The 9 Best Woks of 2023 for Your Kitchen
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Our top pick is The Wok Shop Carbon Steel Wok with Wood Side Handles because of its durability, versatility, and customizable features.
Better Homes & Gardens / David Hattan
Today’s woks are designed for more than just stir-frying, with the top choices bringing a myriad of features to the table. To help you select the right choice for your household’s cooking needs, we’ve researched the best woks on the market.
We also consulted Dave Park, chef at Jeong Chicago, who shared what makes the best woks. According to Park, most professional kitchens use carbon steel woks, and the material is ideal for wok cooking. While cast iron, stainless steel and aluminum have their perks, Park says, “Carbon steel is the most efficient wok material out there.”
Our choice for the best wok is The Wok Shop Carbon Steel Wok with Wood Side Handles for its durable carbon steel construction, versatility, and attractive design. It’s also made in the USA and customizable on the company site.
The Wok Shop Carbon Steel Wok with Wood Side Handles
Best Overall
Why You Should Get It: This wok offers customizability, durability, and versatility to nearly any household kitchen.
Keep in Mind: It’s not oven safe.
The Wok Shop Carbon Steel Wok with Wood Side Handles is a heavy-duty option that tops our list as the best overall wok. This sturdy 14-gauge carbon steel pan can be ordered with either a flat or round bottom (depending upon the type of stovetop you’ll be working with) and is designed with high heat cooking in mind.
This wok also comes with a set of attractive blonde natural wooden handles which come in handy when it’s time to move the pan or serve the meal. The 12-inch style is ideal for up to 5 servings, so it's the best wok for smaller households.
Made in the U.S. of quality carbon steel and wool, this wok is a sturdily-constructed, highly durable option, offering a smooth, customizable cooking solution for your household’s needs.
Price at time of publish: $50
Product Details: Size: 12 inches | Material: Carbon steel, wood | Maximum Oven Temperature: Not oven-safe aside from brief seasoning due to wooden handles | Care: Hand wash
Imusa 14-Inch Carbon Steel Natural Interior Wok
Best Budget
Why You Should Get It: It’s carbon steel constructed, has sturdy handles that stay cool, and boasts a chemical-free interior.
Keep in Mind: It’s not dishwasher safe, and you’ll need to season it prior to use.
For those looking for a more affordable option, the Imusa 14-Inch Carbon Steel Natural Interior Wok is the best budget-friendly wok. It features strong carbon steel construction, a natural unseasoned interior, and stay-cool handles. This option adds a modern yet traditional look to your cookware collection with a silver carbon steel exterior and a natural finish inside.
You’ll be able to prepare meals in a snap as its carbon steel makeup brings quick and even heat distribution, adding efficiency to your cooking surface. It has a round bottom as well, so you can make a range of dishes requiring braising, steaming, deep frying, searing, stewing, and much more.
It comes equipped with two handles made of a durable, lightweight plastic that stays cool while you are cooking. There’s also a metal ring on the end of one handle so you can hang the pan up if you wish to, another storage bonus for saving space in your kitchen.
You’ll need to pre-season it prior to your first use, which will take a bit of extra time. It does pay off in the pan’s longevity, though, so take a minute to do this before starting on your favorite meals.
Price at time of publish: $24
Product Details: Size: 14 inches | Material: Steel | Maximum Oven Temperature: Not oven safe | Care: Hand wash
All-Clad D5 Stainless Brushed 5-ply Bonded Universal Pan
Best Splurge
Why You Should Get It: This wok offers a beautifully-made and highly durable pan that works on the stovetop, oven, or broiler.
Keep in Mind: It’s hand wash only.
The All-Clad D5 Stainless Brushed Bonded Cookware Set covers almost every kitchen need, and it comes with a limited lifetime warranty—making it worth the price. A must-have for households that do a lot of cooking, this wok does it all.
To start with, it’s compatible with all types of cooktops, including induction stovetops. It’s also oven-safe and broiler-safe up to 600oF. It comes with a pair of heat-resistant handles, both designed to assist with cooking, lifting, and moving the pan. Its rim is also slightly flared to provide drip-free pouring when you’re ready to serve.
It has a 4.5-quart capacity, making it great for sizable batches, and it is designed with alternating layers of stainless steel and aluminum to enhance its durability and heat distribution properties.
