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These Are the Best Woks for Your Favorite Quick and Easy Weeknight Stir-Fry

They're also great to impress your weekend dinner party guests.

wok with two arrows on yellow background
Photo: Allrecipes Illustration

A wok, meaning "cooking pot" in Chinese, is a versatile piece of kitchenware that stretches far beyond its stir-frying capabilities. The smooth, round shape is great for quickly heating over a small flame, while the typically long handles allow you to "toss" foods, eliminating the need to stir entirely. But what makes them a tool of choice, is their ability to reach wicked high temperatures to achieve a beautiful sear. They can also be used to braise meat, deep-fry foods, make sauces, soups, and even popcorn—the possibilities are endless.

To help you find the best wok for your kitchen, we asked Test Kitchen Product Tester Marianne Williams to test the top options on the market. She considered their feel, durability, ability, and overall value.

About Our Tests

We chose to focus on carbon-steel woks for their durability, heat adaptability, and natural nonstick that comes from seasoning. To put these woks to the test, Marianne looked at the ease of the seasoning process, weight and feel of each wok, and comfortability when stir-frying with each wok.

Here are a few important characteristics that Marianne looked for:

  • Overall Feel: Is the wok comfortable to use? Is it too heavy? Too light?
  • Durability: Is the wok made to last? Does the handle feel secure?
  • Ability: How evenly does the wok cook? Does food stick to it? is it easy to control the heat?
  • Value: Is it worth the investment?

After conducting thorough research and testing, here are our favorite woks.

Why It's Great: Heats evenly; compatible with multiple types of surfaces; comes pre-seasoned

Grain of Salt: No available matching lid

For a wok that's truly the best of both worlds, this flat-bottomed black steel wok is well worth the splurge. "This wok heats impressively quickly and evenly," says Marianne. "Its flat bottom allows for use without a wok ring, yet it has rounded edges on the bottom which made stir-frying without the wok spatula easy."

This wok may need a little extra seasoning attention before your first recipe, but it quickly builds up nonstick capability. The light to medium weight of this wok allows for easy motions when tossing with one hand. It was also one of the fastest to preheat of all the woks Marianne tested.

The Details: Induction compatible; available in 11.8-inch and 13-inch diameters; 3.5 inches deep

Why It's Great: Enough space for easy tossing; rings on surface help with seasoning; lightweight

Grain of Salt: On the smaller side; food can stick if not seasoned well

If you prefer the ease and convenience of a flat bottom wok, this one from Joyce Chen received high marks from us for its lightness and comfortability during use. The flat bottom will sit nicely on any stove top, with a gentle slope up the sides. On that slope are smaller rings, which do a great job of holding onto seasoning.

The carbon steel will need some maintenance and can stick if not fully seasoned. But once it's slick, the stir-fry toss is easy to perfect. This is a great option for anyone new to woks and smaller households. It'll hold a decent amount of food, but if you're cooking for five or more, you might need to work in batches.

The Details: Induction compatible; available in 14-inch diameter; 5.5 inches deep

Why It's Great: Durable; easy to use; also available with a flat bottom or with a wok ring

Grain of Salt: Requires proper seasoning to maintain nonstick surface

We love this option from the Wok Shop because it's affordable, durable, and easy to use. It's made from carbon steel, and comes in both the traditional round bottom and a flat bottom. If you buy the largest round-bottom wok, you can also purchase a wok ring.

"Comfortable handle, classic in shape and style, and easy to toss," says Marianne says. "I asked multiple people in the test kitchen to rate their favorite wok, strictly by feel, weight, and aesthetics, and this one was the overall winner. You'd never know this was the cheapest of the bunch."

This carbon steel wok quickly reached the desired temperature and easily adapted to heat changes. It cooks food evenly, and nothing will stick to it as long as it has been properly seasoned.

The Details: Not induction compatible; available in 12-inch, 14-inch, and 16-inch diameters; 4 inches deep

Why It's Great: Hand-hammered in China; beautiful design; medium weight

Grain of Salt: Smaller handle

If you're willing to splurge for a more artisan look and feel, this wok from Craft Wok was hand-hammered in China. Marianne says, "After seasoning, this changes color and really achieves a natural non-stick surface. It's a gorgeous and affordable workhorse."

Marianne found the wok to have a medium weight that was easy to toss with one hand. The wooden handle and carbon steel handle make for easy two-handed carrying, and the traditional round bottom quickly heats and adjusts to changes. You'll get years of use out of this hand-crafted wok.

The Details: Not induction compatible; available in 12-inch and 14-inch diameters; 4 inches deep

Our Takeaway

If a flat-bottomed wok is your choice, we stand behind the Yosukata Carbon Steel Wok Pan, which comes pre-seasoned and has an ample 13.5-inch diameter. For the best value round-bottom option, the Wok Shop Carbon Steel Wok with Metal Side Handle is a great 14-inch wok. It heats quickly and evenly and is durable.

