Side by Side Comparison of: Joyce Chen vs Presto

It took a couple months to get around to using it (didn't have time to season, had to get down to cooking, whatever).And now that I've been using it once or twice a week, I can't imagine not using this awesome wok. It will change your cooking for the better.Sears meat at ultra high temps with very little oil so chicken/pork/beef stay juicy with almost no fat. Tofu flips easy and you can fry (hello sweet/sour chicken!) right in the wok with 1/2 the oil you'd usually use & the high sides contain spatters.You cannot cook at high temperatures stovetop with any other cookware (and I cook with top-notch All-Clad). You need a wok.And you'll find this wok to be an incredible tool for speed, heart-healthy and low-fat cooking.Cooks fast and clean-up with steel wool and warm water and after it's dry, a tsp of oil swiped quickly around the cooking surface with a paper towel to prevent rust. How easy it is.I've made all sorts of meals in this beauty and now it's developing a nice patina.After seasoning once (takes 20-25 minutes) I haven't had to season it again. I just love it.PS Get on WoksOfLife for great recipes (authentic & easy/fast). They recommended this particular wok and I'm very pleased.

I clearly need wok cooking lessons but this wok has been great. I followed online tutorials for buying a wok and what to look for and how to season a new wok. I've already got a great season going on it. Now if I could just learn to not get everything overly greasy and how to toss the food without throwing half of it out onto the stove.

5 stars easily. Works great on my electric stove (all i have in my apartment). Those who have complained that it rusts didn't read the instructions. This is CARBON STEEL it WILL rust if water is kept in it for even a few minutes. If you wash after use, use a towel to dry it then use olive oil to put a very thin coat on the inside of the wok. This will prevent it from rusting.I was lazy one night and didn't wash it right away. It rusted, I used a scoring pad and got the rust out in just a few seconds. This is a good wok if you use proper steps to take care of it like you would a carbon steel knife.

Great work ,I followed the instructions on how to season it and it is probably the best work I have ever owned. I used to have a nonstick wok that I bought from Wal-Mart but after a couple of years the nonstick coating started to peal off. I was a little worried about seasoning the wok but after watching a couple of YouTube videos it's really petty easy ,so now I have a great nonstick wok and I never have to worry about the coating coming of in my food. Buy the way this wok was 10 dollars cheaper than the one I got from Wal-Mart and I think it will last a lifetime.

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.

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!

best purchase I've made in years. Fast,does a great job,hot enough for anything and easy clean-up

Just great! Like everything about it. So easy to clean, and after a few uses it still looks like new!

Description exactly as written!!! Great product!

Most ingenius wok ever! LOVE that the entire unit is stainless steel (except the feet and plug/cord). Unit heats up REALLY fast and the thermostat is very responsive. The glass lid makes it easy to see through to contents. It's also the perfect size. I have replaced two stovetop woks for this one. Extremely pleased with construction, material content, and functionality. Presto makes wonderful products. :)

We had replaced all of our old Teflon non stick cookware awhile back for health reasons but not our Wok. We decided it was finally time to retire our old one since the non stick coating was flaking. We wanted another large one (which this is). But we weren't sure if we should do a ceramic one (which doesn't work well with high heat), a PFOE free non stick(which who knows how safe that is long term), or a stainless one. We ruled out cast iron because we didn't want the weight and rusting issues.We chose this Wok but we were nervous about sticking issues. However, that worry was unnecessary. We use plenty of healthy fats when cooking in the Wok, so we haven't had sticking issues. As long as you use the right oils and the right amount of oil... and stir regularly it doesn't seem to be a problem.We also love that this has a lid, our old one did not.And, we really like that it is dishwasher and sink safe. That makes cleaning up a breeze. Sometimes reading lots of reviews on amazon can become almost paralyzing. Some people love an item and some hate it making it hard to make a decision. Ignore any bad ones, this thing rocks if you use it right!

Large wok with plenty of room to stir fry a full quart of good without steaming in. the temperature gauge is very sensitive and gets so hot I have been unable to use the hottest setting. No cold spots. easy to clean - I threw water in the hot wok and it steamed off all of the baked on pieces and then I rinsed it in the sink - it took 25 seconds to clean.

It is well made. The seasoning process is a bit intimidating but I'm sure it will be worth the effort when I'm done. If there's a smaller version of the same thing I'll buy one of those, too.

