Features:

  • Helen’s Asian Kitchen Carbon Steel Wok for stir frying, stewing, sauteing, steaming, braising, frying, and deep frying favorite Asian recipes and more
  • Made from 1.6-millimeter carbon steel with heat-resistant bamboo handle, helper handle, and high-domed lid; sturdy riveted design; hangs to store
  • Carbon steel distributes heat quickly so foods cook evenly; cooking surface collects a natural patina over time for non-stick cooking performance
  • Flat bottom sits securely on any stovetop; works with gas, electric and induction; high-domed lid retains heat and prevents splatters
  • Easy to season and maintain; includes 13-inch bamboo spatula, and recipe booklet with instructions; lifetime warranty against manufacturer’s defects
Beautiful heavy gauge carbon steel wok works on my induction plate

I bought this flat-bottom wok to use on my Viking induction plate. It is a beauty, with solid and sturdy wooden handles. I believe this is termed a "spun" factory-made wok, because of the concentric circles that are evident in the metal. The gauge is the proper thickness and when I press on the sides with my hands I cannot bend it. If you don't know how to season a wok this one comes with very clear and concise instructions for seasoning. Personally, I think everyone buying a wok for the first time should also consider buying Grace Young's The Breath of a Wok: Unlocking the Spirit of Chinese Wok Cooking Through Recipes and Lore. You will find many helpful "recipes" for seasoning a wok in that book. In fact, if you are new to wok-ing, and not in a big rush to get started, you should buy the book before you buy the wok. It is the best stir-frying cookbook I own, and is more important to a novice wok-er than her newer book Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories. I also have a 16" round bottom wok that I use on an Eastman Outdoors 90411 Portable Kahuna Burner out in the yard. (Sorry, I tried to provide a product link, but failed. It is offered by Amazon, though.) The 16" wok is a higher gauge metal (which means it is a thinner metal) and I can bend the sides by pushing on it with my hands. The thinner metal gives me some trouble on the powerful burner, and I am much happier with the thickness of this Helen Chen wok. The long, wooden handle makes it easier to manipulate the wok--it is way easier to work with than the metal "ear" handles of my 16". I love to stir-fry, but I hate the smell in the kitchen. So I try to keep my stir-frying activities out-of-doors. Along with this new wok, I also bought a metal cart with wheels Seville Classics SHE18321 Stainless Steel Kitchen Workstation. Now I keep the induction plate and the wok on the cart and wheel the whole setup out to the porch. I can now stir-fry anytime I want to and not worry about the wind. (The powerful flame of the Portable Kahuna Burner does not mix well with any wind over 5mph.) The only thing I don't really like about this product is that the name "Helen Chen" is wood-burned into the top of the long handle. You can not see that in the picture. I consider it a distraction.

My first flat bottom, non-stick wok

I have always had hammered, carbon, round bottomed woks. This is my first flat bottom, non-stick wok and I really like it. It does get a little getting used to going in this direction, as I am sure it would take adjustment going from flat bottom to regular wok. This one is heavy, so the helper handle really helps. It is nice, not having to balance the wok of the stove grates. It takes longer to heat up than the carbon woks, and the hot zone does not extend as far up the sides. This is where adjustment is needed. I can't get quite as hot a temperature in the wok, but it is an acceptable trade off. One thing which is odd to me is the residual heat. Using carbon steel woks, water in the wok gets evaporated quickly and sauces thicken faster than in this non-stick. If you have lots of veggies, they sweat out liquid late in the process, so you better be bone-dry before you start mixing the sauce. I cook stir-fry three or four nights a week and really do like this wok. My first few dishes were less than stellar, but after getting used to the differences, it cooks just fine now.

its pretty light, lighter than my carbon-steel 12" lodge,

this is great, its high heat capably , flat bottom, hasn't warped yet. Seasoning takes a while, scrubbing off the coating with hot water, and oiling the pan repeatedly. Love it love it love it. Its pretty light, lighter than my carbon-steel 12" lodge, so its easy to maneuver. The small handle is tightly riveted, as it the long handle. Those handles stay cool to the tough, even on a large gas burner. This pan should get better with use. I don't mind seasoning after use, and cleaning is "wipe clean with hot water" , try to avoid soap.

