13 Best Woks And Stir-Fry Pans For Your Kitchen In 2022
Stir-fry, boil, steam, and stew; everything is possible with durable woks and pans.
sakshi john 
In This Article
If you’re a cooking enthusiast, you know you’ve got to have the best woks in your kitchen! A wok is a multipurpose utensil that caters to various cooking woes. Apart from being great for stir-frying, woks can be used for several other purposes, including boiling, deep-frying, braising, steaming, and stewing. Contrary to popular belief, woks are versatile and can cook large amounts of food at high temperatures. It heats up fast and evenly, making cooking a hassle-free speedy experience.
From carbon steel and cast iron to stainless steel and nonstick, you can get your hands on different types of woks that best suit your cooking needs. This utensil has been popular in various cultures for centuries and is functional and practical. We have reviewed several products to bring you high-quality products. So, explore our list to choose the right wok for your kitchen.
Top Picks
13 Best Woks
1. Best Handles: Craft Wok Traditional Hand Hammered Carbon Steel Pow Wok
This traditional Chinese wok measures 14 inches in diameter, has a round heavy bottom, and is made of 15 gauge carbon steel. This sturdy and heavy wok weighs 4.6 pounds, is a favorite of many Chinese chefs, and is hammered by hand in Guangzhou by professionals. The hygroscopic wooden handle has a good grip while cooking while the steel helper handle does not burn even if you cook on a high heat, and can also be used for hanging the wok. This wok is one of the best woks to buy to create scrumptious stir-fries. It will require seasoning before use and cannot be used on a flat stove because of its round bottom. Watch this video for more information about the product.
2. Best Heat Retention: Lodge 14 Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Wok
This cast iron wok has incredible heat retention, heats evenly, and comes pre-seasoned with natural vegetable oil. It measures 14 inches in diameter, is 4.43 inches deep, and weighs 11 pounds. It has large loop handles and a flat base for even and consistent cooking, and it can be used on all kinds of stovetops, in the oven, induction cooktop, a grill, or even a campfire. It’s extremely versatile and can be used to fry, sear, sauté, broil, bake, braise, or grill. This durable wok is one of the best-rated woks and can literally be used for generations. This video helps you know more about the product.
3. Best Corrosion-Resistant: T-Fal Ultimate Hard Anodized Wok
Crafted with hard anodized aluminum, this flat bottom, nonstick wok is a delight for chefs as it retains perfect and evenly distributed heat, its durable layer ensures that it’s scratch and corrosion-resistant, and it doesn’t react with the acid in foods. It’s reinforced with hard titanium and is toxin-free, the food doesn’t stick, and cleaning up is hassle free. It features a riveted silicone handle for safety and comfort along with a helper handle, and it can be used on all stove tops apart from induction stoves. This wok is 14 inches in diameter and weighs 5.04 pounds. It’s safe in the oven up to 400°F and is also dishwasher-safe. The ring of the T-Fal thermo spot turns solid red when the wok is hot enough for use. Check out this video to know more about this product.
4. Best For Even Heating: Joyce Chen Classic Series Carbon Steel 4-Piece Wok Set
One of the best carbon steel wok sets, it comprises a charcoal colored, 14-inch, round bottom wok with a dome-shaped lid, a 12-inch spatula made of bamboo, and a recipe booklet. The wok heats up evenly and fast, is crafted with 1.5 mm gauge carbon steel, and requires seasoning before use. It features 2 birchwood handles that do not heat up even upon being exposed to high heat— a long handle and a helper handle on the opposite side. Its nonstick steel dome lid has a knob and helps the food to retain moisture, heat, and nutrients. It can be used safely on electric and gas stovetops, and can be hand washed easily. It comes packed in a nice gift box, making it a perfect gift for a birthday or housewarming.
5. Best For All Stove Tops: Bielmeier Carbon Steel Hammer Wok
Rustle up the most amazing culinary masterpieces with this hammer pattern, 12.5-inch, flat bottom carbon steel wok that features a wooden lid, 12.5-inch cooking chopsticks, spatula, and a loofah wok brush. The woks is light in weight when compared to cast iron woks, heats up extremely fast, and though ideal for Asian food can be used for stir-frying, steaming, boiling, braising, and deep-frying. This durable wok has no PFOA and chemical coating, and it employs nitriding so that it doesn’t rust. Its flat base makes it suitable for all stove tops including induction stoves, electric stoves, and gas ranges. It features a removable wooden handle, a soup mouth, and can be used in the oven up to 450°F.
