Customer Rating: 
Summary: ok wok, not big of a deal
Comment: Order the wok and got it damaged (off-shaped). The packaging is horrible. Basiclly they put the bare wok in the box filled with the giant air bubbles. The wok can move around freely in the box. Guess the damage is caused during shipping.
Return and reordered the Typhoon Carbon Steel wok, similar size and design, $3 cheaper. When I got it, I am very pleased with the quality:
*) properly packaged, plastic cover on the top, sheet of paper on the bottom; fitted in a box designed for it;
*) thick steel: 2.5mm rather than 1.8mm from joyce Chen;
*) handles are welded on the wok, so no dead spot when cleaning;
*) seasoning instruction are well documented, in 8 different languages, even thou I use my own seasoning way, not like joyce chen's one thin sheet of paper with not so clear instruction.
overall, Joyce Chen's wok is like the one you can get from Chinatown supermarket, and Typhoon one is like from Macy's.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Wok talk
Comment:
I received the wok quickly. Have used it several times
after breaking it in and am thoroughly satisfied with it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not for serious Chinese cook!
Comment: I bought this wok 6 months ago. I seasoned it very well and started to use it. But I noticed the seasoning was easily peeled off when I cooked the dish with a lot of sauce. It meant I couldn't use it for steaming. When I made a fried rice, I had a hard time to clean it and re-season it. Most Chinese use a wok to cook everything, so I expected I could do that, too. But I was wrong. This wok is only good when you make a vegitable stir fry. That's all.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Solid product, inadequate seasoning instructions
Comment: This product (the wok I own is a Joyce Chen from Target - identical except that it has bakelite instead of wood handles) seems solidly made and generally works well; the carbon-steel body is thick enough to be strong yet light enough to be comfortable, the handles seem to be securely riveted in place, and the helper handle is a useful touch.It transmits heat very well, browns meat rapidly, and can be run hot enough to properly stir-fry; prior to this wok I had a 12" non-stick and the non-stick coating self-destructed after one or two uses. A non-stick wok is a rather pointless exercise.
However, the seasoning instructions did not work adequately on my electric range; while I was able to get the very bottom to season properly, the sides refused to turn colors and after using the wok for a while a thin film of rust developed about 1/3 of the way up the sides. I scrubbed it off with 0000 steel wool and re-seasoned.
I found the following procedure, modified from one on a website, to work well, but take NO responsibility if you happen to destroy the small handle on your wok trying it. Mine survived fine.
First, stove-season the wok per the instructions, concentrating on the bottom. Trying to heat the sides over an electric range was ineffective; that's what the next step is for.
I found it works best to pre-heat the wok on medium to medium-high heat, THEN wipe oil onto the inside surfaces with a repeatedly-folded paper towel. Take care that your hand does not contact the pan or the hot oil in the towel; use the paper towel in such a way that your fingers are several inches from the hot surface. BE CAREFUL! This will require wiping more oil onto the pan fairly frequently, but has the added advantage (over pouring, then spreading) of limiting the amount of oil in the pan, so if you over-heat it the flames will be inches rather than feet high and quickly go out.
After stove-seasoning, let cool and remove the long handle by unscrewing the hanging eye. Wrap the small handle in a wet dishcloth or wet paper towels, then wrap the wet cloth completely in aluminum foil. This will keep the handle below 250 degrees F or so as long as there's water left.
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Heat the wok on a burner at medium heat to heat the bottom.
Wipe the entire inner surface with oil, then (USING TWO OVEN MITTS!) put the wok in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove (REMEMBER THE OVEN MITTS!), let the wok cool, rinse the oil out with hot water, and lightly scour the inside with a fine nylon mesh (I used the bag some onions came in) to smooth the rough spots. Re-wet and re-wrap the cloth keeping the handle cool. Dry with a paper towel and heat briefly over medium to medium-high heat to remove any remaining moisture. Repeat the oven-seasoning procedure at least 2 or 3 times.
Yes, it's a bit of a pain in the posterior, but at this point the entire inside of your wok should be a rich brown color, darkening to black near the bottom. NOW you're ready to cook!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Even When Seasoned, Not as Good as Non-Stick
Comment: Even when the carbon steel is impeccably seasoned, it still requires much more oil to cook than a non-stick stir fry/wok pan. With very good, baked-on seasoning after each use, the finish on seasoned carbon steel does not get as non-stick as a highly seasoned cast iron pan does. You use several times more oil than non-stick stir fry pans require, and you end up with the greasy stir fries reminiscent of the greasy carry-out cartons of chinese take-out. With this carbon steel wok, even if you season it expertly over a long period of time, you still need ladlefuls of oil to cook, for example, white cloud chinese egg white souffles. Non-stick stir fry pans/woks open up the world of not-so-greasy chinese and other stir fry cuisines. The superiority of non-stick for light stir-fry cooking aside, this carbon steel wok has good weight, good thermal performance, and is especially authentic for the price.