Nearly perfect. I should not have let my husband convince me to go with the double handled version as the secondary handle is not removable. I've had to smoke out my house to keep it seasoned rather than unscrewing the long handle and seasoning in the grill. Great carbon wok, meh on the second handle.

Google "wok recommendations," I'll wait...Did you do it? The reviews (outside of Amazon) are accurate. This wok feels great in the hand (nice weight, well constructed), comes with a lid and bamboo spatula (enhanced value for the money). Spun surface (I imagine not hand-hammered, but irrelevant), so it has the concentric circles that keep foods from sliding around. Fast, even heating. Make sure you season first (instructions included). Fast even heating.Go for it!

As long as you season it correctly, I don't see why one may be disappointed with this purchase. If you're looking to start cooking your own stir fry dishes, this is a good way to go.But remember, you really have to season it properly to ensure if functions--non stick--as it should. Also, after seasoning it, there's care instructions for maintenance. The biggest complaint is rust and that generally occurs if the maintenance is not performed.Main things I learned regarding maintenance:Do not leave the food in the wok after you're finished cooking; immediately transfer it to a dish.Do not use wire brush to clean wokAfter cleaning wok, place it on stove, under high flame, to dry all residual moisture (prevents rust)Storing in a brown paper bag also aids in rust preventionSeasoning instruction/tutorials can be found all over the web (ie: YouTube), and I suggest you do your research to ensure your wok functions as it should and they way you'd like it to.Overall, I'm happy with this purchase.

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.....

I've used this wok several times, to replace the Helen Chen wok I purchased a year ago. This wok is SOOOO much better. It heats up faster, it's bigger, and I can't say enough good things about this wok.The teflon is made of Xylan, which is a better material than Helen Chen's teflon which is made of Excalibur.Xylan is much better and doesn't scratch as easily.I use a Bamboo Wok Brush to clean my wok now and I always use hot water when I clean. Then I just take a cloth or paper towel and wipe dry. I rarely use detergent now on my wok just because the food particles come off so easily with this Xylan material.=========== Updated July 4, 2011 =============My 1st Joyce Chan wok started losing it's non-stick coating. It was my fault because I used soap to wash off some gunk that stuck to the pot because I didn't wash it right away after I cooked. I also boiled some beef stew in it, which is a big no no.So I got a second Joyce Chan wok. This time I wasn't going to use the Bamboo Wok Brush to clean but I did season the wok. I read the often conflicting instructions on how to pre-season this carbon steel wok and it started peeling after I rubbed the oil on with a paper towel. This didn't happen with the first wok I got. I then cooked a batch of vegetables and it was covered in black flakes. So $45 for the wok + $5 for the veggies. I lost $50 in one night.At this point I've given up on Joyce Chan's wok. It's kind of a hit and miss with this wok. I'm going to try 3 Piece 14" Preseasoned Flat Bottom Wok Set and see how it goes.

This is a decent enough work for a home cook. It doesn't get as hot as a "real" wok does, and I have to watch how much food I add or the temp crashes. But on the whole, I'd recommend to most home users.

well built but takes a while to get hot

Convenient for the new wok user - no worries about having a large enough stove burner or a flat enough surface. Quick heat up and easy clean up. Gifted this along with some basic wok recipes and sauces.

Pros: Medium weight pan, quickly responsive to temperature setting, nice and stable- rubber on bottom of feet prevents sliding (unlike other presto products I own), easy to clean.Cons: Pan is somewhat shallow. The first time used the pan burned but food did not sear and brown up nicely- hoping as the pan gets seasoned this will change. Creates smoke and fine grease aerosol, will try peanut oil next time as it withstands higher temperatures without burning. Better for cooking small amounts of food at a time.