The Leftovers: Other Woks We Tested

We had high hopes for the Joyce Chen Pro Chef Flat Bottom Wok Uncoated Carbon Steel, but it just didn't shine above the others. Marianne also found the handle to be slightly uncomfortable. The uncomfortable, wide handle and heavy weight of the Made In Cookware Blue Carbon Steel Wok also made it awkward and difficult to use.

How to Pick the Right Wok

Material

Aren't all woks the same? Well, no. Turns out woks can vary in everything from size, to shape, and even material. For the sake of our testing, we chose to focus on carbon-steel woks.

Carbon Steel: This is the most traditional material used for making woks, and it also tends to be the most recommended by wok enthusiasts. It's inexpensive, lightweight, durable, and most importantly, it heats up quickly and evenly. Carbon steel does require seasoning and careful cleaning.

Cast Iron: No surprise to anyone, cast-iron woks are heavy. But they do retain heat very well and can withstand extremely high temperatures. A major downside of cast iron is it doesn't adapt to changes in heat very quickly. And like carbon steel, it requires seasoning. Cast-iron woks are the best option for outdoor use. Although our testing focused on carbon steel, we also liked how this Lodge Cast Iron Wok performed. However, a wok spatula is a must when using cast iron because it's too heavy to toss around.

Stainless Steel: Stainless steel woks are gaining traction for their even heat distribution and retention. And they require no seasoning, which is a serious upside, especially for those who are new to woks. Because you cannot create a nonstick surface by seasoning, some foods may stick to the surface. If you're in the market for a stainless-steel wok, we found this Cooks Standard model performed well and maintained a high temperature throughout the cooking process.

Nonstick: For the beginner cook, nonstick is a great option because it's easy to clean and doesn't require seasoning. Likewise, you're not going to get the same sear on meats and veggies as you would with other woks, because the nonstick coating cannot be heated as high. For these reasons, we didn't include any nonstick woks in our testing.

Round-Bottom Woks vs. Flat-Bottom Woks

Traditionally, woks are made with a round bottom, allowing them to get closer to the flame. Most of today's stoves don't accommodate the shape of a traditional round-bottom wok and require the use of a wok ring or a stove equipped with a wok top.

Many home cooks prefer to use flat-bottom woks, as they don't require any additional accessories. However, wok traditionalists argue that flat-bottom woks limit the surface area and don't allow you to toss food as you would in a round-bottom wok.

Common Questions

How do you season and care for your wok?

Both carbon steel and cast-iron woks require seasoning before cooking to make sure food doesn't stick. Think of this process as creating your own natural nonstick surface that can withstand high temperatures. Here are step-by-step instructions for seasoning your new wok:

  1. Clean your wok. Hand wash your wok using dish soap, warm water, and a sponge. This will help to remove any of the machine oil applied to prevent rusting during transit.
  2. Heat your wok. Fire up the stove and heat your wok on high heat for about 10 minutes. Rotate the wok to ensure all sides are evenly heated. The color may begin to change—this is normal!
  3. Oil your wok. While your wok is still hot, use a paper towel or rag to apply a small amount of high-smoke point oil, such as vegetable oil. Cover the entire surface area of the wok with the oil. Then use a rag or paper towel to wipe away as much of the oil as you can.
  4. Keep your wok hot. Allow the wok to sit on high heat for an additional five minutes. You'll notice the color of the wok will begin to change once again, and this is a good sign. Go ahead and turn off the burner and let it cool. Your wok is seasoned and ready to use. To continue building the seasoning, repeat these steps as many times as you'd like.

To protect the coating you worked so hard to achieve, you should avoid cleaning your wok with any abrasive sponge or cleaning tool. After each use, use warm water and a nonabrasive sponge with a small amount of dish soap (don't use any cleaning agent stronger than this) to hand wash it. Immediately dry your wok before storing it to avoid rusting.

What recipes are better when made in a wok?

Wok hei, the smoky flavor that can only come from a hot wok, is great for your weekday stir fries and fried rice, but it can improve so many recipes. We love using a wok for homemade beef and broccoli, pad Thai, and gochujang chicken, but you can experiment with any dish that needs a little complexity, like paella.

What's the difference between a wok and a frying pan?

Woks are similar to frying pans in that you want them to have a nonstick surface, you usually have to cook fast, and it's lightweight for easy flipping or tossing. But woks are specifically designed for that easy tossing, frying, and flipping, as the slope side guides food back towards the center. You can also move cooked ingredients up the slope, away from the heat, so that it doesn't burn. On the flat bottom of a frying pan, all your ingredients will continue to cook as long as they're in the pan. And it's very easy to accidentally flip your meal onto the stove.

Why Take Our Word For It?

Melanie Fincher is a Birmingham, Alabama-based food writer who loves to cook, eat, and test out new kitchen gadgets.

Marianne Williams has been a test kitchen professional for Dotdash Meredith since 2016.

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