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Best woks for 2025, according to chefs
Discover versatile, durable picks for taking your cooking to the next level.
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 (they also tend to be less messy — that curved design can really contain sauces and larger bits of food). But what makes for the best wok?
Best wok overall
Made In Cookware Blue Carbon Steel Wok, 12"
Best blue carbon steel wok
Yosukata Flat Bottom Blue Carbon Steel Wok, 13.5"
Best budget wok
Sur La Table Professional Non-stick Wok, 12"
Best carbon steel wok
Joyce Chen Classic Series Carbon Steel Wok, 12"
Best aluminum wok
Meyer The Io Non-stick Flat Bottom Wok, 12.75"
Best stainless steel wok
All-Clad D3 3-Ply Stainless Steel Wok, 14"
Ros Rotanak (aka Chef Nak), a Cambodian chef, entrepreneur and author of cookbooks SAOY and NHUM, says a great wok strikes a balance between durability, reliability and, ideally, affordability. "It doesn’t need to be expensive," she says. "I recommend choosing one based on how you plan to use it — whether for stir-frying or deep frying — and ensuring it suits your kitchen setup."
To help you choose, we asked Rotanak, plus eight other chefs, for the woks they rely on when they want to turn up the heat. They also shared tips for selecting the best wok for your home kitchen and factors to keep in mind when shopping. (If you're looking for more tested and 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.
Table of contents:
Best woks for 2025, according to chefs
Size: 12" | Wok material: Blue carbon steel | Style: Long-handled; flat-bottomed | Oven-safe? Yes, up to 1,200°F
Constructed of durable blue carbon steel, this wok from chef-favorite brand Made In offers the same natural non-stick properties of cast iron but with a lighter body for easier maneuvering. It's also able to withstand up to 1,200°F, making it safe for use in the oven as well as over an open flame, and it 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 is 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 them nice and non-stick," she says. "But if I was 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 cooktops, which is pretty rad."
Nadia Liu Spellman, founder and CEO of Dumpling Daughter, a restaurant chain and brand that sells frozen dumplings based on her family's recipes, also says this wok is her favorite. "It 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."
Sizes: 13.5" and 14" | Wok material: Blue carbon steel | Style: Long-handled; flat-bottomed | Oven-safe? No
Kenny Leung, co-Owner and Executive Chef at do in China and at Chinese restaurants, you have to use a completely round-bottomed wok over a special wok burner, which is designed to conform to the shape of the wok," says Joe Chan, head wok chef for Paradise Dynasty in Costa Mesa, Ca. But for home chefs who aren't lucky enough to have such a setup, he recommends this wok from Yosukata. "It has the right weight and feel and the carbon will allow for better heat distribution."
Kenny Leung, co-owner and executive chef at YAO in New York City is another fan: "This wok is ideal for when I cook at home," he says. "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."
Sizes: 12" and 14" | Wok material: Blue carbon steel | Style: Long-handled; flat-bottomed | Oven-safe? No
Chan also stocks this non-stick — and very affordable — wok in his home kitchen. "After cooking all day long using the heavier woks at the restaurant, I prefer to use a lighter wok at home and this one is easy to clean," he explains (at Paradise Dynasty, he and the wok team prepare more than 20 different dishes daily!).
He also notes that, like the Yosukata wok, this one has a flat bottom and a long handle, making it ideal for standard stovetops.
Sizes: 12" and 14," both flat- round-bottomed | Wok material: Carbon steel | Style: Long-handled; flat-bottomed | Oven-safe? No
David Muhs, co-owner of Monkey Thief in New York City 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."
His first wok was from Joyce Chen, but he notes that this one requires you to season it yourself. "If that’s not in the cards, there are plenty of pre-seasoned options out there," he adds.
At about $30, this wok also aligns with Rotanak's advice: "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, a chef and regular on Netflix's Dinner Time Live, 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 says. "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 also relies on it at home for a wide range of uses, including deep-frying and making soups. "The heat distribution is great, which means no hot spots — everything cooks evenly. Plus, it's so easy to clean," Chang says.
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 recipe developer, suggests going with a tri-clad option.
"It’s three layers of steel sandwiched together, each one with different conduction properties," says Clark, who's a huge fan of All-Clad. "This wok is 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."
Factors to consider when choosing the best wok
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.
Wok FAQs
Can you use a carbon steel wok on a grill?
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.
How do you season a wok?
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.
What are the tools you need to cook with a wok?
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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