It's been couple months since I received this 17"X14" size stainless steel wok. Good deal from Amazon with their Free, Super Saving shipping. I have used it several times already. Because it has stainless steel interior and not the non-stick coating, I don't have to be extra cautious to use metal cooking utensil. (instruction says to use non-stick utensil). The base of the pot will have coating of over cooked sauce or starch residue, but after some soaking with water, it is easy to remove the solidly "caked up" sauce/food with Scote-brite sponge. This wok is easy to wash. Heat is distributed evenly and it is easy to prepare stir frys and cooking fried noodles. The whole wok is light in weight and not clumpsy. Would recommend this wok.Florence Maruyama

For the price, this wok is a good deal. I have cooked with it about 20 times or so, and so far the only problem has been the loose feet. I had to tighten them once, easily done with a flathead screwdriver.The thermostat is sensitive...meaning that a small turn on the wheel means a jump of tens of degrees. The angle between 300F and 400F is a 45 degree angle on the wheel. There is an orange light that indicates when the element is heating.The aluminum base lacks thermal mass, ergo, it heats FAST. But if you put too much into the wok at once, it will go cold. However, it quickly reheats. This is an advantage in that when things are done the wok can be turned off and cooking stops.I would purchase this again. I would recommend it to others.

Was good for the first couple of times I used it. Then I made some chicken in it and it had stuck to the bottom of the pan. Tried to scrub it off, but didn't work. Then, tried to scrape it off and the coating came off with it. Now, it has rust on the bottom, where the coating came off and am sort of scared to use it again.

It is a lot of work to maintain. Instructions say 20 minutes to season every time you scratch the seasoning or burn anything. Pans that you can season in the oven are much easier. Otherwise a nice pan.

The pan is great, but...the protective plastic or resin coating they put on it is a pain in the ... behind .... to get off. We had to burn it off. Lucky for us we have a decent outdoor propane stove so this was a fairly easy process, but if I had to do it indoors wow that would stink! After that some steel wool to make sure the chemical residues were off then a good seasoning, and it's now a great pan! We were hoping to just season and use, and the extra hour of prep time before use earned it a three star, otherwise would be a five star

The Wok works well enough and is sturdy. The reason I give it 3 starts though is because it took forever to season. After using it a few times the season just flakes right off too. After using it a dozen times the original seasoning is almost completely gone and parts look a little rusty. For now I'm just keeping it well oiled and hoping it'll season itself.

Not a very good product. Requires constant seasoning otherwise it rusts. And because the pan is so thin, it develops hot spots. This causes the seasoning to coke over time - becoming soot black which indicates the presence of high carbon organic molecules which are probably carcinogenic.Given that the material is steel, why not just make it stainless steel and avoid all this pain ?

my order arrived damaged. the wok was really asymmetrical and bent. I pushed it back into place fairly easily. As far as performance; after following the instructions to preseason the wok I found that it heated up very quickly over an 18k btu open burner and did pretty well. Construction seems pretty decent for the price. I am curious to see how it holds up over time

Fully functional, however, it does not heat to the highest temperature. The -highest- I can get it to, is 320-330F. Disappointed, but, still, functional for lower temp cooking.

I have only used once but already miss my old red Presto that was teflon coated. My food stuck to the bottom. Next time a bit more cooking spray or oil.

Wok is great.. Hate this magnetic plug .. Didn't notice that.. Or I would not have gotten it ..

It's really nice but sticks bad. I usually soak it over night to get all the stuck on stuff off.

It is not as handy as Teflon non stick. You have to watch the cooking temp to be carful you don't get to high. I liked it. However, the lid is as heavy as the unit it's self and I have a bad shoulder. I had trouble lifting the lid so I had to return it.

Food sticks and burns quickly. However, clean up is easier when I turn it on, and boil water with dish soap in the pan. Then I use a wooden spoon and a non metal scrubbing pad.

This wok is unfortunately not made well enough. I guess that’s to be expected for the low price. It’s pretty flimsy and I actually threw it away last night after dinner. I’ve only used it four times, but I’d had enough of lifting it full of food and feeling as if it’d break apart.

This product wore out really quick. I won't buy this product again.

The one I ordered did not come with any of the extras.The wok didnt even have a handle...But from what I could see, the wok seemed okay. hahahah.... . . .

For some reason the provided instructions offer cleaning and prep instructions for a 'non stick pan' that is not part of this product before 'carbon steel' instructions you actually want to read. They are vastly different and you may rust your wok immediately after first use if you make the mistake.The product maker needs to separate their instruction pamphlets per product, particularly with such a finicky type of metal.

We like the wok, but had to use channel locks to tighten the handle. Otherwise, it was not safe to cook with.

Flimsy wok , sent it back. Got a 2 mm thick one.

Really too big to fit in the dish washer; and the bottom inside surface gets coated, every time. Fairly easy to clean using the technique described in the manual but it has to be dine every time the wok is used.

