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Jun 02, 2024

The 4 Best Woks for Stir Frying at Home

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. It's easy to take things you grew up with for granted. For me, having grown up in a Chinese takeout, that's wok

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

It's easy to take things you grew up with for granted. For me, having grown up in a Chinese takeout, that's wok hei.

Since my parents closed up shop years ago, I've been searching for a way to replicate the flame-kissed cooking of their restaurant. The kind where ribbons of fire infuse food with a hint of smoky depth, resulting in slightly charred edges around still moist meat and vegetables that stayed bold and bright. These are the signatures of wok hei, an elusive element from the molecular reaction between fat, water, heat, and fire as they burst together around your food.

"It's this that makes wok cooking an art form," says MÓGŪ Modern Chinese Kitchen founder Mike Wang, developer of his restaurant's self-cooking robo-woks with his GenX Robotics division. "It's essentially a very inefficient exothermic reaction," he explains. "You throw a ton of heat and flames onto a surface that doesn't necessarily distribute it evenly since it's a curved and not flat surface."

Simply put: woks don't heat evenly, but that's the point. The unique graduating heat zones along the bowl make them incredible at cooking mixed ingredients that require different heat levels and cooking times. This curvature facilitates two types of cooking: tumble and toss. Tumble cooking is when you use a wok spatula, or chuan, to move the food around even as you shake the wok. Toss cooking involves lifting the wok off the heat source for faster temperature changes and flipping the ingredients in the air to mix components.

Different types of cooking and recipes require different types of woks, so we've outlined picks for each style. You can read more about how we tested in our methodology section, and learn about techniques in our FAQs.

Best wok overall: Zwilling Forte WokThe best for flip-toss cooking and quick to heat up, this nonstick wok is a streamlined, modern take on an ancient tool.

Best wok on a budget: Nordic Ware Spun Wok 10-InchThe Nordic Ware Spun Wok 10-Inch is a superior small starter wok perfect for perfecting your technique until you're ready to invest in a heftier pan.

Best wok with two handles: Anolon Accolade 13.5" Covered WokFor tumble-style cooking, a double-handed wok like the Anolon Accolade 13.5" Covered Wok provides a secure base to hold onto as you use a chuan to toss and flip.

Best electric wok: NUWAVE Mosaic Precision Induction WokThe NUWAVE Mosaic Precision Induction Wok is a mighty powerhouse and a testament to the versatility and firepower of wok cooking. It reminded me why all my parents needed at the restaurant was one good Mandarin wok.

The best for flip-toss cooking and quick to heat up, the nonstick Zwilling Forte Wok is a streamlined, modern take on an ancient tool.

Pros: High wok walls, reinforced plated base, induction compatible, even heating, great charring, retains heat well

Cons: Did not come with the turner as marketed, harder edge to the flat bottom

This wok is a symphony of proportions. The thicker curve of the handle felt made for my grip and — paired with high walls that inverted just enough to almost magnetically toss the food back into the pan — made flip-tossing a breeze.

On the opposite side, the chunky, extended helper handle actually did stay pretty cool, even with extended use, and made pouring food out from its no-drip rolled edges neat and easy. A wide floor makes the walls of the wok feel even higher from the sharper slope angle, allowing the burner flames to visibly hug the pan.

If it had one flaw, it's that its larger flat floor caused sauces and liquids to reduce a bit too quickly. But this remarkable evaporation rate also makes it quick to char and a literal hotbed of action, leading to crispy fried rice, tender-crisp vegetables, and juicy proteins. My chicken browned nicely with agitation, and beef seared gloriously. Through all of that, it actively held onto the burner heat instead of radiating it outwards or upwards, making it much more comfortable to work over than any other wok we tested.

