The Best Carbon Steel Woks
Carbon steel is the material that every Cantonese chef specifies for a wok. It heats faster than cast iron, responds more quickly to temperature changes, and seasons to a non-stick surface that improves with every use. The wok made of carbon steel is the piece of equipment that produces wok hei -- the charred, smoky flavor created when food makes brief, high-heat contact with a seasoned surface at temperatures a stainless skillet never reaches.
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How to Choose
Round-bottom woks are designed for gas burners with a wok ring; flat-bottom woks work on gas, electric, and induction. The right size for a home kitchen is 14 inches -- large enough to toss ingredients without spillage, small enough to season and maneuver. Carbon steel thickness between 1.5mm and 2mm is the target: thin enough to heat quickly, thick enough to retain heat through the cooking process. Avoid non-stick coated woks entirely; the coating fails under the high heat required for proper stir-fry.
Craft Wok Traditional Hand Hammered Carbon Steel 14-Inch
If you only buy one, make it this one. Read the full guide below for alternatives at every price point.
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Craft Wok Traditional Hand Hammered Carbon Steel 14-Inch
The Craft Wok is hand-hammered from 1.8mm carbon steel by craftsmen in Guangdong Province, China -- the same process used to make woks for the past thousand years. The hammering compresses the steel and creates a surface with microscopic texture that holds seasoning better than a machine-formed wok. The flat-bottom format works on American home stoves. It arrives with a light protective coating that must be burned off and seasoned before first use.
Hand-hammered carbon steel holds seasoning better than machine-formed woks because the hammering creates surface texture that the seasoning grips.
Find on Amazon arrow_forwardJoyce Chen Classic Series Carbon Steel Wok
Joyce Chen introduced the carbon steel wok to American home cooks in the 1960s with her cookbooks and cooking show. The Classic Series wok is the one she specified: 14-inch flat-bottom carbon steel, phenolic handle, 1.8mm thickness. It is the same design that has been in production since the 1960s. Season it, use it daily, and it will outlast the stove it sits on.
Joyce Chen brought the carbon steel wok to the American kitchen. The Classic Series is the wok she used on her show and the one she recommended in her books.
Find on Amazon arrow_forwardYosukata Carbon Steel Wok 14-Inch Blue Carbon
The Yosukata blue carbon steel wok is pre-seasoned at the factory with a blue-black oxidized finish that serves as a base layer for seasoning. The 1.8mm steel is formed with a flat bottom and a round edge, which combines the benefits of flat-bottom stability with the curved sides that facilitate tossing. The handle is a riveted welded steel loop. It requires additional seasoning before first use, but starts ahead of an unseasoned blank.
The blue oxidized pre-seasoning gives the wok a head start. The factory treatment is not a coating -- it is an initial seasoning layer that you build on top of.
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