Only the bottom center gets any heat so everything that is there burns and there's no way to move food out of the center to cook! Would not purchase!

I was so excited to get a Wok and start cooking like the chinese. However it is just beyond my skills I guess to get good results with this Wok. No matter what temp I set the wok at everything just burns to the bottom, and yes I know you are supposed to keep the food moving and I do. I just end up with a big layer of burnt stuff on the bottom after every use. I think I will stick to a regular frying pan.

The Wok is either on or off, it heats at 400 degrees till it gets to your set temperature. If you want to cook your food at 200 degrees it heats like your oven in preheat. Max temperature. Even after leaving it to preheat for a long time as soon as it drops below your set temp it will max heat causing any and everything to scald. I have bought other presto products and none heat like this. If it is a manufacture defect I would be willing to return this product and will update this review. Durability and feel is good. I think if the burning issue was fixed it would be decent. As is though it is unusable.

This looked like it would be a nice item, and it did enjoy the stainless steel. But although the flat bottom part of the wok gets really hot, the heat does not conduct well up the sides of the wok. It is basically a electric stove top burner bonded to the bottom a a stainless steel bowl. I ended up returning it.

When it come to stir fry there is no replacement for stir frying over fire. I recently moved and my new place does not have a gas stove only electric. I tried stir frying on the electric stove using my flat bottom wok but the electric stove just can't get it hot enough to call it stir fried. I searched amazon to find a wok for electric stove and I couldn't find one,but I did find this presto. I decide to give it a try base on all the reviews. What I expected from this product was a heating element that heated up the wok till it is sizzling hot. What I got instead was a warmer. At the max temp when I dropped the oil in the wok it fizzled instead of sizzled. The temp is so erratic that you have to keep turning the knob to keep it on if not the light goes off and the wok cools down. This mean the food stay luke warm. I also notice that the electric wire with the control switch was hot. This must be the reason why the heating element shuts off to prevent it from burning up.IMO this is worse than using a wok on an electric stove. I will just buy a GASONE Portable Gas Stove CSA Approved to use with my wok.

Wasted my money and my time on this wok - I seasoned exactly as the instructions indicated - all it does is rust! Also, it's really only the bottom that heats.

nothing but rust, every time you use it there's a lot of rust to clean out of it, what a mistake it was to buy this THING

Nowhere in either the product description or the product packaging does it alert the buyer that this wok is TEFLON COATED. Exactly what I do not want. Joyce Chen 21-9972, Classic Series Carbon Steel Wok Set, 4-Piecewant.

Only heats on the bottom, not up the sides or anything, creating a very small limited cooking surface!

Extremely disappointed in this wok. After my first use which was just a simple vegetable stir fry, it immediately became stained regardless of how much scrubbing. I did not use any fancy ingredients that would cause a stain but it looked absolutely horrendous. As other reviews have mentioned, it rusts very easily. After handwashing, I wipe it down so that it's completely dry but it still manages to collect rust. I had prewashed it one day and then let it soak (completely submerged) in hopes of loosening up any remaining hard and stuck on food. While submerged, black rings of what I can only assume is metallic grime gathered in the wok. Of course, I had cleaned the sink out completely and ran a new sink of clean, unsoaped, warm water so it makes no sense to me how this metallic grime came to be and how or why it gathered. There is definitely a very DISTINCT metal smell that makes any dish you cook in it unappetizing. I've used it twice and it looks like it's see battle on the kitchen stove for over two years; if it weren't for that it looks so horrendous, I would consider sending it back but I doubt even the seller would take it now. I would not recommend this product at all.

Terrible quality... the handle was flimsy and terribly put together. I returned it.

Great at first but stopped working right after return window closed. Do not purchase! A total waste of your money.

Met my expectations hope it will last as long as my other wok. Use several times a month for stir fries and that wok labsted 30 years.

Tarnished the first time used, not impressed whatsoever!

lousy..doesnt heat up..threw in trash just first cooking!

Light weight, cheap looking and the stainless discolors with use. I do not recommend this wok.

I'm very glad to have found an electric wok that is not coated with non-stick chemicals. On the other hand this wok does not maintain a steady temperature. It seems to cool down significantly, and then surge up the heat, causing a very unstable cooking temperature. I do not recommend it, and am sorry I was not sent a packing slip or return instructions. If I had been offered that, I would return it.