Most impressively, it was reluctant to burn, thanks to a five-layer ultra nonstick surface that claims to last 60% longer than traditional nonstick and is tested to be 20 times more durable. Although that makes capturing wok hei nigh impossible since you need some scorch action to get there, the weighted trade-offs make it — dare I say it — as close to worth it as you can get. For instance, you barely need any oil to get it going and things will still at least toast up. Plus, this surface cleans like an absolute dream.

In general, this Italian-made wok is a winner. Zwilling J.A. Henckels may be a leader in cutlery, but they've nailed this piece of cookware.

The Nordic Ware Spun Wok 10-Inch is a superior small starter wok perfect for perfecting your technique until you're ready to invest in a heftier pan.

Pros: Lightweight, high walls with great curvature, easy to maneuver, comfortable stay-cool handle, closest to a round-bottom wok

Cons: Very delicate nonstick coating, will scratch and wear easily and quickly, too small for family cooking, scuffs easily

My first impression: this is a small, inexpensive starter wok. Made from lightweight aluminized steel, this cheap wok has the maneuverability you need for stir-frying, where you need to be able to flick the entire pan with your wrist to keep the ingredients moving. The metal is also thin, which allows for quick searing, easy char, and great responsiveness when turning the heat up or down.

The stainless steel handle is perhaps the heaviest part of this wok, but its sloping shape allowed for a comfortable grip and control while cooking. Even with the burner flames wrapping the wok, this handle stayed cool thanks to how thick it is.

Despite the smaller cooking surface, sauce reduced quickly, which helped the broccoli and chicken cook without getting bogged down by steam or extracted liquid. Fried rice also cooked beautifully, attaining gorgeous blistering on the vegetables and a lovely, dry-popping crisp to the rice.

The feature that cinched it as a new favorite, though, was its proportions. The curve from the floor of the wok to its sides and the very high walls made it remarkably easy to use traditional flipping techniques or sweep the chuan around without losing a grain of rice.

That said, it's definitely a budget wok. Its nonstick surface arrived already nicked from transit and many users have complained that the coating flakes and chips quickly. This is also likely why the instructions say to hand wash only.

For tumble-style cooking, a double-handed wok like the Anolon Accolade 13.5" Covered Wok provides a secure base to hold onto as you use a chuan to toss and flip.

Pros: Flat rivets, metal utensil-safe, warp-resistant thick base, thick rim for neater scooping, oven-safe to 500 F, metal domed lid included, large capacity, high walls

Cons: Cooks slower than others, loop handles are on the smaller and thinner side, heavy

Attention to detail is evident in every inch of this wok: the gently sloping side walls make it easy to slide food out; the thick, forged stainless steel base allows for superior, even heating and induction compatibility; and the smooth, flush rivets mean the entire interior is 100% nonstick.

This Anolon wok has great capacity. The large well offers plenty of room for searing meat and tossing rice. Unlike other wide-base woks, this well holds onto heat well, so it's easy to brown meat, char vegetables, and reduce sauces quickly but without burning. Its high walls allow you to toss, tumble, and mix without ingredients escaping, but they're not high enough that cooking feels awkward or uncomfortable.

The surface takes a little bit of time to heat up, but once you start using it in earnest, it cooks supremely evenly. Everything we cooked in it came out well-browned, crisped on the outside, and tender on the side. The wok also comes with a tall domed stainless steel lid, which is handy for steaming.

Its three layers of sapphire-reinforced coating make it relatively safe for metal utensils, and super slick. It cleaned up effortlessly with just a few swipes of a sponge, the easiest cleanup I experienced with any of the woks I tested.

The NUWAVE Mosaic Precision Induction Wok is a mighty powerhouse and a testament to the versatility and firepower of wok cooking. It reminded me why all my parents needed at the restaurant was one good Mandarin wok.

Pros: Incredibly responsive to temperature changes, round bottom, naturally nonstick carbon steel, exceptionally lightweight, automatic shut-off, comes with a lot of accessories, authentic feel and results

Cons: Can get smoky, needs more oil than other woks, learning curve

From the girth of its easy-grip coated handle to its ultra-thin and lightweight, naturally nonstick carbon steel basin, this wok brought me right back to my family's commercial kitchen.

