test kitchen recommends and the guy from the wok school sells in europe.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I will give that a try. I have one of them but have mainly been using it for french fries when I want to make a smaller batch than the deep fryer calls for.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I will check that out. Is that the one you have?

[@farrownicholas]

@@UncleScottsKitchen debuyer-usa.com/products/mineral-b-country-fry-pan?variant=32311100244100 this is the one I was referring too. I picked it up much cheaper on Amazon a while back.

[@Kidraver555]

@@UncleScottsKitchen Should try air fryer fries way healthier (probably not a plus with you), but they are really nice and very crispy, par boiling the spuds makes for the best wedges.

[@coldnutshell]

Great review Scott. I appreciate the time and carbs you put into this!

[@monarchy-5623]

It seems that the DB wok is slightly different to traditional woks as the DB woks are quite thick all over

[@derekmcdermott5312]

According to de buyers specs on this wok it's completely oven safe, so you should be able to oven season to ensure you are getting all areas of the wok

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Could be some slight differences, but the one I have has the coated handle, which they say not to put in the oven for more than 10 minutes. I will check and see if they have updated the guidance though!

[@derekmcdermott5312]

@@UncleScottsKitchen your probably right. They have so many products and half of them look identical! Either way, stay well and keep up the great content! 👍

[@gracapond]

Hello Uncle - My wok is a flat bottom cast-iron from Le Creuset, I love him- when I need to season it , I put the oil and to the oven, to get all of it and the rim seasoned. Thank you from your videos, greetings from Portugal

[@supermangomania]

I am asian. Wok cooking for us is super hot cooking - get in very hot and get out fast :-D, if you heat your oil up intensely enough, nothing will stick ! Do not fiddle with the ingredients whether in a pan or wok prematurely especially with protein ingredients. I do not use non stick pots and pans. Flat based *woks* are not woks per se ... they are pans with high walls. This particular wok attempts to emulate an asian wok with a small base - unfortunately, the sides go up steep so that the food does not stay for that short required moment on the sides but slides right back down and the heat is concentrated mainly at the flat base and the sides heat up too slowly. That's why an asian wok is always with a round base, using a gas stove, the heat is distributed with a larger diameter of intensity and the sides are hot but a safe place to park food you do not want to overcook, sort of like indirect grilling. So if you have the possibility of cooking with gas, go strictly with a round base wok, else the next best thing would be to buy a portable induction cooker specifically for a wok, where your round base wok sits into the surface. This is best emulation of wok-ing sans gas. If you do not have these options, it is not wok cooking. Does it matter ? Nope, as long as the food you prepare is delicious, healthy and gratefully consumed, all is good. I have out of curiosity watched so many YT vids on wok cooking or wok seasoning. You have some good practices going on there, like deglazing, chopping ingredients as evenly in size as possible. Ohhhhh we do that all the time but if you have stopped the heat and the wok or pan is still hot but not producing any more heat, hot water please to deglaze and/or wash else your item will warp in time if not immediately. The best way to season your wok or any carbon / cast iron is to use it daily. That was another good practice. I have seen YT videos where the seasoning was over hours and days, rubbish... My late mother would have been *tearing* her hair out. I was just rolling my eyes ! LOL ...

[@jessicaweidler8829]

Would love some more carbon steel wok reviews!

[@dbkfrogkaty1]

I agree! Only he should stay away from French woks! Get some true Chinese made woks that are available on Amazon. Maybe pick up a couple to compare. I wonder if he's done this already...

[@Kidraver555]

@@dbkfrogkaty1 For electric stoves the mauviel wok is possibly the best out there, I have already bought this debuyer and concur that it is not a brilliant design at all, I also bought a fairly expensive 28cm carbon steel japanese made wok that seems to change shape a bit so now I have bought a mauviel 30cm which should handle the variable heat pattern of the electric hob pretty well.

[@yankeeking213]

I've seasoned de buyer pans with those coated handles in the oven with no issue

[@wifeysman228]

Dittos.

[@hello.itsme.5635]

Same here

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

The medallion didn't melt? The directions say not to, but I guess I will have to give it a try.

[@yankeeking213]

@@UncleScottsKitchen the little rubber thingin the handle I'd recommend taking out but the coating on the handle itself was fine

[@wifeysman228]

@@UncleScottsKitchen Mine were “carbone plus”, I didn’t see a medallion on the handles.

[@vmaldia]

I have induction. Good thing i opted for aluminium nonstick with an induction base wok. No sticking and better heat distribution up the sides

[@philipstaite4775]

For those of us suffering with electric flat tops... Don't forget propane/gas grills and/or campers with propane stoves -- often we have other options for seasoning. Personally I have several pieces of cast iron that are only used over open (wood) camp fires, and now (thanks Scott!) 3 De Buyer skillets.... I have their Carbone line which can be oven seasoned. :-) Scott, you really need to press them to become a rep and get a percentage.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Great points, Philip. There are usually ways to get a pan seasoned, Sometimes you can offer to make someone dinner if they let you use their gas stove for a bit. How do you like those Carbones? I haven't tried one yet.

