Wirecutter - Now testing: Woks

Today you can buy woks made from many materials. Some have a nonstick coating; others come in cast iron, stainless steel, and carbon steel (the traditional gold standard for Chinese chefs and purists). Carbon steel conducts heat quickly and efficiently, and this material acquires a patina that becomes more nonstick the more you use it.

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As for actual nonstick surfaces? They were shunned by the experts because they aren’t meant for high temperatures. That’s tough for high-heat stir-frying. But we still wanted to see if there might be practical alternatives to carbon steel woks, since they require you to “season” the metal bowl before your first use. Though this takes only about 15 minutes, the process—as well as the idea of building and maintaining a wok’s patina over time—can be stressful for the uninitiated. So we tried out a couple of woks that were advertised as “pre-seasoned carbon steel,” which promised to eliminate that fuss.

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We narrowed down the woks to six: three carbon steel, two pre-seasoned carbon steel, and one nonstick. And we went with flat-bottom shapes for their ease and stability on home stovetop ranges.

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I conducted identical cooking experiments: the first, a simple sautée of bok choy with garlic; then, a typical chicken-with-broccoli stir-fry. I was especially curious to see how the woks’ surfaces would perform with a lean meat like sliced chicken breast. Our next test for all woks was a fried egg—a deceptively simple task.

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Most woks performed great with the bok choy. The leaves acquired a smoky char, and slivers of garlic softened to semi-burnt smudges of sweetness. When it came to the stir-fry with chicken and broccoli, some clear favorites began to emerge. Much of this had to do with the construction of the woks—the handles’ materials, how heavy they were, how stable they felt on the burner. What had seemed like minor design choices turned into major differentiators once the woks were in action.

Cathy Erway

The carbon steel woks performed similarly, but there were a few design elements that gave some of them an advantage.

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For example, those with flat bottoms that were more smoothly rounded were better for stir-frying or sautéing pretty much anything. Some of the woks’ bottoms had a sharp angle, which interrupted the motion of stirring and made it difficult to release food from those edges with a metal spatula. Some woks had rather large rivets in the bowl where the handles were attached.

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The smoothest bowl surfaces belonged to the Wok Shop and the Yosukata woks, whose gradually sloped shapes still felt incredibly stable on the gas grills of my stovetop. The Mamma Fong wok was also smoothly shaped. But the diameter of its flat bottom was much smaller, so the wok didn’t feel as secure sitting atop the grill. In fact, I didn’t want to stir this wok without firmly holding onto the handle because it seemed like it would topple.

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The Yosukata wok—the heaviest, at nearly 5 pounds—felt extremely stable on the grill. I could stir without holding the handle, but it was also a pain to lift. The Wok Shop’s model felt stable, and it was a joy to use, due to its relatively light weight (just under 4 pounds) and comfortable handle. It’s a leading contender so far.

Cathy Erway