The speed with which it heated — glowing a beautiful electric blue the first time I used it — and cooled was astonishing and impressive. Thanks to its use of efficient induction, it was ready to go with the touch of two buttons and mere seconds of preheating. You can set the digital temperature control to various levels that go up to a blazing 575 F; significantly higher than any other electric wok we've tested.

There's also a digital timer, but this isn't the type of appliance you'll want to walk away from. This carbon steel wok gets hot fast, and food will scorch and smoke faster than you think. Fortunately, no matter how hot the wok gets, your counter or tabletop will stay cool. The induction technology relies on a magnetic connection between the pot and the base: all the heat goes right into the pot, while the surrounding area stays cool to the touch.

Surprisingly, this electric wok set was able to impart wok hei without a single lick of flame. Meats seared stunningly, vegetables blistered, charred, and popped with abandon, rice crackled and crisped, sauce reduced rapidly and gained luscious viscosity, and every single ingredient became infused with a hint of smoke without becoming burnt.

The performance of this electric wok is flawless; never have I ever experienced such authentic, restaurant-quality results at home. As for my personal feelings of connectedness to the cookware, the strong wave of familiarity that washed over me as my brain connected to my memories of cooking at my parents' Chinese takeout.

Staub Wok Perfect Pan: This hardy and beloved cast iron brand performed superbly during last year's trials. Its heavy construction and loop handles make it less all-purpose than other woks, but it's great for big batch cooking and fried rice.

Anolon Advanced Home Hard-Anodized 14" Wok: This wok is thin and easy to handle, but ultimately couldn't compete against stick-handles for flexibility.

Heritage Steel 13.5-Inch Wok: This model stands out from other stainless steel woks with several unique design features: thick construction, pleasant-to-hold handles, extremely curved walls, and the slickest stainless steel surface I've tested. Unfortunately, it had some hot spots.

Calphalon Elite Nonstick Wok 13": Overall, this is a serviceable, multi-use wok that satisfies across the board. Its larger, triple-riveted softly square handle boasts a higher arc for better balance and grip. However, the rounded floor meant I had to be more mindful of crowding to prevent steam from concentrating. This affected the chicken, which dried out in comparison to other tested woks.

Circulon SteelShield C-Series 12.5" Tri-ply Glad Nonstick Stir Fry: This wok is designed with stainless steel rings meant to protect a nonstick base and allow you to use metal utensils. However, the rings acted as a washboard, essentially grating chicken into shreds as I stirred.

Rachael Ray Brights 11-Inch Covered Stir Fry: This wok's inexpensive aluminum construction makes it very lightweight, but warms up slowly and unevenly compared to the other woks tested.

Nordic Ware Superior Steel Spun Wok 8.5-inch: While I absolutely loved the larger version from Nordic Ware, this adorable wok is simply too small to be useful. We've found it's better to have a bigger wok with more room to let the ingredients breathe than to pile it up on this small surface.

Breville Hot Wok Pro: This electric wok had the sleekest design and boasted the hottest temperatures, but its performance didn't live up to its steep price tag. Unfortunately, it heats too slowly and its interior is too smooth, causing ingredients to slide down into the well and pile up.

Hestan Nanobond Stainless-Steel Wok with Lid: This extra large wok is flat and wide, so the floor gets really hot. I ended up mostly using the wok walls to cook, leaving an oversized well of dead space. Additionally, the stainless steel caused ingredients to stick to the pan.

Joyce Chen Pro Chef Excalibur Nonstick: Coming from such a notable and well-recognized name in Chinese cuisine, I expected much better usability from this wok. I was disappointed to find that the angular, bulky handle is uncomfortable and made the pan very heavy in spite of the lightweight metal used. Furthermore, it didn't age well, showing scratches after testing.

Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 12" Flat-Bottom Wok: This model was grandfathered into this test — an oldie I've had for some time from a less premium Calphalon line than our winner. Having been in my rotation for several years already, it was a let-down that such premium piece of equipment did not age particularly well, losing its nonstick coating in patches. It was okay for the years I had it, but compared to its competitors, it's a weak contender.

All-Clad 5-Ply Copper Core Open Stir-Fry Pan: When I told my retired Chinese chef dad that I was given stainless woks to try, his immediate reaction was, "Why?!" After testing, I felt much the same way. The sharp-edged channel handle dug into my hand, the basin is too shallow, the pan itself too heavy, and the heat distribution too even, eliminating the cook zones integral to proper woking.

We tested 16 woks of various materials, looking at construction quality and scratch resistance; heat retention and distribution; ease of cleaning and handling; and overall performance. For all tests, we used the same high-powered burner of a gas stove.

With each wok, I made two dishes chosen for the multiple Asian cooking techniques they required, and utilized high smoke-point, neutral avocado oil to provide a cleaner background for any sign of wok hei … should it be achieved.

Chinese takeout-style chicken with broccoli in a brown sauce showed us:

I tried to use the same heat setting for each wok, but differing heat retention levels forced adaptation to avoid ruining the dish. I also used more oil for stainless steel woks to avoid sticking, and added broth to the fried rice in some instances since some materials were more apt to burn than char and required more moisture.

Steak summer fried rice, inspired by MÓGŪ's Bang Bang Rice, was a good demonstration of:

Cooking in a wok is an art and a science. The speed of execution and drama of it speaks to artistry, but the results, as Wang puts it, "has everything to do with the mathematics of particle movement."

"The science of woking is broken down to temperature control," he explains, "which is done by elevating the wok with the hand, controlling the gas lever with one's leg during cooking, and flipping the ingredients inside the wok. At GenX Robotics and MÓGŪ, we studied the science of woking by using computer vision to track the movements of individual particles and how they move with the different viscosities of sauce. We investigated how those ingredients interacted with the surface of the cooking pan, the sauce, and other food particles."

What he and his team found was that the slightest variation could lead to notably different outcomes, which our own testing confirms on a broader scale. The takeaway: be patient as you learn the ins and outs of your wok. A learning curve is to be expected at first, but you'll soon be able to produce consistent results.

No matter what wok you get, though, just know that results on an electric stove will be considerably less favorable than on a gas stove. And that same gas stove will fall well shy of what a commercial restaurant wok burner can produce. If you're looking to recreate a dish you had at a restaurant, be prepared for at least slightly different results, especially if you're working on an electric stove.

No home stove will be as immediately responsive, either. The instantaneousness of being able to crank up the heat and adjust it fast is a huge part of wok cooking. While certain materials help with heat distribution, it's important to consider the thickness, flexibility, flat surface area, and curvature of the wok, too. All of these contribute to its quality and performance.

No matter which wok you pick, you'll have to take time to get to know it. After that, it'll be a matter of time until you master it … and with that, fall in love with it.

To get the most out of your wok:

Carbon steel is a traditional favorite for making woks, while cast iron and stainless steel are great for casual cooks. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of each material:

Carbon steel is traditionally a favorite material for woks because it reacts quickly to heat adjustments and has a natural nonstick surface once seasoned. But be warned: it takes a lot of heavy, repeated usage to get to this level, which is why it's not recommended for the casual home cook, and why we did not include any carbon steel woks in this test. We are looking forward to testing some pre-seasoned carbon steel woks for the next update

Cast iron is a bit more accessible as people are more accustomed to maintaining it, but it's important to bear in mind that it's a very heavy material and will limit your maneuverability.

Stainless steel has been growing in Western popularity since it's durable and not prone to rust.

Aluminum woks are lighter and hotter but prone to warp and ding.