In addition, its exterior is an attractive brushed stainless steel, making it warp-resistant and simple to clean. It’s also bonded, engineered, and assembled in the USA. Like many woks, this one is hand wash only.
Price at time of publish: $243
Product Details: Size: 13.7 inches | Material: Stainless steel | Maximum Oven Temperature: 600o F | Care: Hand wash
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Calphalon Signature Hard-Anodized Nonstick 12-Inch Flat Bottom Wok
Best Wok with a Handle
Why You Should Get It: This durable, nonstick option is equipped with stay-cool handles that can go in the oven.
Keep in Mind: It’s more expensive than most other options on our list.
If you’re looking specifically for a wok with a handle, the Calphalon Signature Hard-Anodized Nonstick Flat Bottom Wok is our top choice. A set of attractive, stay-cool handles helps to keep the wok steady for optimal cooking and easy portability, and the entire pan can go in the oven with temperatures of up to 500o F.
The Calphalon Signature Hard-Anodized Nonstick 12-Inch Flat Bottom Wok with Cover offers not only a set of strong handles to assist you with maneuvering your pan, but it’s also safe for use with metal and stainless steel cooking utensils.
With its aluminum construction, this wok brings high level durability to the pan while the three-layer nonstick interior allows you to serve your meal effortlessly onto plates. Plus, this option is PFOA-free, meaning no harmful chemicals are making it into your entrees when preparing them with this wok.
Its 12-inch size is manageable for an everyday lunch or dinner, and it can be used as a frying pan as well as a wok. It’s also dishwasher safe, meaning less clean-up work for you when you’d rather be relaxing with guests or family and friends after your meal.
Price at time of publish: $130
Product Details: Size: 12 inches | Material: Aluminum | Maximum Oven Temperature: 500o F | Care: Dishwasher safe
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Stainless Steel Wok
Best Wok with a Lid
Why You Should Get It: This Cuisinart wok features 100% stainless steel, stay-cool handles, and a glass lid.
Keep in Mind: It weighs about 8.5 pounds.
This pick from Cuisinart takes our top spot for the best wok with a lid because of its helpful features. The glass lid not only offers a glimpse at your meal as it’s cooking, but it also makes the wok more versatile for a variety of cooking functions. Simmering sauces and stews or steaming vegetables, seafood, and other dishes are best done with the lid on. Keeping the lid on also helps the food stay warm until serving time.
The entirely stainless steel wok features two different sized handles, which remain cool to the touch throughout the cooking process. Plus, at nearly 9 inches across its flat cooking surface, this choice can be used as a small frying pan too.
Perhaps our favorite feature on this wok is the convenient measurements marked on its surface so you don’t have to use measuring cups every time you cook. This option is also easy to maintain and clean since it’s dishwasher safe, and it comes with a lifetime warranty.
The wok does weigh over 8 pounds, so keep this in mind when planning your meals.
Price at time of publish: $37
Product Details: Size: 14 inches | Material: Stainless steel | Maximum Oven Temperature: Not oven safe | Care: Dishwasher safe
Craft Wok Hand Hammered Carbon Steel Pow Wok
Best Large
If you need a large wok to feed your family or dinner guests, the CraftWok16 Inch Carbon Steel Wok is the best wok for you. This 16-inch wok across is constructed with a heavy 15 gauge and nearly six-pound carbon steel constitution. Considered to be a 100% authentic traditional Chinese wok, this model was hand hammered in Guangzhou, China.
The heat distribution provided is even, making cooking with this wok efficient. You’ll be able to make a vast array of recipes with this option, including stir fry and fried rice. As long as you season it properly, it should serve you well for a long time to come.
With a handy helper handle to assist you with handling its ample size and weight, it assists in maneuvering the wok when needed.
It should be noted that the bottom is round, so it’s not built for flat stovetops. It’s also specifically instructed to be hand washed only. To avoid rusting, season the wok routinely.
Price at time of publish: $60
Product Details: Size: 16 inches | Material: Carbon steel | Maximum Oven Temperature: Not listed | Care: Hand wash
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Cuisinart Pre-Seasoned 10-Inch Cast Iron Wok
Best Small
Why You Should Get It: It comes pre-seasoned and has a nonstick surface.
Keep in Mind: It can be used over a campfire but may be too heavy to lift and carry.
When you don’t have a lot to cook, but the quality of your wok still matters, the 10-Inch Cuisinart Cast Iron Wok is the best wok for you.
