Wok Buying Guide |The Best Wok For Your Kitchen

Have you ever dreamed of making the perfect stir fry or another delicious Asian dish at home but it just never comes out right with the pans you have in your kitchen? Use my wok buying guide to help determine what the best wok for your kitchen is before you buy.

Jump to:

• Different Types Of Woks
• Different Materials
• How Important Is Wok Shape And Size?
• Wok Vs. Skillet | Which Is Better?

Different Types Of Woks

1. Electric
2. Stovetop
3. Induction

1. Electric Wok

An electric wok is different from a traditional wok in the fact that that it comes with a customized burner to keep it at the correct temperature. Unlike one that you use on the stovetop or an induction burner, an electric wok has an indicator light on the burner to let you know if it is at the correct cooking temperature.

Most of these electric woks come with customizable temperature controls so you can set the cooking temperature to the perfect level for whatever you may be cooking.

Best Electric Woks

The Breville electric wok is in line with other Breville appliances you have come to know and love. It is a high-end kitchen appliance that is worth every penny of the price.

Pros

• Durable
• Well constructed
• Adjustable temperature control
• Comes with a lid
• Stays hot

Cons

• Expensive
• Heavy
• 8 quart capacity - extremely large for the average family

The Oster Electric Wok is a great option for anyone that wants to purchase a quality electric wok but doesn't want to spend a lot of money.

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Lightweight
• Nonstick
• Comes with a lid

Cons

• Large footprint makes it hard to store when not in use

2. Stovetop Wok

Stovetop woks are heated directly on a stovetop burner. They do not come with their own heat source and they may or may not be compatible with induction burners.

Best Stovetop Woks

The Cooks nonstick flat bottom wok is durable, easy to use, and has an outpouring of positive reviews from people that have purchased and used it.

Pros

• Heats quickly and evenly
• Oven safe
• Nonstick
• Flat bottom
• Comes with a lid

Cons

• At 11" it is smaller than many other woks
• Not induction compatible

The Calphalon Wok is a beautiful stainless steel wok that offers incredible nonstick cooking with a guarantee for durability.

Pros

• PFOA Free
• Easy to clean
• Heats evenly
• Comes with a lid

Cons

• Nonstick coating can begin to deteriorate over time
• Heavy

3. Induction Wok

Induction Woks are compatible with induction burners. While these are compatible with induction burners, you can use these on the stovetop as well.

Best Induction Woks

This Joyce Chen wok is everything you could want in an induction compatible wok. It is lightweight, incredibly durable, and absolutely gorgeous to look at.

Pros

• Made of Carbon Steel
• Lightweight
• Comes with a lid
• Induction compatible
• Beautiful

Cons

• Needs to be seasoned

Different Materials

There are many different materials that you can choose from when you're picking the best wok for your kitchen. All of these materials have pros and cons that you should take into consideration to choose which is the right one for you. Here are the four most common materials used to make a wok.

1. Stainless Steel
2. Carbon Steel
3. Cast Iron
4. Nonstick

1. Stainless Steel

Stainless steel woks are one of the most common types but as with all of the other types they have both pros and cons to how they are made. Here are some of the things worth mentioning:

Pros

• Can handle extreme heat
• Takes longer to heat up than other materials
• Lightweight

Cons

• Hard to wash

My Favorite Stainless Steel

This Cooks Stainless Steel Wok with lid is 13" in diameter and has a flat bottom. It is large enough to cook a full meal for a family of four without being too heavy to lift. It comes with a matching lid that fits snug on top of the wok, and it is dishwasher safe.

2. Carbon Steel

Carbon Steel woks are my personal favorite. If these are seasoned properly, you will love how nonstick they are, how lightweight they are, and the beautiful finish they offer.

Pros

• Nonstick when seasoned properly
• Lightweight
• Heat to extremely high temperatures

Cons

• Must be seasoned for them to function as nonstick

My Favorite Carbon Steel Wok

This Souped Up Recipes version is everything you could want in a wok. It is the best one I've tried for a number of reasons. It is lightweight, incredibly durable, and absolutely gorgeous to look at.

