Wok: Carbon steel or cast iron?

I have friends from Hong Kong who always use steel woks in their take-away.

A cast-iron wok would require a different technique for stir frying. It would be slower to heat up and retain heat when you didn't want the food to continue cooking.

Stick with the one you have ...

There isn't so much difference between both materials to warrant the purchase of a new wok. While the different parameters can be measured, any noticeable difference will probably stem from production quality or seasoning quality. They are just too similar in specific heat per cubic centimeter (how much you can heat the pan) to expect an improvement. Iron has somewhat better thermal conductivity (how quickly it gives off heat to the food), which is more important in a wok than in a generic sauce pan, but the difference is small. Also, they are very similar in maintenance, with carbon steel being easier to (re)season.

For specific values and for better understanding the theory behind the heating of pans, read this article. For an example of somebody who has come to prefer his carbon steel pans over his cast iron ones, read here. (The part I mean is the four paragraphs between the picture of the pans and the "seasoning" heading, but the whole post is an interesting read too).

When you see chinese chefs in the kitchen they always use carbon steel woks because they are much lighter, making them better for flipping the food in the air in the style called "The Pao Action". This looks exciting, but does not make the food taste any better. If you decide that you don't need the Pao Action style, you are better off with a cast iron wok like those from Lodge (there are other brands as well). Yes, they are much heavier, but they will last for a lifetime, are more stable on your stovetop, and they are not as fragile as the Asian cast iron woks. Why risk cracking a thin seasoned cast iron wok? Buy the heavier cast iron, they can take the abuse and you will never be sorry.

From my experience, I do not like carbon steel woks. I seasoned the carbon steel woks by the instructions. When I stir fry food on the carbon steel wok, I have noticed later that the seasoning layers peel off and that is not good at all. I have given chances to try the carbon steel woks about 3 to 4 times. I feel to realize that the carbon steel woks do not build a good patina, after seeing the seasoning layers peeling off. Now, I do not even want to have a carbon steel wok, anymore, after my bad experiences. Cast iron woks are the best for cooking.

I would definitely go for the CAST IRON WOK. It is so convenient for indoor or outdoor cooking in term of cleaning it (It only needs water and coconut brush like the Chinese Chef do). It last for a life time and something memorable to pass on to the next generation. My grandpa brought several cast iron woks from China to BATAVIA The Dutch East Indies Colony (present day Jakarta-Indonesia in 1910 during the period of the Last Emperor of China. We are still using the same woks today but in Australia. The thick cast iron wok not just subject to abuse but it also provide dietary supplementation of iron to individuals affected by iron-deficiency anaemia.

I use cast iron and couldn't be any happier. I get restaurant quality flavor.

The only down side is that it's really really heavy. But cleaning and maintaining is much simpler, less dangerous and worry free compared to a carbon steel wok in my opinion. All I do is just lightly scrub it with hot/warm water and wipe it with a tissue and its clean.

Seasoning is simple just heat the cast iron pan and coat it with oil... finished. I don't find myself re-seasoning the cast iron pan since it seasons itself while cooking. You also don't need to worry much about any of the natural non stick coating to peel off like a Wok. You see chefs use carbon steel woks because its easy to lift, it's light weight and can serve the food onto plates.

Here's a video of me using cast iron for Asian cooking:

Delicious Authentic Asian Shrimp Fried Rice

I would definitely recommend Cast Iron. It’s so easy to season it with a little bit of Oil (used olive oil). The Crust you get, & the flavor of your food is so much better. It makes a Huge difference over any other kind of pan.