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Thread: Stainless Steel wok from China safe?

  1. #1
    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    Stainless Steel wok from China safe?

    DS wants a wok for Christmas. We don't use nonstick, so the options are stainless steel or carbon steel. I don't like carbon steel because no matter how well I take care of it, I can taste iron.
    I ordered a Wolfgang Puck wok from Best Buy (had the best price), then realized its made in China. Then I saw an even less expensive one on Amazon from Cuisinart.....but I think its made in China too. I believe one of the few that are made in the U.S. is All Clad. Unfortunately, it is $200-300, whereas these other 2 are around $30. Do you think its fairly safe to use stainless steel for cooking from China?
    Dang.......I'm really started to realize how much of EVERYTHING we use is from China.
    I don't like using drinkware or dishes from China. But do you think stainless steel is okay. Dang.

  2. #2
    bunnys
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    Who knows?

    If you're concerned and you're going to ingest food that you cooked on it, I'd say, don't buy it. Safe or no, every time you eat something you made in it, you'll worry.

    I'm not really paying attention myself but I'll never buy those Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Strips for my dog again. They're made in China and dogs by the score have been getting sick and dying from them but because it's pet food the FDA doesn't really care enough to test/investigate in the same way as human food. I had of course thought "melamine." But they have tested it for melamine and it doesn't have it. However it is irradiated at a rate much higher than is allowed for human food (but ok for agricultural products) and so the dogs are probably dying because they get intestinal sickness of bloody diarrhea and God knows what else and that's killing them but the FDA lets them irradiate at any rate they want because it's not a food additive. So meanwhile these dogs are dying because of this crap.

    I wouldn't trust China when it comes to something I eat or in any other way could be absorbed by my body.

  3. #3
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    Almost all cookware is made in China now - or Indonesia, where labor is even cheaper. I personally don't worry about it, particularly if the alloy is stated somewhere on it (18/10, for instance). You could contact the company for details if really concerned.

    The issue with plates, etc would be a lead-containing glaze. What concerns do you have about drinking glasses or stainless cookware?

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    I can't imagine you'd really have anything to worry about because how can you contaminate stainless steel, I don't even think that's possible.

    Of course you could look for used, a wok is kind of obscure for the thrift store, but there's probably a nice used stainsteel maybe even American made wok on Ebay.

    I don't like using drinkware or dishes from China.
    I only use glass for drinkware and dishes. While there used to be such a thing as leaded glass (yea it contained lead), I don't think they make that anymore.

    Yes, I've done quite a bit of research on cookware and safety.
    Trees don't grow on money

  5. #5
    Senior Member lhamo's Avatar
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    I use a Chinese-made stainless steel wok and it is great. ASD brand, if that is available and you want to check it out. They make good products. Stay away from Supor -- much lower quality.

    FWIW, we've been living in China since 2002, consuming and using a large percentage of Chinese-made stuff (including milk!) and we're not dead or impaired yet.

    lhamo
    "Seek out habits that help you overcome fear or inertia. Destroy those that do the opposite." Seth Godin

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    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ApatheticNoMore View Post
    I can't imagine you'd really have anything to worry about because how can you contaminate stainless steel, I don't even think that's possible.
    The key is making sure it is really food-grade stainless steel, and not some toxic concoction of stainless-steel-like alloys.

    That said, there seems to be a wave of anti-China jingoism sweeping the USA. Not all Chinese producers are evil dog/baby-poisoning monsters, you know... :-)

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    Quote Originally Posted by bae View Post
    The key is making sure it is really food-grade stainless steel, and not some toxic concoction of stainless-steel-like alloys.

    That said, there seems to be a wave of anti-China jingoism sweeping the USA. Not all Chinese producers are evil dog/baby-poisoning monsters, you know... :-)
    And only some dogs bite - but I would recommend caution approaching any dog you don't know well.

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    I think there needs to be some balance. The USA also has some pretty horrible stories about food and drugs and whatever. Just read about the 14000 exposed to fungal meningitis due to contamintated product or ecoli, salmonella, listeria contaminated foods.

    I agree that I would prefer to eat locally (although cantalope from our state sickened many) but worry about stainless steel?

    I am curious if those concerned with China also include India, Bangladesh, South America, Africa, or other countries/areas or is this exclusively a China concern?

  9. #9
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    I seem to recall the Austrians shipping wine flavored with antifreeze. The French just sell you mislabelled cheap wine from Algeria as expensive wine, or doctor up their own expensive wine with a lot of cheap wine. Italian winemakers seem fond of using wood alcohol instead.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Jilly's Avatar
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    Amen, baby.
    It is well, when judging a friend, to remember that he is judging you with the same godlike and superior impartiality. Arnold Bennett

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