The products that come from brand collaborations are hit or miss. The results of this kind of marriage can spell disaster — think Target and Neiman Marcus’ 2013 calamity. That’s not the case for Our Place: its latest release with Fly by Jing, the Hot Wok Set, is one of the best additions to my home cooking arsenal two brands have ever produced.
After a cup of marinated chicken hissed and seared faster and more evenly than it ever has in my ceramic-coated Caraway, I knew I’d hit on a piece of cookware that would change how I made meals. I’m now a wok convert; fried rice prepared any other way just doesn’t hit the same, especially when it’s topped with Fly By Jing’s best-selling Chili Crisp, another staple in my kitchen.
Our Place Hot Wok Set
The Hot Wok Set includes the wok itself, as well as three chili crisp sauces from Fly By Jing. The carbon steel wok is 12 inches in diameter, 3.8 inches deep, and 21 inches long to the end of the metallic handle. It’s compatible with all cooktops and has a glass lid and steamer basket you can stack on top. The first time I used this wok, I seared my chicken, filled the pan with water, brought it to a boil, and steamed vegetables on top. Then I emptied out the water, added more oil, and combined the ingredients into one stir fry without having to dirty any other pans. The wok handled the temperature changes like a champ, and has the heat retention of a cast iron pan with a much lighter weight. I can easily pick this pan up with one hand and toss the veggies mid-sautée, something I can’t do with a cast iron of its same size.
The steamer basket nests perfectly between grooves at the top of the pan, and the set comes with liners so vegetables, frozen dumplings, and other steamable goods don’t stick. The glass lid stacks on top to keep the heat in, and the set comes with a pair of wooden chopsticks for stirring noodles and string beans.
This wok gets hot very quickly, and is more intimidating than your average fry pan. It shouldn’t deter new chefs, as woks are designed for “dump it all in and mix with sauce” kind of recipes. Just make sure to use an oil with a high smoke point (something that won’t burn as easily) like avocado or peanut. The sautéeing and searing don’t go quietly into the night, and adding water should be done quickly and with confidence to avoid unnecessary spatters. That said, the heat conduction holds and stays consistent throughout the cooking process, and everything on the surface of the wok cooked evenly. Water boiled quickly, and cleaning was very easy. It does require diligent drying to not rust, something standard with any carbon steel or cast iron pan.
After my first use, the coating on the bottom of the pan looked very worn away and the color had changed from dark blue to off shades of blue and silver. It looked like I’d used it much more than once, which has happened with other carbon steel pans I’ve used in the past. It hasn’t affected its functionality, but it looks off-putting. Based on some cursory research, it looks like carbon steel pans are more corrosion-prone, and require more diligent maintenance.
As for upkeep, carbon steel requires regular seasoning, like a cast iron pan, in order to maintain adequate nonstick. This isn’t a knock against the pan, more a note for those who don’t like cooking devices that require upkeep.
The moment I knew I had to write about Our Place’s Wok was the second time I used it. I was tasked with whipping up chicken lettuce cups on a Tuesday evening. Disaster struck; the ground chicken wasn’t properly defrosted, so I decided to put the wok to a real test. I dropped the whole hunk of chicken into the pan with a little water, threw on the glass lid, and prayed. Lo and behold, 30 minutes later (after some elbow grease and spatula work) I had defrosted chicken sautéeing in a spicy teriyaki sauce. The heat was intense enough within the vessel itself to thaw the chicken quickly, but not so hot it burned the exterior touching the pan. Not a hack I’d recommend to anyone else, but we see what we’re made of in a pinch.
Anyone who cooks Asian food at home, even semi-regularly, should buy a wok. I’m sure there are other great options out there, but I was very impressed with Our Place’s option.
