Canadian Wokers

Greeno55 · December 2012

I've ordered my AR and spider from Ceramic Grill Store, but the shipping to add a wok was ridiculous. So I'm wondering if any of my fellow Canadians know of a good online store to buy a wok. I've got in contact with Ming-Woo out of Vancouver to see if they carry woks without the long handle,and am waiting for a response. I could always wait until my next visit to Toronto in a month, but all of us here are pretty impatient when it comes to our toys aren't we?

Little Steven · December 2012

Where are you at?

Greeno55 · December 2012

I'm in Sudbury, so looking primarily for online.

Little Steven · December 2012

Sorry, I didn't connect just there. You would have a tremendous selection in TO. My Mom used to import jewelry from Thailand and the family that owned the company would stay with us when they had shows and business dealings. They would bring their own woks and curries with them. They used hand hammered carbon steel woks. The grandma who was teaching me stuff swore that they were better cause if you pulled something up on the side it would stay and not cook anymore. Woks are so cheap you could get a bunch of different styles from the multitude of ethnic places there. Meantime you could pick something up at the Bay and saw the handle off

Greeno55 · December 2012

Thanks Steven. I never thought about cutting the handle off my cheap Ikea one that I won't be using once I gets the new one.

Fred19Flintstone · December 2012

@LittleSteven is your wok hand hammered carbon steel? I've been thinking of getting one with a long handle. I'm curious because you're saying here about cutting handles. Would you let a wanna-be wokker in on why short handles are better?

Little Steven · December 2012

Fred, I have a bunch of woks.@Greeno55 was looking for something without handles. The hammered carbon steel one is the best IMHO but I seldom do wok cooks on the egg

Fred19Flintstone · December 2012

LS - There's been discussions here lately about using a gas burner like a turkey fryer. The two big advantages using gas over an Egg were better control and instant gratification (is ready in a couple of minutes). Since a wok cook is so fast, there is no opportunity for smoke from the lump to be added to the dish making using lump less desireable. Is this why you don't wok on your egg?

Getting back to the handle, I was thinking that using a wok with welding gloves on could be cumbersome. That's why I was leaning toward a longer wooden handle. What do you think?

Little Steven · December 2012

Dude I don't really know. I have a French top on my stove that is perfect for a wok. When I have done wok cooks on the eggs I have just used firefighters gloves to handle them. Don't really have anything with a handle except a stainless one that screwed the pooch first time out

Fred19Flintstone · December 2012

Sorry LS. I didn't mean to put you on the spot. I didn't think about you having a nice stove because mine sux.

nolaegghead · December 2012

Little Steven said:

Dude I don't really know. I have a French top on my stove that is perfect for a wok. When I have done wok cooks on the eggs I have just used firefighters gloves to handle them. Don't really have anything with a handle except a stainless one that screwed the pooch first time out

I guess you have to use a flat bottom wok on that?

Skiddymarker · December 2012

Fred and Greeno55 - I have a 16" hammered steel wok, just like LS says, stuff will stay on the side if you want it to. It is ugly as hell, cooks the best.

I use the 16" HS with long wood handle, over a turkey burner, 14" flat bottom on the gasser side burner.

@Greeno55 - did you mean Ming Wo? They have a chain of stores out here. Over in Richmond there are lots of mom and pop chinese cooking stores. I can take a look for you if you want, nothing better than a woking experience in "Ditchmond".

I guess you are too far from a border crossing to have it shipped to the US and drive over and get it. There should be lots to choose from in TO if you get there on a regular basis.

Greeno55 · December 2012

@Skiddymarker - based on all the research, I am leaning towards the hand hammered wok. Looks like I will be in Toronto later this month, so I will have a look around. May have to add that to my usual Korean lunch while I'm there. There's a great one from the Wok Shop in San Fran, but a $22 purchase is $29 to ship. That's half my gas to Toronto.

Skiddymarker · December 2012

The 14" is a good size, my first was a 14" HHCS. I remember paying $10 for it at a store in Vancouver's Chinatown, which was a fair amount back in the 80's.

The shipping kills anything coming in from the states, that's why eggs are 50% more here than in the US. I bet the wok shipped in the US would be <$10.

T&T Supermarkets has some HH woks along with a great selection of everything asian in their stores here. If you are in TO check out one of their locations.

fishlessman · December 2012

i have a wok with the hoop handle and another with a long handle, the long handle one is the one i use in the egg, its just easier to use

Stoater · December 2012

Greeno55 said:

I've ordered my AR and spider from Ceramic Grill Store, but the shipping to add a wok was ridiculous. So I'm wondering if any of my fellow Canadians know of a good online store to buy a wok. I've got in contact with Ming-Woo out of Vancouver to see if they carry woks without the long handle,and am waiting for a response. I could always wait until my next visit to Toronto in a month, but all of us here are pretty impatient when it comes to our toys aren't we?