[@philipstaite4775]

@@UncleScottsKitchen Scott, You know me, but for those that don’t I have decades of experience with cast iron over open campfires. Also too many years of experience with non-stick that only seems to last 2-3 years no matter how carefully cared for. Several months ago I jumped into carbon steel. I chose De Buyer based on reputation (and Scott...). I chose their Carbone line due to having an electric flat-top. Carbone has handles that can take oven seasoning and at 3mm thick are not likely to warp and lose contact with the flat-top. I started with a 7 7/8” and a 12 ½”. I followed your advice for oven seasoning. I used Canola oil at 450. The pans came out a uniform copper-brown. The smaller pan is easy to report on. All it has ever seen is butter and eggs. It has turned very dark, nearly uniform black. I’d stack it’s non-stick properties up against any non-stick pan. Note, it fits nicely on the smallest heating element on my stove, getting uniform heat across the entire cooking surface. I’ve never done anything but use it, rinse it, and wipe it out with a paper towel. The larger pan has been a journey. It is my go-to pan and as such has seen some tougher cooking assignments - including acidic and mildly acidic dishes. (eg. onions, peppers, lemon juice, grape tomatoes...) Also, it completely covers the largest element on the stove, maybe overhanging it 1/8” to 1/4” all around at the contact surface. The interior sides darkened nicely. The central area of the cooking surface remained moderately darkened. The outer circumference of the cooking surface remained an area of contention. It was obviously seasoned and non-stick, but it varied from light brown to gray. After each use I would perform touch-up seasoning on the stove with Canola oil, heating it for a few minutes on 7 of 10 until the center began to darken. I didn’t want to burn-out the center, which means the edges didn’t get enough heat to darken. Such is life on a flat-top. It still seemed to be seasoned, non-stick, no corrosion etc. Last week I decided to try something different. I applied grape seed oil and oven seasoned again. I happened to be using the oven for something else and since it was already warm so… Then I had another opportunity to oven season. So it got two oven seasonings with grape seed oil at 450. This seasoning seems to be both darker and harder/tougher than the previous Canola based seasoning. I’ve used it twice - once caramelizing onions then frying burgers with cheese topping. The cheese of course melted then burned-on somewhat but came off fairly easily with stainless steel chain mail. It did not take off any seasoning which would have happened with the Canola based seasoning. Tonight I made another dish involving onions and there was no apparent damage to the seasoning. I cook with a pure olive oil (not EVO). I have a brand new 10” De Buyer. I initially seasoned with Canola, used it once. Then I tossed it in the oven with grape seed oil twice now. It is nicely dark, waiting for an excuse to use. My plan is to continue to touch-up season stove-top after each use unless and until things get really dark. If I happen to have a hot oven I may toss the 10” and 12” in there for some overall seasoning. I’m going to stick with grape seed oil for now, it seems to work better than the Canola. I intend to use these pans, not baby them. The 7” leads an easy life, the others are going to take some abuse. So far I’m very pleased. No issues with the handles, no issues with warping. They sit very flat on the flat-top, better than my 10” stainless pan.

[@JeffBernardo]

I once used my de Buyer Mineral B Pro skillet for traditional fried rice. I realized the soy sauce actually rips off some of the seasoning and making the fried rice stick to the skillet. I later found out the soy sauce is actually acidic. Since then I only use stainless steel to fry rice (which works with good temperature monitoring), unless I'm not using soy sauce to fry rice.

[@rudysmith6293]

It makes me wonder why debuyer designed it the way they did. I'm assuming that they have a particular kind of wok ring in mind, and for gas use only. The people at debuyer are losing sleep to keep thinking of ways to improve their product line. Perhaps contacting debuyer and asking them about their intended usage will allow you to tweak how you use it. The conical shape on a gas stove should direct the flame high up the side of the wok. That's good. It seems that a taller wok ring that gives the wok stable support will solve most of the problems. Also, not everybody tosses a wok to stir fry. I don't. Having a good steel wok spatula and a set of tongs gets the job done. (Our wok is a thirty year old stainless steel 1500 watt electric farberware model. It's as good today as the day I first used it. A real work horse. Goes right from kitchen to table beautifully.) About fried rice: use less water than usual for cooking the rice, and let the rice dry out some before frying it. Leaving the rice in the fridge overnight is a good way to do it. Fried rice is best with leftover rice from a previous day. The quirks of the wok didn't alarm me, but those frozen veggies gave me a flash back to the one time I tried that kind of vegetable. Disgusting.

[@phantumdrummer]

Always enjoy your reviews as they are some of the most thorough you can find and hands down the best info for all things carbon steel. Still hoping to see a Misen carbon steel review. Seen quite few mixed results so far. Just picked up a couple of their skillets recently and finally have them seasoned, but still have yet to have a day off so as to cook on them. (oh, the joys of working nights)

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Which skillets did you get? Post back and say how they cook if you have time! I have not tried a Misen yet. Maybe I can get one on the proverbial List of Pans to Review.

[@phantumdrummer]

@@UncleScottsKitchen I got the 10" and 12" on a package deal. I plan on breaking at least one of them in this weekend. (this weekend will be my first nights off in over 20 days, so finding time has been difficult.)

