The million-dollar query has led to one million divided opinions on which are best. Carbon steel woks are most commonly used. They weigh less than forged iron and heat faster. However, for the highest and most uniform heat retention, forged iron woks are superior to carbon steel. The cast iron wok also achieves a more steady carbonized layer of seasoning, which enormously reduces food sticking to the pan surface.

The forming approach affects the standard and price. Some woks are stamped from a single piece of steel and must be avoided. It is sensible to spend money on a hand-hammered or solid wok made from [two] sheets of carbon steel.

Woks to avoid embrace non-stick, metal coated with Teflon, Xylan coated, Clad, and aluminum woks. These varieties simply scratch, could not withstand greater warmth, and or do not cook dinner any better than carbon steel or cast iron woks! In the event you do a search on the Web, you may discover these kind of woks have many detrimental reviews. The value was nice however that was the one great detail.

Initially, they could be simpler to wash however sacrifice the higher leads to the completed and served dish. Some swear by them but I counsel staying away from a wok for its non-stick feature. Many first time users are unaware that the carbon metal variety should be properly seasoned. The normal iron and steel woks can be seasoned with salt and fat. As soon as you've got seasoned your wok, you are in your option to some day proudly owning that perfect wok that has been with you through lots of and hundreds of completely prepared dishes. It WILL have that seasoned look, feel, and texture that does not stick and yields completely cooked food.

This will not be just one other piece of cookware piled among others. No, this will probably be YOUR wok which shall be used to cook dinner your favourite meals.

Finally, How one can season your new wok.

Disclaimer & Warning

You can be working with very popular oil. LoveThatKimchi.com or its proprietor just isn't liable or chargeable for fireplace or damages resulting from these instructions. Stay alert and attentive, remove youngsters from work area, do not go away the work space whereas wok is on heated floor, and train excessive care all through the seasoning process.

Turn on hood ventilation or provide as much air flow as possible. Open any close by doorways or windows if possible. This process will create just a little smoke however finest to have maximum ventilation possible. Clear range high and heat the wok for a few minutes. Brush the whole surface (every inch of interior pan) utilizing lard or palm oil. Seize wok by the deal with(s) and tilt to heat and burn all areas of the wok's bottom. This will burn the oil into the new wok surface. As soon as performed with this step, remove the wok from warmth and permit to fully cool. Next, utilizing the lard or oil that has collected in the wok middle, smear the lard/oil back onto the inside floor and reheat and tilt as in step one. Repeat these steps three or four extra times.

When cooking with the wok, at all times heat it until it smokes before including lard. Your first few makes use of could have some meals stick but this shall be diminished with further use. After every use, permit to chill, wash with water and clear sponge however do not towel dry. Place wet wok on a sizzling burner and permit to dry and cool earlier than storing. If you haven't achieved a shiny patina look by now, rub a thing layer of lard onto the surface during drying and heating earlier than storing.

The golden rule of by no means utilizing soapy water in your seasoned wok is true and necessary. If you have gone a number of months with out utilizing the wok, chances are you'll discover the last layer of lard/oil had grow to be moldy or just grew to become unacceptably dirty. If so, then a little bit soap is ok and ensure to season the wok again. Best of luck to you throughout your seek for the best wok. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I did and armed with this data, you'll surely wok the wok.

At Wokpan.org find information on seasoning carbon steel wok, pre seasoned carbon steel wok,and round bottom carbon steel wok.

how do i cast bugs suspending in a clear lucite polymer block?

I just bought a huge beetle in a clear block or indestructable lucite today and thought it was so cool so I would like to catch my own bugs and do this as well.. my question is where can I find liqued lucite ready to be molded? I know there are more molding polymers but are they are strong and cystle clear like lucite? Please help with any info about this.. I would like to start this hobby but don't know exactly how to begin...

First "Lucite" is the brand name of a kind of plastic --other brands are Plexiglas, Perspex, etc, or they're just called "acrylic."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucite

Lucite is probably not what your bug-in-clear-block was made with though.
It was probably made with a two-part clear synthetic resin (both parts are liquid which harden by a chemical reaction when mixed), and most probably a "polyester" craft resin like Castin' Craft's Clear Polyester Casting Resin, or perhaps the "tweaked" epoxy resin called Easy Cast--regular epoxy resins aren't usually used in *deep* casting situations in molds, but in shallow cells or for coatings.

Many bugs will do fine as embedments in resins since they're primarily exoskeletons and pretty dry (don't want any moisture inside resin). You may want to dry them out awhile if they're larger though or have large soft bodies (or remove wet guts with syringe than inject with alcohol, etc)--water and resin don't do well together. (Other nature materials may need to be dried thoroughly, and also some will change color in resin.)
It can be a good idea to "dip" anything that has little places where air could hide into resin first and let cure (before putting into the resin you've poured where you want it) to avoid trapping air bubbles.

You can read more about resins, and "casting" resins inside temporary molds which is probably what you'd be doing if you want a good-sized block of plastic around the bug, on the resin page at my site:

http://glassattic.com/polymer/other_materials.htm

If the resin will end up thicker than about 1/2" you will probably want to use a polyester resin like Castin Craft's Clear Polyester Casting Resin, or the tweaked epoxy resin called Easy Cast (though it can get a bit soft when warmed), rather than a regular epoxy resin.
You could also put the resin and bug into a shallow permanent "cell" if it would fit (like a bezel, bottle cap, or jewelry "frame" with backing, etc) and use a regular epoxy resin like Envirotex Lite Pour On, etc.

(Be aware though that resins aren't relaly "indestructible"...they can get scratches and microscratches, and the polyester ones are a bit more brittle than the epoxies so can chip if dropped, etc.)

Here are some other things that haven't made it onto that page yet about dealing with insects:

Basically what I did with the hornet is to pour a thin layer of resin, waited about 1/2 hour so it was semi thick, put the bug in place, then covered the majority of the bug with resin...then let that cure for a couple hours and poured a colored layer of resin for a colored "backing". zombiekilla

earwig & rolypoly bug along with other embedments in Halloween pendants:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=324475.msg3745995#msg3745995 (wait for the browser to "jump down" to the right place)

HTH,
Diane B.

What a Difference a Strong Snow White Makes (Ms. Magazine)

Two new fall TV shows, Once Upon a Time and Grimm, blend the real world with
the world of fairy tales-but there the similarities stop. The two are
radically different, especially in their representations of women. When Grimm
remembers that women exist, they are hapless victims (think CSI: Deep Dark
Woods), while Once Upon a [...]

Ms. Magazine

Cast embedments in Clear Resin

Process Equipmentcast clear acrylic tube, cast clear and present danger, cast clear resin, cast clearfield pa, cast clearinghouse

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