Arnold's Gourmet Kitchen - Great Wok of China Infomercial (1990) 

I've officially hit rock bottom. 34 years old, and my secret guilty pleasure is watching 80s infomercials at 2am...

i recognize Arnold Morris as the Cousin Arnold who helped introduce the ron popeil showtime knife set on that infomercial.

I bought this wok based on this infomercial and still have it to this day. My favorite "Great Wok of China" dish is the beef with broccoli. Comes out perfect every time. Wally is a great salesman and the product totally lives up to his claims. This is a wonderful piece of TV history. One of, if not the best, infomercials ever made. Thanks for posting.

I bought one of these in 1990 and used it tonight for dinner. For whatever reason, I looked up the infomercial and here it is. Remember it more than I thought I would have. I've taken this wok on adventures all over North America. Cooked at concerts, tailgating, on vacations and camping! Everyone time someone asked about it, I couldn't wait to tell them it's an "authentic hand-hammered wok from the People's Republic of China." - one of my favorite lines. And the food still sticks on the sides!!!!! Still have the chan and the lid. Wish I had the fire ring. I'm guessing i paid $39.99 + s/h, but if I had to value for insurance purposes, I say it's priceless!

I remember this from 1990. Now as then, I find it has a very relaxing ASMR quality to it. Glad I found it. Thanks for posting.

What I like about this informercial is that the presenter is informative about how to stir-fry as well as trying to extol the virtues of woks. The tips about what you *don’t* do (don’t use olive oil, don’t use the ring on an electric stove, etc.)

Bought my wok in 1980s from this awesome infomercial. It works even better now. I call it my “Hand Hammered Wok from the People’s Republic of China.”

"...Allowing the liquids to drain and collect in the middle" ....a classic infomercial quote!

bought it back in the day and my wife is cooking fried rice in it as I type this. used it a thousand times in the last 30 years. we love it !!!!

I can’t believe this infomercial is on the Tube. I remember watching this back in the day. Watching the guy hammering the wok at 21:00 is still classic. It’ll be a meme in no time!

You found it - I’ve been looking for this for almost 15 years. Seriously thanks for taking me down memory lane!

bought one in 1990, still use it today...

I’m 5 1/2 minutes in and have already learned more about stir frying than I had in my entire life up until I clicked play on this.

I bought this one from the infomercial late one drunken night and still have it and use the hell out of mine. Came looking for this commercial after reading Kenji Lopez-Alt's "The Wok" - turns out Kenji bought this one and it's still his main wok. One of my favorite purchases ever, and I forgot how charming this guy was.

Mr Nash is a pure natural at selling. The confidence, the tone, the off hand jokes, dude is a SALESMAN.

This is the informercial that taught us cheaper meat is better. As a result, I've saved thousands of dollars over the past 30 years, and I've only had food poisoning 12 times.

Despite the cheesiness of how this is being sold- what they sold was a really great product! I’d love to have one of these in my kitchen.

I bought this wok from the commercial in 1989 when I lived in Seattle. I still have it today in Southern California and I use it at least once a month. I love it.

My all time favorite infomercial. I remember visiting Baltimore in 1990 and watching this in our hotel room.

This might be the best infomercial of all time. Informative and entertaining.

I wanted this so much back in 1990

Nash really does his presentation well. Entertaining, informative, natural. Thank you for this upload. It was quite enjoyable!

A great RU-vid find from yesteryear! I am guilty of watching this back then whle dreading going to work the next day. The comments below are also great and I agree with all the positive feedback. I wish I would have purchased one of these gems for no other reason than the salesman/cook doing a terrific job. Man, could he talk. Thank you for posting.

Mr. Nash is one of the best prepared and engaging speakers I’ve ever encountered. I aspire to replicate his expertise when I address my classes. I remember most of what is presented here some 30 years later.

I remember watching this a dozen times in the summer of ‘90. Staying up late at night as a kid watching informertials sounds so weird now, but it really was hilarously and ironically fascinating even back then. This one drove me crazy because he had that piece of onion stuck to the back of the chan for sooo long!

An elderly couple gave one to me... Still in the box.. Said they never got around to using it. It is the same one in the infomercial, with all the accessories shown in the video. They bought it in 1990. It really is hand hammered, you can see the hammer marks on it.

I remember this infomercial from years ago. This was probably one of my early experiences of ASMR, although we knew nothing of it back then. Last night, I decided, "What the heck, why not search for "hand hammered wok" on YT, and lo and behold! This is my second time watching this video, and it's going to be a favorite!

This takes me back to sick days off from school, and my parents still use this wok!

We have one, still use it. Love the ad. Thanks for posting.

Cooked in mine last night. I have had it for 27 years.

Who woulda thought that at 40 years old in 2021, I would be watching infomercials from 3AM in 1985.

I watched this commercial over and over again late Saturdays as a student waiting for Dr. Who on PBS. After many weeks my sales resistance broke down. My credit card was on my desk and I called. It was what they said it was, just seemed a lot smaller than I expected. I was living in a room without a kitchen, just a hot plate. I gave it away to a friend. LOL, I sort of regret that now with all the comments from people who have used it for decades.

"Hmmm....I wonder if that hand-hammered wok infomercial that I used to see on late-nite cable years ago is on RU-vid?" I love RU-vid. For all of its flaws, you have to admit it's great for reliving memories.

