Thebest wok is a superhero. Hit it withhigh heat and itstir-friesveggies and proteins with ease, propels steam through a stack ofbamboo steamer baskets like it’s nothing,deep-fries,braises,and makes fried eggs with crispy, lacy edges that cry for a drizzle of soy sauce—and a piece of bread to sop up the golden, briny yolk. (If you know, you know.)
The best woks
Joyce Chen Carbon Steel Wok, 14-Inch
Buy theright wok, take care of it, and it will serve you well. But which one to buy? It can be confusing, because there are so many choices that, to the uninitiated, may seem way too similar to parse. Let me save you some churn. Find thetop picks below and scroll further down for more information on how I tested, the woks that didn’t make the cut and the essential tools to use whenwok cooking.
The bestwok overall: Yosukata carbon steel 14-inchflat-bottom wok
What giveswok cooking its signature is what’s called “wok hei” or “guo chi,” the so-called breath of a wok that comes from the magic of carbon steel,searing temperatures, and fast cooking. To achieve that you want a wok that heats quickly, and the Yosukata delivers. It reached 440℉ within 30 seconds and 614℉ in 60 seconds. Made of black carbon steel, this wok has a beautiful handle, and weighs just under four pounds. While it takes a period of time to build a naturally nonstickpatina on the surface of any wok, we didn’t have any trouble with sticking when we made fried eggs in this one. Even though it’s aflat-bottomed wok, the gentle slope of the sides and the 5.5-inch center made it feel like a more traditionalround-bottomed wok. The rivetless design meant there weren’t any obstructions to the shoveling motion of awok spatula.
What we didn’t love about the Yosukata carbon steelflat-bottom wok
Of ourtop picks, this is the most expensive at $60 at the time of writing. It also doesn’t include a lid, but you canbuy a matching dome lid for about $40. (You can buya generic dome lid for half the price.) Also, the angle of the handle may make it awkward for those who are shorter to use.
Yosukata 14-Inch Carbon Steel Wok
The best affordablecarbon steel wok:Joyce Chen 14-inch carbon steelflat-bottom wok
You can’t go wrong with theJoyce Chencarbon steel wok. It’s a classic and consistently tops “best of” lists. It does what a wok is supposed to do and does it well (just notquiteas well as the Yosukata). It passed all our tests, and with respect to its ability to develop a nonstick surface, we madefried rice with no stickiness issues at all. The price, $36 with the dome lid at the time of writing, is a steal. The wok is spun steel, which is why it has ridges on the side. Those ridges come in handy, providing friction that allows you to hold ingredients that need a moment away from direct heat.
Thiswok heats quickly, though not as quickly as the Yosukata: It hit 341℉ after 30 seconds and 517℉ after 60 seconds. It was also the lightest of the well-performing at just 3 pounds 3 ounces. If you struggle with lifting heavy pans you should be able to handle this one.
What we didn’t love about theJoyce Chen carbon steelflat-bottom wok
If you have agas stove, thehelper handle—awooden handle—will char. Over time, the grip will degrade as a result. But, if you don’t cook over flames, it’s not an issue and this wok, as all carbon steelcookware is, works with an induction cooktop. The spun-steel construction, while helpful for keeping ingredients from sliding down the sides, isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as, say,hand-hammered surfaces.
Joyce Chen Carbon Steel Wok, 14-Inch
What kind of wok should you get?
Carbon steel vs. stainless steel vs. cast iron vs. nonstick
Get acarbon steel wok. Just say no to stainless steel, heavy-gauge cast iron, and nonstick. These other materials aren’t ideal for properstir-frying technique.Stainless steel woks are often heavy, food tends to stick to them, and they don’t take on apatina like carbon steel does. Cast iron is even heavier, takes a while to heat and retains that heat for too long. Thatheat retention, which is often a plus forcast iron skillets orDutch ovens, makescast iron woks less responsive. Thenonstick coating onnonstick woks (like the coating onnonstick pans) degrades fromhigh temperatures and the constant spatula contact ofstir-frying, so it’s not ideal.
Choose a wood handle
A wood handle that has a little girth is helpful for safe maneuvering of the wok. It allows you to steady the wok while you activelystir-fry and offers enough balance for lifting, tilting, tossing, or pouring. A wood handle is also less likely to burn your hand. Some artisan woks come with thin round or flat, curvedmetal handles that resemble ones you might find on a skillet or fry pan. This style of handle doesn’t match the physics ofwok cooking and can be awkward to use. Woks also come with a loop-stylehelper handle that can be all metal or have a wood grip. If you have agas stove, the wood grip likely will get charred, so opt for a metalhelper handle if you can. (TheWok Shop allows you to choose your wok configuration to include a metal or wood handle.)
Don’t spend more than $75
While you can easily drop more than $75 for a wok, you don’t need to. Woks are notcooking tools where a higher price equates to better quality. In fact, you can get a great wok for $40. If you’re paying $100 or more it is likely for a brand name—yourMade Insor yourSmitheys—or because the piece is an exclusive status symbol. It’s your prerogative to get a wok like that, but it’s not necessary to pay big bucks to get a good wok.
