JOYCE CHEN Classic Series 12-Inch Carbon Steel Stir Fry Pan with Birch Handle

I just received this wok/fry pan today and used it this evening, with excellent results. I wanted a 12 inch pan because the 14 inch normal size was too large for a single person. The 12 inch pan is perfect for one or two people. My choice was between this pan and Joyce Chen's 12 inch Peking pan. The differences are the Peking pan is somewhat thicker and has a narrower base which was the deciding factor for me. A wider base allows food to be spread out over a greater heat area to cook evenly - I like to roast red peppers and the wider bottom allows them to be spread out and blacken more evenly.As for seasoning the pan and removing the coating used to protect it in transit, that turned out to be quite easy. There is a reviewer/expert on Chinese cooking who produced a YouTube video on just those tasks. Her first step was to scrub off the lacquer coating. I started doing that but it looked like too much work. I found a commenter on Amazon who shared his technique which worked quite well:First of all, I did this outside to prevent inside heat and smoke. I used an induction cooktop that worked out very well. The technique for cleaning the lacquer was to boil water with about 10 black teabags for about 20 min. I left it on for about 30 min. and saw the loosened lacquer float to the top which I skimmed off. After that I let it cool and washed the pan in the sink with a little soap and water. For any spots that appeared to still be present I just ran some steel wool over the area with moderate pressure.The next step was to season the pan. That too was very easy. Again, I did this out of doors to prevent smoke indoors. I first heated the pan up at a high temperature, at which point the pan started changing colors and darkening. This is normal. After the pan was heating for a few minutes I poured some oil into the pan and using wadded paper towels and a tong to hold the towels, I spread the oil over the inside of the wok. I lowered the heat and let the oil cook in for about 15 min. then let the pan cool down. I then washed the pan again with little soap and for any residual spots including some residual oil that turned sticky, I lightly ran some steel wool over the area. I could have stopped there but, perfectionist that I am, I repeated the heating process once more. The pan was then "seasoned" well enough to start cooking on it. After I completed that process I noticed that the wok would fit into my toaster oven (with the handle hanging outside and the door partially open). So, again, I moved my toaster oven outside, put a little oil in the wok, and then turned on the broil function for about 15 min. This was to take care of the sides of the wok which were not really affected by my first steps. Because the handle hung out of the toaster oven, I shifted it from one side to the other and again ran the broiler for another 15 min. The final result was a seasoned wok on which I cooked my first meal that evening, with excellent results.The steps may sound somewhat complicated but they are well suited to quickly seasoning a wok with a minimal of time and effort. I didn't have to stand over a sink and with great effort remove the lacquer since it easily came off just by boiling. And the seasoning was actually very easy and required little effort.I had previously purchased a nonstick wok. I liked it but there is no comparison to a seasoned carbon steel wok. I always had the fear, with a nonstick wok, of emissions and I found the coating did not last much more than a year or so. I got better results on my new, seasoned wok.As for cleaning, I found this works very well: when you finish cooking, while the pan is still hot, pour a little water into the pan and you can then easily scrape off any residual stuck food. Then quickly rinse the pan in hot water, put a little oil on it, and you are done. This takes about 30 seconds. I usually dry the wok with a little paper toweling and about 15 or so seconds on the range. Make sure you rub a little cooking oil into the wok when done, to prevent rusting.Edit: occasionally there will be some burnt spots. These are very easy to get rid of. First, try adding a little water to the hot wok and scrape using whatever utensil you have. If that doesn't clear everything up then try briefly scrubbing with a soft scrubber under hot water. If that doesn't work then use a copper or steel scouring pad. There is no need to press hard and just use whatever pressure it takes to clear up the spot. Don't worry about the "patina" since it will take care of itself as you continue cooking. Another hint, is to occasionally use a drop or two of liquid dishwasher soap. There is nothing wrong with this and it will do no harm whatsoever to the wok. What it does is remove excess carbon that could discolor food the next time you use the wok (try rubbing a paper towel with a little oil in the wok and you will see what I mean). Always remember, after washing and drying the wok, to put a little oil in it.

I followed the instructions to season this pan. It didn't work. SO I watched some online videos and seasoned it and it worked for a bit. Every time I used it, I rinsed it and wiped it down with oil. Didn't use soap, as recommended, but make sure there was not a bit of food stuck anywhere. For about a week, it worked well, but I never could cook an egg in my fried rice because the egg would stick even with lots of butter or oil. After a week, this pan is just like a horrible frying pan. Everything sticks and it's a pain in the behind. Also, it gets rusts spots all over it if I don't dry it immediately - like in two seconds after washing it. So, I ordered a cast iron frying pan that is preseasoned. It's pricey at 100+, but I'm sure I have already spent that much on frying pans that I ended up tossing out - copper ones (worked for a while), diamond ones (smelled too terrible when hot), ceramic coated (coating chipped even when using silicon utensils). So, I would listen to the people who said their food sticks to this pan. It's true. But if you don't mind scrubbing with a scrubber and don't want a seasoned pan, then it's a nice size - the 12" one.

Word of caution. Carbon steel does not resemble stainless steel at all. It will oxidize/tarnish quickly like copper and it rusts like cast iron. If you are familiar with how to treat cast iron cookware, the same routine works well with carbon steel. Therefore, don't expect to be able to maintain the unused look, even on the outside.This is not a traditional flat bottom wok shape; the base is wider at 8" compared to the 7" typical for a 14" wok. My mom had one before and it was her favorite but due to mistreatment by leaving it in water overnight one too many times by I won't say who the bottom started to flake off due to rust. It goes to show just because you grew up where carbon steel is commonly used you don't necessarily know how to maintain it.I had difficulties removing the lacquer coating using the provided instructions. I could still feel the lacquer when dragging my fingers across the surface. Perhaps I wasn't aggressive enough in my scouring. I ended up using Bar Keepers Friend to make sure I got it all off.The seasoning instructions aren't the greatest as well. While adequate, I've found hardening/blackening a thin layers of oil until it is no longer tacky shortens the amount of coatings traditionally needed to achieve the desired patina.I recommend swabbing the pan with a paper towel that has been lightly soaked in oil just to even coat. I like to coating to be thicker on the bottom so I start on the stove and build up a couple of layers, waiting for each layer to stop smoking.Since the wooden handle comes off, I forgo heating the sides which is very difficult if you're using an electric stove top anyways and awkward at best with a gas stove. Instead I pop it into a 500 degree oven for about an hour until the sides are no longer tacky.This is a 5 star product if you are familiar with how to handle carbon steel cookware. The handle constructions is very good and should not come loose like it can on many woks I've used over the years. The fact that it comes apart easily makes it very easy to season in the oven. However, since the instructions are mediocre and it's not common knowledge on how to treat carbon steel, I'm deducting a star.