Lightweight 14.5-Inch Flat-Bottom Cast Iron Wok With Glass Lid

This wok was hand-crafted by a heritage company in Sichuan that has been making cast-iron pots for more than a century. The traditional craft—practiced as it always has been but tweaked to meet current environmental standards—qualifies as National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Here are the reasons that this cast iron wok has stood the test of time:

Chinese cast iron is ideal for stir-frying: This wok heats up exceptionally fast and retains heat longer than any other material. This is important because the goal of stir-frying is to cook ingredients quickly, searing and crisping proteins while retaining the crunch of vegetables. Even more importantly, adding ingredients to this wok does not significantly lower the temperature, as it does in other materials, allowing you to stir-fry the entire dish over sufficient heat, even with the lower BTUs of a home stove. This sustained high heat makes possible the Maillard reaction (browning) and wok hei (the transference of the breath, or essence, of a wok to the food).

The right size and shape: Unless you have a built-in wok burner on your cooktop or another setup you are comfortable with, a flat-bottom wok is better than a round bottom for Western stoves.

The size and shape of a wok are also important. Woks need to be at least 13 to 14 inches in diameter to provide ample space for stirring, flipping and tossing food. Woks that are under 13 inches in diameter are simply not large enough for serious stir-frying, as the food is crowded in the wok, causing it to steam instead of fry. Similarly, the flat bottom of the wok needs to be large enough to connect directly with the heat source and heat the entire wok. The flat bottom of this pan measures 6 inches, providing that contact. High sides are necessary for maneuvering the ingredients and providing multiple heat zones. This wok is 4 inches deep.

Finally, this pow wok has a long handle, vs. the Cantonese wok with two ear handles, which makes it easier to lift and maneuver. The handle and helper handle on this wok are natural oak.

• Real talk: A 4.5 pound wok with a pound of food in it, whether that is a cast iron or a carbon steel wok, is too heavy for many of us to toss around like a Cantonese restaurant chef. No matter. If a full wok is too heavy for you to lift and toss, simply stir-fry the way Chinese home cooks do, using a wok spatula/shovel to scoop, toss and move the food through the heat zones.
  

Nonstick surface: When molten pig iron ore is cast in a clay mold in the Chinese process, thermal expansion and contraction creates a "turtle pattern," with small irregular lines all over the surface. As you cook with the wok, these shallow cracks trap oil that becomes polymerized and creates a very effective nonstick surface.

Lid: This wok comes with a gold-tinted tempered-glass lid that fits tightly to the wok. It has a steam outlet to facilitate steaming and braising.

In China, Intangible Cultural Heritage refers to traditional cultural practices, skills and knowledge that are considered an important part of the nation's cultural identity. The craftmanship of this wok has been included in this prestigious group, with the goal of preserving living traditions by ensuring they're passed from one generation to the next.

Previous generations of Chinese cast iron pots were sometimes fragile and could easily break. We have not found that to be the case with this wok in normal use and in our testing of rough handling.

Unlike carbon steel, which has an extremely long ugly duckling stage (usually a year or more) of mottled blacks and browns as the seasoning builds up, the surface of cast iron will quickly build a beautiful all-over black patina. It looks so handsome on the stove, you may just keep it there.

This wok is compatible with all cooktops, including gas, glass/ceramic, electric coil and induction. However, like all woks it works best on gas stoves.

Preseasoned: After the factory pros sand and finish the wok, they preseason it for you. Per their instructions, and our experience, there is very little you need to do to get started cooking in this wok. The pot does not have a coating to remove. They advise that you heat the wok over high heat for one minute, then while the wok is hot, carefully wipe it clean with a damp cotton cloth. Wash out the cloth and thoroughly wipe the wok three times. When the wok cools, simply apply a thin layer of oil all over the inside and outside of the wok with a paper towel. And that is it!

Usage: The keys to nonstick cooking are sufficient heat and oil. When stir-frying, the makers advise heating the wok over high heat for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, at least until there are visible wisps of heat, then lowering the heat and adding the oil. For the first few uses, make sure you are generous with the oil, to build up the nonstick surface. After you've built up that surface, you will need less oil for nonstick cooking.

The company also advises not to boil or braise foods for the first month or so, allowing that nonstick surface to form from cooking in oil.

Care: Use little or no soap to clean the wok during its early life. Simply use hot water and a dual-sided sponge. After the nonstick surface has formed, it's fine to use small amounts of dish soap. Completely dry the wok after each use. If the surface has an oil sheen, no need to oil. Otherwise, coat the inside surface with a thin layer of oil before storing it.

As you use the wok, the non-cooking surface around the top edges can get an oil build-up. The company advises using steel wool to clean that area or any area with noticeable cooked-on grease. We have found it much easier to keep this wok clean than our carbon steel woks.

Dimensions: 14.5 inches diameter at top; 6 inches diameter flat bottom; 4 inches tall. Weight without lid 4.5 pounds

Materials: high-quality cast iron body; natural oak wood handles; gold-tinted, tempered-glass lid with a steam hole, trimmed in steel.

This wok is compatible with all cooktops, including gas, glass/ceramic, electric coil and induction. Like all woks, it works best on gas stoves.

The wok ships with the long handle detached. Simply screw the handle into the wok with your hands. No tools needed.

Please read product description and size carefully, as we must charge a restocking fee on cookware returns.