What kind of pan do you use to stir-fry?

[Hotler]

cast iron or non-stick skillet, high sided skillet, or a wok. I've been looking at a Joyce Chen 14-inch non-stick steel flat bottom wok, any thoughts????
Thanks.

[NMDemDist2]

1. i found a carbon steel wok set in the thrift store

it's 12-14" across and had all the goodies with it. $5 IIRC

[Warpy]

2. Depends on what I'm doing

If I'm doing just a quickie stir fry for one (me), I use my Calphalon "everyday pan." If I'm doing it for more than one, I haul out my wok. If I'm doing something that can be reheated, again it's the wok.

Real stir frying uses super high heat. I'd stay away from anything with Teflon on it.

A cheap hammered steel Chinese market special will work just fine. Make sure it has no wood or plastic on the handles so you can properly season it in your oven.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. I use a BAW

Big Assed Wok

Carbon steel with a tubular handle of the same material. Very unfancy. I think mine is called a mandarin wok.

It looks like this one.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Usually, a cheap flat-bottomed wok I got...

at K-Mart for 15 bucks or so. I use that for a lot of stuff, mainly because it's huge and lives on the stove so it's convenient. (It's also a great popcorn popper) Other times any ol' iron or steel saute pan lying around. I've gotten away from non-stick-- it can't stand the heat, it's not as nonstick as they want you to believe, and I always manage to wear the coating away anyway.

I once had an excellent wok I found in Chinatown, but that's long gone, and I don't really see any difference in the results.

[htuttle]

5. I got a fancy-pants cast iron wok

And I love it. I cook all sorts of things in it, not just stir fry.

The thing I like about the design the best is that the base is integrated into the wok. No more tipping the thing over off a flimsy ring stand.

It's supposed to work fine on electric ranges, too, but I've only used it on gas.

[Hotler]

6. Thanks everyone for the input.

Carbon steel seems to be the choice.

[yellowdogintexas]

9. it is the best way, and not very expensive. Target sells them

and so does World Market . Go ahead and get a large one. You can cook for one in a large wok but you can't cook for a crowd in a small one. Mine is over 30 years old and still going strong.

[Kali]

7. I use a cheapo steel wok that has seasoned up pretty well, if I may say so

but we have three older teens and so it just isn't big enough - I usually end up using the hugemongous 14 inch cast iron frying pan.

[tomreedtoon]

8. Elitists! I use a cast iron skillet.

It holds the heat better than any crummy thin wok, made from an old oil drum. It has a handle you can hold. It actually browns the meat. It is non-stick if you season it properly and don't scrub it to death. The round bottom only works if you have one of those expensive gas grills; for the electric oven that most of us have, a flat-bottomed iron skillet is far better.

[hobbit709]

10. 90% of my cooking is on a 14-inch cast-iron skillet

I use it for practically everything. I also use a 8-inch cast-iron skillet and a cast-iron Dutch oven. I also have a cast-iron round griddle for pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches, etc. The skillets are about 40 years old and well broke in.

[shireen]

12. how hard is it to clean?

I bought one last year, and have followed all the instructions for maintenance. But the idea of not being able to clean it with soap really bothered me, and i started using it less and less.

I'd like to start using it again. How do you clean it? Do you ever get food stuck to the pan? I need some encouragement .... :)

[Warpy]

13. I use a tawashi, a Japanese scrub brush

but you can find adequate plastic scrubbers, too. If all else fails, use some Kosher salt as an abrasive to get stuck on crud off the surface.

Remember, you're heating the thing to blast furnace temperatures. No germ is going to survive that and any oils left on the surface will just dry and become part of the seasoning.

My own procedure is to clean out the wok and then oil it with a very thin film of oil on a paper towel, and then heat it until it's dry and looks matte rather than shiny. Then it goes on the shelf until it's needed again.

[shireen]

14. thanks ... my problem is that the pan is on an open shelf

and dust gathers on top of the oil. I have a very small kitchen in an apartment, so I don't have the luxury of cabinet space. Based on your comments, it looks like I need to find some kind of enclosure for that pan, to keep the dust out.

[Warpy]

15. Just go to a restaurant supply place

and buy a large lid for it, one that fits just inside the rim. That will keep the dust at bay to the point that a quick swipe with a paper towel will take care of it. If there are a few dust specks left, who cares? The high heat will kill anything living in them, too.

I store my wok on an open shelf, too, and spring is an incredibly dusty time of year here in the high desert.

[shireen]

16. this is why i love DU!!!

Thanks, Warpy. LOL! That's a perfect solution. And I just found a nice glass lid, online, at Target. :)

[mike_c]

17. store it upside down....

I store most of my skillets on an open rack, upside down. They stay completely clean that way.

[hippywife]

19. Or you could just cover it with

a kitchen towel or foil when it's not in use. :hi:

[davidwparker]

11. Le Creuset cast iron

[mike_c]

18. carbon steel woks, perfectly seasoned....

I love my woks, although like Warpy, I use old cast iron skillets a LOT. But I like the concentrated heat in the bottom of a wok for stir fries.