[@phantumdrummer]

​@@UncleScottsKitchen Hi Scott, I didn't forget about you, just took more time than expected to use the Misen pans. The seasoning was odd. After the first round of seasoning it looked ok, but very light. The 12" pan has an interesting blued look to the bottom, while the top is well... odd. I tried one more seasoning and it turned out to have fish eye's all over the pan surface. Not sure if I didn't get all the shipping wax off or what? It does look odd, but still works. I've cooked with it a few more times since and the seasoning is coming around slowly. I did use the 10" pan for some seared chicken thighs and it worked as expected. A nice sear and finish in the oven produced nice crisp skins. I moved on to some veggies, where I got a little sticking but nothing to gripe about. Feeling good, I took it out for the egg test. To my dismay it failed miserably. I tried twice and both times that egg stuck like glue, like it didn't have any seasoning on it at all. Though thankfully it did clean up easily. I'll just keep cooking and trying the egg test as time goes. Maybe it will finally season enough to pass the egg test over time. Though the seasoning is still looking weird.

[@phantumdrummer]

Oh, almost forgot... after the failed egg test's, I cooked a pound of bacon to see if that would help the seasoning process. The bacon stuck too! Even at a different temps. So, I'm not sold, but I'm not giving up on them.

[@pampam12able]

Not only you can use the walls to rest the food and keep it warm, but you could also keep it on the side while steaming vegetables in the same wok with a lid on and not overcook the food resting on the side, so the big difference in temperature has its merits.

[@MrBritishComedy]

There are some things to be said about flat tops here. First off, while not recommended by De Buyer, it's well-known among the users that - when done right, seasoning their Mineral B cookware is possible in the oven without inflicting damage upon the the handle. And as a matter of fact, it's probably the best way to season this wok as long as you can fit it in the oven. Improper seasoning can lead to sticking. Another thing is that people will often find that it's no good to crank up their flat tops to max when cooking with a wok because surprisingly, it can get way hotter on the bottom than on a gas stove. It also has to said that in a wok, it's only supposed to the bottom where the cooking is done. The sides are there to keep food warm, so a lower temperature is perfectly fine. All that being said, the center in this wok does seem to be quite small and the shape does seem a bit odd (conical instead of almost round). I was originally looking into this wok, but I may buy a hand-hammered Chinese wok instead. The only downside is that I can't seem to find one that's bigger than 32 cm (12.5 inches in weird units) while most people who do cook in a wok on a regular basis would always recommend at least a 40 cm (probably 16 inches?) wok. De Buyer does offer that, but then again that wok is too big for most ovens, so can't season it there.

[@curtislee3521]

For me, the Chinese wok method of seasoning is much better. Pan ripping hot, add a lot a lot of oil. Swirl around until it’s smoking heavily, turn off burner and swirl until cooled down. Dump the oil out into a can for later use. The seasoning is much more even and much more smooth.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

No doubt that's a great way, but I just don't have one of those jet engine burners at home that can get the whole thing hot at once.

[@curtislee3521]

@@UncleScottsKitchen what I do at home is just heat up the pan. Add a lot of oil. Then swirl around until it starts smoking. It only takes longer if you uses normal stove

[@chongli297]

One option for those of us stuck with electric/induction cooktops: buy an outdoor wok burner. They're pretty cheap and just connect to a standard BBQ propane tank. They can crank out more than 50,000 BTUs, putting all but the most powerful indoor commercial gas stoves to shame. The key to really great wok cooking is a super thin-walled wok. The wok is not supposed to hold heat like a heavy pan, it's supposed to cool off quickly and recover quickly with the help of a very powerful burner. This makes it an extremely agile cooking tool!

[@himanshujha8339]

Thank for the great review, Scott! Really appreciate it.

[@kai-weihu2736]

Hey Scott, great job on trying to wok ;) One tip on the fried rice: marinade rice with oil helps the non-stick part. The cold rice contains a lot of moisture and will make rice easy to stick. If rice is coated with oil, it gives rice more time to vapor the moisture before it sticks to the pan. And yes, fried rice is not healthy since you need to add a lot of oil to make it work. Hope this helps!

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thank you, Kai! I will try that. If you have more wok tips, please let me know... I am always trying to learn.

[@rudysmith6293]

Hey Scott, That was quite a workout. It's good solid reporting above and beyond the call of duty. I especially like how you render an earned opinion after presenting sufficient information for viewers to make up our own minds first. Good job! One thing about oyster sauce before you judge it too harshly: it varies dramatically from brand to brand. We like maekura cooking lady brand or lee kum kee premium. We've had bad luck with a couple of other brands.

[@jcrnda]

I have a de Buyer wok and I got used to it. However, weight distribution really sucks if you don't have a wok-specific gas burner that burns five to ten times more gas than conventional kitchen burners. I estimate that I'm using only 0.5% of what this wok can handle, I think it was built like a tank to be used by let's say a small Asian restaurant 24/7 for at least two hundred years. Don't forget, the cook will need some muscle and both hands! If you use this wok for only two people you might chose something lighter and less expensive.

