This is a great wok, but please make sure to follow these steps....don't worry about the instructions the wok came with, TRUST ME, I've gone through two of these suckers.

1. Remove wok from box and attach handle.
2. Fill about 3/4 of the wok with water and boil (this will help get that sticky oil off).
3. After boiling for a few minutes take off the burner.
4. Wash with a copper or steel scrubber and a little soap!!! (wash the entire wok , I mean top/bottom all over to scrub the oil away (this will be the last time you use a scrubber or even soap to wash the wok)
(There is a factory lacquer oil on the wok, you can't see it but you'll definitely smell it, you must get as much of that oil off before starting the seasoning process).

5. Dry (it's okay if you leave a little water since you will put it right back to the burner).
6. Get the wok back on the burner on medium heat, you will notice the bottom of the pan will start developing a golden color, then almost blue, then darker...
7. After the bottom has some color turn the wok to the side to get the side some heat, repeat this until most of the wok is dark goldish brown/blue, it's perfectly fine if it's not dark all around and is blotchy.
8. Remain on medium heat and even the wok back flat on the burner, now get some oil in there, something that has a high smoke point, lard, canola, veggie oil.....and rub the oil with a paper towel all around the wok, let the wok sit on the medium heat burner for about 5-10 minutes, add more oil if too dry, it might get super smokey so get your windows open and fan running.
9. Now, you should have a seasoned wok!
10. Feel free to throw some bacon in the pan to season even more, I did that but did not eat the bacon, just tossed it out.

After you are done just wash the Wok with a soft sponge and warm water, NO SOAP, NO HARSH SCRUBBER, that will take away the hard work you just put in.

I think it's a great Wok, I will give it 4 not 5 stars because I think it could have come with better instructions on seasoning, I ruined my first one, also it would have been nice to know that there was a lacquer based oil on the wok, I didn't realize that either.....

Okay, this makes me a little chagrined to admit--after boo hoo-ing mass marketed Joyce and Helen Chen woks for years--but this Classic model wok has become my favorite wok. I am a stir fry fanatic and have seasoned and used over 15 woks (both carbon steel and cast iron) over the last 7 years, and this one really stands out for me. First off--I love the feel of the handle and its length. I like the "decorator" ball of silver at the end of the wooden handle, and the skinny rod of stainless that protrudes from this ball and connects the handle to the wok bowl. And i love how smooth and comfortable the birchwood handle is (with a few coats of mineral oil applied). This wok just feels "right" in my hands and is joy to toss food around in. The bowl is wonderfully round and stir frying in it reminds me of the dance of food usually only found in round bottomed woks (many flat bottomed woks do not have this subtle characteristic--usually those with a larger flat bottom area and sharply angled sides, rather than more rounded sides as on this wok.)

However this wok is far from perfect--it is made of rather THIN steel, 1.5mm, but like a lot of flat bottom woks it does have a thicker padding of steel on the flat bottom area to hold more heat--to make it that much more effective on weaker stoves (particularly electrical coil stoves). I have used it on my powerful outdoor propane wok burner as well as on my electrical coil stove, and it does well on both. However on the electrical stove you really have to let it get HOT--when smoke is billowing out of the bottom after preheating you are good to go).

Also, the rivets that attach the handles can get too hot with high power burners and permanently expand and then the handles wobble a bit. Some won't mind or notice this much, but it dries me nuts. I solved the problem by winding some thin wire around the stainless handle base (that is riveted to the wok bowl) several times and then twisting it, cutting the twist and prying it underneath the wraps of wires. Works like a charm and the handle feels rock steady to me now. And you barely notice the wire wrapped around the handle holder.

The lacquer coating was easier to remove than many other lacquered woks I have "de-lacquered" in the past years. I filled it with distilled water and boiled the water (on my outside wok burner) for 20 minutes. After the boiling, I scrubbed the wok very well with SOS brillo pads and then seasoned it. I seasoned it lightly by heating it up over a medium flame, and then wiping peanut oil all over (inside and out), and then bit by bit, I heated it all over, turning it around and around, in new positions over the flame--turning it to a new position when it started to smoke. Every inch of the wok got this treatment, and most of it turned a light golden brown. Then I stir fried several batches of scallions and ginger with plenty of oil until charred, which darkened the bottom of the wok very well. A few stir fries of bacon followed the veggies, until the bacon was charred black bits. This was all about 90 minutes of hot and oily work, at the end of which the wok was initially seasoned and ready for making meals.

I did about a dozen stir fries in the first week, and they were all superlative--some of the best food I have ever produced from a freshly (and so lightly) seasoned wok. I don't know if it's the steel used or what, but I really have noticed tastier food from a new, freshly seasoned wok more with this beauty than any other I have used/seasoned, and I am really hooked! Plus absolutely nothing has stuck to the wok. Oyster sauce slighty burned onto the sides (as it normally does as it contains sugar); but after cooling, the sauce remains brushed right off with hot water--NO problems or residue remaining.

Another big plus is that the bottom flat area has not warped to any great degree at all--a common problem with flat bottom woks used on high heat (I've had carbon steel skillets warp over high heat too!) Some have warped so badly that on a level surface only a quarter or so of the flat area sits on the flat surface; not a big problem for electrical coiled stoves (that are not level to begin with), or with gas stoves; but for induction or flat topped gas stoves, this warpage could be e PROBLEM deluxe!

Anyway, the ergonomics of this wok are greatly appreciated by me, someone who has used many woks, and tossed food in many woks (including metal handled woks while wearing asbestos mitts). The steel used to make this wok released the lacquer coating quite easily, and it lightly seasoned with ease, giving tasty dishes and non-stick performance from the first stir fry. The steel may be thin on this wok's sides, but this steel sure stands out from the crowd in my hefty wok experience.

WIN WIN! I highly recommend!

This wok is awesome quality and seasoned very well. I used a method found on YouTube under the name Dennis M. I washed thoroughly with steel wool and dish soap, dried it well, then coated the inside and outside in vegetable oil, and baked upside down (handle off) for 20 min at 425 degrees. After baking for 20 min the wok had a nice golden glow. I then recoated the inside with oil and began stir frying some green onions and ginger until they were charred (maybe 20-25 min). That created a nice dark color on the bottom. I'm excited to watch this wok progress! If you use the baking method be sure to cover any exposed wood with a damp cloth and then aluminum foil.

Bought this as a Christmas gift for the boyfriend who enjoys doing most of our cooking. He loves this wok. I was afraid we would have trouble with the handle as many others who reviewed did, so be made sure to fasten it on tightly and it seems great.

This wok is a great buy. I had originally purchased it to help when making stir fry or fried rice. However, I've started using it basically any time I need to saute up vegetables. The large size and sloped sides make it so much easier to mix everything around, and reduces the mess of stuff falling out of the pan.

Make sure to follow the directions on seasoning and cleaning the wok though. It takes a little extra care compared to a non-stick pan, but the extra time is totally worth it.

This wok gets HOT HOT HOT. Great thermal transfer in this wok. Been using it over a year, and have not regreted it one bit.

Make sure you season this Wok as soon as you get it. Food does NOT stick if properly seasoned. I also recommend Diana Kuan's book and website, Appetite for China, as an easy way to get started cooking chinese food on this wok!