It has a pre-seasoned interior so you can confidently skip that step, and it also features a nonstick surface that allows for a speedy clean-up after dinner. Plus you can cook nearly anything in it, including noodles, meats, gravies, vegetables, soups, and, of course, your favorite stir fry.
The pan’s circular shape lets your meats or vegetables soak in the gravies you’ve made for them while staying nice and hot until serving time. The best part of all is that you can use this wok on a grill or over a campfire in addition to your stovetop for maximum versatility. However, it does weigh 6 pounds, so if you take it camping be sure to budget for the weight of the wok.
You’ll need to make time for its care, however, as hand washing is recommended. Be sure to cook with vegetable oil in order to properly season it to keep it in prime condition.
Price at time of publish: $26
Product Details: Size: 10 inches | Material: Cast iron | Maximum Oven Temperature: 350oF | Care: Wipe with salt and warm water, and dry with a towel
Yosukata Carbon Steel Wok Pan
Best Carbon Steel
Why You Should Get It: It’s heavy-duty, pre-seasoned, and lightweight.
Keep in Mind: It’s not dishwasher safe.
This heavy-duty carbon steel wok is a staple for the kitchen that likes to stir fry, pan fry, deep fry, braise, and more. It has a flat bottom and an ergonomic handle crafted of high-quality beech wood. For added convenience, you can use any type of cooking utensil with it.
Providing an even heat distribution throughout its surface, this model is constructed of sturdy, high-grade black carbon steel. Plus, weighing only about 3.5 pounds, it’s remarkably lightweight while having the capacity for up to 1.4 gallons.
You won’t have to worry about any potentially toxic artificial coating on this wok. Carbon steel brings its own natural non-stick qualities to the kitchen, allowing you to skip the cooking oils and sprays. This wok is also heat-resistant, so if you are just learning how to make stir fry, you don’t have to worry about burning your wok.
In addition, the wok is pre-seasoned, so you won’t have to do it yourself (although it will need an additional treatment to be fully seasoned), and it’s rust-resistant to boot. Sadly, it won’t be able to go in the dishwasher—it’s hand wash only.
Price at time of publish: $70
Product Details: Size: 13.5 inches | Material: Carbon steel | Maximum Oven Temperature: Not listed | Care: Hand wash and season
T-fal Specialty Nonstick Jumbo Wok Cookware
Best Nonstick
Why You Should Get It: It’s sturdy, oven-safe, and nonstick.
Keep in Mind: If you prefer a heavier option, this wok may not be for you since it only weighs about 3 pounds.
The T-Fal Specialty Nonstick Jumbo Wok is a 14-inch wok with a PFOA-free nonstick coating both inside and out. Oven-safe up to 350o F, this sturdy wok features an aluminum exterior and is capable of making a small meal for yourself or enough for the whole family.
A quick-heating and highly versatile option, this wok evenly distributes heat throughout its surface while cooking.
You also won’t need to use much oil with this wok—its nonstick surface easily releases food while cooking and offers a quick, convenient clean-up afterward. This wok is also scratch resistant, so you don’t have to worry about ruining the nonstick coating.
This wok features two handles—a long, straight handle and a short, rounded handle. Both handles have an ergonomic design, making it easier to move the wok while cooking. At less than 3 pounds, it’s also a great option for those seeking a lightweight alternative.
While this wok is dishwasher safe, it’s advised to hand wash when possible to keep them in pristine condition.
Price at time of publish: $45
Product Details: Size: 14 inches | Material: Aluminum | Maximum Oven Temperature: 350oF | Care: Hand wash
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The Bottom Line
For an attractive, sturdy, and versatile wok for home use, The Wok Shop Carbon Steel Wok with Wood Side Handles is our top pick. We love its durable carbon steel constitution as well as its versatility and customizable features.
What to Know about Woks Before Shopping
Size
Most often measured in liters, gallons or quarts, the capacity of a wok can help you figure out how many servings you’ll be able to prepare in it. Look for the wok’s capacity on its packaging whenever possible to determine its best use in your household.
You may also want to pay attention to size in addition to capacity. For home cooking (for generally six servings or less), the ideal size for a wok is around 8 to 14 inches, according to Park. 14 inches is considered to be a standard size, providing 4 to 5 servings.
For a restaurant like Jeong, wok sizes would be anywhere from 18 to 36 inches, considering serving sizes and the types of food being prepared.