[@Nikolaj.Romanov]

Mate, first of all thanks a lot for all the content you are putting out there! I own a number of curbon steel pans thanks to you! Over the years, I've came up with my personal way to season and treat my pans. I turn them upsaide down, I let the hot air to build up inside and do the seasoning. You put the oil before or after depending on what you are after. Sometime a quick nuke cleaning could be achived by leaving your pan upside down without any oil. De Buyer Mineral B carbon steel loves it! Anyway, try it and see what I mean! Cheers!

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thanks Nik! You put the pans upside down on your stovetop? Do you use gas? I will give that a try.

[@Nikolaj.Romanov]

@@UncleScottsKitchen yes, stovetop. It doesn't get any simplier! Currently I have gas; however, I used this method on electric top too and it worked just as well! No warping, btw, since hot air is distributed evenly through the (uneven) thikness of the metal (whilst direct fire sortof injects the heat into the pan) Unfortunately this method will not work on induction tops...

[@ryerye3147]

Mauviel has a M steel round bottom wok that might be interesting .

[@bulbhorn]

Very through and interesting review as usual, thank you. I’ll be passing on this for now in favor of a regUlnar wok. Thanks.

[@lucasfields9357]

Try the MINERAL B PRO Country Fry Pan. Less conical.

[@kintrap5376]

Hey Scott! Id love to see your thoughts on DeBuyer’s “Country” pan-maybe a more usable wok-esque design?

[@richardwillford2418]

Useless as a wok. I've tried for months. But it's great for everything else.

[@xferme]

I would love if you could test the mineral b country pan as a replacement for woks on flat tops.

[@rutherikwright1433]

Where can I find your serving bowl s and plates? Love your show. Thanks , Ruth

[@johnwilmott8063]

Thanks Scott, I have a couple of flat bottomed carbon steel woks, just like you i found not good on a electric flat top. Also not fantastic [although better that the electric] on my wok specific gas burner. However i have one round bottom carbon steel wok, it's excellent on my gas burner. If you want to try a round bottom [better for stirring and tossing] basic carbon steel wok on your gas stove, they're adapters available to keep it stable. Fozen veg in a hot wok, no no. As for the fried rice, no need for all that oil, just one tablespoon is all that's required. Blanch the veg in some boiling water for a couple of minutes prior to adding them into the wok, and add the eggs uncooked to the rice.

[@WaltKurtz68]

My takeaway from these adventures is: Don't get a flat bottom wok! I currently use a use a round bottom wok on a gas hob with a wok burner, and I noticed the flames get around the wok much better WITHOUT the wok ring (the height issue Scott mentioned). Having watched this video, for my next wok I think I'm gonna go with the round bottom 'Carbone Plus' 35.5cm wok (also from De Buyer). Thanks Scott 👍

[@harley11361]

hi scott would you ever do a review of the made in carbon steel products love all you videos and your advise thanks looking foward to more great vidoes

[@bloodgain]

Oh, come now, Scott. That egg flip deserved at least an E for effort.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

And honestly, who doesn't enjoy picking dried egg of a gas burner ring with a toothpick for an hour or two?

[@philipp594]

Fried rice tips: salt > soy souce (credit to Martin Yan), doesn't burn in keeping the "lighter" taste of the rice. White pepper is a must, it adds a bit of a fuller mouth to the rice (it is not supposed to be spicy). Fry all ingredients but the rice and eggs first. Depending on what you add, you can pile the to the side or take them out. Then fry the rice. Press down on the rice and use your wok spoon to split it then go under it and flip it. It will take a lot of time to separate and get ready for the next step. Add the eggs and mix. You will get beautifully egg coated golden rice. Not scrambled eggs mixed with fried rice. If you took your ingredients out, mix them back in and fry for a minute to make sure everything is hot. I would recommend watching the char-siu fried rice recipe from "chinese cooking demystified".

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

So you go with rice first then the eggs? Coat the rice instead of having egg bits? I will try that.

[@pwabd2784]

You're using soy sauce wrong if it "burns in". You don't cook the rice in the soy sauce, you season the rice with it after it's done cooking.

[@philipp594]

@@pwabd2784 Nope. You want wok hei on your souces. That's why you pour them around the rim. Caramelized would be a better word than burned in.

[@pwabd2784]

@@philipp594 you get wok hei when you cook the other ingredients. If your rice is sticking you need to learn to cook. Salt is not a substitute for soy sauce just because you don't know how to cook.

[@sdranch2800]

I don’t know about the brand of wok you reviewed here other than what you showed us, however my carbon steel wok is a flat bottom but the flat is more like 7-8” and works great on our induction stove. That being said for best results I just use the wok on my gas grill as it gets to much higher temps.

[@JustinEmlay]

Out of curiosity does your IR thermometer work out of the box or does it have emissivity settings and if so what do you have it set to? My CS pans are reading low.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

It does indeed have emmissivity settings. For what I do with the pan reviews, for me it doesn't have to be totally precise, as long as it's close. For example, when I did that Amazon Basics cast iron pan review, I had the cast iron pan on an induction burner set at power level one and I had oil in the pan and it started smoking. I knew the oil smoked at 450, and the thermometer said something like 465. So it might not have been precise to the degree, but it confirmed that the burner made the pan way way way hot on the lowest power setting. relatively precise is fine for me.

