The Best Woks

Pros

• America's Test Kitchen Best Buy: lightweight, broad cooking surface and quick to respond to heat.
• Widest flat area of the carbon steel woks ATK measured, which helps on electric and induction.
• Birch handles stayed cool in ATK's testing, and the helper handle makes lifting easy.
• Yahoo Shopping's Best Budget pick; works on every stovetop type.
• The same pan Wirecutter recommended for years under the Sur La Table name.

Cons

• Ships unseasoned, so you must season it at home before the first stir-fry (ATK).
• Thin 1.5 mm steel raised durability concerns among Yahoo Shopping's reviewers.
• Not oven-safe because of the wood handles.

Pros

• Serious Eats praised the comfortable riveted wooden handle on this round-bottom wok.
• Thick 1.8 mm steel holds heat better than thinner budget woks (manufacturer spec).
• The round bottom lets food slide back to the center for easy tossing.
• Hand-hammered in Guangzhou and rated to 1200 degrees F by the maker.

Cons

• Round bottom will not sit on flat electric or induction cooktops; the maker says so outright.
• Ships bare and must be seasoned; carbon steel can rust if left wet.
• At 4.6 lb it is heavier than most flat-bottom carbon steel woks.
• Some gas grates need a wok ring to keep it stable.

Pros

• Yahoo Shopping's Best Overall: the slickest surface of the woks in that test.
• Comfortable handle and a roomy 5-quart capacity (Yahoo Shopping).
• All-steel build is oven-safe to 1200 degrees F.
• Made in Sweden and pre-seasoned, so it is ready to cook on arrival.

Cons

• No helper handle, which matters when the pan is full.
• Smallest flat cooking area in this guide (about 5.5 in.).
• Premium price tier for a carbon steel wok.
• Like all carbon steel, it needs oiling and care to keep the seasoning.

Pros

• Yahoo Shopping's Best Nonstick: easy release and cleanup, and dishwasher-safe.
• Tri-ply build with an aluminum core is induction-ready and oven-safe to 900 degrees F (HexClad).
• No seasoning needed, which ATK notes is hard to do well on induction and electric stoves.
• Lifetime warranty from the maker.

Cons

• Smaller capacity than the 14-inch carbon steel woks (Yahoo Shopping).
• Highest price tier in this guide, and the lid is sold separately.
• HexClad recommends low to medium heat, which limits true high-heat stir-frying.
• Ceramic nonstick wears with time; it will not improve with age like carbon steel.

Pros

• Lightest of the recommended woks in America's Test Kitchen's lineup at 3 lb 2 oz.
• ATK lists it as a recommended pre-seasoned option.
• Double-baked oil seasoning from the factory instead of a sprayed coating (Mammafong).
• Hand-hammered bowl with a helper handle for lifting.

Cons

• Smallest flat area ATK measured (about 5 in.), so less contact on a flat electric coil.
• Thinner 1.2 mm steel heats fast but holds less heat than thicker woks.
• Costs more than the Joyce Chen without a clear performance gap in ATK's testing.

Pros

• Heated fried rice and beef and broccoli quickly and evenly in Yahoo Shopping's test.
• Works on any stovetop, in the oven, on the grill or over a campfire (Lodge).
• Made in the USA, pre-seasoned with vegetable oil, and free of PFAS coatings.
• Thick iron holds heat for hard sears and big batches.

Cons

• The heaviest wok Yahoo Shopping tested; it is not a pan you toss.
• Two short loop handles get very hot, so you need mitts to move it.
• Rice was more prone to sticking and harder to scrub off in that test.
• Cast iron is slow to respond when you turn the heat down (ATK).