Joyce Chen J21-9972 Classic Series Uncoated Carbon Steel Wok Set, Alloy, 14 Cubic_inches, Silver

This is one of the worst products I have bought from Amazon. Seasoning instructions obeyed to the letter caused uneven black with ridges. Smoked so badly I had to throw it into the garden.

This was a gift for my partner. After she used it a few times, the coating started to come off. She also only used the bamboo spatula it came with, but it seems the coating is very cheap and will always come off when heated eventually. Avoid as the coating is toxic!!

After using 4 times. For almost 60 pounds expect more . Finally ended in bin .

Updated 11/18/2021- The replacement wok was also defective. Carefully following the first-time usage instructions (again!) the wok's non-stick surface IMMEDIATELY flecked off after ONE use... even with generous oil applied and using a silicone spoon. DEFECTIVE. I will no longer use or recommended this particular Joan Chen product. I'm sure the normal Joan Chen (regular, not non-stick) wok might do better but this non-stick version was a BIG disappointment. I've been cooking Asian foods for decades as we lived in SE Asia most of our adult lives, but the fact that several places in the wok's bottom chipped off after only ONE use befuddles me. I did not use the higher heat setting (which is never good for anything with a non-stick coating), and I used a slotted, wooden spatula but my wife and I were surprised to see the surface dotted with chipped places afterwards...and could even see the shine come thru from the foundational metal base in a couple of (very) small spots. I'm going to ask for a replacement and I'll let you know how that turns out in case this is that occasional manufacturing fluke.

El fabricante no protege bien el wok ni la tapa de los accesorios del mango de madera con metal. Estos están sueltos moviéndose de lado a lado dentro de la caja todo el tiempo arañando y rasgado la pintura y el metal del wok y la tapa. La palita es de baja calidad, El recetario deja mucho que desear, son hojas impresas en papel de bond amarillo nada que ver con las fotos de stock. Se me envio el paquete internacional desde Texas a México CDMX. Amazon lo envío sin protección, ni un buen embalaje que lo protegiera. Sólo pego la guía de envío encima de la caja del producto y lo mandaron. El producto llegó dañado y realice la devolución. Tengan esto en mente antes de comprarlo con envío internacional.

High quality and as expected

I'm writing this the day I opened the box. It was trivial to assemble, although it took a few tries before the handle would go on all the way. The instructions say that, before use, you should clean it by boiling water in it for 5 to 7 minutes, and then scrub with hot soapy water and a scouring pad. I didn't follow the instructions to the word. I had "Bon Ami" cleansing powder, so I tried that first. I did a lot of scrubbing and the sides of the wok felt like metal, but the bottom was still slick like plastic. I boiled water in it twice. I didn't let it sit for "5 to 7 minutes" (I probably should have read the directions closer). It stank and got dark streaks on it. It was weird. It still stank after the second boil. Online instructions said to heat it, without water in it. Just heat the metal until the factory coating burned off. I had the large gas burner on high and it took a while. The wok turned bronze, then brown, then bluish. It really stank. You want your windows open and the stove's exhaust fan on. I used the Bon Ami powder on it after that. Some of the blue came off on the bottom. It was taking sooooo long and I was making little progress, so I just gave up. I put some oil in the pan and seasoned it. (I burned the oil and set off the fire alarm ... I do not recommend imitating me there.) I then made fried rice. It worked fine. It didn't stink and it cleaned up well afterwards. I think I'm going to like this pan. My only complaint so far, besides the 2+ hours to clean it, is that the short-handle doesn't stick out away from the pan. The handle is up and above the pan. That means that the handle gets warm while on the burner. You'll need an oven mitt whenever you want to use that second handle. But I'll live with that. It wasn't a very expensive pan.

I bought this as my main wok to cook inside using an Iwatani 35FW Butane Portable stove (which is also awesome by the way), and it is just perfect! I've properly cleaned it with a scrubbing pad and soap, and then heated it using my butane stove (outside, it'll smoke) until the whole thing became light blue. I made sure to cover the wooden handles with aluminium foil to prevent them from scorching. I let it cool a bit and then applied a thin coat of canola oil inside and outside and wiped it as thin as possible with a paper towel. I started the burner again and let the oil burn out (until it's no longer smoking). I wiped again, and then fried some scallions and fresh ginger until brown, and wiped it clean again with the paper towel. As others mentioned, the rivets of the handles did become a bit loose from the heat expansion, but there's an easy fix: All you need is to gently hammer them flat against an anvil or bench vice until it's tight again. Be careful not to hammer the wok, and be gentle because the rivets will flatten easily. I did that for both the handles and they are no longer giggling. I don't expect them to move again now that they've been tempered, but we'll see.