Hard anodized and nonstick pans provide greater ease of use in a familiar medium, but their performance will vary based on manufacturer-determined specs, like thickness and finish.

A loop-handled, or Canton wok, is meant for tumble cooking, which means using a scoop and spatula to quickly agitate ingredients (like fried rice) and spark faster liquid evaporation and spot charring. Loop handled woks are also great for pan-frying, which requires constant contact with the heat source; steaming; and big batch cooking, as they traditionally tend to be wider than long-handled woks.

Long-handled or stick-handled woks are meant for toss cooking, such as with saucy dishes and stir-fries that incorporate larger-cut ingredients. In this technique, you lift the wok off the burner and toss the ingredients into the air using a shake of your wrist. Traditional long-handled woks offer a deeper basin in the middle for thickening sauces and higher walls, and are lightweight for maneuverability in order to flip and toss off the burner.

Flat-bottomed woks are better suited for home use because round-bottomed woks require a wok ring.

Round-bottomed woks require the use of a wok ring, which is a metal band that holds the cookware in place on a gas stove burner and directs the heat to and around the wok. This workaround is really only suited for gas stoves, as they can slide off electric and glass-top burners.

Flat-bottomed woks are the most common consumer-available designs, but their dimensions vary tremendously, which is part of why product tests like this are necessary. Not only are results dependent on material, which affects weight and maneuverability, but also by wok floor dimensions, wall height, and curvature. The latter two are perhaps the most important things to consider when you're trying to recreate effective, authentic wok cooking at home. All the woks used for this test were flat-bottomed.

"A high curvature results in a broader base for maximum area of heat transfer," Wang says. That means one with a greater curve and higher walls means heat is less concentrated on the flat bottom and better distributed up the walls. However, an overly steep wok can trap steam and make your food get limp and soggy.

But a flatter, lower wok has disadvantages of its own. You simply can't mix well with a broad wok floor, and you definitely can't toss. And while tumbling (as opposed to stirring) is the right way to work food in a wok, you don't want to throw ingredients out of it. Curved walls help cue flipping your ingredients back into the pan, and taller sides keep errant pieces from escaping.

The bottom line is that proportion is critical to creating the varying heat zones needed, since stir-fry components usually cook and brown at different rates. Even layering your ingredients can't save you from over- or undercooking if the temperature is too uniform.

Unless you're getting a carbon steel wok (which we did not test), you would season a wok the way you would any pan of the same material. However, most nonstick woks are ready to go right out of the box.

These detailed instructions on how to season cast iron woks will help you get that material prepped for duty.

If you do decide to go rogue off our recommendations and opt for traditional carbon steel, Wang emphasizes the importance of prepping it properly. "There's a systematic process where the wok adapts a nonstick nature that comes with repeated oil washing," developing a blackened patina from oil that's seared on in a hard coat, like with cast iron. However, this takes a lot of use and tremendous heat exposure to develop.

A chuan is may look like a spatula at first glance, but there's a curvature that distinguishes it. Wok turners are angled differently, and where the head connects to the handle, you'll notice a slight rounding that's designed to seamlessly follow the soft angles of a wok.

They also usually have raised side edges that center your scoop as you tumble-cook or serve. This supports the tossing and mixing motion required for stir-frying while a regular flat spatula is more for shifting ingredients. The best ones have a very thin front edge that gets under your food better that has a soft arc that lets it reach into a round bottom well.

In terms of construction, woks and frying pans are like distant cookware cousins. A frying pan has short, slightly angled walls and a wide, flat bottom. While you can make a stir fry in a frying pan, you will not get the same results as you do in a wok because there isn't as much temperature variation.

Cooking in a wok relies on regular movement of the ingredients, so it is not the best tool for tender foods that can tear or come apart if shifted. Additionally, woks are not ideal for searing a single large piece of meat. Getting an even crust on a steak or large vegetables requires keeping the food in one place on high heat, and a frying pan offers more flat space to do that.

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