6. Best Ergonomically Designed: Michelangelo 5 Quart Non-Stick Copper Wok
An asset to any kitchen, this set of 4 nonstick woks is crafted with a high quality aluminum alloy that heats evenly and quickly. This set also includes a tempered glass lid for easy viewing, a roasting and steaming rack, and a deep frying basket. It features an ergonomically designed helper handle and long handle with an easy grip. The wok has a premium ceramic and titanium interior with multi-layers of superior nonstick and scratch-resistant coating which also ensures warp-resistance and even heat distribution. Its flat bottom is suitable for all types of stovetops including electric, gas, ceramic, and induction cooktops. Perfect for healthy cooking, it’s PFOA, PTFA, cadmium, and lead free. Though it’s recommended to hand wash the wok, it’s also dishwasher-safe.
7. Best Dishwasher-Safe: Cooks Standard Multi-Ply Clad Stainless Steel Wok
This well-designed 13-inch wok is crafted with 18/10 brushed stainless steel and combines the strength and durability of stainless steel with the fast and even heating of its aluminum core. It has a well-fitting stainless steel dome lid that traps the moisture, nutrients, and heat in food, and retains its flavor. It has a riveted side handle and helper handle made of solid stainless steel that doesn’t overheat— thanks to air-flow technology. This wok is suitable for all stovetops, is dishwasher-safe, and can be used in the oven up to 500°F. Its versatility enables you to use it for a couple of cooking methods except broiling.
8. Best High-Performance: Cooklover Chinese Wok
One of the best cooking woks, it features a sturdy, reinforced, 3.5 mm thick die cast aluminum body with a high performance, nonstick, environment-friendly PTFE marble coating. Completely safe to use, it contains no heavy metals, PFOA, or other PFAs, is easy to clean, and can withstand temperatures between 220℃ to 280℃. The base is 4 mm thick and ensures an even and fast heat distribution. It features an ergonomic, heat-resistant silicone Bakelite handle and knob with an attractive wood grain design, and a tempered glass lid with a silicone ring for convenient viewing of the food along with a steam vent. Measuring 12.6 inches in diameter and weighing 5.6 pounds, it’s suitable for use on all stovetops and comes with a free silicone spatula.
9. Best Spacious: Willow & Everett Wok
This 13-inch diameter, 4 pound wok has a deep and wide nonstick surface that makes it perfect for a stir fry, deep frying, steaming, boiling, and searing. It’s a deep pan and has ample space for stirring so that there are no food spills. The 3-layer wok is made of durable stainless steel which is rust-resistant, scratch-resistant, and nonstick, and has an aluminum core for even and fast distribution of heat along with ergonomic handles on both sides. This wok features a stainless steel dome shaped lid and stainless steel spatula with a bamboo handle. It is both oven and dishwasher-safe, can be used on gas, electric, and induction cooktops, and can withstand temperatures up to 500°F.
10. Best Chip-Resistant: Cooks Standard Hard Anodized Nonstick Wok
This 11-inch hard anodized nonstick wok has a flat bottom and comes with a lid. The material is harder and thicker than steel, is very durable, heats quickly and evenly, is chip-resistant, and does not allow hot spots. As it’s nonstick, it’s easy to cook and clean. It features a tempered glass lid with a stainless steel rim and a steam vent. It also has a long riveted stainless steel handle that’s strong and doesn’t heat. It’s deep and wide enough for stir frying, sautéing, and frying without the food falling out. It works on all stovetops except induction tops. The wok is safe to use in the oven till 450°F and its glass lid till 350°F. It’s dishwasher-safe, though washing by hand is recommended.
11. Best Pre-Seasoned: Yosukata Carbon Steel Wok
Retain the authentic flavors of Asian food with this 13.5 inches, flat bottom, 16 gauge carbon steel wok that locks in the flavor of food. This wok comes pre-seasoned but does require seasoning with oil before use at home. Made of black, heavy-duty carbon steel, it features a helper handle and a wooden handle that’s ergonomically designed with no rivets and is welded at the base to ensure a good and steady grip. The wok is an ideal weight of 3.59 pounds, is perfectly shaped and balanced, is 3.8 inches deep, and the flat base is the ideal size of 5 inches. The wok is ideal for stir-frying, braising, pan-frying, and deep-frying, so get ready to prepare the most delectable dishes.
