Q. What type of wok do Chinese chefs employ?

Answer

Carbon steel woks are an absolute need for Chinese restaurant cooks. It's possible to employ various shapes and sizes, depending on the job at hand. A big (20-inch-plus) wok is needed for cooking in bulk or steaming fish for several people, whereas a smaller wok, like the one, doesn’t use at home, is needed for preparing stir-fried foods à la carte. Since often exceed or come near to that limit (for example, while heating the wok to "barely smoking"), their safety at the temperatures necessary for Chinese cuisine is uncertain at best. Even the highest quality non-stick woks can't withstand temperatures of 500F/260C.