For one thing, woks will often go to a higher temperature than is safe for non-stick coatings (actual measurements with infrared surface thermometer by Cooks Illustrated May/June 2005).

My collection of woks includes:

• Atlas Metal Spinning - 14" spin fomed steel with wood handle one side loop handle on the other side - best steel wok made. c-1966.


• Indian Kadhi, 14" crudely stamped steel (some rippling arond the edges) with riveted on brass plated loop handles - very crude - geometry slightly different from Oriental wok and absolutely the best device ever made for deep frying


• Cast iron Japanese 13" -very thin casting, very rare - c-1976.


• Calphalon 13" stainless - aluminum - stainless sandwich with riveted on
  long handle and opposing loop handle. small flat area at bottom so it doesn't need a ring stand.

The Calpahlon gets my very strongest recomendation - $79 at Bed Bath and Beyond and probably similar on the Internet. Very even heat distribution under any conditions. Easy to clean, nothing sticks to it so long as it's kept clean, no coating to degrade, no ring stand needed and you can use metal slotted and solid scoops to get stuff out without fear of ripping the coating or scratching it. The only case I would not use this one is if I needed that extra inch from a full size wok.

I got a stainless lid for it at a local Asian grocery and a steamer rack from the same place. The lid fits so well it sometimes pulls down a vacuum when cooling. You may already have a lid or Calphalon may list one, I haven't checked.

Edit: That "expensive" wok you reference I find completely rejactable on multiple grounds, price too high, non-stick coatings and anodize that won't scratch wear and degrade have never been made, aluminum, and 12 inches is way too small for a wok! 13 is cramped but quite usable, 14 ideal for home use but not economically available in stainless/aluminum sandwich.


Note: I don't buy aluminum anything. If it's coated or anodized those coatings are quickly destroyed and I cook a lot of acidic stuff that would be disolving aluminum - and I don't like the general feel of aluminum.

. . and mine says '155 13"' on the bottom (but no letters). Strange their page doesn't give the diameter, but I think they have only the one size.

[link|https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefront/products1.asp?idDept=1404&menu=logic|Lodge] L10SK3 12" skillet and L8SK3 10-1/4" skillet. Available at any restaurant supply or on the Internet. Cast iron is nowhere near as difficult to maintain as some people imply.

I also strongly recommend the Lodge L9OG3 10-1/2" round griddle for those doing certain ethnic cooking (best thing ever for roasting whole spices before grinding for curries, etc.).

I also recommend 2 quart and 3-1/2 quart full clad (stainless - aluminum - stainless) covered sauté pans, but not for sautéing which is best dones in a pan with low sloped sides. Note: "sauté" properly refers to a very hot short frying - not another word for "stir frying" as it is so often applied today.

These are super pans for recipes where you start out lightly frying onions and such then add liquids and cook covered, just not very good for heavy frying. I use the 2 quart constantly, the 3 quart almost as much and the 5 quart only a few times a year.

Edit: For French omelets, a 9-1/2 inch plain stamped sheet steel pan with shallowly sloping sides and a long, firmly mounted wooden handle. This is the one pan that takes special care and is washed only if you've screwed up. Any egg stuck to it is scrubbed out with salt and a paper towel - and that should not be much needed.

Important Note: The reviews never tell you this but sauté pans with a slab of aluminum encapsulated in the bottom only will have serious hot spots all around the edges and stuff will brown quickly and easily burn there if you aren't careful. They are certainly usable and I used a 2 quart of that sort intensively for maybe 2 years, but the full laminate is better if you can afford it.

Critical Note: When selecting cooking vessels, always err on the large side. If it's a little too large, you can live with that, but too small makes proper cooking impossible.

. . and the first one anyone intending to fry should buy.

For covered work as you describe, I use a 10-1/4 inch 3" deep skillet similar to the Lodge L8DSK3 with cover L5IC3 except without the helper handle. Don't know who made it, it just says "Made in USA" (wherever the hell that is) and #7 10-1/4". I've had it for over 30 years and it was my primary cooking vessel for much of that time. Highly recommended for low cost cookware.

20 minutes to scrub out a new wok with a harsh cleanser, dry it and heat a coating of oil slowly until just to the smoking point, then wipe out with paper towels and hang up.

And this "no washing" is a bunch of bull. Asian Eths probably don't wash because they haven't traditionally had decent washing facilities. I always wash, in fact I wash mine every time it's used, with institutional grade cleanser, then warm it on the stove, put in a dash of olive oil and wipe it around with a paper towel just to coat. Hang it up.