Choosing your wok will greatly impact how you cook and the food that results. I have a gas stove that manages most of my cooking. Atop the most powerful burner, I have a replacement grate / wok ring that can accommodate a round bottom wok. My wok of choice is 14 inches in diameter and is made of carbon steel. It cost me around $30 and has been used and abused for several years in my kitchen. It’s a workhorse that just seems to get better with age.
A round bottom wok and a suitable stand will get your pan closer to the flame and get the necessary heat for certain Chinese foods. If a round bottom wok isn’t in the cards, a flat bottom wok is acceptable but may become unstable if the contents are shifted to one side during cooking. While it’s tempting to buy everything online, I much prefer shopping at a brick and mortar store where you can test drive the pan in the store aisle. A fully loaded wok can be very heavy. If you aren’t moderately strong, you may want to consider a wok with a helper handle to make two handed unloading easier. Wok shopping is quite similar to choosing your primary fry pan. Stick to something lightweight that feels good in the hand. While I don’t have wok flipping skills, you can pretend while shopping for your wok. It should feel well balanced and have a comfortable handle. The average home cook top can accommodate a wok up to 14 inches / 36 centimetres. Anything larger may be unwieldy and you may experience difficulty generating enough heat to cook efficiently.
The material of your wok matters. While beautiful and seemingly perfect, a nonstick coated wok is not one I’d recommend even if it does check the boxes for being lightweight and comfortable. Why not? Some Chinese cooking relies on very high heat that can exceed the recommended temperature for nonstick cookware. Wok cooking often involves ingredients dancing about with a wok turner and a nonstick coating may not last very long. A wok should be able to transfer heat quickly. This requirement disqualifies some expensive multi-plied and cast iron woks from my recommended criteria. A carbon- or stainless- steel wok is my personal recommendation despite myths of complicated care instructions. It also helps that these options are reasonably priced and can last nearly forever with proper care. We’ll cover wok maintenance in another post but the short of it is: always dry your wok after cleaning. Woks in the carbon steel or stainless steel category can range in price depending on how they’re made. Try to avoid riveted handles and patterned interior surfaces. Some of the more expensive options may be hand formed and/or have ornate hardwood handles. The option to spend more is yours but make sure that the inside of your wok is smooth and capable of developing a nonstick patina over time. This will ensure a most enjoyable wok experience.
Wok accessories will make your wok-life all the more enjoyable. What good would an amazing wok be if it wandered about across your kitchen stove? Invest in a wok ring that sturdily holds your wok in place above your heat source. If you’re rocking an induction cook top there may be an accessory to keep your flat bottomed wok from wokking away (ha!).
With a properly seated wok, a good wok spatula will provide satisfying scoops, scrapes, and turns. Bamboo turners are fine for simple stir fries but I prefer a stainless steel turner with rounded edges to work food around the wok. A firm quick scrape with metal spatula will make quick work of stubborn stuck on foods. Choose a turner of appropriate length and heft to your cooking needs.
Two more accessories that may be worth investing in are a wok lid and steamer insert. When choosing a lid, you’ll want to be sure that it fits INSIDE the edge of your wok. This will help to lock in heat and moisture. A domed lid that has a moderately high dome will help when cooking larger quantities of food or while steaming pots and plates. Avoid shallow domed lids that are all glass and/or fragile. Your wok is going o get HOT so it’s best to avoid a lid that will retain extra heat. Having a lid with see-through glass is nice but not essential. Any good lid will have a handle that allows for quick and safe removal. For steaming pots and plates, you can buy a simple steamer insert. These will keep a pot or plate above boiling water for effective steaming.
With the above guidance, hopefully you choose a wok system that is versatile and reliable. While most of my wok tools were acquired locally at a Chinese restaurant supply store, I’ve provided some links to similar products from online sources.
Simple and effective:
A stainless steel wok:
Heavy duty wok:
Flat bottom wok for induction:
Wok Ring for Gas Stove Range
Metal Spatula:
Steamer rack inserts:
