The 14 Best Woks To Buy In 2023

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If you're not cooking with a wok, you're missing out. Used widely when making Asian cuisine, we typically associate woks with whipping up stir-fries and noodle dishes, but there's so much more this utensil can do. Woks are a versatile piece of kitchen equipment, with everything from deep-frying to making popcorn achievable in these round pans. What makes them especially effective is their distinctive shape, with the curved walls and wider bottom of the pan allowing an even distribution of heat and a huge surface area for different foods to cook together. Using a wok is also a fantastic way to cook a range of dishes without having to use copious amounts of oil, so you can serve up light, fresh food (per School Of Wok).

But as any chef will tell you, one of the secrets to making quality food lies in choosing quality cookware, and that's as true for woks as it is for anything else. When picked correctly, a good wok can produce great meals time and time again. But where do you start with a wok? We've got you covered. Whether you prefer a classic carbon steel option or a nonstick coating, cooking for a crowd or yourself, we've rounded up the top wok choices available in 2023.

Good cookware needn't cost a fortune, and the Town 14-inch Hand Hammered Cantonese Wok is a testament to this. An affordable option at just over $30, Town's carbon steel wok gives you a large amount of cooking space and gets hot quickly and evenly, so you can get your food on the table in no time. The high heat that Town's wok can achieve, aided by the deep shape and sloping sides, is essential to achieving the "wok hei" flavor, a combo of smokiness and caramelization that gives some Chinese dishes their distinctive taste (per Michelin).

Town, which has been making kitchenware since the 1920s, has also made this wok with a traditional dual-handle design, which some cooks may prefer for ease of transport and two-handed tossing. However, it's worth bearing in mind that this wok is made with a rounded bottom. As such, it is best suited for kitchens equipped with gas stoves or wok rings, instead of electric stoves where the pan has to sit flat on a surface.

HexClad has a little more going for them than a slightly witchy sounding name. They're also purveyors of great cookware, like their 12-inch Hybrid Stainless Steel Wok. This eye-catching pan, with its distinctive hexagonal detailing, is made with a nonstick coating that keeps your food from catching on the bottom of the wok. The nonstick, stainless steel design also makes cleaning super easy (did we mention this pan is dishwasher safe?), and allows you to cook with metal utensils without ruining the pan.

The HexClad Stainless Steel Wok is also pretty workable, with a relatively lightweight build that will allow you to toss and flip with ease, aided by the long handle and accompanying mini-handle. This wok's 12-inch diameter and 1-quart capacity is better suited for catering to smaller numbers. This wok also benefits from being able to reach high temperatures fast — although it should be noted that its stainless steel and nonstick woks are generally better suited to slightly lower temperatures, whereas carbon steel pans are for those who wanna get a little more fiery in the kitchen (via The Woks of Life).

While carbon steel is often the go-to choice in the wok world, it's far from the only material that's used to make them. Cast iron woks are also a viable choice, and Lodge's Cast Iron Wok is pretty desirable for several reasons.

The first is the premium heat you'll get from this pan. "With a home stove, you're simply not going to get to that same level you do in a restaurant," explains Mister Jiu's owner and executive chef Brandon Jew to The Strategist. But cast iron woks will get you pretty close, as they are especially good at building and retaining heat. As a result, the Lodge Cast Iron Wok is a good option for dishes that require consistently high heat to nail every time, like fried rice. This pan is also on the heavier side, and therefore will retain its sturdiness when you're stirring fervently on the stove. Plus, its two-handled design makes it easier to maneuver. Pleasingly, the Lodge Cast Iron Wok's flat-bottom design means that it's usable on any stovetop out there. The wok also comes preseasoned — although, like carbon steel, it's recommended that you season cast iron woks after each use to maintain them for as long as possible. 

If you're in the market for a pow wok, this Craft Wok Hand Hammered Carbon Steel option is a great choice. Pow woks are distinguished by their long, single handle, which makes food easier to work with and flip than if using a two-handled model (per Wok Owner). And Craft Wok nailed their version of this pan, which comes recommended by MáLà Project's chef Amelia Kang. She tells Eater, "it's suitable for quick, high-temperature stir-fried dishes," thanks to its carbon steel design, which results in a more intense, smokey flavor.

At a mid-range price point, Craft Wok's pow wok also won't break the bank, while still delivering a quality product. The wooden handle means that no matter how hot the wok gets, your hand will still be safe when gripping it, and the wider, 14-inch diameter gives you slightly more space than other options to make multi-portion meals. But bear in mind that unlike some other modern woks, Craft Wok's model comes with a round bottom, making it better suited to gas stoves or wok burners. This pan also needs seasoning before use, to ensure that it doesn't deteriorate.

Stir-frying meals in a wok often requires the chef to work very quickly, and using a heavy pan can slow things down quite a bit. That's why cooking with a lightweight wok can keep you nimble in the kitchen, and the T-Fal Specialty Nonstick Wok is a particularly ideal choice. Despite being lighter, the wok doesn't compromise on size, with an impressive 14-inch diameter and an extended silicone handle.

The T-Fal nonstick wok has deep curving sides, and the flat bottom allows the heat to build evenly, with the higher heat concentration at the base helping to sear and char food. This wok is also on relatively inexpensive, making it a great choice for chefs on a budget. The nonstick coating over the hard anodized aluminum is pretty durable, and as an added bonus, this pan is marketed as both dishwasher safe and oven safe. 

While some love entertaining a big group of guests, others are just as happy cooking a gourmet meal for one and curling up on the sofa. And if you're doing the latter, you're probably not going to want to have to wash and dry an enormous wok after making just one portion. For those instances, we recommend the Scanpan Classic 12.5-inch Wok, which gives you a generous enough surface area for a hearty dish while remaining a manageable size for individual cooking. Scanpan's wok is a nonstick pan with a difference, achieved through a ceramic titanium coating. This gives it further durability and longevity, and also makes the wok usable with heavier-duty metal utensils without fear of scratching (via Amazon).

The Scanpan Classic Wok benefits from a dual-handle design, with a companion handle opposite a longer main grip for easy cooking – although it should be noted that this wok is slightly on the heavier side when compared to other models. Its flat surface allows it to be compatible with a range of stovetops, although it should be noted that it may not be the best option for induction heaters. 

Not all of us have sprawling stovetops to house our enormous woks. And if this is the case for you, the Breville Hot Wok Pro could be the solution. What sets the Breville Hot Wok Pro apart is its accompanying hot plate, so you can plug this wok in wherever you have space (ideally on a sturdy, non-flammable countertop) and it reaches a scorching 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Its 15-inch diameter gives you plenty of space to cook meals for the family, and the nonstick surface makes cleaning up quick and easy.

The Breville Hot Wok Pro can also be set to a range of lower temperatures, giving you the capacity to cook things at a gentler heat. And the lid that comes with the wok enhances this pan's multi-function capabilities, so you can use it for simmering and steaming as well as stir-frying and searing. 

It's important to bear in mind that this wok needs the heating base to operate, and it can't be transferred for use on a stove or moved around while you're cooking. When you're ready to serve, however, the wok insert can be removed and transferred to the table.