Carbon Steel Woks — Australia

Both culinary amateurs and pros are well aware that a carbon steel wok is a great assistant in your kitchen. Having this incredible utensil at your hand allows creating Asian cuisine masterpieces and classic dishes of the Chinese, Japanese, Thai, or Vietnam cuisines. Before you buy woks of different sizes and materials, we recommend familiarising yourself with the characteristics of the Yosukata brand cookware available for purchase in Australia.

Cooking with a carbon steel wok

Have you ever heard something about the stir-fry technique? This is a classic cooking method used by Asians, which provides for the constant stirring of the finely-chopped ingredients cooked in the wok. Most Hell Kitchen fans get inspiration from their favourite TV show and buy carbon steel wok to try this method at home. Indeed, if you master the art of cooking wok dishes, you will be able to make a delicious dinner in just 15 minutes. 

Best carbon steel wok sizes

There is no best carbon steel wok in terms of size, as every kitchen is unique, and your choice may be also based on the number of family members. Yosukata brand offers three different cookware sizes so you can pick the small wok of 11.8’ diameter, the medium-sized of 13.5’ diameter, or a large wok of 14’ diameter. You should also consider the stove dimensions and match your kitchen utensils accordingly.

Shapes

It is important to remember that a carbon steel wok comes in different shapes: round bottom and flat bottom. If your stove-top allows using the round bottom wok — we highly recommend choosing this option. This is a traditional shape of this cookware because stir-fry is easier with round bottoms. However, this option is not suitable for cooking on glass-top stoves. On the contrary, the flat-bottomed wok is a great solution for induction cookers because it ensures a proper connection of the bottom with the induction stove. 

Materials

Yosukata brand offers only carbon steel woks in its catalogue. Carbonised steel is characterised by its safety, durability, and good heat conduction. The classic option is black carbon steel cookware, but you can also consider the purchase of blue carbon steel utensils. Here are the main characteristics of both materials:

Black 

This is a traditional material for manufacturing woks: it is created at high temperatures and has a thin layer of oxidised iron on the outer surface. The black colour comes from the additional heat treatment. However, the key characteristics of the material remain the same. The black carbon steel wok is considered a classic choice.

Blue

The blue carbon steel wok has almost the same characteristics as the black alternative. The difference lies in the annealing process that carbon steel undergoes to get its non-stick properties. Overall, the blue carbon steel is a bit more corrosion-resistant than the black alternative.

FAQ

What wok do professional chefs use?

Most professional chefs prefer using an authentic carbon steel wok, i.e., the classic round bottom black utensil. This allows reaching the original taste of the Asian dish without much effort.

Are carbon steel woks better?

Carbon steel is a durable material that can be a nice alternative to cast iron and aluminium. Just like any other alternative, carbon steel cookware has its pros and cons, which should be considered before the purchase. 

Is carbon steel wok toxic?

Carbon steel is a safe, non-toxic material. With time, the carbon steel wok pan gains non-stick properties, so you don’t even need to use detergents to wash your cookware. 

What can you cook in a carbon steel wok?

You can use this pan to cook various Asian dishes, including noodles, rice, vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, and even soups. 

What can you not cook in a carbon steel wok?  

It is recommended to avoid cooking acidic food in your wok or those that contain vinegar, lemon juice, tomato, etc. Carbon steel is a reactive material not suitable for cooking acidic ingredients.