Here’s a little background on my history with carbon steel and cast iron: Some years ago I bought an unseasoned large, flat-bottomed carbon steel wok, and I just couldn’t get motivated enough to season it. It required multiple repetitions of coating it with oil (and the kind of oil made a difference) and baking it in the oven. That wok is still sitting in its box. I also once bought a “pre-seasoned” cast iron pan. I used it once, and when I cleaned and dried it and spread a thin film of oil on it as instructed, the paper towel I wiped it with came away with dark gray stains on it. No matter how much and vigorously I cleaned it (e.g., using coarse salt as an abrasive), dark gray stuff was coming off it. So I never used that pan again.
So when I saw this pre-seasoned, nonstick Sanho carbon steel wok with a flat bottom that would work on all cooktops, it sounded like what I’d been looking for, and I thought it was worth trying. I have a portable induction cooktop, and I thought it would be perfect for stir-frying in this wok. First, my old electric stove is slow to heat, and the two front burners don’t lie flat (I had them replaced, but the replacements did not fit exactly). I think that induction is better than even good electric burners for stir-frying, because it heats so quickly, and it’s also much more efficient.
The flat bottom of this wok is relatively small, and my induction cooktop requires a minimum diameter of 5”. I forgot to check the dimensions before ordering, but the webpage says that the flat bottom of the wok measures 13 cm, which is 5.1”, so it meets the requirements for my cooktop.
When I actually used the wok on my induction cooktop for stir-frying, were my expectations met? You bet they were! The oil got hot really quickly, and it did a very good job with my stir-fried meats and vegetables. Any liquid released by the vegetables boiled off quickly, and meats and vegetables got browned when I wanted them to (something I often did not get in a pan on my very old electric stove). I haven’t used it with the lid yet, because I wanted to get everything cooked just from stir-frying, without having to steam it at the end. And I was able to do that.
I am looking forward to using the wok on the induction cooktop in the hot summer months, because besides being fast, it won’t throw off so much heat into the kitchen.
The wok was nicely packaged and very easy to assemble, even for me. It cleans very easily, and the paper towels I wiped it with came away clean (no gray stuff).
The handle and bottom are pretty good quality. When I cooked in it, it was easy to do and it cleaned easily. This is a light weight wok, but it works and i had no issue with it. The lid however was already marred (or i managed to mar it when taking it out of the packaging), and it seems like the really thin cheap paint on the lid. Since the lid isnt the main part that you use, this might be ok for most. It has me a little worried on how much it will scratch and mar in future usage. Other than that, its a great size and the food cooks well in it.
I'm so impressed with this wok! Ok I'll admit this is my first actual wok but I'm no beginner when it comes to cookware. This is awesome!! The heat distribution is amazing, even way up high on the sides get just as hot as the bottom, which i love! Just be watchful of that, especially if you're not used to that (like me). I was like a little kid with a new toy, just experimenting to see what all it can do 😂. I love the lid it comes with, too. It's got 3 little holes on the edge that you place to match up with the little groove on the wok to let the steam out with. This is great quality and I'm so glad I ordered it. The only con, for me, is that it's not dishwasher safe. I'm so glad I read the booklet that comes with it first because if I hadn't I would've popped it in the dishwasher first thing 🫣. As for scratch resistance I can't really speak on that yet because I've only used wood and silicone spatulas/spoons to actively prevent scratching. I'll have to get used to the way you clean it, it's very similar to a cast iron skillet actually. But other than the difference in cleaning it versus other skillets and cookware I LOVE THIS WOK! Definitely recommend!
I was looking for a smaller wok to replace my bigger one. The Sanho 4 Qt wok is a great size for quick stir fry or steaming smaller amounts of food. The wok is made from carbon steel and a nonstick coating. I appreciate that the wok doesn’t need pre seasoning. Cleaning is simple with mild dish soap plus you don’t have to heat it with oil on the stove to dry/season. None of the food has stuck to it using little oil. I use non metal utensils on it. This wok can be used on all stove tops including gas, induction and electric. It comes with a lid too. Assembly was easy. I also like that the lid has steaming holes and the wok has a pour spout. For me, it’s a little heavy at the handle. With my arthritis it’s a bit heavy to flip the food using 1 hand. I think it’s priced nicely for the quality and size.
As my older non-stick skillet began to wear out, I started to look at a new general purpose pan, and when I saw this wok offered up I thought I would give it a shot. I’m not a cook, and I’ve never owned a wok before; nor have I owned any carbon steel cookware, so I watched a few videos related to woks and in particular carbon steel woks before mine arrived so I would know what to look for and a little about how to use it. Unboxing the wok, I compared the pan on the things the video said to look for as far as quality in a pan. So this one is pre- seasoned, which is a good thing because you can skip this step and go straight to cooking (after you wash the pan, of course). It has a good thickness, making it durable and not likely to bend or warp under normal use. The bottom is flat, which is desirable in a general use wok because it will sit on any cook surface without needing a separate stand as with a round bottom pan making it easy
to use. The handle is thick and wooden so the handle stays cool even with high heat. The only downside to this is that I don’t think you could put this in the oven to finish meat like you can with a metal handle pan. This pan has a dome lid which alows you to steam and will accommodate larger contents like a whole chicken. The knob on the lid is also wooden. The 12” pan is a good size for general use and should be able to handle dinner for multiple people. So my test for all cook pans is fried egg whites, so I was optimistic about the pan being non-stick because when I initially washed it the water beaded up and rolled right off with ease. So I fired up the gas eye, I put it on medium (which, these pans are supposed to handle max heat, but the owners manual says to use medium to low), and I used grapeseed oil because it’s supposed to have a high smoke point, to grease the pan. On medium, the pan got very hot very fast, and the oil started to smoke. I poured the egg whites into the pan and on contact, the whites began to scorch. I was able to salvage most if it but there was a lot of burnt residue left on the pan. Do I think this is a fail? No, I think I just need to adjust the heat. One thing about this pan that I have already stated is that it gets very hot, very fast and being able to change the heat rapidly is a characteristic of the carbon steel. Cleaning the pan was very easy, after the pain cooled down, the stuck on residue came off rather easily, and the rest came off with a wet soapy rag. As far as the value, a quick comparison shows that it is a better value compared with similar pans with similar features. As with anything, there will be a learning curve for me in learning how to use this tool, but I think it’s a very good quality utensil that will last a long time. As always though, if it over performs or continues to under perform (as with the egg whites) I will definitely edit this review. For now, I think it’s a great pan, and I recommend it.
