I need a wok
Yesterday our non-stick wok pan died. I was scrubbing off some burned on food when I realized I was scrubbing off the nonstick coating. Buh-bye.
So now we need a new wok. I use it a lot, for stir-frying, sauteing, and making all kinds of stuff like curries, tofu scramble, skillet meals, whatever. And the question is, which wok should I buy?
At first I was assuming I would get another non-stick. For health reasons, I try to avoid oils, and I figure non-stick cooking is the way to go. But I've been reading about nonstick pans, and apparently even on the most expensive ones, the coating can only be expected to last a few years. The suggestion was to go ahead and buy cheap pans, knowing they will have to be replaced frequently. But the wastefulness really bugs me.
Other than a nonstick omelet pan which doesn't get used very often, all my other pots are stainless steel, and they are pretty much indestructible. I've had my Revereware and Farberware pots for over 15 years, and they're doing great. I mainly use them for cooking grains, soups, and stews, and for cooking things in lots of water, like pasta or blanched vegetables. I can scrub the hell out of them and they still look and work just fine.
So I'm thinking maybe I should get a carbon steel wok. I realize this means I would have to season it with oil, and use some amount of oil in cooking. I also realize I would have to take good care of it, scrub it with a bamboo brush etc. But it would last pretty much forever. And with a well-seasoned pan, how much oil are we talking about? If I can get away with using a teaspoon or so for a whole dish, I think I'm okay with that.
Any recommendations?