Can someone help me with this aluminium problem ?

[steevo]

I bought a new stainless steel wok a quite a few months back and it said on the label that it had an "aluminium base". I assumed that this meant that the aluminium was UNDERNEATH the pan cos you can get similar copper based pans where you can clearly see copper is underneath the pan to help it conduct heat.

I know that aluminium is toxic so I just want to make sure that the INSIDE of the wok is not aluminium cos I saw a pan today that looked very similar to my wok and it was described as being aluminium.

When I first got the wok I checked on the internet and I didnt manage to find anything that told me any answers.

Do any of you know of a test that I can do to check for aluminium ?

[charles d ward]

I was thinking about a magnetic test but then I remembered that both aluminium and stainless steel are non magnetic materials. :o

[steevo]

I was thinking about a magnetic test but then I remembered that both aluminium and stainless steel are non magnetic materials. :o

Thanks Charles, I never thought of the obvious. I just checked it out with a magnet and the whole thing IS magnetic. The only thing that isnt magnetic is the rivets holding the handle on.

Even the base is magnetic (underneath) but this could be because, and I was led to believe, that the base is aluminium and is ENCASED in stainless steel. I just hope that the inside of the pan is not alluminium plated or something. To put you fully in the picture, the wok is TOTALLY shiny silver in colour except for the inside of the pan which is not shiny but a more of a dull silver colour with very fine grooves, it's as if they decided NOT to polish the inside of the wok and THAT'S why I'm a little worried cos it looks different to the outside of the wok.

[chromeranger]

Were you intending to buy a cast iron wok?
If it is silver and shiny and you expect some stainless steel on the inside, it should have a stamp on the bottom, such as "18/10 stainless".
IMO opinion a real wok is simply made of heavy cast iron in one piece, including the handle. Everything else is a consumer gimmick.

[steevo]

Were you intending to buy a cast iron wok?
If it is silver and shiny and you expect some stainless steel on the inside, it should have a stamp on the bottom, such as "18/10 stainless".
IMO opinion a real wok is simply made of heavy cast iron in one piece, including the handle. Everything else is a consumer gimmick.

I wanted a stainless steel wok (which I dont believe to be a gimmick) because it will last a long time and it would be pretty much non-toxic and also doesnt stick easily. I dont like the iron ones cos I dont like the taste of rust, I have used them before and have found that they rust within minutes of cooking the meal (eg bolognese sause) and drips into the food. I use woks for cooking lots of different stuff, not just stir fries.

There is no stamp on the wok to tell me what it's made of. The label on it said stainless steel.

[chromeranger]

It sounds like a stainless steel wok with an aluminum core in the bottom. At least its not Tefal..

Bolognese sauce is to be made in a sauce pan my friend. It tastes rusty because of the acidity and heat of the food youre cooking. Cast iron woks are used for high temperature frying and stirring, with good sesame oil that doesn't go rancid in those temperatures.. But then again if its stainless steel like yours it can be more versatile if it has a flat bottom. I use a cast iron omelet pan for most frying and roasting(with a lid) as I don't have a fancy 2,000 calorie plus gas hob and it does its job...

If youre worried about the rust you need to 'dry roast' some oil into the metal, this way it works better than any kind of non-stick toxic.

Youre into cooking eh?

[thetonic]

I think the whole idea of cooking with a wok is to use a metal that does not conduct heat very well or evenly , that way you get a hot spot at the bottom center of the pan... Traditional woks are the cheapy ones made from aluminum i believe and a cast iron wok is defeating the purpose / method

[steevo]

It sounds like a stainless steel wok with an aluminum core in the bottom. At least its not Tefal..

Bolognese sauce is to be made in a sauce pan my friend. It tastes rusty because of the acidity and heat of the food youre cooking. Cast iron woks are used for high temperature frying and stirring, with good sesame oil that doesn't go rancid in those temperatures.. But then again if its stainless steel like yours it can be more versatile if it has a flat bottom. I use a cast iron omelet pan for most frying and roasting(with a lid) as I don't have a fancy 2,000 calorie plus gas hob and it does its job...

If youre worried about the rust you need to 'dry roast' some oil into the metal, this way it works better than any kind of non-stick toxic.

Youre into cooking eh?

Yeah you gotta be into cooking these days, otherwise you are eating chemicals. I do all sorts in my wok including bolgnese sometimes and it works great. EVERYONE should be able to cook because we have to become self sufficient otherwise we are gonna get poisened by the bastards that be.

[steevo]

I think the whole idea of cooking with a wok is to use a metal that does not conduct heat very well or evenly , that way you get a hot spot at the bottom center of the pan... Traditional woks are the cheapy ones made from aluminum i believe and a cast iron wok is defeating the purpose / method

Yeah that sounds about right about the hotspot but I also use mine with a stainless steel lid which goes low dow into the wok and and use it to "slow cook" on an extremley low heat, stuff like goulash.

Yeah they have been making pans out of aluminium for ages but we should never use them for obvious reasons.

[madthumbs]

The base is the part that goes over the burner and holds the wok in place. These are usually made of aluminum. Nickel in stainless steel may be harmful to health also. If your wok is magnetic, it's probably comparatively low in nickel.

Properly season it (cook oil onto it), and don't scrape it.

[sweet cheeks]

I bought a new stainless steel wok a quite a few months back and it said on the label that it had an "aluminium base". I assumed that this meant that the aluminium was UNDERNEATH the pan cos you can get similar copper based pans where you can clearly see copper is underneath the pan to help it conduct heat.

I know that aluminium is toxic so I just want to make sure that the INSIDE of the wok is not aluminium cos I saw a pan today that looked very similar to my wok and it was described as being aluminium.

When I first got the wok I checked on the internet and I didnt manage to find anything that told me any answers.

Do any of you know of a test that I can do to check for aluminium ?

When in doubt, throw it OUT.