Great value, great wok!

I too am surprised at the number of negative comments. I love the fact this has a removable handle, and also the fact it's a nice compromise between super thick steel and superthin steel., It heats very fast, and amazingly fast om an induction burner! You can be ready to stirfry in about 20 seconds. I use a cheap NuWave brand. As some other people pointed out, you really need to take care of a carbon steel wok, just as you need to take care of cast-iron pans. After using, and before it cools, just rinse it under plain water, and give it a good scrub with a nonabrasive brush. After that just a light coat of oil on a paper towel will keep it from rusting. This pan develops a nice patina quickly. I did my initial seasoning in the oven: [...] This is a really quick method, and you'll be ready for cooking in about 30 min. My very first stirfry still had a touch of a metallic taste, but after that it was fine. Geesh, not sure what people expect for $30. I think it's a great value, and a great wok! Take care of it and it should take care of you.

... hesitant to use a non stick wok because I hate when my food sticks to the pan

I was hesitant to use a non stick wok because I hate when my food sticks to the pan. I wanted a carbon steel wok. All my regular fry pans have a non stick coating on them. When my wok arrived I washed it by boiling hot water in it. No soap. i then brushed the inside with vegetable oil. I heated up the walk and placed oil in to fry up some chicken and it stuck. I was disappointed but continued to use it. I clean it right after use and oil it every time. After about 8 dishes, and the wok started to darken and season, not much is sticking now. I love it!! I am going to order a 12 inch wok next. The two handles make it easy to move around. This 14 inch wok has a thick bottom and is built heavy and solid. I'm sold on this product and highly recommend it!!

Learn how to cook and take care of steel and high carbon steel cooking products.

This is what your wok should look like after seasoning and cooking. This is like a cast iron skillet. Treat it as such. If you don't know about cast iron skillet's care then do your self a favor. Learn how to take care of these kitchen items, BEFORE you say. It rusted, I don't know how to clean it! It works great if you are not ignorant.

Perfect if you season it well! Not a lazy cooks item!

Can't beat the wok if you take care of it! If you expect to unbox this baby and have it be nonstick you better get something else. It's like cast iron, you have to season it and care for it differently than your normal skillets. Follow the pre- seasoning instructions included. Then I'd suggest frying some cheap veggies in it (onion, celery, peppers) to start the good patina seasoning. I'd also recommend getting a few pounds of pork belly from your local butcher (mine was 75 cents a pound) and fry it up half a pound at a time. Letting the wok cool in between each time.

Ready To Wok & Roll!

I'm a bit of a wok enthusiast and perfectionist. I rarely cook with anything but a wok and my last one that I've had for about 10+ years was a non-stick version and was finally losing its "non-stickability" and needed to retire. Not remembering the maker of it, I was left stressed trying to determine what new wok I wanted. I opted for searching for the perfect 14" Carbon Steel wok as it is more authentic than what I had had previously owned. I was also determined not to spend any more than $40 on a wok. This one has fit the bill on all accounts! It was a deal at $28! I just finished the painstaking task of seasoning this wok. After a failed attempt at seasoning a crummy wok I purchased about a month or so ago from a national retailer, I did some research and decided to try this wok instead. On the previous wok, I followed the instructions for seasoning to the letter and the bottom burned and warped. The Helen Chen's wok has pretty much the same instructions. I wasn't risking it this time. After much research, I opted to try a glorified version of the oven method since there were so many variations online. INSTRUCTIONS: After using a scouring pad, detergent and hot water to thoroughly scrub the coating off the front and back of the wok, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the long handle by unscrewing it. Cover the small helper handle in a damp dish cloth and then wrap it twice with aluminum foil, covering all exposed wood. Then use a paper towel to lightly coat cooking oil over the exposed surface, front and back. Flip the wok upside down and back at 425 for 20 minutes. Repeat this 20 minute baking process three times, allowing the wok to cool in between baking. Remove any excess oil with a dry paper towel and recoat the surface lightly with the cooking oil using a clean paper towel prior to putting in the oven each time. After the third bake, bring the wok to the stove at medium/high setting. Stir fry some aromatic vegetables (I used green onion) and cooking oil. Stir fry until the onions are charred and throw them away. Your wok should have a beautiful black to brown patina and be virtually non-stick! I originally posted a photo of my end results; however, upon editing my Amazon review, it disappeared and I cannot figure out how to reupload it. The small, decorative ends of the helper handle were falling off. This was most likely a result of the oven method. (The instructions that came with the wok didn't even mention using the oven to season). There might have been some wood glue holding these three pieces together that melted off in the oven. Regardless, the end caps are strictly aesthetic and don't affect the functionality of the piece at all. I ended up cutting them off in lieu of affixing them, leaving the large center piece of the handle in tact. It's perfect in my opinion! I opted for the 14" sans lid, to save $12. I kept my lid from my last wok just in case so I plan on using it with this one!