Didn't think I'd ever see this again, I remember it well. Early 90s insomnia didn't give many TV options in the UK, nothing like today. This was often shown on the Quantum Shopping Channel, which filled the overnight hours on a pan-European sports channel called Eurosport.

My Mom got me this for my 18th birthday back in the day. Still have it!

Wow haven't seen this on tv in 25-28 years and still remember all of the dialogue. Lol. I was 11 or 12 and convinced my dad to order this. We used it several times. Not sure what happened w it. I know he still has the metal strainer around somewhere.

You know why I'm listening Because he's legitimately talking. He doesn't sound like a robot reading a script. Salesmanship lol

Omg! Can't believe this is here on youtube! I used to watch this infomercial all the time when I was 13 and it made me love woks. Never used a good carbon steel wok but definitely getting one in the near future

The intro reminds me of a classic 1970s action show. It sounds nostalgic and awesome

I bought one of those woks in the 90's and absolutely loved it. I lost it when I moved. I'll have to check ebay and see if they're still available.

Thank you SO MUCH for putting this up!!!!

Man I wish I could get this, this is also by far the best infomercial I've seen because it feels so natural.

So great to find this! I used to watch on 'Sell-a-vision' back in 1991, to help me nod off. Unintentional ASMR long before ASMR.

This is great marketing. I watched this infomercial every time it came on in the 90's. The wok actually lived up to the commercial, and I would make that exact dish that Wally made, with rice. And I still have the little cook book (it taught me how to make perfect fried rice). Thanks for posting this- I will be shopping for a new hand hammered wok!

Thank you for this. I've been looking for it for years!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been looking for this.

This might be the first infomercial that I remember watching. Very cool to see it again after all of these years.

Loved this infomercial. Though i remember a different host

Wish I could still get this! What a great product!

Happy 31st Birthday to the Wok Informercial. The Cooking Revolution of 1990.

I actually still cook with the advertised wok. The chan got lost in various moves and I miss it. Still have the spider. Bought it as a set for $5 at a yard sale.

I bought, and still have, my Wally Wok!! I love it!!

I loved the commercial. A lot of the lines were funny. I ended up buying one and LOVED it. Unfortunately, it got lost when my wife and I moved to Belgium for her job as a speech writer for an arm of NATO. I wish I could get another one.

This guy could sell bubble gum to a room full of lockjaw patients.

But Arnold Morris, I DID call the phone number...but no one picked up! I'm so sad now... (**sobs**)

R.I.P. Arnold Morris. One of the early "pitchmen".

I remember this commercial for this Wok and even bought one. It was great as advertised

Hungry now... $0.80 in 1990 used to feed 2, now it's $6 to $8 for those ingredients.

Ooooo made in China. Fancy

Wow this takes me back. I seem to think that there's another version. I recall Wally doing a longer demo, commenting on the added handle on the wok (not seen in this video) and he domonstrated cooking using the ring on the inside to steam corn and some other items. Still.. cool to see this. It was like 26 years ago and this was the "thing" that got me into wok cooking. I still have this wok and just used it yesterday...

20:06 Cousin Arnold you were caught not listening.

I actively searched for this.

My brother and sister in law got one of these for their wedding in the early nineties and never used it. They had it in their garage sale for a buck and I grabbed it up right away. That was 20+ years ago and I still use it once a week. I just found another almost new wok from the same infomercial today for $3. I grabbed that one too!

Used this wok to make the Frugal Gourmet's Chinese recipes throughout the '90s

Ooh I’d forgotten about this one. It was a favorite.

oh man this is awesome I love this guy!!!!

Best tv item I ever purchased

I bought this baby after watching the infomercial back in the 80s. I have cooked with it ever since, I just used it yesterday, hahaha!

these were great to watch good late night tv

I like that the box is subtle.

supplies are limited to as many as we could fit on the last slave ship that came over

I still have mine. Dang I'm old.

At 1:30, “Ah, this one say...” LOL.

Elizabeth’s 6th birthday!

3:28 a little bit of oil? Okay Exxon...

This guy's voice is hypnotizing me 😐

I called the Side Neil Diamond !! and enter in this Garbiche !! I am a german Head Chef and i never need to this !!

"your legs ache, your bones ache, and if you had the kids with you you'll probably find your brain aches as well!"

back when made in china was exotic and desirable.

this guy is a pretty good pitchman.

70 or 80 cents of vegetables...Still love my wok.

Is that cousin Arnold from Showtimes knife infomercial?

Wally smells his hand every time after shaking Arnold’s

This infomercial couldn’t be made today

I've always wanted a WOK...

He didn't make it clear, does the food stay to the side and liquids drain in the middle? :)

Is that Chan available at Spatula City?!

That's cousin Arnold...Remember him on a Ron Popeil show.

We don't do this because we love you or like you, we don't know you....heh heh

I would buy one right now

@Bruce Alan Buchert Awesome find, it's been decades since I last seen this! By any chance, do you have the Arnold's kitchen infomercial featuring the "Daily" Kitchenmate stick blender? I think it was from that same time period. If you do I'd love to see it on here sometime. Thank you for yourtime.

Wish I still had mine.....

I always wondered what Colonel Cubbage did before the Combine took over

I had one of these Woks, I wish I knew what happen to it now.

I genuinely want this. 😞 wish I could find it somewhere

39.95 USD LMFAO these things costs much much lower in asia and is literally a kitchen staple in an asian household.

I don't think the intro was long enough

25:48 what is the name of the background music?

LIKE IT

Phony People's Republic of China Wok Hammerer at 20:59