Although considered traditional, carbon steel cooking woks are still the best since it uses lesser oil when used for frying.



It would be most excellent to know the different types of cooking woks available in the market according to size, shape and use to fit your cooking needs. There are Chinese woks, electric woks, stainless type woks, carbon steel woks and non-stick type woks. You might be surprised to know that all of these have different uses when it comes to cooking.

Mostly, the cooking wok types are those we use for deep-frying, roasting and even for boiling of water.

When purchasing a wok, you might want to consider the purpose of buying one and what you really need to use the new one for. Make a shortlist in your head the benefits and advantages of each one before actually buying the cooking wok. You have to be extra careful in buying cooking woks since there are available in the market that falls short on quality. As a rule of thumb, you might want to consider the price but not compromise durability and quality. There are available buys on the Internet where you can find inexpensive yet durable ones.

You might find it unusual but woks have accessories too. These are:

Wok Rack: A wok rack is used for deep-fat fry and draining the oil completely. It is perfect for draining off excess oil from the food. It is a semicircular or doughnut-shaped wire rack hanging from both sides of the wok.

Steamer Rack: A steamer rack is very good for steaming. As steamer rack holds the food over the simmering water while it circulates the steam and allows the food to cook.

Wire-Mesh Strainer: The wire mesh strainer is recommended to use during deep-frying. It works magic by helping you remove cooked food from the hot oil and protects your hand from intense heat. However, you may use a long-handled slotted spoon in the absence of wire-mesh strainer.

Chopsticks: Two thin sticks employed chiefly in picking up food to the mouth. In Asian countries, this is not only used for eating but also for cooking.

Tongs: Tongs are used for removing fried food or steamed food. They come in wood or metal materials.

Bamboo Brush: Bamboo brush helps in making sure you may use your woks longer and keeps its quality at its best. In the absence of a bamboo brush, you may also use loofah. Bamboo brush is known for its gentle quality making it the perfect utensil cleaner. Avoid using any abrasive pad or cleaner that may damage non-stick or seasoned surface.

Most of the woks present in the market are dishwasher safe but to achieve a spotlessly clean work, it is best to use your hands in washing. It is imperative that you clean your wok after every cook to keep your wok in perfect condition and maintain superb hygiene.

You can follow these very simple steps in cleaning your wok and be assured of an enhanced durability that almost last a lifetime. Simply use your hands in washing the wok however, if you are not satisfied with how you clean your wok, just soak it in plain water for hours and then clean it again. You can also use a soft wipe to clean the pot and rough wipe to get rid of spot and grease.

You might find it amusing to know that you can also use table salt to take away hard-to-clean remove food particles. All you have to do is gently rub the table salt onto the area and then rinse with warm water. Please take note that it would be very ideal to dry it over low heat to avoid rusting as compared to air-drying.