Top 5 compared
The best woks
Quick, hot cooking with room to toss, for stir-fries, fried rice and noodles on a weeknight.
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The top 5 at a glance
A wok’s deep, sloping sides let food be pushed up out of the heat and tossed back in, which is how a stir-fry cooks fast without stewing. The traditional kind is bare carbon steel: it copes with fierce heat and builds its own slick seasoning with use, but it needs drying after every wash. Nonstick and hybrid woks are easier to live with, as food lets go readily and they need less oil.
Every wok here comes with a lid, and all but the Cooks Standard work on induction. The carbon steel woks are hand-wash only, while the coated ones can go in the dishwasher. HexClad’s hybrid, with raised steel among the nonstick, is the coated wok that takes metal spatulas. For everyday frying, see our list of frying pans.
What matters
- A flat base, for electric, glass-top and induction stoves.
- A size to match how many you usually cook for.
- Pre-seasoned or nitrided carbon steel, ready from the first use.
- A handle that stays cool on the stove.
#1Cooks Standard 11-Inch Hard Anodized Nonstick Wok with Lid (02591)
$50–$75
A deep, flat-bottomed wok in hard-anodized aluminum that heats quickly and evenly, with a nonstick coating, a vented glass lid for steaming and braising, and a long riveted steel handle that stays cool. It can go in the oven at up to 500°F.
What owners say: Owners say food slides off the nonstick and the heat spreads evenly while the handle stays cool, and find it just the right size for a stir-fry for two.
Heads up: It isn’t induction compatible; it works on gas, electric coil, glass and ceramic stoves.
A closer look: It’s dishwasher safe, but Cooks Standard recommends washing by hand, which keeps the nonstick going longer. Use wooden or silicone tools rather than metal, and medium-high heat rather than full blast. The glass lid can go in the oven too, but only to 350°F.
- Vented lid for steaming
- Oven safe to 500°F
- Stay-cool riveted steel handle
- Maker recommends hand washing
Best for: Stir-fries for two or three
- Type
- Hard-anodized, nonstick
- Size
- 11 in
- Induction
- No
- Lid included
- Glass
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
#2HexClad 14-Inch Hybrid Wok with Lid
$150–$200
HexClad’s hybrid surface sets a laser-etched steel hexagon pattern among a ceramic nonstick coating, so it sears like steel, releases like nonstick and takes metal utensils. The 14-inch size, with a domed steel lid, has room for a family stir-fry or a big batch of noodles.
What owners say: Owners like how evenly the heat climbs the sides for a real stir-fry and how much fits in it, and find it easy to clean; some say food sticks more than they expected.
A closer look: Let it heat for a minute or two with a little oil before the food goes in; a hybrid surface releases best when it’s really hot. At about 6.5 pounds and 14 inches across it’s a two-handed lift when full, and it suits the largest burner on the stove.
- Oven safe to 900°F
- Tri-ply with aluminum core
- Lifetime warranty
Best for: Big batches, metal utensils
- Type
- Steel and ceramic hybrid
- Size
- 14 in
- Induction
- Yes
- Lid included
- Steel
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
#3Kordisen 12-Inch Nonstick Wok with Lid
$30–$50
A deep 12-inch nonstick wok with a magnetic stainless steel base, so it works on induction as well as gas and electric. The die-cast aluminum body heats quickly and evenly, the granite-style coating needs little oil, and a glass lid and a silicone spatula come in the box.
What owners say: Owners say food really doesn’t stick, so it cleans up without scrubbing, and like its size for Chinese dishes. They cook everything from breakfast eggs to steak in it, and one says the handle is still firm after six months.
A closer look: At 3.7 inches deep it holds a stir-fry for three or four, and with the lid on it steams dumplings or greens. Use the silicone spatula from the box or wooden tools rather than metal, and let it cool before it goes into the water.
- Silicone spatula in the box
- Rivet-free cooking surface
- Needs little oil
Best for: Nonstick on an induction cooktop
- Type
- Aluminum, granite nonstick
- Size
- 12 in
- Induction
- Yes
- Lid included
- Glass
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
#4Teewe 13-Inch Nitrided Carbon Steel Wok with Lid
$20–$30
A light 13-inch carbon steel wok, nitrided at the factory for a rust-resistant, naturally nonstick surface, with a flat base for any stove and a lid, a silicone spatula and a cleaning brush in the box.
What owners say: Owners find it cooks evenly and isn’t heavy, and like the spatula and brush that come with it; several noticed the surface starting to flake over time.
A closer look: Teewe warns never to heat it empty or above 572°F, which matters most on induction, so add the oil first and keep the heat at medium-high. Wash it by hand and towel it dry right away; the handle comes off, so it fits in a cabinet or the oven.
- Detachable handle
- Spatula and cleaning brush included
- Naturally nonstick surface
Best for: Family stir-fries in a light wok
- Type
- Carbon steel, nitrided
- Size
- 13 in
- Induction
- Yes
- Lid included
- Yes
- Dishwasher safe
- No
#5Souped Up Recipes 12.5-Inch Carbon Steel Wok with Lid
$30–$50
Natural, uncoated carbon steel, pre-seasoned so it’s ready for a first stir-fry, with a flat bottom that sits steady on electric, induction and gas stoves. It takes fierce heat and metal utensils, and comes with a wooden lid, a steel spatula and a link to Souped Up Recipes’ video recipes.
What owners say: Owners find it works well even on glass-top stoves, heats evenly and cleans up in seconds, and like how light it is for carbon steel. The pre-seasoned surface divides them: holding up for most, chipping or flaking for some, with food sticking for a few.
Heads up: Wash it by hand and dry it right away; like any bare carbon steel, it rusts if it’s left wet.
A closer look: Heat it until a drop of water skitters across, then add the oil and cook in small batches so the food sears rather than steams. With the wooden lid on, it steams dumplings and braises too. Leave tomato and vinegar sauces until the patina has darkened, since acids strip a young seasoning.
- Pre-seasoned, ready to cook
- Takes metal utensils
- Steel spatula and video recipes
Best for: High-heat, traditional stir-fry
- Type
- Carbon steel, bare
- Size
- 12.5 in
- Induction
- Yes
- Lid included
- Wood
- Dishwasher safe
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Cooks Standard 11 in | #2HexClad 14 in | #3Kordisen 12 in | #4Teewe 13 in | #5Souped Up 12.5 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best budget | Best traditional wok | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 |
| Price | $50–$75 | $150–$200 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 | $30–$50 |
| Type | Hard-anodized, nonstick | Steel and ceramic hybrid | Aluminum, granite nonstick | Carbon steel, nitrided | Carbon steel, bare |
| Size | 11 in | 14 in | 12 in | 13 in | 12.5 in |
| Induction | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lid included | Glass | Steel | Glass | Yes | Wood |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Best for | Stir-fries for two or three | Big batches, metal utensils | Nonstick on an induction cooktop | Family stir-fries in a light wok | High-heat, traditional stir-fry |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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