Great wok for smokeless apartment cooking
Just receive it today and already cooked lunch with it. I started the heat very low, to heat up the pan slowly. When the pan is hot enough (when you throw a bit water in it it will bead up and roll around) pour oil and start the cooking process. I make sure to use no more than medium heat since my stove has high heat output. Following these rules will avoid smoking and sticking in most cases. Today I cooked ground pork and veggie stir fries and nothing stuck. For a moment I went to answer the phone and there was a bit burn. However it was cleaned up easily with a non-scratch sponge and dish soap in hot water, after being soaked in hot water during the entire time of my meal. The soaking prevents any food residue from hardening and keep the burned food bits soft and easily washable. Overall I am very happy with this purchase, and its low price certainly makes it a great value .This wok plus an Instant Pot and a baking sheet are all I ever need in terms of cooking vessels in a small apartment kitchen.Now the cons - none are major deal breakers for me. For one, this wok is a bit on the shallow side for my liking. An extra half an inch of height would be perfect. Also, compared with a carbon steel wok of the same size this is very heavy. Any heavier I wouldn't be able to use it as intended. The lack of a helper handle isn't a big deal in most cases, unless I need to lift a pot full of water or soup. In that case I will have to grab the pan edge with a silicone pot grabber or oven mitt - not ideal but definitely doable. Another con is that the glass lid holds water at its edge. We will see if it leads to anything bad in the future.Overall this is a very nice wok, and it will meet your expectations as long as you know how to cook in stainless steel. I also like the clean and sleek look of the wok.Note that my unit comes with a knob instead of an U-shaped handle on the lid as shown in the product photo. Seller should update the photo to reflect the new lid.