| |  | Kitchen & Housewares Lodge Pro-Logic 14-Inch Cast-Iron Wok with Loop Handles |  | | | | | | | | | | Rating:  - LOVE this wok!
Like my review says, I LOVE this wok. I am already a cast iron freak, owning no less than about 15 Lodge items, some of them going back 2 generations in my family. I use 'em, too. The wok is the latest addand I love it. Heavy, yes. That is a deterrent if I were trying to do fancy food tossing and flipping, which I don't...nor do Chinese wok chefs when using larger woks...there are other ways to accomplish the same thing less theatrically. High heat retention, perhaps. But I tend to heat my wok on "high medium high" as opposed to ultra high heat. I get great cooking temperature plus the wok sides are cool enough to "hold" other items - a key functional aspect of the wok shape.
I know that other reviewers heat this up on High heat and that seems to work for them - I opt for a slightly lower version of High and make sure to heat it up for a good 5 minutes or so, and that approach give me great cooking temperature AND seems to keep foods from sticking.
A snobby co-worker saw it delivered and commented that it would be too hot overall to work properly because woks are supposed to have hi-temp zone a the base and cooler zones up the side for proper stir-frying. I took that mental reservation home with me, but when I used the wok, found that it is not an issue. It "zones" great for proper wok cooking. Also, it cools off fast enough that I can wash/wipe it clean fairly quickly after finishing a dish....so much for the heat retention issue.
The shape is perfect. The flat bottom makes it well-balanced on my gas range. The interior is just right for manipulating food to cook stirfry for 1-4 folks... maybe more, but to overfill it by much defeats the ability to move the food around in the way that is needed for proper wok-cookery.
Awesome for deep-frying, a least for smaller quantities: the shape helps to reduce the amount of oil needed.
Lodge's Pro-Logic line of pre-seasoned items is great. I have pre-seasoned a bunch of my earlier lodge items...with great results but admittedly it takes some doing ( my secret for seasoning is to just keep the item in the bottom of my oven between uses with a light coat of oil and let it keep seasoning with each oven use - works like a charm, but takes some time!) Fortunately, the pre-seasoned items make it that much easier to jump right in and use the cast irom items straight away and very successfully...I was bold about this and made my 1st stir-fry in this wok using cabbage and other reactive veggies...and NOTHING discolored. That is really good pre-seasoning.
Lodge makes great cast iron...here in the USA which is a good thing too. So I recommend this product highly...but,after reading some of the other reviews, I do recommend that you know what the H you are doing before you cook in it ... otherwise, you might have results that have less to do with the cookware and more to do with the cook.
Rating:  - Overated, but OK considering the price.
I purchased this wok because of all the wonderful reviews, but this doesn't live up to the quality of other cast iron products I have. The interior/cooking surface is bumpy, as with other lower quality cast iron products, vs. the nice smooth/slick cooking surface on higher grade cast iron cookware. If anyone knows of a great quality cast iron wok with a very smooth surface, I'd love to know the brand and model. That said, this wok will do, especially considering the price, until I find the perfect wok.
Rating: - 2 Years Later...
OK, pre-seasoned is one thing and actual use is something else.I've been using this wok at least weekly for over two years and it's just starting to show it's true potential.First of all most 4-burner stoves produce about 4,500 BTUs per burner.That's inadequate for stir frying.I have a 13,500 BTU burner which is barely adequate for stir frying -- even after a 10 minute pre-heat.If you really want this wok to sing, get a Big Kahuna at 65,000 BTUs and the magic begins.
Back to the wok.Amazon has doubled the price of this wok (I presume to cover "free" shipping).Even at $50, it's still one of the best investments you can make IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH HEAT.There is a difference between braising and stir-frying.Stir-fry browns the food and evaporates the liquid as it's released.If you have a typical gas stove, you will not be able to get the wok hot enough to stir-fry.
The pre-seasoning is kind of a joke.Lodge uses single use sand molds to make their iron cookware resulting in a pitted surface that is not non-stick.Over time, the use of metal tools wears away some of the surface and it becomes slick and truly seasoned.
Another thing, don't even think about using detergent on any iron cookware because it washes away the mircoscopic carbon molecules that makes it non-stick.A simple bristle brush and some warm water bath followed by a light coat of oil and 10 minutes on the stove works the best.
This is a flat bottom wok so you can use it on a regular grate.It works well with a bamboo steamer too.BTW: Mr. Bar-B-Q has a very similar iron wok for $16 (but I have not used it).
Rating: - Lodge 14" cast-iron wok
I bought the lodge pre-treated cast iron wok, it looks just like the picture in the add. It is truly a beautiful wok both aesthetically and functionally. The dealer I bought it from was very efficient regarding shipping. Very satisfied.
Rating: - The best investment you'll ever make
I recently bought this wok after having taken a Thai Culinary Class in Thailand.I needed a wok to produce authentic Thai food.I was a little hesitant to buy this wok since there was no mention in the description or in the reviews about the bottom of the wok.Most woks that have a rounded bottom come with a ring so that it will sit on your cooktop.Thai kitchens assume that everyone has a round bottom wok and the cooktops are fitted to accomodate that.Not so here in the US.The wok itself is round on the inside but flat on the bottom, so no issue there.It works nicely on the cooktop.I use this wok for everything.It stays out all the time, whether I'm sauteeing vegetables or creating a stir fry.Its very heavy, and therefore heats up nicely and retains the heat, perfect for whatever you're cooking.It cleans up easily with just hot water and a scrub brush. I would definitely recommend that you buy the wok spatula to go with it, there is a very nice one on Amazon thats stainless steel with a wooden handle.The spatula is curved so that it conforms exactly to the inside curve of the wok.You just can't beat cast iron for cooking!!!I've had many woks, electric ones as well. None can compare to this one!
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