Traditional woks are constructed out of carbon steel, an alloy made of iron and carbon. It has many similar properties to cast iron: it holds heat well, can be used on any sort of cooktop (including open flame and induction), and is extremely durable. Carbon steel is lighter and less brittle than cast iron and is also more responsive to changes in heat. The malleability of carbon steel also lends itself well to shaping and pressing, so the surface of a carbon steel pan will be smooth in comparison to the rougher surface of a cast iron pan. Home woks come in a wide range of sizes, from small 8-inch versions that are ideal for singles, all the way to 36 inches for feeding a party. A good average size to have is a 12- or 14-inch wok, which fits well on a standard stove, and can typically feed three to four people depending on their appetites. It will give you enough room to stir-fry a generous amount of food without worrying you might accidentally toss some of it out of the wok. Also never put cold water into a hot pan or plunge hot cookware in cold water. Sudden changes of temperature may cause the metal to warp, resulting in an uneven base. My pan seems unstable on my hob - why? If the pan might not be clean enough during the normal dishes, you could add a splash of vinegar and water into the pan and heat it. The water / vinegar mixture will clean cook the pan. After this, rinse the pan well, dry and rub with a little bit of sunflower oil for example. And your pan will be as new.

The common and poetic definition for wok hei is "breath of the wok." You’ve seen it in action if you’ve ever watched traditional wok cooking, the moment clearly identifiable as small flare-ups burst in and around the dish. Most importantly, it’s the vital, critical difference between limply sautéed and briskly wok-fried—an immeasurable quality that adds unplaceable depth and gorgeous warmth to stir-fried dishes. We recommend this for small to moderately-sized households, as it has enough capacity to cook a fair amount of food at once. At this medium-range price point, we think that this wok delivers in all areas and is worth it for anyone doing a fair amount of woking at home. This is the optimum temperature for frying and searing food. This indication helps you cook healthier and at an ideal temperature. General recommendations If the base is stubborn dirt, you can wet the pan soak first with hot water and a good degreasing dishwashing detergent. Next, if necessary, you can clean the pan with a plastic scouring pad and some liquid abrasive cleaning detergent. Typically, a wok ring is a piece of metal that cradles the base of a round wok, keeping it in place above your gas burner and concentrating the heat around the curve of it. It’s not recommended for electric stoves and serves no purpose for induction ranges since it can’t channel emitted heat the way it can flames, and may also scratch your cooktop. It is also called a wok stand and can be used to place your round-bottomed wok on a counter or table for serving.

The classic frying pan

A wok's price tag is just that, a price tag: We tested a few woks more expensive than any on this list. We found that there wasn't anything extraordinary about their performance or design, and a couple were even harder to use.

Our Lab team has spent collective decades working in professional kitchens, developing recipes, and testing kitchen gear. We recommend to wash the ceramic pan manually, with water and a mild detergent. In this way, it's the most effective. It is also necessary to avoid overheating and scratches, in particular due to use of metal accessories (spatulas, ladles) and/or due to cleaning with a scouring sponge. After cooking, we were able to wash away everything easily with a gentle scrub and rinse, and re-seasoning with oil and a paper towel helped pull away anything that was left behind. The only thing we could really complain about were how hot the metal parts of the handles get, but that's easily solved by keeping an oven mitt or dish towel nearby to protect the hands when needed. Ease of Use: Woks are meant to be moved around during cooking. We assessed how easy a wok was to maneuver on the stove, especially when we were tossing food around while making stir-fry or fried rice.We cleaned this wok with soap and water, but according to Chen, the process of scrubbing, rinsing, and heating your carbon steel wok really is the best way to keep it clean—no soap is necessary. It does require stovetop drying and oil rubbing after every use, but this meticulous care ensures it continues to get better with use. Special handle (such as wood or removable handles like Ingenio): NO, hand washing only, recommanded with a non-abrasive sponge. If your water has high iron content, you may notice a rusty discoloration. Use stainless steel/copper cleaner to remove this. Is it dishwasher-safe? Sautéing comes from the French word “sauté”, meaning “jumped” or “bounced”. To sauté your food, you toss it in the pan over high heat, with a small amount of oil or fat. The idea is to “sweat” your ingredients, without them starting to fry or stew. To do this, you need a pan with slightly higher sides than a regular frying pan. This to make sure your food won’t end up tossed all over your kitchen. And that’s the sauté pan. The modern wok pan The pan must be cleaned each time it's used to remove the film of grease that can stay on the surface. If the pan is only wiped with a paper towel or rinsed in water, the film won't be fully removed and may cook the next time you use the pan: stains may appear.

Storage & organisation Furniture Textiles Kitchenware & tableware Kitchens Lighting Decoration Rugs, mats & flooring Beds & mattresses Baby & children Smart home Bathroom products Laundry & cleaning Plants & plant pots Home electronics Home improvement Outdoor living Food & beverages Christmas Shop Shop by roomCook in style: This lightweight stainless-steel range is as easy on the eye as it is to use. Stylish enough to go from hob to table, and tough enough for intense use, it also comes with a 10-year guarantee*. Performance: To analyze a wok's heat conductivity and distribution, we boiled water in each, monitoring how long it took to come to a boil and how long to cool down. We also recorded how well a wok seared beef and browned rice. Always select the proper electric burner size or adjust the gas burner so the flame only touches the bottom of the pan and does not climb up the sides. This 1800-watt Pro model is a serious upgrade from the standard Breville Hot Wok, offering an additional boost of energy that allows this model to cooker hotter—up to 425 degrees—and faster than before. That’s just the right formula to help you sear and seal, but 15 other heat settings make this appliance just as functional as a wok over a fire. You can warm, slow cook, deep-fry, or steam with ease, especially since the tempered glass lid has an adjustable vent that gives you better control over covered cooking. We recommend it for stir-fry, fajitas, and steaming. Plus, you can use it to make wings for a crowd.

This extremely well-crafted pan is a cinch to use, clean, and maintain, but the performance comes at a premium However, raw carbon steel requires a lot of seasoning, and all carbon steel is higher maintenance than other materials, as it must be hand-washed, kept dry, and oiled frequently. In a home kitchen, the metallic odor will take some time and use before fading. Additionally, rounded-bottom woks are only suitable for gas stoves with a wok ring. Gas burners have a dead zone in the middle, which means that although the sides of your wok will get hellaciously hot, the base will have several inches of indirect heat right in the spot you want to sear. Over time, the ceramic base will become stained without it being possible to remove the marks. This will not impair the performance of the kitchenware in any way and does not present any danger for health. We like the generous 14-inch diameter of this wok, which allows you to cook several portions at once. There's more than enough room to feed four people, to make enough food for a dinner party, or to even do a little meal-prep for your workday lunches. A long handle and stay-cool silicone helper loop provide yet another failsafe, and a flat base means anyone with a gas or electric stove can get cooking.Woks are incredibly versatile," says Chen. "Stir-frys are easy because you can toss the vegetables easily in the conical shape of a wok as it creates more even cooking. One can deep fry, steam, poach as the shape allows for more efficient use of liquids like water and oil." What is the best way to prepare your wok for cooking? A wok's handle is equally as important: A too-short wok handle could mean it getting too hot to handle (or worse, using a kitchen rag and risking it catch on fire). An uncomfortable handle means tossing food with two hands or arm fatigue while cooking. The worst handle is one that can't be taken off and can't go into an oven when the wok itself needs proper oven seasoning. Eliminate guesswork: Our new Thermo-Signal™ technology on all pots and pans makes cooking easy. When the hourglass disappears, the pan is at the optimal cooking temperature for brilliant results.