Amazing Wok: Take the Time to Season it Correctly

This is a great, great wok, but it is the REAL thing, so you must spend about an hour seasoning it BEFORE you ever cook with it. As it seasons it will turn black, like cast iron. That's what you want! You are essentially creating a classic non-stick surface. Here's a fool proof way to do it, which combines the instructions included and other methods. 1. Fill the wok 2/3 with water, put on the stove on high, bring to the boil, and BOIL for a full 10 minutes. This worked fine on my electric stove. You do not need a heat ring because the wok has a flat bottom. 2. Carefully pour out the boiling water and scrub the interior for about 2 minutes with a metal scrubbie (available at the $ Store) and a couple drops of dish soap. 3. Rinse well in warm water for at least a minute. 4. Return to high heat. It will smoke, so open your windows and turn on your exhaust. 5. Add a couple table spoons of veg oil (NO spray oils), one onion chopped into large pieces, and about an inch of ginger chopped into large pieces. If you don't have ginger, just use the onion. 6. Stir fry this for 20 minutes on med-med high heat. The pan will start turning black on the bottom. 7. Pour out the oil and the food 8. Wash with WATER ONLY and a sponge or dish rag. Do not use metal or dish soap on this again. 9. Return to the burner to dry completely 10. Put a couple drops of oil in wok and wipe the inside with a paper towel, leaving no thick oil residue Viola'! You have a perfect wok! Each time you cook in it, follow steps 8-10. This wok will last you a lifetime and hopefully spark your culinary creativity!!! When the wok arrives, the handle might be loose. Just turn the metal thing in the handle clockwise to tighten it back down.

Well-balanced flat-bottomed wok perfect for induction tops

When I moved to Europe, I was forced to use an induction cook top because it's very popular here. I had to get rid of all my cheap non-stick cookware (not induction ready) and was left with a single cast iron pan that I can use for daily cooking. At some point I wanted to "go back to my roots" and start cooking Asian food. Like a sweet dream, I can hear my mom's spatula clanking on our old trusty wok. I had a goal, and that is to reproduce that sound in my kitchen. I came across this wok and knew it would be a good fit as it is flat bottomed and thus would work well with an induction top. I have used the wok for a month and it's been great. It is a bit heavier than what I would have wanted but this has an added bonus of making it more stable on the stove top. It does not tilt and is well balanced. The handle is heavy duty and is great for the constant moving one has to do while stir frying. I do wish a helper handle is present due to the heavier weight of the wok. One con with an induction is that it only heats the middle part of the wok. The wok eventually gets hot on the sides, but not as hot as one would get if used over fire. It does still get the job done. It heats up and cools down quickly and would start to smoke oil by level 5, whereas my cast iron would reach smoke point with the same oil at level 8. For induction users, it is better to initially season this wok over fire to get the edges black as well. Rotate the wok over fire to burn it and create a nice patina. As with cast iron, do not soak this in water. I left it in the sink one night and surface rust was already forming by morning. I do not blame the wok as it was my fault. I used a bit of soap and a steel wool to rub the rust away, but it created scratches on the surface. It was cosmetic only so I didn't mind. I reseasoned the wok and it's good as new. With a nice cover, it is perfect for steaming dumplings. Buy a medium sized bamboo steamer to add more space at the bottom for the water. A small steamer (good for 4 siomai per rack) will only waste space. Overall, I am pretty satisfied with my purchase. I can clank the wok with my spatula to my heart's content, and it seems like it's durable enough to last. Time will tell if it will last as long as my grandma's wok, which is still used by my mom today.

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