If you’re living in a tight space or have a kitchen with limited shelf space- and really, who doesn’t- then you probably worry about your pots and pans. It’s all too easy to have a cabinet where you’re trying to shove every piece of cookware, storing all of the lids and trying to stack them appropriately. In New York City, we’re always looking fondly at pot racks and realizing that renting precludes having or installing one… and then we go back to carefully aligning our pan handles in just the right directions in our daily Tetris-like struggle to put them away.
The Cristel Casteline collection helps solve some of these issues, and we’ve been enjoying their 1.5 Quart Non-Stick Wok, which comes with a removable handle. The designs are lovely- and practical- and ideal for an urban kitchen or anywhere that you don’t have a hanging pot rack. Made from an interesting pairing of metals, the triple-layer Multiply (stainless-aluminium-stainless) with an Excalibur non-stick coating, it’s construction allows for superior and even heat distribution while also making for easier cleaning. And it’s dishwasher safe and cooktop-ready as well!
Cooking with a wok, stir frying, means high heat, and some pans don’t perform well with such temperatures. We were impressed by this wok- it’s not as heavy as many we’ve seen, which makes it much easier to handle when trying to keep everything moving and shaking. It’s well-shaped, classically so, and you can attach a 7.25-inch long handle to either side (and even switch fairly easily), or attach the holders to both sides (especially for serving). Like the frying pan with detachable handle that we reviewed in the past or their nifty collection with flat lids, Cristel cookware holds up well and continues to be made in France. They offer Mutine and Strate options as well, which offer their own advantages and unique styles, but the Casteline line is simple, professional, and easy to like.
Important note: the handles are generally sold separately. You can mix handles across different pots in the collection though, whether a saucepan, steam, or saucier, which means less wasted space. A glass lid is included, and our only real niggle is that the handle is a little odd on it- more aesthetic than functional. The Cristel Casteline Non-Stick Wok is available now, online and in stores, for around $260.