Joyce Chen 23-0003, Light-weight Solid Iron Stir Fry, 11.5-Inch

Great wok. Especially for electric stove top
Many people would say nothing beats carbon steel woks. I tend to agree if you have a gas stove top that can handle rounded bottom woks. But for electric top, I encounter problem with a flat carbon steel wok: it loses heat as soon as you lift it up to toss food (losing direct contact with a heat source). I did some research and found that iron cast retains heat better than carbon steel, but iron cast takes longer to heat up. However, this wok overcomes those problems. It heats up quickly and retains heat when I toss food in the air. It is surprisingly light for iron cast, yet very well built. However, don’t expect carbon steel lightness here. It is still an iron cast. The handle feels nice and sturdy. Its large flat bottom increases contact surface with heat source. It also comes with 25 year warranty, and the quality seems to last even longer. The wok is pre-seasoned, which save me from doing the work. But as with every steel wok, you need to season it regularly. If you never use wok before or use only stainless steel cookware, you should do some research before buying iron cast or carbon steel woks. They need proper care and maintenance.In sum, Joyce Chen cast iron wok is a great wok for electric top. I never use it on gas but I bet it performs equally well. I would recommend this wok for those whose stove tops are flat, either gas or electric. If you have the top specially designed to take a wok, then you probably already know what you want anyway.

Other aesthetic features I liked about this wok were its (2) nice practical wooden …
So . . . a couple things about this wok. First, I find it aesthetically pleasing. Not to sound superficial, but my prior wok was a flat-bottomed Taylor & Ng blued carbon steel wok. And while that wok served me well for years, it simply never got that total pitch-black patina that I had read about in books. After a while, every time I looked down into that mixed blue, brown, and black interior, I just felt defeated. Here, this Joyce Chen wok is (1) made of cast iron so–right out of the box–it has that blacked appearance already. Presto! Other aesthetic features I liked about this wok were its (2) nice practical wooden handle, (3) the absence of any unsightly welding, and (4) the wok’s ‘heft.’ This Joyce Chen wok certainly has more weight than a ‘typical’ thin walled carbon steel wok but it doesn’t weigh nearly as much as a comparably sized Lodge cast iron pan.Second, this wok performs well in the kitchen. I have a gas-fired range but it’s not one of those custom ranges that can launch a small object into orbit. The cast iron here helps holds heat and I have yet to hear the wok stop hissing after I drop in ingredients. Granted, even cast iron isn’t going to compensate for the lack of a true commercial range, but, still, I’m getting plenty of ‘sizzle up in my hizzle’ so I’m happy.This wok size is probably best for one or two people if you are stir-frying noodles or rice dishes inside the wok (as opposed to stir-frying a side dish that will be eaten with separately cooked and served rice). What this means for a family of four is that using this Joyce Chen wok will involve cooking in batches. That really isn’t as inconvenient as it sounds though because I was already cooking in batches even with a 14-inch wok. Plus, cooking with a wok on high heat takes around 5 minutes so, even if you are cooking in batches, it’s not like your family can’t sit down and eat together.

The perfect wok for induction cooking!
I recently purchased an induction burner (Max Burton 6200 1800W) which I love, but the problem I ran into was finding a cooking vessel that could take advantage of its heating potential. After some experimentation with various pots and pans, I found that the ones made of carbon steel and cast iron work the best….by far.I was really happy to find a cast iron wok that didn’t weight 75 lbs and was the perfect design (wide bottom). I got it yesterday and was blown away by two things; how light it was and how hot you can get this wok. I used a thermal gun on it and got readings above 800 degrees. Even my carbon steel wok didn’t get that hot.This wok comes pre-seasoned, looks to be well constructed, is priced right and definitely does what a wok is supposed to do….”get rocket hot”. If you are looking for a good gift set for that vegetarian cook in your life, get this wok and a good induction burner (they aren’t expensive). They’ll love you forever.

Terrific wok. I got it because I wanted to increase my iron intake from using cast iron pots, and stop using my potentially poisonous non-stick wok.Light and easy to manage. Seasoned properly so food doesn’t stick. So fabulous I bought a second one.

The wok is light as it said, you can hold it by one hand. After few times use, the bottom of the wok is getting not flat, especially after heated. it does not sit properly on my glass top range.