You might be wondering how a wok became a useful piece of kitchenware. For your information, the Han Dynasty people in China used to cook foods in this type of cookware almost 2000 years back.
Nowadays, this excellent piece of cookware is a must-have item in any kitchen for various cooking types. This means you can do making sauces, soups, steaming, deep-frying, and more by using this handy pan.
Typically, a good quality stainless steel wok comes with a smooth, round shape to ensure quick heating over a small flame. It also features a long handle that allows you to toss your foods easily, eliminating the requirement of stirring at all.
Some woks come with lids to help you trap nutrients, moisture, and heat inside the pan so that you can save your cooking time. If you have a wok that offers a nonstick interior surface, you can release any stuck-on foods without any hassle.
When it comes to opting for the best stainless steel wok for your kitchen, there are a lot of options to choose from today’s marketplace. You may get confused about which stainless steel wok would be the right choice for you.
That’s why, in this article, we’re going to review 10- top-quality stainless steel woks with a complete buying guide so that you can narrow down your choice. Hopefully, you’re going to know how to choose the right one as per your needs.
Quick Answer – Top 10 Best Stainless Steel Wok
| 1. Calphalon Classic Stainless Steel Flat-Bottom Wok |
| 2. Cooks Standard Stainless Steel Multi-Ply Clad Wok |
| 3. Willow & Everett Wok Pan with Lid |
| 4. Calphalon Triply Stainless Steel Wok |
| 5. Potinv 12.5″ Stainless Steel Wok |
| 6. Anolon Triply Clad Stainless Steel Stir Fry Wok |
| 7. Rosle Stainless Steel Wok Pan with Non-Stick Coating |
| 8. Winco WOK-14W Stainless Steel Welded Joint Wok |
| 9. Buffalo Stainless Steel Flat Bottom Wok |
| 10. Buffalo Stainless Steel Wok |
1. Calphalon Classic Stainless Steel Flat-Bottom Wok
The Calphalon Classic, Flat-Bottom Wok is durably constructed with brushed stainless steel for reliable everyday performance. This excellent wok comes with an impact-bonded aluminum base that ensures even and fast heating.
This 12-inch stir fry pan is designed like a traditional Asian wok that allows you to toss crisp, healthy vegetable as it fries. It offers a wide cooking surface that allows you to cook favorite dishes, like beef, shrimp, and broccoli.
Besides, the wok features a long, double-riveted handle that provides a secure grip and stays cool even when the wok is hot. On the other side, you’ll also get a double-riveted helping handle that ensures balance lifting while moving it around.
Due to the flat base, you can safely use this pan in the oven, broiler, or any stovetop, including gas, electric, electric ring, halogen, glass-ceramic, or induction stovetops. As this is not a nonstick wok, you can use all types of utensils.
This is a piece of dishwasher-safe cookware. But, we recommend you wash it with your hands for preserving the luster of the stainless steel. It’s safe for the oven, broiler, stove, and dishwasher. It features a full lifetime warranty.
Key Features
| Brushed Stainless Steel Fast-Heating Aluminum Base Traditional Wok Design Long Stainless Steel Handle Oven & Dishwasher Safe |
2. Cooks Standard Stainless Steel Multi-Ply Clad Wok
If you want to purchase the best stainless steel wok, the 13-Inch Multi-Ply Clad Wok from Cooks Standard could be what you’re looking for. This excellent wok is made of 18/10, food-grade stainless steel material with an aluminum base.
The wok is designed with three-layer metal and an alloy aluminum core that ensures fast and even heating. While the interior surface offers a hard layer of stainless steel, the exterior provides an elegant mirror-polished finish.
When it comes to core components, the wok features a double-riveted stainless steel handle so that you can hold it comfortably. On the opposite, you’ll find a riveted loop handle that helps you move it around.
Besides, this wok comes with a stainless steel dome lid that securely traps moisture, heat, and nutrients inside the wok. The lid has a loop handle so that you can safely remove it and check the cooking process.
Therefore, the base is flat and can be used on any stovetop, including electric, gas, glass, and induction. You can use it in an oven, but ensure that the temperature won’t go beyond 500-degree Fahrenheit.
Key Features
| Stainless Steel Construction Elegant Mirror-Polished Finish Double-Riveted Handle Secure Dome Lid Alloy Aluminum Base |
3. Willow & Everett Wok Pan with Lid
Willow & Everett is a reputed manufacturer in the world of kitchen appliances. This wok pan from this brand is built with PFOA-free, food-grade stainless steel that provides heat throughout the pan.
This heavy-duty wok comes with a 3-layer design that ensures scratch and rust-resistance. It offers a large, nonstick cooking surface ideal for steaming, deep-frying, stir-frying, boiling, searing and more. Besides, the wok features premium components that provide consistent performance.
For example, you’ll get stainless steel handles on both sides of the wok. They help you transport the pan from one place to another.
Due to the flat-round bottom, you can use this 13-inch large wok on any stovetop, including electric, gas, and induction. If you want to place it in an oven, make sure that the temperature shouldn’t go over 500-degree Fahrenheit.
