UPDATE: Strata Wok vs Yosukata Blue Wok
For some reason I can't figure out how to post both pictures and video on the same post, so sorry I can't add more pics.
Ok so let's start with specs:
Strata Carbon Steel Clad with Aluminum
Top Diameter: 14"
Cooking Diameter: 6.75"
Depth: 3.75"
Thickness: 2mm
Weight: 3lbs 9oz
Handle length: 8 inches Stainless
Yosukata Flat bottom Blue Wok Carbon Steel
Top Diameter: 13.5"
Cooking Diameter: 6.3"
Depth: 3.6"
Thickness: 1.8mm
Weight: 4lbs 1.6oz
Handle length: 5.5inch wooden
So the Strata is larger in every dimension but is still lighter by just over half a pound! That's impressive.
When it comes to seasoning, the Yosukata was easier to get seasoned and because it was blued it resists rusting so that's good. The Strata is nitrided so it also resists rusting but is surface is significantly smoother than the hammered surface of the Yosukata. That smoothness did make it harder for it to season. Not impossible but more difficult. Also because the Strata has a stainless handle it is easier to season it in the oven than the Yosukata with its wooden handle.
After seasoning both passed the egg sticking test easily.
Ok now let's consider what the Strata advertises itself as: a wok for western stove tops. The Yosukata wok is a flat bottom as well BUT like most Carbon steel pans they are prone to warping when heated. My glass cooktop reveals even the slightest warping (watch the video).
I was disappointed that it did reveal warping in my Strata, and yes i heated them both very slowly to reduce the chance of warping. But I can't complain too much because the warping was minimal. My Yosukata wasn't prefecture perfectly flat when it arrived but when I heat it up, it becomes a spinner. (Watch video).
So I have an iwatani 15000btu butane burner. Many chefs recommend a burner like this instead of the glass top. My glass top powerboil setting is 18000 btu but it is 9" in Diameter. Because the bottom of the woks doesn't exceed 7" there is heat that isn't making direct contact with the pans over 2" in Diameter making the 1800btu burner significantly less efficient than the iwatani which outputs flame roughly 5.5" in Diameter meaning all the btu are hitting the bottom of the pan.... however, gas by very it's very nature is less efficient than the electric. So what's the point? They probably equal out to some degree. However, when it comes to warping, bottom line, no matter how you slice it, the Yosukata will perform better on an iwatani than a glass cooktop. The Strata will perform well on both.
I decided to put the Strata on the glass cooktop and the Yosukata on the gas cooktop and put them head to head to see which one will boil 2 quarts of water faster?
Strata: 5min 47sec
Yosukata: 7min 25sec
Is that because of the pan? Or because of the burner? I'll let you decide. I can tell you that i gave the Yosukata the best chance because it won't beat the Strata on the glass cooktop because it makes significantly less contact.
I can also tell you that the Strata gets up to temp significantly faster. Also, the Yosukata has a hard time getting any heat up the side walls. I don't have a round bottom wok with a significant wok burner that gets flames to wrap around the sides. That kind of heat just doesn't happen on regular western stove tops (sure maybe specialty ones). So I think Strata is definitely getting closer to getting more heat up the sides to replicate the sort of cooking a normal wok would see on an actual wok burner.
There is one application where I prefer the Yosukata over the Strata and that's making popcorn. The yosukata wok is the perfect stovetop popcorn maker. Small Diameter at the bottom being in direct contact with the heat plus the warping, and cool sides prevent the popcorn from scorching.
But there's one caveat. If you've ever made stovetop popcorn you know you have shake the pan back and forth a lot. The handle angle of the Yosukata is great for trying to toss and flip food. But for back and forth shaking it's more awkward. The Strata isn't as easy to toss food but it is much easier to shake and maneuver. Since with most western cooktops that are electric or induction you won't be lifting the wok as much the less aggressive angle handle is more comfortable.
Overall, I highly recommend the Strata wok IF you want a Carbon steel wok that solves many of the problems that standard woks face on standard western cooktops. If you have an actual wok burner, the Strata is not for you. But if you want the closest performance of a wok on a western glass or induction burner then I think the Strata is going to be a significantly better choice than a standard flat bottom wok.