Customer Reviews

Calphalon One Infused Anodized 12-Inch Flat-Bottom Wok

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I love my new Calphalon One Infused Anodized Wok! I have been cooking for my family for over 11 years with a non-stick wok and I got tired of having to change woks every 6 months. I constantly use high heat for chinese cooking and the non-stick coating wears off pretty fast. So I decided to do some research on which non-stick wok is the most durable in the market but was shocked to learn that non-stick coating or Teflon may be a likely carcinogen to humans. So, after extensive research between an All-Clad stainless steel wok and a Calphalon One Infused Anodized wok, I picked the latter one because I still wanted the feel of that non-stick cooking although I know that it won't be 100% non-stick. After purchasing one, I immediately tried to saute some baby bok choi first. The veggies didn't stick at all! Not only that, they cook so much faster and they taste so much cleaner and sweeter. I think its because they got cooked so fast that they retained their sweetness and crispiness. I was so pleasantly surprised. Next was the "meat" test - "Chicken wings with oyster sauce". To me, this is the "sticky" test since oyster sauce has some sweetness to it that burns faster than regular soy sauce. In goes the garlic, onion and ginger first and they did not stick when stirred until they were fragrant. Then I put in the chicken wings and again, I was so surprised because the wings cooked so fast and they didn't stick! Since the wok is so evenly heated all the way up the side walls, the wings were being cooked not only on the bottom of the wok but also the sides. During the final 2 minutes, I cranked up the heat to "brown" the wings. Initially, they stuck a little bit to the wok but with a gentle push, the got unstuck easily. The dish was done half the time it used to take. Amazing. But even more amazingly, the baked-on and charred oyster sauce and juices on the sides of the wok came off so easily. Just run hot water and rubbing the wok with a soft sponge and soap. No scrubbing was necessary. This wok is worth every penny. It may seem very expensive at first, but this thing will last forever (I hope), so it is actually very economical. It will also save you money on gas because it minimizes cooking time. This wok that I bought is made in Ohio, USA. I also purchased the Indian wok from this same line and it is also made in USA. The most important thing to follow is to always heat up the wok first, like about 2-3 mins on medium heat. Then add oil and wait another half minute before starting to cook. This prevents any sticking to the wok. Preheating is the most important thing to do when you saute or stir fry on this type of cookware or on any stainless steel cookware.

I have been using this wok almost every day for approximately two weeks now and this product has surpassed my expectations in every way. With the right settings (for example, make sure the wok is hot, and coat the interior surface with just a little bit of oil before cooking) you will find this wok a great pleasure to work with. I am able to brown the poultry and still release the meat very easily with just a little nudge with a spatular. I also use this wok for stir-frying of vegetables, steaming, making sauces, etc. Note - do not confuse this product with Calphalon's non-stick lines of products, as it is not marketed as a non-stick wok. It is stick-resistant. Therefore you will see a little bit sticking, but that's just fine as you will be able to deglaze very nicely with the remnant bits and pieces left in the wok.

To clean the wok, just fill the interior with some hot water and wipe, it will be ready for the next task in just a few seconds. I have experienced no discoloring issues.

Food doesn't stick to it, I don't have to use a lot of oil, it's easy to clean, and I can use metal utensils. Unlike nonstick pans, this wok actually gives the food a bit of brown color. This is the first wok I've ever owned, so I can't compare it to other woks, I can only compare it to other nonstick pans.
Is it worth the money? I am not sure. It IS quite expensive. But it does a good job, and it forces me to stir fry more often (to get my money's worth!).
If you don't stir fry, you should. I can now get an entire meal ready in less than 10 minutes. Yeah, my house smells like sesame oil and garlic every time I use my wok.

We read all the reviews we could find. We concluded that infused anodized was the type we preferred, so that we could use hard tools. It had to be aluminum, because it's for use on a boat.

It was by far the most expensive - but it ought to last forever, especially with the lifetime guarantee - of the Calphalon lines. We also bought the 6.5 quart stockpot and steamer/colander, but that's another story (also 5 stars).

We washed it, then applied just a quick wipe with some olive oil and put it to the test. Holy Cow! Made our prior iron skillet look sick. Heats evenly, doesn't use nearly as much heat, also just a tiny bit of oil, and we load it up with veggies and stir fry away. Cooks marvelously and easily; a full load (that's a lot - this is a big pan!) of veggies is finished in literally minutes.

Cleanup is similarly a snap. Hot water, a drop of dish soap, a swish with the sponge, and it's finished. Much to our surprise, the rivets are not holding any food. Perhaps the custom handle design, keeping the handle cool, also keeps the rivets cool. In any event, we've yet to have anything require any effort to clean off.

In short, we're thrilled.

Skip and Lydia

1. NOT nonstick so you can use high temperatures without the coating breaking down (w/regards to people who invariably b*tch about Calphalon INFUSED ANODIZED ALUMINUM not being non-stick - where the hell does it say non-stick in there?). To me this is the biggest plus! Nonstick coatings never last, can't deal with high heat, and are chock full of carcinogens that the manufacturer 'claims' break down during the manufacturing process.

2. Anodized aluminum is second only carbon steele for excellent and even heat distribution and far superior to stainless steele. Your food will cook evenly and fast!

3. Far, far easier to care for that carbon steele or cast iron - no seasoning, oiling or scrubbing off little rust spots. You don't have to jump to clean the pan in case some of the seasoning wore off during cooking and I have never had a problem cleaning this pan. Of course I use it to cook foods that are intended to be cooked in a wok and fry my eggs elsewhere! However I use my pans hard and often and this one can take it.

4. The stay cool handle really does stay cool enough so that no heating pad is necessary. I hate wooden handles that invariably shrink and become loose with time.

I've had mine for years and it looks like a brand new pan. I look forward to many more years.

This is the best Wok to ever hit our kitchen. Amount of food that your can cook in this one wok is incredible! We love it. Its worth every penny.

I own _both_ the 10" and 12" Calphalon One Infused hard anodized woks and they are PERFECT in every way. They do what they are designed to do and they do it elegantly. Beautiful to look at and they are American made with superb quality.

So what's not to like? The price. If you put the 10" and the 12" side by side, the 12" is quite a bit bigger...but it is not more than three times bigger!!! Yet that is the difference in price with the smaller priced at $50 and the larger at $160. Either the 10" is under-priced at $50 or the 12" is grossly priced at $160.

The $50 price for the 10" is the same everywhere and I happened to buy it locally on for the convenience of it. I was unwilling to pay the $160 price for the larger one and happened to luck out at a certain auction site where I was able to buy the 12" boxed and brand new for about half of what Amazon was asking, shipping included.

In my opinion, the 10" is priced right. At $160, the price for the 12" isn't.

I bought this product back in 2004 and definitely would not recommend this product. I found the wok to be very heavy and it took a long time for the wok to get hot.

In addition, the product description states that "Advanced release polymer penetrates pores of metal so that food sears and releases easily." However, my experience was that food stuck to the wok even when I used quite a bit of oil.

So, after using the wok for about half a year and getting tired of food sticking on the wok, I donated the wok.

It works as advertised. No sticking, no peeling. It's a quality wok for sure.

The 10" wok was just a bit too small for my cooking needs but since I liked it so much I decided to stay with Calphalon. Like others, I can't figure out the price difference between the two woks at all. Regardless this wok is excellent and should last for many, many years which makes it a good deal.