[Split thread] Induction cooktops: pots, pans and stir-fry cooking

Food & Drink, Events and Entertainment
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We've got a new induction cooktop and also found out that much of my cookware wasn't suitable. (the test is with a magnet...if it sticks to the bottom of the pot, it will be okay for induction). I bought a few new items, and looking at the price of the cookware on the Coop promotion, it really is on the expensive side. It's worth the trip to Germany if you really want to save money. Otherwise go to Ikea, a lot of the cookware there will work on induction and the quality is pretty good.

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The current Coop cookwear also scratches easily with a plastic spoon and the wok wouldn't heat up enough to brown the vegetables in my stir fry

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I'm not sure that you should be cooking the vegetables enough to be making them go brown....

Almost sounds like you cooking in a British style in a wok

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Mushrooms, for example, don't stay white when you stir fry them. In fact many vegetables change colour....it doesn't mean they are burnt.

For years I have been using a fantastic wok by Tramontina but it won't work on induction. I am temporarily using the wok I bought at Ikea which is not bad except it does not come with a cover.

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I assumed that the wok was suitable for stir fry and it doesn't get hot enough. I like my peppers crunchy with a bit of colour.

I cook lots of chinese food now my son likes it. The sauces make from what is in the cupboard - soy, oyster, rice wine, sugar, stock with fresh ginger and garlic. I feed 3 people for the price of one take out dish and there's always left overs for lunch the next day. Plus I know what's in my food and it is never oily or too salty.

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Sorry to hijack this thread, but just wanted to say that I bought a set of Circulon Infinite pots and pans and have been really pleased with the quality. They work a treat on my induction stove, don't scratch, and wash up very easily.

I ordered them from Amazon -- they won't deliver them to Switzerland, but they'll deliver them within the EU. If you've got a friend who can accept them (or one of the PO box services just across the border), this is another option.

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I cook everyday with a wok and whilst of course mushrooms do go brown when cooked they are not vegetables. Aubergines can turn brown as can onions but if your usual vegetables are going brown they are probably being over cooked. Most Asian food (Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese for instance) when most people use a wok will tend to call for any vegetable to be cut into thinner strips and only need a flash in the pan rather than prolong cooking.

I bemused how a wok can't get hot enough? Is the heat on? I have three separate woks including the mother of all woks which is a cast iron wok in the style of le creusot and even that, will get hot enough if I leave it on the induction to warm up. But I do understand that some pans don't work on induction... but i guess you would have chosen the right pan for the cooker you have.

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We have induction so before we moved here, we bought a few pieces of demeyere. It comes from belgium, but the best prices are in the US. It is expensive, but it works beautifully, and goes right into the dishwasher. We did buy the wok last year, made for induction and it has little feet on the bottom to sit on the induction cooktop. It does not get hot enough, so sometimes we just use another pan. I wonder that the induction element is not powerful enough or not big enough. In the US we had a special high power gas element and a removeable ring to set the wok into.

The other stuff that I like is le cruset we just bought a tagine which is wonderful, and the bottom goes into the dishwasher, but it's just as easy to hand wash.

We bought most of our pieces from the knife merchant in california, and they did ship to Switzerland.

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For induction wok cooking, you realy need one of these .

Not cheap though!

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If the wok is too curved then there not enough contact being made to create the induction current between the hob and the saucepan. But you have to have a seriously curved pan for that.

Most woks IMO have at least a 8-10 cm base that will sit on the hob and will work fine but if the wok was designed for gas then it can be much smaller.

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or one of these at 7.99

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When I used the term to brown something I meant to give it a bit of colour. The original colour of the vegetable remains.

The Coop Thophy wok has a thick base in the center but the heat doesn't radiate up the sides of the pan like in a normal wok. I needed to put the lid on and leave it for 5 minutes with the stove on high to get some colour on my peppers and onions. Then I mixed the veges around repeated. With my normal work I just kind of swish them around for a couple of minutes and they are all done.

My le creusot griddle pan heats up fine on the same stove and cooks peppers in minutes.

I've cooked with woks for years but the standard asian variety and wanted a new one that didn't look so discolored inside. Perhaps the non-stick woks are more suited to dishes that you cook the vegetables in the sauce instead of stir-frying them before mixing in the sauce.

EDIT: Is the one you pictured black metal and not non-stick? Could be an option. Where are they from? --> just seen on Ikea website. Bummer, they are non-stick.

So how do you keep your woks looking clean and not discoloured?

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Hi Maria

Seriously my wife is Thai and both she and I either use the Ikea wok or one that we bought from an Asian shop in Luzern. You do not need non-stick for a wok, its about making sure that the pan is seasoned and its at a high enough temperature to cook on.

Most people start cooking too quickly and find that their food sticks to even non-stock pans, the pan has to be ready. I have never seen a non-stick wok being used in Asia, in fact when have you really seen professionals using non-stick pans?

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A wok should be discolored. Never clean them with dergergent and always dry carefully and re-oil.

The black colouring you get when first preparing a wok by wiping with oil and then heating acts as a non-stick coating.

I'll let an asian expert explain this better.

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After using the non-stick wok from Coop, I don't want a non-stick surface.

The Ikea one you posted says that it has non-stick on the website "Mit praktischer Antihaftbeschichtung." so perhaps you have a different one, perhaps older or not from a Swiss Ikea.

My old wok looks terrible inside. I have cleaned it, and scrubbed it with a metal brush but it still looks dirty and I am embarrassed to use it when I have visitors. How do you clean them?

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We clean ours as we would clean any other saucepan and don't re-oil it either but we do use it everyday but I would suggest that if you do leave it for longer periods its probably not a bad idea to re-oil as they can develop rust.

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I seasoned the wok before I used it, and thoroughly dry it and re-oil with sesame oil before putting it away. It just looks terrible, like it is dirty, and I am embarrassed when guests come to have a look in the kitchen.

I have a Ken Hom one like this

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It has character and is used... That why we have cupboards in our kitchens to hide away our favourite things that do look so good....

We have a few hand made knives that are super sharp, they don't look as good as a knife block but they do the job.

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A properly-seasoned wok shouldn't look sparkly clean. It should be blackened and slightly oily:

You should never scrub the surface with anything, nor should you use soap. You should be able to clean it with just some hot water and a sponge, then dry it off with a paper towel and apply a little more oil.

It takes a while for a good surface coating to build up -- I hate having to use a new(ish) wok, as it's never as good as one that's seen a bit of use.

Here is a good guide to properly seasoning a wok: http://umamimart.blogspot.com/2008/1...on-wok_14.html

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Just got my old wok back from the basement and I am making egg fried rice (left over rice from yesterday) with peas and ham for lunch