Hot commodity: The best woks make cooking for a crowd easy! (Made In)
Woks let you sizzle up large batches of rice, noodles, meats and veggies, stat. Their deep, sloped designs make it easy to flip and stir ingredients so food is cooked not only quickly, but evenly. The best woks, adds Ros Rotanak (aka Chef Nak), strike a delicate balance between durability, reliability and, ideally, affordability. "A wok doesn’t need to be expensive," says the Cambodian chef and cookbook author. "I recommend choosing one based on how you plan to use it — whether for stir-frying or deep frying."
To help you decide, we asked Rotanak, plus eight other chefs, for the woks they rely on to turn up the heat at work and home. They also shared tips for selecting the best wok and factors to keep in mind when shopping. Looking for more expert-recommended kitchen gear? Check out our guides to the best knives and knife sets and best cookware sets.
A quick note before we dive in: Traditional woks feature a rounded bottom that sits over a special wok burner (more on that below); for this list, we focused on flat-bottomed woks that are compatible with conventional stovetops.
Update, July 31, 2025: We checked all product prices and availability.
Size: 12" | Wok material: Blue carbon steel | Style: Long-handled; flat-bottomed | Oven-safe? Yes, up to 1,200°F
Topping our list is the Made In Blue Steel Carbon Wok, which features a durable blue steel carbon that offers the same natural non-stick properties of cast iron but with a lighter body for easier maneuvering. It's also able to endure and retain high temperatures of up to 1,200°F, making it safe for use in the oven as well as over an open flame, and comes pre-seasoned for added convenience.
Sophina Uong, chef and owner of Mister Mao in New Orleans, La., says she loves a flat-bottomed carbon steel wok, "especially when the wok and handle are welded out of one piece of metal so you don't worry about the handle coming off over time."
"The woks we have at Mister Mao are from San Francisco's Chinatown, and we make sure we dry and season them well after every use to keep the pan nice and non-stick," she adds. "Though, if I were giving a fancy gift to friends that liked to cook with the finest cookware, I would give them Made In's Blue Carbon Steel Wok, because it's sturdy, well-made, beautiful and also works on induction, which is pretty rad."
Nadia Liu Spellman, founder and CEO of Dumpling Daughter, a restaurant chain and online brand that sells frozen dumplings based on Spellman's family's recipes, adds "My favorite, the Made In Wok, will last a lifetime, only getting better with every use. It's not too heavy and conducts heat beautifully. This wok gets super hot and cooks evenly."
Size: Available in 13.5" and 14" | Wok material: Blue carbon steel | Style: Long-handled; flat-bottomed | Oven-safe? No
"For true wok-cooking similar to what they do in China and at Chinese restaurants, you have to use a completely round-bottomed wok (not flat-bottomed) and that's used over a special wok burner, which is designed to conform to the shape of the wok and yields greater flame and heat, which then imparts that unmistakable 'wok-hei' or breath of wok aroma and taste that's a hallmark of Cantonese cuisine especially," explains Joe Chan, head wok chef for Paradise Dynasty in Costa Mesa, Ca.
When it comes to at-home use, Chan recommends this wok from Yosukata, another durable and nimble, albeit not oven-safe, blue carbon steel wok that he says "has the right weight and feel and the carbon will allow for better heat distribution."
Kenny Leung, Co-Owner and Executive Chef at YAO, is also among the fans. “This wok is ideal for when I cook at home: It’s lightweight, pre-seasoned and works perfectly with an induction stove. I usually prefer cooking with gas, but the flat bottom of this wok still lets you heat and sear dishes on electric and induction stoves."
Size: Available in 12" and 14" | Wok material: Blue carbon steel | Style: Long-handled; flat-bottomed | Oven-safe? No
At Paradise Dynasty, Chan and the wok team prepare over 20 different wok dishes daily, from fried rice to fried noodles to Hot & Sour Soup and Lobster Tom Yum Goong, where the lobster is wok-tossed along with the broth and glass noodles.
"After cooking all day long using the heavier woks at the restaurant, I prefer to use a lighter wok at home, and the non-stick makes it easy to clean," explains Chan. He also notes that, like the Yosukata wok above, the Sur La Table wok he uses has a flat bottom and a long handle, making it ideal for standard stovetops.