[@JustinEmlay]

@@UncleScottsKitchen I'm not looking for precise but when my meter says 240 and I put butter in the pan and it violently disintegrates and turns brown I'm thinking I'm a little over 240. Just a little. Might be time to upgrade the meter. Even though my pans are pretty black I think it's still bouncing off wrong.

[@JustinEmlay]

@@UncleScottsKitchen Got me a new Fluke meter. With the emmissivity setting set to the default (.85) my large burner on medium registers 220 degrees (not true). With that setting set to it's lowest of .10 it shows 600 degrees (also not true) . Wow, that setting is super important! Now I need to dial it in and figure out what exact setting works for my CS pans. They're dark and but not black so I assume it'll need to be adjusted again the future.

[@charlessmith7911]

Off topic, had a matter bourgeois turn into a spinner at home in FL, so I bought a Lodge cast iron to leave here. The electric stove is the culprit. I fixed sausage gravy and biscuits this morning on the preseasoned pan, but, for cleanup...should one expect to do an hour in an oven every time it’s used to keep the seasoning? What would be the daily cleaning regimen? Clean it, dry it on the stovetop and then 1/4 tsp of oil? Or do you clean it, dry it in the oven, and then apply buzzywax and heat for an hour at 500°F every time?

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Hi Charles! nice to hear from FL. When I was a tot, my family lived in Jacksonville, but we don't spend much time there these days. You shouldn't have to do that much maintenance every time you use your pan. With the cast iron, my mom actually washes her pans every time she uses them and then just puts a little oil on them to store them. Then every so often she'll season them in the oven. You don't have to do it every time though. One trick that works well and kills two birds with one stone is to make a pan of cornbread in the oven using Crisco... you get great cornbread AND it kind of seasons the pan as you go.

[@Kevin_747]

Good lessons here. Thanks.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thanks, Kevin!

[@LongboardtTrail]

Its weird how expensive DeBuyer is in America. Here in Germany that Wok is about 30 euro

[@JustinEmlay]

True but if they were made in America and shipped to the EU then you'd be paying a 100 bucks.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Really? Wow. Here it's got a premium price. I wonder if the problem is shipping?

[@ma_nu]

@@UncleScottsKitchen yes it is the shipping. a carbon steel pan/wok is quite heavy, which makes shipping expensive. if you want to wok properly, you need a good and powerful burner. I ordered a KB5 directly from thailand as you can't get these here in germany. the burner itself is 20€, but with shipping and with custom fees it's 130€ total... So if you have a good alternative in your country, it's often the better option.

[@stoempert]

Garcima pans are my go to. Great quality and cheap.

[@nygardenguru]

Garcima deep paella you mean

[@gabrielglouw3589]

Nice even handed review. I have a project coming up that I’m both dreading and looking forward to. I got a carbon steel griddle for my Kamado Joe Big Joe III. It’s completely unseasoned. Basically just a 18” piece of round sheet metal. I’m going to have to season it completely from scratch. Any suggestions for seasoning over a lump charcoal fire?

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Wow! I have not seasoned anything like that especially on lump charcoal. I'd be interested to know how it goes though! You could do a KZbin video on it.

[@BlossomVpiano]

Excellent review. Thank you. I love my De Buyer pan which I use for making crepes. I was going to buy their 32cm wok but the small 4" flat base, the weight and the cons in your video just doesn't look ideal for me. I have a gas burner with 2 rings (4" diameter hole between the ring prongs) but the manufacturer doesn't recommend adding a wok stand. I'd love to hear your recommendation as to which wok (with a round base) I can use preferable one I can use without lifting when I stir fry as I can't handle too heavy weight.

[@oliviercouvez6984]

Hello, I use this wok this a couple of years i find it a bit heavy but it s ok. Because i am now with induction flat top i m carefull to dont break it XD Also found out that i can season it by making it kind of roll on the flat top....it s longer than on gaz but it works!

[@happymusics]

I often can "non-stick" my stainless steel wok by frying an egg on it first, set aside, before I do the fried rice with veggie shreds so I'd imagine this would work even better w/ carbon steel wok...

[@DJ-Coma]

FYI you can’t use those infrared thermometers on shiny surfaces. You get extremely inaccurate results. Put a piece of tape on the pan and take the temp of that to get an accurate read.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

As long as it relatively close, I think it's fine for what I do. It does have different emmissivity settings. Whether a temp differential is 600 degrees precisely or actually 560 or 620 doesn't matter as much to me as just noting that there is a whopping temp difference. I used it on some cast iron in another review, with a pan that had some oil with a smoking point of 425 - 450. It started smoking a lot and the Etekcity said something like 460 (can't remember exactly) but I just remember that it was close enough for the type of pan reviews I do. It's probably best if I avoid science!

[@DJ-Coma]

@@UncleScottsKitchen I think you’re off by a lot more than 20-40 degrees. Mine can be off by well over 100 degrees. Your point that the edges are much cooler than the center is still valid though because of the massive difference in temps regardless of accuracy. On cast iron it is accurate because it is not a shiny surface like a carbon or stainless steel pan. Not a legit comparison IMO. Thanks as always for your great videos though. Love your channel.