Material
Wok materials can include carbon steel, cast iron, light cast iron, aluminum, stainless steel, and teflon or other nonstick-coated varieties. Each material has its advantages and disadvantages according to each household’s needs. We’ve examined each option for its best and worst features:
Carbon Steel
Usually an affordable option, carbon steel woks are long-lasting, sturdy, and easily seasoned for a rust-free surface. They typically also come with a natural surface, so you won’t have to deal with the nonstick coating peeling off. These types of woks are our expert’s favorite as they tend to be lightweight yet strong and highly efficient for both home and restaurant use.
According to Park, carbon steel is the optimal material for a wok. “Carbon steel is the lightest in a sense, and strongest. If you create a great patina, you’re able to keep it indefinitely from rusting and from sticking,” he says.
Cast Iron
Cast iron woks have advantages in that they retain heat very well, making them ideal for stir-frying. They also tend to be heavy enough to resist cracking or breaking. However, that same heaviness may make them too difficult to use regularly. You should also avoid boiling water or cooking highly acidic foods in these.
Light Cast Iron
Similar to cast iron, light cast iron offers most of the same perks without the heaviness. However, it can also be brittle and may crack if dropped on the floor. Avoid using it to boil water or cook foods with a high acidic content.
Aluminum
Aluminum woks are usually lightweight, distribute heat well, and tend to be affordable. Most of the time, food won’t stick to them too much either. However, they’re less durable than other materials as aluminum is a softer metal. They may also take longer to heat up.
Teflon-Coated/Nonstick
These types of woks may help prevent food from sticking to them, but chefs must properly prepare them in order to prevent problems like peeling. Seasoning your wok, using non-metal cooking utensils, keeping the wok out of the dishwasher, and avoiding the use of cooking spray may help with this. Otherwise, woks with nonstick coating may start peeling and may need to be replaced more quickly than other woks.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel woks heat up and cool down easily and quickly, and are considered excellent for stir-frying. They can be used at higher temperatures than some other materials, so it’s easier to sear your meats. They’re also useful for steaming, braising, and other forms of cooking, as well as preparing acidic foods other materials cannot tolerate.
The downside is they can be heavy and tough to maneuver. Be sure to clean your stainless steel wok properly to make it last for years.
Maximum Oven Temperature
Most well-made woks can go in the oven, withstanding temperatures even as high as 500oF. However, if the wok is constructed with materials like plastic, wood, rubber or anything of a similar constitution, high temperatures can damage them and they should not be used in the oven.
Be sure to read the label on your wok before purchasing to be certain whether it’s oven safe and that its maximum oven temperature works for you.
Care
When you’re done cooking, allow your wok to cool completely, then wash and dry it by hand inside and out with paper towels. To dry completely, put the wok on the stovetop on medium or medium-high heat for a few minutes (cover wooden handles with aluminum foil to protect them during this step of the process). Finally, wipe it all over on the inside with an even coating of vegetable oil for best results.
Your Questions, Answered
What woks do professionals use?
Park shares that most professional kitchens will opt for a carbon steel wok. “Cast iron tends to be too heavy and aluminum isn’t the most efficient for commercial use as it gets super hot,” he says. “Carbon steel is the most efficient wok material out there.”
Will a carbon steel wok rust?
If you season your carbon steel wok properly, you can prevent rusting. “In order to get a wok seasoned, you use a coating of oil on it,” Park says. “So essentially you oil it, then burn the oil to ‘break’ the oil. So, it forms a metal and oil bond together to create a patina.”
The patina created through the seasoning process is essentially a non-stick layer on your wok. You’ll know it’s properly seasoned when the pan has a nice matte finish to it.
Can you use a wok on an electric stove?
Park advises that you can use a wok on an electric stove, but he recommends a flat-bottomed wok to fit the level surface of most electric stoves. However, open flames or gas stoves can be paired with a round-bottom wok, but you’ll need to hold and move the wok while cooking to prevent over-cooking any part of the contents.
You can also use devices like a wok ring with round bottom woks if you must use them over a flat surface.
Who We Are
KJ Callihan is a freelance writer for Better Homes & Gardens. She enjoys writing about home goods and decor, amazing deals, and where to find the greatest products. She spent hours researching the features of the best woks for this story, keeping in mind dimensions, materials, oven temperature, and ease of care.
She also consulted Dave Park, chef at Jeong Chicago, for guidance on the top features to keep in mind when searching for the best woks.
