Do we think I can fool my wife (adventures in Wok'ing...)?

[bmillin]

I would not use that. Show her why and get a good one.

[tamidw]

Tell her you appreciate the wok, but after just dealing with it the amount you have, it feels like the handle is weak and you’d like to get a different one. I guess be truthful. 😊

[ecowper]

Would it be okay if he told his wife he expected sammiches while he’s waiting for the new wok?

I mean, this didn’t work out well with my wife, but who knows ;-)

[tamidw]

Haha! That will probably go over about as well as it did with your wife. 🤪

[Jim White]

Yes, that wooden handle looks to already be partially split and precarious in its attachment to the metal.

But I’m confused. That looks like it’s nonstick, but you are discussing seasoning.

And one final observation. Storing anything with wood on it in the oven is not the best idea. Sooner or later, someone will turn the oven on to preheat without looking inside.

[jfmorris]

I agree. That looks NOTHING like a carbon steel surface - looks like nonstick to me as well.

[Michael_in_TX]

What I may do is try to find a large dowel and do rickgregory's idea of drilling through the metal and using a screw. As Jim White noticed, yes, the handle has a small crack in it. Also the wood is weird. It's extremely light...not quite balsa but it does not feel like what a traditional cooking-grade wood would feel like weird.

And yes...I am wondering if this is non-stick. When I went to wash it...it didn't feel like I was washing or rubbing a protective coating off. And it does feel a little nonstick. Hmm.

Handle issues aside, this still would make a great deep-fry vessel.

Something else that occurred to me. Years ago, I often would stop off at a Chili's that was halfway between the university and my house (because traffic was so bad, especially on Fridays). The bartender was a competition bartender. He had this foam bottle that he would use to practice "flair" -- tossing it around, behind the back -- it was pretty cool.

Worst case, this could be my practice or even "warm-up" wok in which (as long as I repair the handle) I practice tossing rice or beans. If the handle snaps, I won't have 900 F oil all over me. (Although....it might take a bit of time to clean up all the beans on the floor.....)

And, of course, I was mostly joking (mostly....) about not telling my wife. And quality woks are inexpensive: the standard go-to at The Wok Shop is $40.

[Michael_in_TX]

Storing anything with wood on it in the oven is not the best idea. Sooner or later, someone will turn the oven on to preheat without looking inside.

This is wise counsel. You are absolutely right. Eventually that would have happened. No more wok in oven.

[RichieB]

And this is why we have not exchanged gifts in 25 years. We stressed, got it wrong and it was not a satisfactory experience. Since then, we buy what we want/need. Granted, she
will SHH when she sees a package arrive. My purchases are cooked related. Hers are grandkids focused. We are blessed to be able to do this and we accept and respect what we do.

[jfmorris]

We did that for the first time this year - not exchanging gifts and just getting what we each want/need (which was nothing this time around!). After 32 years of me screwing up and getting stuff she would return...

[hoovarmin]

My wife and I started that out of necessity when we were first married and continued on after we no longer needed to. We do buy each other things during the year, but no stress over 'getting it right" on a big day.

[FireMan]

After lookin at the thing, it looks ok to me. The wood, eh, if somethin goes wrong, fix it. I doubt anything will by the loooks of things. It does appear to be non-stick, that could be a problem. If it is carbon steel it then has a pretty decent appearance & needs to be used. The problem just may be in the inexperience of the gifted. Your wife just might have done right my man. Give her a kiss & a hug & start stir fryin, ahem, after seasoning.

[Michael_in_TX]

UPDATE!

The wok I got is indeed defective. The wok has a unique honeycomb pattern on the inside and I was able to find similar woks on Amazon. One of them had a photo that clued me into the problem with the handle.

There a long eyebolt that is designed to go from the end of the handle and thread into the metal part of the wok handle.

Here's the end of the handle and the eye of the eyebolt..... and if you look closely on the wok, you'll the see the end into which a bolt should thread.



Problem? The bolt supplied is way too short! It only extends about 3/4 of the way down the handle. It doesn't appear to be broken off in any way, but it is just too short.

Okay, now I've got something I can work with. It was nagging me that how a friction-fit handle would be safe/acceptable on any type of pan, even on the cheapest of the cheap stuff from China.

Here's what the other end of the handle looks like.



(Also, none of the works with this pattern are labeled nonstick, so it may actually be plain stamped carbon steel, albeit with a weird texture.)

[Michael_in_TX]

Another update....

