^^^
I agree with 13:53/14:50. Love the charcoal chimney, though. Obviously only for outdoors. At which point you might as well just grill.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah I use an All Clad pan for most stir frys. Some of my asian-food loving friends really cringe at my not using a wok. But the truth is, unless you not only have a gas stove, but have a dedicated wok burner like at Chinese restaurants, I find you get better results out of the saute pan.

I don't think you need a dedicated wok burner. My ge profile cranks out 18k btu which is more than enough heat for stirfrying. cannot be compared to a saute pan.

Yeah, I disagree. I don't think 18k BTU is remotely enough. I worked in a professional kitchen and I don't think the results on a ge profile are even similar to what I got from a wok burner. It makes more sense to try a different approach, in the same way that if you're not going to use a real torch to put crust on a creme brulee, you're better off broiling it than using one of those silly butane butane torches from Williams-Sonoma. The results from a saute pan are different than those from a professional wok, but in my opinion, better than from a home wok.

If I'm really desperate to simulate restaurant-style stir fry, I light charcoal in a chimney starter and then place the wok directly on top of the chimney starter. That definitely cooks hot enough.

Anonymous wrote:Yeah I use an All Clad pan for most stir frys. Some of my asian-food loving friends really cringe at my not using a wok. But the truth is, unless you not only have a gas stove, but have a dedicated wok burner like at Chinese restaurants, I find you get better results out of the saute pan.

I don't think you need a dedicated wok burner. My ge profile cranks out 18k btu which is more than enough heat for stirfrying. cannot be compared to a saute pan.

Yeah I use an All Clad pan for most stir frys. Some of my asian-food loving friends really cringe at my not using a wok. But the truth is, unless you not only have a gas stove, but have a dedicated wok burner like at Chinese restaurants, I find you get better results out of the saute pan.

If you're looking for a reason for someone to get you a high-dollar pan for Christmas, get a 12" deep-sided All Clad saute pan. That's a pretty useful animal to have.
Though as I said I like my cast iron better. But each has its place.

Only get a wok if you have a gas range. If you do, you'll get the best results with a carbon steel wok that you season yourself. Like any pan you season, it will get better with time and good care. The good news is these are cheap. You don't want a high-dollar non-stick All-Clad/Calphalon/whatever.

If you have an electric range (induction, ceramic, or old coil-style) don't use a wok. You'll only get heat on the bottom; it won't carry up the sides and your cooking will be uneven. Instead, use a big deep-sided skillet. My 12" cast iron works best for me. You have to be a little careful with your tossing, so you don't toss stuff over the side. But it's the even heating all along the wide bottom surface area that's what you're looking for.

Looking to add more stir-frys to our dinner rotation, but need a wok or good pan first. What works best for others? Any recommendations? I am asking for this for Christmas.