3. Cast Iron

Cast iron is likely one of those types of pans that you've seen handed down from generation to generation as a skillet or a dutch oven. Believe it or not, they also make cast iron woks. Here are the pros and cons for choosing one made out of cast iron.

Pros

• Durable
• Quality materials
• Will heat to extremely high temperatures

Cons

• Must be seasoned properly to be nonstick
• Can be hard to maintain the patina

My Favorite Cast Iron Wok

4. Nonstick

Nonstick woks are my least favorite wok option. When you are cooking in a wok, you want it to be able to heat to extremely high temperatures. If you heat a nonstick pan too much you will damage the nonstick layer and it will begin to flake.

Pros

• Easy to clean
• No need to season it
• Relatively lightweight
• Affordable

Cons

• Nonstick surface can be damaged under high heat

How Important Is Wok Shape And Size?

The size and shape of your wok is importanbt to take into consideration when you're choosing the best wok for your kitchen. How many people you're cooking for, how much food you're cooking at once, and the type of food you're cooking will all lend a hand in helping you decide which wok is right for you.

Wok Shapes

Woks come in two different shapes. Those shapes are based on the base of the wok where the wok meets the heat source. The two shapes you can choose from are:

1. Flat
2. Conical

1. Flat

Flat woks are the most compatible with traditional western kitchens. These woks have flat bottoms so they sit securely on stovetops without tipping or spilling while you cook. This also allows more of the surface of the wok to sit directly on the burner. This inturn heats a greater surface area of the wok to the extremely high heat needed for effective stirfry recipes.

2. Conical

These woks are what you would think of as a "traditional" wok with the rounded bottom. Oftentimes these are not easy to use on a stovetop. This is because they do no balanace themselves.

In order to use these woks, many people purchase a separate wok ring to help balance them on the burner. The issue with this is that the ring lifts the wok off of the burner slightly and keeps the wok from reaching the extremely high temperatures that are ideal for wok cooking.

Wok Sizes

There are three wok sizes that are the most common when shopping for the best wok for your kitchen. Those wok sizes are:

1. 12 inch
2. 14 inch
3. 16 inch

The size of the wok directly impacts the amount of food that can be cooked at one time. Unfortunately, often the larger it is, the heavier it is. For someone that has RA or hand mobility issues (such as myself), you may notice that while you may want to cook enough food to fit in a 16", you may only be able to lift a 12" once it is full of food.

Wok Lids

You may notice as you're shopping around for the best wok that some of them come with lids and others do not. A lid is not essential to cooking in one, but can be a nice accessory to have.

Many recipes cooked in a wok are fast-cooking, fried recipes. So, something that traps in moisture isn't ideal for these. However, if you're wanting to steam food or use a lid to keep your food warm until it is served, you may find yourself wishing you had one.

Choosing a wok with a lid that comes with it shouldn't be a deal-breaker if you find one that you love. Just like any skillet, you can buy a universal lid to fit your wok. Use the diameter of your skillet (12, 14, or 16 inches) to help you decide which to purchase.

• 12" Universal Lid
• 14" Universal Lid
• 16" Universal Lid

Wok Vs. Skillet | Which Is Better?

If you've never used a wok before, you may be asking yourself why you need a wok when you have a perfectly good skillet at home already.

Well, the main reasons are the shape and functionality. Woks have high sides which make them extremely deep. Most skillets have fairly shallow sides that do not allow you to move food around inside of them and away from the heat source as you're cooking.

If you've ever gone to an Asian restaurant and watched the Chef toss giant pans full of food in the air and catch it all in one swift motion, you've probably dreamed about being able to do the same thing. Well with a wok, you can do just that. With a skillet, you would make a giant mess and likely have to start your meal all over again.

So the argument about which is better all depends on what kind of foods you find yourself making the most often.

Want To Read More About Pans and Skillets?

• Best Carbon Steel Pans
• An Essential Guide To Copper Cookware
• Best Nonstick Pans Without Teflon
• Best Induction Cookware
• How To Choose A Nonstick Frying Pan
• Mealthy Nonstick Pan Review
• Mealthy Stainless Steel Pan Review
• Buying Guides
• Equipment Reviews
• How To Choose A Nonstick Frying Pan
• Koch Systeme CS Cookware Set

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Originally Published January 6, 2021