[@yan89805]

you make it so easy, bought this but too heavy for me

[@KevinBReynolds]

Yeah, funny shape, and size. Only 12.5"? That's odd. Thanks for the review!

[@Nishiseattle]

Your reviews and instruction have been really helpful, so thanks for that. With carbon steel, do you have an opinion on using toasted sesame oil? The flavor adds a lot to stir fries, but is it good for the pan? Thanks again.

[@yokken]

Scott, been watching and loving your videos! I've come to love my Misen carbon steel pans and would love to see you review them. On top of that though, their new wok is something that I think deserves your attention to detail and thorough testing! I would love to hear your thoughts and see your results from the wok. Keep up the awesome work and thanks for all of your effort!!

[@Kidraver555]

Very hard to buy one of those woks, looks awesome but I think the mauviel edges it for me and the electric hob I use.

[@saniaminh]

Honest Review

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thank you, Sania!

[@choskyg]

Hi, great video. very precise and detailed. Which one would you recommend the one you test De Buyer Mineral B at 32cm size 5618.32 or DE BUYER Carbonne Plus 5114.35? Or better to look for a chinese source one? Thanks!

[@nowthenad3286]

That review was ridiculously comprehensive. Superb. What is it with the DeBuyer Wok shape? Why on earth have they made it with such a tiny base and with the conical sides? I don't get it.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

The only thing I can figure on the shape is that maybe they are made for burners in Europe/fancy restaurants maybe that have a different size or shape, but not sure.

[@luluah1198]

I think because they’re French the metalsmith was thinking of croissants at the time and after that it all went comical I mean conical shaped and was fired wrong… (French people I’m joking.) The shape is putting me off the most . But I have a de buyer regular pan it’s my favourite pan. Low maintenance compared with the traditional cheap oriental light carbon woks. And seeing as I cannot have those traditional ones on a induction stove , as they apparently warp on these cookers, (yes hate my current rental), I’m thinking of getting one of these. I was looking at the version with two short handles because I immediately thought it may topple with the weight . It’s this or a brand I’ve never heard of for a triply steel wok “Willow and Everett” Really concise informative review thank you !

[@mateusz.mirkowski]

Great review, but there is one point I would argue - induction. I know induction is not so popular in US, but in Europe this is what you have looks like old induction type which was in Europe few years ago. Modern induction doesnt have this donut issue and you can use carbon steel skillets and woks on induction and it works very well(Obviously gas is better for woks). :) Mine works great. Of course you need to remember to start with low temp. I start with 4/15.

[@luluah1198]

Are you using the traditional light cheap carbon steel woks found in oriental markets ? This is what i always used but I moved country sold everything now back home I’m stuck with a modern induction (UK). I’ve been told these light ones warp on the inductions do they ? If not I’m going to stick with these traditional woks rather than paying 45+ for a heavy wok

[@mateusz.mirkowski]

@@luluah1198 Yes, I am using cheap, thin carbon steal wok and it works great. It warp but it doesnt have impact on temp, because modern induction doesnt need to have direct contact with pan to heat.

[@malcolmboynton7652]

great video as usual. HOWEVER, wok cooking vs anything else is mars vs venus. get a inexpensive wok and run with it. after you mess up a couple times it all falls into place. (from a lifetime cast iron guy) and remember after a few adult coctails it's all good anyways.

[@jajloo5045]

Thanks for the thorough video. That is one cone shaped wok. 4” center seems small. Additionally $100 for a Carbon Steel wok is expensive. I appreciate the honest advice. I’m going to pass.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thanks for the compliments, Anna, and I am glad the review was helpful.

[@luluah1198]

Apparently its 99% iron and 1% carbon so it’s not the same as a cheap carbon steel oriental wok, those are more Carbon less iron they’re super light. These ones are useful for all stoves particularly ppl with induction or ceramic glass stove tops where a traditional Chinese carbon steel pan would warp due to the fast heat up. I have a regular de buyer 26cm pan and although my husband complains it’s heavy he never uses it so? 😂. It’s my favourite pan and grilling meat or fish with a sear is just 👌 If I have a gas stove again in my next home I will keep a cheap carbon wok because they have their uses but heavy durable pans last a lifetime so I invest in them .

[@ranger2316]

I wonder why De Buyer didn't just go on line, buy a good quality Chinese wok, and reverse engineer it out of De Buyer high carbon steel? It seems like they just got the design completely wrong trying to invent a better mouse trap. Scott, the best decision I have made -- besides talking my wife into marrying me -- was running a natural gas line into my kitchen and installing a gas range. I hated cooking on glass flat top ranges. I still kind of suck as a chef, but I suck considerably less with the gas range and the HCS pans. Love your videos Scott, I always look forward to watching them!!!

[@CP-zb3ky]

You should have bought the country fry pan instead of the wok, the bottom is much wider and steadier.

[@supertz]

Great video as always. Would you try a cast iron wok?