Size: Available in 12" and 14," both flat- round-bottomed | Wok material: Carbon steel | Style: Long-handled; flat-bottomed | Oven-safe? No
David Muhs, co-owner and head bartender of Monkey Thief, is another big proponent of carbon steel. "When properly seasoned, [carbon steel pans] are basically non-stick and can be used on both gas and induction ranges," he explains. "They heat up quickly and retain heat well."
Like other contributing experts, Muhs recommends flat-bottomed versions for at-home use. "My first wok was Joyce Chen, but this one requires you to season it yourself. If that’s not in the cards, there are plenty of pre-seasoned options out there…"
Adds Nak, "In Cambodia, where access to specific branded woks isn't always a priority, we focus on affordable, non-stick woks, often made from carbon steel or iron."
Size: 12.75" | Wok material: Hard-anodized aluminum | Style: Long-handled; flat-bottomed | Oven-safe? Yes, up to 445°F
Chris Ying, chef and "Dinner Time Live" regular, refers to this non-stick wok from Meyer as "the most useful, most durable pan" he's ever cooked with. "I've used a lot of non-stick pans in my life, and I've liked very few of them, but I can say without exaggeration that nearly everything my family eats these days comes out of an IO pan," he elaborates. "The extra-wide, flat bottom makes it super versatile. I cook everything in this thing — from stir-fries to braises to pasta to popcorn."
The wok was designed in collaboration with chef David Chang, who says he relies on it at home for a wide range of uses, from cooking pasta to deep-frying to making soups. "The heat distribution is great, which means no hot spots — everything cooks evenly. Plus, it's so easy to clean," Chang adds.
Size: 14" | Wok material: Stainless steel | Style: Long-handled; flat-bottomed | Oven-safe? No
Prefer stainless steel? Suzanne Clark, two-time World Food Championships Pasta Champion, Sam’s Club Chef and demo expert and recipe developer for major food companies, suggests going with a tri-clad version.
"It’s actually three layers of steel sandwiched together, each one with different conduction properties," she explains, adding "I love any pan from All-Clad, especially the wok. This is a great American-made pan, made to last a lifetime. You get fast and even heat — the tri-ply construction is fully bonded to the rim for professional performance and durability."
Size: The wider and deeper the wok, the more food it can hold. Deep woks in particular are helpful for containing longer noodles and a lot of sauce.
Weight: Heavier materials are generally thought to be more durable and, like in the case of iron and steel, can typically withstand high heats. Lightweight materials are easier to maneuver, especially when you need to cook (and toss) larger batches of food and/or transfer the wok to different burners or spaces.
Material:
Cast iron is the most durable of cooking materials, with the ability to sustain high heats (including open flames) and cook evenly (it also has natural non-stick properties when properly seasoned).
Stainless steel is lighter weight, often with even heat distribution, but may take slightly longer to heat up and isn't as naturally non-stick as cast iron.
Carbon steel combines the best of both worlds for a (typically) lightweight, non-stick material that's conductive and can be used over an open flame. These properties make it a popular choice for cookware, and woks in particular.
Multi-material woks combine different materials, such as a stainless steel wok with aluminum layers or a carbon steel wok with a wooden handle, in an attempt to balance weight, heat distribution and durability.
Style:
Dome-bottomed woks are the traditional pick and feature a rounded bottom. They're used in tandem with a special wok burner, which as Chan notes, creates the signature aroma and taste unique to Cantonese cuisine.
Flat-bottomed woks have a level base, making them easier for at-home use on a conventional gas or induction stovetop.
Northern Chinese-style woks typically feature a long handle on one side, similar to a Western pan; Cantonese-style woks are known for having two smaller, looped handles — one on each side — and require more careful handling.
Many carbon steel pans and woks are similar to cast iron in that they can withstand and retain high levels of heat, so they're typically safe for use over an open flame or grill. We suggest checking your wok's instruction manual for more info on functionality and proper care.
Pre- or re-seasoning a cast iron or carbon steel wok renders it naturally non-stick. "Heat the wok over medium heat until it starts to smoke, remove from heat and add a thin layer of high-heat cooking oil, like grape seed or soybean oil, then carefully wipe it around with a paper towel," advises Uong. She recommends repeating this process about four times to create a truly non-stick layer.
When it comes to essential wok tools, Uong says she loves using a traditional Chinese iron ladle and spatula for wok cooking, as well as a round Chinese spider strainer (such as what comes in this kit from the Craft Wok Store). She also adds: "Don't forget a lid for the wok for steaming dim sum or delicate seafood dishes." Spellman recommends a wok ladle or long chopsticks.
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