12. Best Lightweight: Peepoleck Carbon Steel Wok
This 13-inch carbon steel wok can be used on various heat sources like induction stoves, electric stoves, and gas ranges as its flat base enables it to sit securely on any stovetop. It features a wooden lid and 6 accessories— a slotted turner, wok spatula, ladle, skimmer, pasta server, and rice spoon. The wooden handle is easy to grip and doesn’t heat up while cooking. The lightweight wok heats up quickly and evenly and can sustain very high temperatures. The surface has a honeycomb design which adds to the hardness and reduces scratches. This durable and long-lasting wok has no chemical coating, is easy to clean, and is ideal for pan-frying, deep frying, boiling, braising, and steaming.
13. Best Long-Lasting Coating: Oster DiamondForce Electric Wok
Infused and reinforced with diamond particles, this nonstick wok has a very strong and long-lasting coating as it forms a structural matrix. It features a tempered glass lid with a knob that doesn’t heat up, and which is very convenient for checking the food. It has handles on both sides which are also cool-touch, making it easy to lift or carry the wok. With a capacity of 4.7 quarts, this wok is perfect for all kinds of cooking, and a removable temperature probe enables you to check and adjust the temperature depending on the food you are cooking. This wok is easy to clean as food doesn’t stick, is dishwasher-safe, scratch-resistant, and PFOA-free.
Now that you have been through our review of the 13 best woks, let us give you a few tips on how to choose the best wok for yourself so that you can make the perfect stir-fry and create other culinary delights.
How To Choose The Right Woks
- Material
Carbon steel is an alloy made of carbon and iron and is similar to cast iron in many ways, as it’s extremely sturdy, holds heat well, and can be used on all kinds of cooktops. On the other hand, it’s not as heavy or as brittle as cast iron, it heats up evenly and quickly, is very malleable, and has a smoother surface than a cast iron wok. Cast iron is a good choice as it’s heavy-duty, maintains heat, and keeps food warm for a long time.
Nonstick woks can be hard anodized aluminum or ceramic and have a slippery coating, don’t need to be seasoned, and are very easy to clean. Stainless steel woks usually have an aluminum core that may take some time to heat but conduct heat evenly and are surrounded by layers of stainless steel. They are durable, don’t require seasoning, are dishwasher safe, and are resistant to damage, scratches, and stains. On the downside, they take some time to heat, can be heavy, and unlike carbon steel don’t respond to temperature changes quickly.
- Size
Depending on what you need it for, woks are available in a small 8 inches size to a large 36 inches size. An average 12 or 14 inches size usually are the best woks to buy as it’s enough for 3 to 4 people and fits comfortably on an average sized stove. They are good for stir frying food without most of it landing on your stove top.
- Round or flat bottom
Traditional woks are round-bottomed and require a special burner that can fit its shape. The bottom of the wok gets heated and then spreads the heat up the sides of the wok. Rounded bottom also makes the stirring of the ingredients easier because of the scooping motion. These woks give you results that are more restaurant-like but your stove will require a special ring on the burner so that the wok sits well. If this is inconvenient, opt for a flat-bottomed wok as this does not require any special attachments.
- Heating capacity
Wok cooking often requires higher temperatures and a conventional carbon steel wok is ideal for that. Stainless steel and cast iron woks are also pretty good at withstanding high temperatures. On the contrary, nonstick pans cannot withstand very high heat, so if you’re hoping for restaurant-like results, you should opt for a wok that can withstand higher temperatures.
- Maintenance
Carbon steel woks just require water and a non-abrasive scrubber to remove waste, after which they should be dried and seasoned. Stainless steel woks can be either hand washed or put in the dishwasher, so you need to check the manufacturer’s instructions. Nonstick woks, on the other hand, require a nylon scrubber with a gentle soap for dishes and sharp objects should be avoided as that could damage the coating.
Though woks originated in China, they are used everywhere today. A wok is ideal for any kind of food that needs a large cooking area, and centralized and high heat. It gives food, especially Asian food, a nice smoky and seared flavor, and cooks it in no time at all. There’a a whole range of woks available— carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, nonstick, and anodized aluminum. You also get those with lids and without, different kinds of handles, different sizes, rounded and flat bottoms, so the choice can get rather confusing. We hope our review of the 13 best woks will help you make an informed choice so that you are able to pick up the best wok for yourself.
Why Trust MomJunction?
A wok is one of the most versatile and widely used utensils in the kitchen. Sakshi John, our in-house writer specializing in reviewing kitchenware and furniture, brings a list of some of the best woks for your kitchen. These products are categorized based on the material they are made from, their size, and other features. You can pick the one that suits your requirements from this list created based on user reviews and ratings. Sakshi also included a how-to-choose section to ease your selection process.
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