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Jeff Kickthedogband photo
Germany, Berlin
1 Level
709 Review
30 Karma

Review on Jim Beam 12'' Pre Seasoned Heavy Duty Cast Iron Grilling Wok, Griddle, and Stir Fry Pan: Ultimate Cooking Companion by Jeff Kickthedogband

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Great value for some compromises

I bought this for $25 but if you're lucky you can sometimes find it on sale for as little as $20. This cast iron wok has different culinary properties than carbon steel. Keeps warm longer, takes a little longer to reach temperature so you need to pay attention to the heat control that works for this tool. However, it's thinner cast iron, so it doesn't take as long to heat up as thicker cast iron, and it's more comfortable and lighter. Fair compromise. The properties of the wok are excellent. The shape and size of the 12 inch wok is perfect as it doesn't take up much space on the stovetop yet is large enough to cook real portions. Chinese restaurant, you can cook comfortably in this wok. A 14-inch wok makes cooking easier, it has more surface area for frying and aerating food, but again - it's a size/weight trade-off and I'm perfectly happy with the performance. It doesn't have a long handle to control the wok. Most people will probably just put it on the stove and scrape the food around with a ladle/shovel. However, it's light enough to be tilted to different angles with one hand. You can lift it with two hands to turn food, but this quickly becomes tiring for most home cooks. It's functional. I like the compact size without the long handle, the flat top/handles make it suitable for spaces other designs can't fit. The depth of the wok is just enough so my food doesn't jump out of the pan, even with fast stirring. What I also like is the interior/exterior shape. It comes with a small flat base, making it suitable for most cookers/stoves. The curvature shines with home gas ranges, however, as heat convection travels up the sides and keeps them nice and hot. The interior is almost completely rounded, in contrast to the large flat floor. I prefer it. This allows the oil to pool/equalize faster so you can use less when you need it for frying. Instead of a flat spatula or spatula, I've found that a long, flat metal spoon works great for rounded interiors. It comes pre-seasoned, but I added a few layers of crisco for flavor before using it. Food got stuck on first use and took some effort to remove, but using number 3 cleaning was easy - running water, light brushing, rinsing, drying, oiling - voila - clean. Visually, it's simple and looks great, which is the beauty of cast iron cookware. Mine had patches of uneven finish (smooth/rough) but it's not noticeable unless you look closely at different lighting angles and it doesn't affect functionality. Side note: who knew Jim Beam would do such a good thing? puts? I'm pretty sure they just stamp their name on another company's product. I bet if someone could trace the origin of the product you could get the unbranded version even cheaper. a feature I find beyond what a traditional frying pan or saucepan offers. It's a staple on my stovetop and I look forward to continuing to enjoy it for decades to come.

Pros
  • Great for me
Cons
  • Doesn't go well with everything