[@nicklasbrundin]

Can you recommend a wok that can me seasoned in a owen

[@toddstark2412]

I wish you would give solidteknics another shot. The 12in flat bottom wok is an absolute favorite of mine. And the new quenched pans from America ... would love to see your thoughts on the quenched vs raw.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I have not tried one of their pans yet, but I will try to get one on the proverbial List of Pans to Review and see if I can get one.

[@PlebiasFate1609]

5:50 honestlt that made me revolt a bit seeing that 😂

[@TheArteditors]

too conical, indeed, I think they made it just to fry food, it doesn't have a traditional shape from any other Asian country, perhaps slightly a Thai wok but they are not that steep. Christopher Kimball always said in his ATK days that for western cooking surfaces, a frying pan is better, than a wok true. even the average Chinese household now has induction burners instead of gas. so these woks aren't made for real humble cooks. they are more for collecting and displaying, saying look, look debuyer but I still love that company, their 3 mm frying pan skirts are perfect for my induction and I can't think of using anything else, my fried eggs are even better than from my lodge. thanks again.

[@DJ-Coma]

How flexible is this wok? I have a Joyce Chen carbon steel wok and the wok is pretty flexible which I’m not a fan of.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Flexible as in bendable? I would say not flexible at all... very sturdy,

[@DJ-Coma]

@@UncleScottsKitchen yes as in bendable. It’s not really an issue when cooking, it just make it feel cheap to me. Thanks for the response.

[@Kidraver555]

The sides of a wok are not used for cooking more for storing cooked ingredients whilst cooking others in the bottom, but the sides of this wok are too steep.

[@wangbind]

what's the capacity of this wok? thanks

[@markluke8447]

Hello Scott, through review as always. I look for your reviews when looking for a item. I think debuyer would have done more research into what makes a good wok and for the price, they missed several critical points. Better options for less money out there.

[@JustinEmlay]

Wok burners are 100k+ BTU. What's wrong with the heat level on your stove? In wok cooking your food should never stop moving and all your meals cook in minutes at the most.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I guess my stove's 15K btu burner is great for pasta, but nowhere near one of those Chinese restaurant jet engine burners. Maybe the wife will let me get one of those for Christmas.

[@JustinEmlay]

@@UncleScottsKitchen An outdoor one is on my wish list. Would love to remodel the kitchen and put in a flat top grill plus wok burner!

[@dimmacommunication]

wich wok would you suggest ?

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I've only tried this one so far... let me do a few more reviews!

[@tees926]

can you do a review of Zhen San Huan iron woks? those are the Rolls Royce of woks hand hammered 36k times

[@sdutt1990]

Should try out MadeIn carbon steel wok.

[@GeeWhizRS]

That's an odd shaped pan for sure; you really struggled with sticking with that one. I'd have thrown it out the back door! I'm not sure how the Chinese manage to cook without a non-stick wok; I'll keep my non-stick wok as it does away with the issues caused with large temperature variations.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Do you have any trouble with high heat with the nonstick or do you just keep everything under control?

[@GeeWhizRS]

@@UncleScottsKitchen I have two pans that could be described as woks. A Ken Hom Teflon number that’s about 20 years old and won’t die and a very cheap (£12.99) huge thing with a lid I bought from the local Indian Supermarket. I’ve never had anything burn in either of them. As long as you keep the moisture level up in the sauce there’s generally enough in the pan that it doesn’t overheat. What generally regulates the heat further is sauce splattering on me so it gets turned down a bit. I’m fully in Scott’s carbon steel camp for frying pans but a wok is a different beast because you generally end up with a sauce in there. I’m not too precious about avoiding non-stick. It’s all about ease of use and results. If your pan grabs food like that wok did then that’s going to limit what you can use it for. And it’s a big lump to store for being a temperamental so and so. Loving the videos. Keep em coming. 👌

[@ma_nu]

@@GeeWhizRS with a carbon steel wok you need more heat and a larger burner. The prolbem with standard kitchen stoves is, that flames are too small and the sides don't get hot enough and then everything sticks. Wok is all about really really high heat and there non-stick is just unhealthy. So either you go low heat on a conventional stove with non-stick. But then you really don't need a wok and you will have better results with a normal pan because you can use a larger area. Or you go high heat and there a carbon steel wok is really shining with great results. A mixture of both ways just doesn't work

[@GeeWhizRS]

@@ma_nu Of course that makes sense. There's a reason the Chinese takeaways cook on rocket engines :) I have a large burner in the middle of my gas hob and a wok support but I don't do enough wok cooking to worry about any health implications of using teflon. 👍

[@kiltedcripple]

I wouldn't trust a Chinese cheesecake, and I don't trust a French wok. No shade, it's just not what they do best. My mother in law gifted me a wok designed by the lovely young lady of the Souped Up Recipes KZbin channel off Amazon, and I'm happy as a pig with two peckers with it. While roughly the same capacity as this De Buyer, its a much wider bottom. Between the shape and the hammered finish, when I need something up the sides, they stay there. When I want to flip something, it flips but stays in the pan. I've made omelets, I've made okonomiyaki, I've made stir fried, I've pan fried nuts for nut butter, I've done ramen, I've done sandwiches... I've USED this so since it got bought and I'm pleased as punch. Seriously, please, consider giving her wok a try. Between her recipes, Chinese Cooking Demystified, Aaron and Claire, and Seonkyoung Longest, I feel like I've got a whole new world of cuisine to get learning.

