How to Choose a Wok Based on Your Cooking Style
When you think of a wok, you might picture a large, dark bowl engulfed in flames—and while there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s not the full picture of this efficient cookware. The wok is not widely used in Western cooking, but it is very versatile, with many styles and shapes to suit your cooking style. Here are some factors to consider when looking to buy your own wok.
Traditional wok with round and flat bottom
Traditional wok. They have a round bottom and sloping sides that flare out sharply. The curved bottom and flared sides play a key role in tossing, catching and flipping ingredients, and also make it a flexible tool for making soups, frying, sautéing, steaming or deep-frying.
The bowl-shaped conical bottom is the hottest part and also creates a small area for liquids to concentrate. During cooking, the ingredients pass through this area and become coated with sauce or fat before being mixed again. Alternatively, the water bubbles in this area with a steamer basket floating above it. The slanted sides are a little cooler and you can use them to keep food on the side while you use the hot center to add more ingredients.
However, a round bottom wok needs some help. If you let go of the handle, the pan will roll to the side, so this type of wok must be used in conjunction with a wok ring . The wok ring is a metal support that stabilizes the wok above the heat source, but still allows you to rotate it freely. This type of wok is best if you plan to cook over an open fire outside or on a gas stove inside. It’s also the best pan for foods that cook quickly, like French fries, as the smooth, curved shape allows for constant movement. You can quickly stir the ingredients together over high heat.
Flat bottom wok. They still have wide-angled sides and a tapering bottom, but instead of a continuous curve, the bottom is flattened into a circle five or six inches in diameter. (Avoid woks, which have a flat bottom wider than this.) This shape gives you the ability to dump ingredients off the sides and also set the wok on the stove so you can do other things. You lose a little of the ease of tossing and scooping that the curved bottom gives you, but that may not matter to you depending on what you’re cooking.
This type of wok can be used on any stovetop, but is required for flat, electric, or induction stovetops as it must have direct contact with the heat source to work. It’s also a good choice if you steam a lot of food—just be sure to buy one with a tight-fitting lid.
Woks available in carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron and non-stick.
There are several competing materials, including carbon steel, stainless steel, nonstick, and cast iron. One of the unique flavors you can get from wok cooking is a charred, smoky, toasty flavor called wok hei . It’s a combination of caramelized ingredients with a hint of smoky butter. It’s delicious and can be achieved by using high heat and the right wok material.
A carbon steel wok meets all the requirements of a healthy wok: lightweight, thin, durable and heat sensitive. Carbon steel tends to be the most popular among chefs, and the best part is that it’s cheap, around $50 or less. The downside is that this type of wok requires seasoning before use. (To do this, follow the manufacturer’s instructions or watch this video .) While you may experience some jams at first, things will only get better from there.
Unfortunately, non-stick woks don’t promote wok-hei cooking or even quick browning. In addition, the nonstick coating may degrade at high temperatures, which can cause fumes to form or the nonstick coating to peel off onto the food. Woks often reach temperatures around 750°F, and the nonstick surface material can break down at temperatures exceeding 500°F. However, a non-stick wok is great for beginners who are learning to become familiar with the wok’s special shape, deep frying, and gentler cooking methods such as sautéing or steaming.
Cast iron is an excellent material for high temperatures, with high heat capacity and even heat distribution. However, it’s damn heavy, and when stir-frying, retaining heat isn’t always what you want. Some cast iron woks are thinner to compensate, but as a trade-off they can be fragile. If you don’t plan on using a wok to stir ingredients, cast iron may be a good option.
Stainless steel woks are perhaps the most hated woks in the entire industry. (At least nonstick has a place among new cooks.) The problem is that wok-style cooking doesn’t match the best qualities of stainless steel. Stainless steel takes a long time to heat up, it browns meat best if left alone, and the metal is heavy. Wok-style cooking requires quick temperature adjustments, a hot center and cooler edges, a material that allows the whites to tumble and fry in one touch, and something light enough to lift and move. Stainless steel is a great material for cookware, but not for woks.
Wok Handle Styles
The choice of handles is primarily determined by your cooking style and what you think you’ll be cooking in the wok. There are usually three varieties or combinations of handles: one long handle, one long handle and one short handle on the opposite side, or two short handles on opposite sides.
If you plan to fry, buy a wok with a long handle. This type of handle gives you longer leverage for larger movements. It’s best to shake and stir the ingredients and cook on high or over a fire to put a little more distance between you and hell.
Short handles provide better grip when lifting and pouring. If you are going to sauté, steam or deep fry, you may want to choose short handles. If you’re not sure yet, I suggest purchasing the version with one long and one short handle to give you more options.