While the wok is not coated with a non-stick coating, it did go through something called a "nitriding process," which is supposed to help it resist rust. I cannot find any reference to a nitriding process for conventional spun or hardened carbon steel woks (i.e. the one's you'd buy from The Wok Shop).

Nitriding, apparently, darkens the surface, which is why my wok didn't appear silver or grey out of the box and had very little color change when I was seasoning it over a hot gas burner.

Anyone know what nitriding is? I just want to make sure it won't break down into something toxic like teflon if heated to a high smoke point.

[jfmorris]

Nitriding is common on handgun parts, to provide a protective finish. It is not a coating however, but a diffusing of nitrogen and carbon into the metal to change the properties. It is done by immersion into a high temp cyanide bath. Never heard of it being used on cookware…

[fzxdoc]

This is one weird-looking wok; carbon-steel woks are such simple basic things and perform so well. Is it really worth fiddling with the handle and wondering whether you're going to ingest some weird chemical if you heat it up to deep fry temps?

I'd say that the bolt gives you a reason to return it. Then hop on over to the Wok Shop and get the real deal. I got a great end-of-year bundle deal from the Wok Shop when I ordered my carbon steel flat bottomed wok from them a few years ago.

Kathryn

[Panhead John]

Agree 100%.

[MBMorgan]

+1 (that’s 101% … I beat PJ. HA!)

[Old Glory]

Agreed

[FireMan]

More two cents worth. That removable handle allows you to put it in the oven & not burn it off. I don’t know if that is good or bad honestly. In my 30 years of cookin with a wok I’ve never found a need to put in the oven. Also, the appearance of the wok looks as if it was hammered. From pics, I don,’t know if that is real or cosmetic. A true hammered wok can be a desired & expensive quality. You have allluded to “cheap” & Chinese. The two don’t necessarily go together, since the Chinese invented the wok. This might speak volumes, how much did she pay for it & where did she buy it from, source if from Amazon.

[Michael_in_TX]

You're right....the pattern does seem to be trying to mimic a hammered appearance.

[jfmorris]

My wok from the Wok Shop has that long bolt to hold the handle on, but it goes the length of the wood and into the metal bracket on the wok! I would return it if possible based on that defect alone.

If you get one at the Wok Shop, I recommend the 14" flat bottomed with the metal helper handle, if you plan on seasoning or using it in the oven or on the grill. The wooden helper handles are not detachable, and can burn.

[fzxdoc]

This.

[Michael_in_TX]

Excellent point! Thank you!

[Michael_in_TX]

If only I hadn't thrown the box away....

Yeah, I think I know what I am going to do. I'll give a shot on shoring up the handle and relegate this wok to my "practice wok." I'll keep it in my home office with some dried beans and when the university gets to me, I'll take a break and practice lol.

I'll get the 14" flat-bottomed wok with the metal helper handle from The Wok Shop on order. (I do understand they ship out in batches and are not Amazon Prime.)

(I do have a restaurant supply store close by, but they only carry Cantonese-style woks, which makes sense as flat-bottomed woks would be rare in a professional kitchen.)

[FireMan]

It sounds like you are making the right move. The wok shop has what you need. I was the original promoter of the Wok Shop. There will be other recommendations & the cost can send you into Lala land. Tame Chan is not about the glitz & expense of woks but what works for you.Now the matter of the wife. Tell her that it has motivated you to have one at office & home. Cook something slosh fer her. Everything will be alright!

[FireMan]

I haven’t mentioned in awhile how much I hate spell check. Delish instead of slosh, duh & Tane instead of tame.

[barelfly]

FireMan - you also pointed me towards one on Amazon that I love and works amazing - at the time I was looking, Wok Shop didn’t have much in stock for some reason. I went to my past purchases and can’t believe what the price has jumped to - $80. I know I didn’t pay that.

[fzxdoc]

Good plan, Michael. With your culinary expertise, I predict that you won't be picking up dried beans from your office floor too often as you work on your food-flipping technique with your demoted wok.

You're going to love the wok from the Wok Shop. As he mentioned, it was FireMan 's suggestion that sent a bunch of us scurrying to their website a few years back to get woks.

Don't forget to check to see if there are any special deals or bundle promos on the Wok Shop website.

Kathryn

[texastweeter]

Liquor her up, and hand it to her. Make it fall in the exchange then blame her for breaking it. Console her by saying you will order a new one right away and your not mad at all...

[Panhead John]

How are you still married? 😂

[texastweeter]

She is young and dumb. Panhead John