We asked additional testers, both novice and experienced in wok cooking, to prepare a popular Chinese homestyle dish of stir-fried tomatoes and eggs. Shop now, Thai-style Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Chicken and Broccolini, Thai-Style Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Chicken and Broccolini, Nine woks in a variety of materials and designs, Seasoned woks according to manufacturers' instructions, if not preseasoned, Asked four additional testers with varying wok experience to prepare Red House Spice's t, Cleaned woks with hot water and a brush, not using soap, between each test, Confirmed that the top three woks also work on induction and electric cooktops, 25 years of Cook's Illustrated, Cook's Country, and America's Test Kitchen foolproof recipes, In-depth videos of recipes and cooking techniques, Up-to-Date reviews and product buying guides. Models with a single, straight handle—like on a skillet—gave us the leverage and control we needed to lift and move the wok, and we preferred this design to woks with a pair of small looped handles. There was a lot to learn. For years, we’ve tweaked conventional stir-fry recipes to achieve delicious results in a nonstick skillet rather than a wok, the traditional cooking vessel. This magnetic block sheathed all our knives completely, though with a bit of crowding. This small, scratch-resistant model had a stable, rubber-lined base and could hold all our knives, though the blade of the 12-inch slicing knife stuck out a bit. “Truly top quality, great size and the flat bottom makes it much more practical for traditional stovetop cooking” a … Woks date back 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty in China. Having a bit more of the wok’s cooking surface at the hottest temperature helped us sear food and evaporate moisture more effectively as it cooked. The Best Non-stick Wok has now become popular as a frying fan. Also, it was clearly easier to stir-fry in the wok. 99 This plastic block required us to aim each knife into the folds of an accordion-pleated insert that was removable for easy cleaning but got nicked easily with repeated use. As the wok is used over time, the blue will fade and be replaced by the normal brownish-black color of seasoned carbon steel, but the head start in attaining a “naturally nonstick” seasoning is helpful. While we were ultimately able to make food successfully in all the woks—and enjoyed skipping the seasoning step when using preseasoned cast-iron woks—all the cast-iron models were thicker, heavier, and slower to heat up and retained heat longer than the carbon-steel models. All the models but one had metal or wooden handles (one had a plastic-coated metal handle), and we went into this testing assuming that metal, being more durable than wood, would be the way to go. While woks are … Various Types of materials are used to create Wok. Well-placed medium-strength magnets made it easy to attach all our knives, and a rotating base gave us quick access to them. But what makes the unit special is the Butterfly heating element. © 2020 America's Test Kitchen. Bottom line: We find it a very useful pan to have. Test cooks and editors gathered to compare the techniques and results. For a carbon steel wok, you’ll usually pay between $30 and $50. We found woks much more efficient and versatile when we could lift them with one nondominant hand. Potinv 12.5" Stainless Steel Wok, Nonstick Stir Fry Pan with Lid and Spatula, Induction Compatible, Scratch Resistant, Dishwasher and Oven Safe 4.1 out of 5 stars 153 $73.99 $ 73. This element … Le Creuset Wok is a modern take on the traditional wok. Admittedly expensive, this handsome block certainly seemed to live up to its billing as “the last knife block you ever have to buy.” The heaviest model in our testing, this block was ultrastable, and its durable bamboo exterior was a breeze to clean. You can move food around the wok to use these zones to the best advantage. With a well-seasoned wok, we might be able to skip using nonstick-coated skillets while retaining the benefits of their slick surfaces. We picked woks with flat bottoms rather than traditional round bottoms. Active stir-frying was much trickier in our low-sided skillet. With the single-handed woks, the angle of the handle mattered, too: Long handles that were level with the wok’s rim or tilted radically upward felt unbalanced and awkward. We lost many valuable seconds reaching for a pot holder or towel to grab metal handles, which often surprised us by heating up halfway through a recipe. The rest were made of uncoated carbon steel and needed preparation before they were ready for cooking (see “How to Season a New Wok”). Smaller woks can crowd and essentially steam your food instead of sear it, while larger ones can take up too much space and be unwieldy on the average home stovetop. A flat bottom not only lets the wok sit securely on the burner but also negates the need to buy a “wok ring” to hold the wok upright; this shape also works on a wide variety of cooktops, including gas, induction, and electric. We measured the diameters of the flat portion at the bottoms of the woks and compared them to the woks’ cooking performances. When you’re cooking food in a wok, the flat portion at the bottom is usually the hottest area because it is in direct contact with the heat source, while the sloping walls form a slightly cooler zone. An acrylic guard afforded extra protection against contact with blades but made it a little harder to insert knives and to clean; the wood itself got a little scratched during use. These materials transfer heat efficiently, so they sear foods more effectively than woks made of stainless steel or clad materials or woks coated in a nonstick material. When we tried to lift those woks using a single loop (and a pot holder or towel), the opposite side of the wok sometimes suddenly swung down out of control. These results were likely due to the wok’s hotter temperature and well-seasoned surface that resulted in food that had better browning and was more flavorful. On a related note, we also preferred carbon-steel woks. With a wide range of pan styles out there, there are advantages and disadvantages to many of them, and the options can feel overwhelming. With its high walls and rounded shape, the wok allowed Young to stir less carefully and move food around more thoroughly during cooking. New grab-it deals like this daily. Wok is used for various cooking purposes. For an anodized aluminum wok, you’ll usually pay between $50 and $85. While all our knives fit securely, several of the blades stuck out, making this unit feel less safe overall. As we’ve learned from testing cast-iron and carbon-steel skillets, these metals also gradually acquire seasoning as you cook; over time, the polymerized oil naturally makes them more and more nonstick.