[@scottbernard8824]

Keep in mind that Chinese restaurants use 95,000 to 110,000 Btus.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

I keep asking my wife to let me get one of those but I get shot down every time.

[@allipson5841]

Why not the Blue Carbon Steel wok with a 9" cooking surface ? I'm not a chemist , but just someone looking for inexpensive, good performing carbon steel pan. Why not ?

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Which wok? That De Buyer isn't blue steel.

[@vuvuzela691]

The Wok also looks too small. Most wok cooks recommend a 14 inch wok since the cooking surface is small relative to the diameter on a wok

[@cleancutguy1892]

I agree with you that french wok sucks! it seems too heavy to lift, and the weird cone shape is not ideal for a wok. round bottom woks are the best with a 1.2 or 1.6 thickness so it can heat up quickly

[@luluah1198]

Can a round wok be used on an electric or induction? Doesn’t it roll off 😂 I need advice please. I hate electric I’m not convinced by it . But I’m renting so beggars can’t be choosers . I’ve always had a gas cooker so I am really suffering :( Since the traditional carbon steel wok apparently warp unless used with gas? So it’s good quality steel or cast iron . Since cast iron is heavier not so sure about it oh the stress!

[@kcb5150]

Your issue is you need to use day old rice to do fried rice and get the correct texture.

[@adriant712]

That is another review you are saying that de Buyer coated handle can not be used in ovens. That is simply not true. I use oven not only for initial seasoning of my de Buyers. I do not go higher then 380F but I leave the pan in the oven for 60-70 minutes. No damage to the coating at all.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

There is always debate about this but I stick to the manufacturer's recommendations. Jed over at Cook Culture did a big video showing how the handle coating gets damaged over time. Check that one out!

[@meetykusch1]

if I should buy this engine, I would use it in the flame of my wood-cook-stove

[@darkhorsefive0]

I’d like to see a review of this wok using a proper wok burner. From my research on wok cooking 60,000 BTU is minimum for proper use of a wok. That said, there are too many great options for great woks that are half that price.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

That high price was kind of the final straw on this one. I think you are right... just from looking around on Amazon there are lots of woks in that $30 - $60 range that look pretty good too.

[@e1evn1ee]

You should've uploaded this earlier... :(((, I bought this last year and it turned out to be THE worst purchase I've ever had. A Japanese wok does the jobs much much better, worth the investment.

[@BrandonArnold0]

I think de Buyer is a fine brand, but as a general rule, cheap Chinese carbon steel flat-bottomed woks are still best by a longshot. The de Buyer you reviewed is flawed in its design for a couple of reasons. First, the diameter of the flat part is at least 3 inches too small to (a) capture outside flame on an American gas stove, and (b) provide room to sear a moderate amount of meat without overcrowding. Second, the outer rim of the wok is not quite as big as generally recommended, which further causes overcrowding at the bottom. This is one of those cases where you do NOT get what you pay for. If you spend more than $60 on your carbon steel wok, chances are pretty good it will not go well.

[@PvtRinzler]

The flat side is to little. I think that’s the biggest problem. I rlly don’t understand all the positives on Amazon regarding this wok. It’s rlly bad. I like those usual pans they are rlly great. But wok is bad rlly bad.

[@jamescrane896]

The French know what there doing. One married me.

[@Julian-zc9vm]

The woks made by these manufacturers that don’t specialize in woks (made in, de buyer, misen) are not good. They just aren’t shaped right. Get an Oxenforge wok if you want something nice, or a Yosukata wok if you want something affordable.

[@HumblePieInTheEye]

wok on!!!

[@mountainknife]

I think the problem is a French pan for Asian cooking.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Maybe so. It's still a high quality French wok, but maybe they need to take some design lessons from Asian woks.

[@mountainknife]

@@UncleScottsKitchen The one I have is 40ish off Amazon and it works great. Paper thin carbon steel though. Could bend it if I wanted to.

[@tectorgorch8698]

What terrible things happen if you put a coated handle in the oven? Poisonous gases? Stinky smells? Ugliness?

[@youtubehandol]

15,000BTU as 'thermo nuclear'.... lol.... 100,000 btu as advised by kenji. My Chinese dishes have never been better.

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

The real question is how do I convince my wife to let me install a jet engine wok burner?

[@youtubehandol]

@@UncleScottsKitchen isn't your kitchen in your basement? That's man cave... She has no jurisdiction! Plus the best part, they're only $150... Gotta love China for that.

[@juantomas3630]

Sorry it didn't work better for you

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

Thanks, Juan!

[@strat-xq5oy]

i have four De Buyer pans i really do enjoy them but when i saw this wok ? it's all wrong absolute design fail...

[@UncleScottsKitchen]

They make great equipment. Even this wok is high quality, it's just the shape isn't perfect. I think I have seven De Buyers and I love six of them... not a bad percentage!

[@amorbavian]

Of course it'll slide with that much butter lol