I just bought a 20 " wok for my XL from Nella Cutlery in Hamilton, it is carbon steel, not hand hammered, the quality is nice and it cost me 35.00, so far I haven't used it as I am waiting for my spider and lump reducing ring to arrive. I did an initial season and it went a dark brown colour, kinda cool. Anyway there is a branch of Nellas in Mississauga as Little Steven will tell you.

Skiddymarker · December 2012

Little Steven said:
The grandma who was teaching me stuff swore that they were better cause if you pulled something up on the side it would stay and not cook anymore.

Further to what LS says, this does not happen so much when using the egg, the sides are almost as hot as the bottom. It is difficult to get the food away from the heat if you need to.

nolaegghead · December 2012

If you guys were real men, you'd pour a big-assed drink, pick up some carbon sheet steel and beat it into a wok with a ball-peen hammer. ;)

Little Steven · December 2012

nolaegghead said:

Little Steven said:

Dude I don't really know. I have a French top on my stove that is perfect for a wok. When I have done wok cooks on the eggs I have just used firefighters gloves to handle them. Don't really have anything with a handle except a stainless one that screwed the pooch first time out

I guess you have to use a flat bottom wok on that?

No, I take two rings out of the french top.

Skiddymarker · December 2012

nolaegghead said:

If you guys were real men, you'd pour a big-assed drink, pick up some carbon sheet steel and beat it into a wok with a ball-peen hammer. ;)

I've tried this but every time I get close to the right shape I get this urge to keep on beating and break into a Caribbean dance review, with "Banana boat song" stuck in my head....

Maybe the problem is the big assed drink, although on the other hand, I don't notice when I whack a finger...

Little Steven · December 2012

Stoater said:

Greeno55 said:

I've ordered my AR and spider from Ceramic Grill Store, but the shipping to add a wok was ridiculous. So I'm wondering if any of my fellow Canadians know of a good online store to buy a wok. I've got in contact with Ming-Woo out of Vancouver to see if they carry woks without the long handle,and am waiting for a response. I could always wait until my next visit to Toronto in a month, but all of us here are pretty impatient when it comes to our toys aren't we?

I just bought a 20 " wok for my XL from Nella Cutlery in Hamilton, it is carbon steel, not hand hammered, the quality is nice and it cost me 35.00, so far I haven't used it as I am waiting for my spider and lump reducing ring to arrive. I did an initial season and it went a dark brown colour, kinda cool. Anyway there is a branch of Nellas in Mississauga as Little Steven will tell you.

There is one in North Toronto as well. Not sure where but it's on the website

Greeno55 · December 2012

Awesome! Tanks for all the tips. My spider and AR was just shipped today. But with the holidays they said about 14 business days to get here, so I guess I have time to wait to visit Toronto and head to China or Korea Town. After all, it gives me a great excuse to go eat down there.

Village Idiot · December 2012

Greeno55 said:

After all, it gives me a great excuse to go eat down there.

After you start stir frying, you won't want to eat down there. ;))

nolaegghead · December 2012

Village Idiot said:

Greeno55 said:

After all, it gives me a great excuse to go eat down there.

After you start stir frying, you won't want to eat down there. ;))

Herecy! Two words to eat there: Dim Sum

Greeno55 · December 2012

nolaegghead said:

Village Idiot said:

Greeno55 said:

After all, it gives me a great excuse to go eat down there.

After you start stir frying, you won't want to eat down there. ;))

Herecy! Two words to eat there: Dim Sum

Agreed!! Also after living in Korea for a while, it's hard to beat all you can eat Korean bbq for under $20.

Village Idiot · December 2012

The only time I'll eat Dim Sum is when a card carrying Chinese human is with me, and assuring me that the dish will not eat me instead of vice versa.

nolaegghead · December 2012

I almost forgot about Korean BBQ. Man, that's a chore to make all those little side dishes at home. I'd go out for that in a NY second. VI - it's pretty safe - it's almost always steamed or fried.

Canugghead · December 2012

@Greeno55, when in Toronto, check out this place ... got my hand hammered wok there for under $20.
http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/1048577--a-trip-to-tap-phong-the-utensil-heaven-where-top-chefs-rub-shoulders-with-home-cooks

Stoater · December 2012

Canugghead said:

@Greeno55, when in Toronto, check out this place ... got my hand hammered wok there for under $20.
http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/1048577--a-trip-to-tap-phong-the-utensil-heaven-where-top-chefs-rub-shoulders-with-home-cooks

Thanks for the link, have to visit that place.

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