The cleanup is pretty simple – place it in a dishwasher, although we recommend washing it with your hands, using mild soap and water. In the package, you’ll get a dome lid and a bonus bamboo handle spatula.
Key Features
| PFOA-Free Stainless Steel Heavy-Duty 3-Layer Design Large Cooking Surface Stainless Steel Handles Dome Lid & Spatula Included |
4. Calphalon Triply Stainless Steel Wok
This is another excellent wok from Calphalon. This wok is made of a satin-finished interior with a polished, stainless steel exterior. It also comes with a try-ply layer designed with an aluminum core between two layers of stainless steel.
The heavy-gauge aluminum core offers excellent heat conductivity and provides even heat throughout the surface. Due to a brushed stainless steel exterior, you can use any utensils, including nylon, wood, or metal, without any problem.
Besides, this wok can be placed on any types of cooktops, such as electric, gas, and even induction. The bottom is flat, and the cooking surface is wide for stir-frying. Dishwasher-safe as it is, we don’t recommend you wash it with your hands.
In main components, this 4.4-pound wok has a triple-riveted handle made of stainless steel. It also includes a clear tempered glass lid that allows you to monitor your foods without removing the lid.
When it comes to cleaning the wok with your hands, you shouldn’t use abrasive cleaners or pads. Instead, use oven cleaners or other cleaning solutions, for example, a mixture of bleach, baking soda, and liquid household cleaners.
Key Features
| Stainless Steel Exterior Heavy-Gauge Aluminum Core Wide Cooking Surface Triple-Riveted Handle Tempered Glass Lid |
5. Potinv 12.5″ Stainless Steel Wok
As you’re looking for the best stainless steel wok for your kitchen, you can consider this stainless steel wok from Potinv. As its name suggests, this 12.5 wok is made of 304 food-grade stainless steel.
The interior surface is designed with a nonstick honeycomb texture that ensures even quick heating and helps you release leftover foods. The large cooking area allows you to use any utensils because the surface is scratch-resistant.
Besides, the 6-ply traditional wok comes with a round bottom that can be placed on any stovetops, including electric, gas, glass, even induction. It allows for almost everything that you need for frying, simmering, searing, boiling, and more.
The wok has a long, double-riveted stainless steel handle that provides a comfortable grip while cooking. It doesn’t come with a helper handle that could support while moving the wok from one place to another.
Moreover, the wok includes a tempered glass lid that lets you see what happens inside the pan. The lid has a loop handle so that you can easily remove it when the cooking is finished. Up to 400-degree Fahrenheit, you can use it in the oven.
Key Features
| Food Grade Stainless Steel Nonstick Honeycomb Texture Large Cooking Surface Double-Riveted Handle Tempered Glass Lid |
6. Anolon Triply Clad Stainless Steel Stir Fry Wok
Anolon is one of the most popular brands, producing various kitchen appliances for over 30 years. This excellent wok comes with three-layer stainless steel construction with an aluminum core between the layers.
The aluminum core ensures excellent heat retention and spreads that heat throughout the surface. Most importantly, the wok is compatible with almost all types of cooktops, including gas, electric, and even induction cookers.
When it comes to the core components, this 10.75-Inch stir fry pan has a dual-riveted stainless steel handle that allows you to hold the wok comfortably with potholders or oven mitts. It’s oven-safe up to temperatures of 500˚F.
This wok pan doesn’t come with a lid, so you have to purchase one separately or use one remaining in your kitchen. Also, the wok doesn’t provide you with a helper handle to ensure comfortable lifting.
After all, this piece of cookware is quite simple to cleanup – just put in the dishwasher, although this is not recommended. As the exterior part is made of polished, sophisticated stainless steel, you can easily clean it using soapy water.
Key Features
| Triple-Layer Stainless Steel Aluminum Core Layer Dual-Riveted Handle All Stovetops Suitable Dishwasher Safe |
7. Rosle Stainless Steel Wok Pan with Non-Stick Coating
Now, we’re going to talk about a wok pan from a reputed brand, Rosle. This wok is manufactured with PFOA-free, 18/10 stainless steel that comes with a nonstick coating. You can use steel utensils without worrying about scratching the surface.
This excellent wok features an encapsulated base with an aluminum sandwich bottom that spreads heat evenly and quickly throughout the surface. It can also retain heat for a long time to cook a variety of recipes.
In core components, the wok has two loop handles so that you can safely and comfortably handle the pan. It comes with a glass lid with a silicone rim, which can withstand temperature up to 350-degree Fahrenheit on inductions and ovens.
Besides, this wok includes a rack in the package so that you can prepare fried meals. When it comes to heat sources, you can set it on almost all types of cooktops, including ceramic, electric, gas, and more.
After all, the wok weighs 7.98 pounds, which is slightly heavier than other models in this article. But, this is not a big deal if you look at the other useful features. Dishwasher-safe as it is, we recommend you wash it with hands.
Key Features
| Stainless Steel Construction Nonstick Coating Aluminum Sandwich Bottom Two Loop Handles Glass Lids and Rack |
8. Winco WOK-14W Stainless Steel Welded Joint Wok
If you’re still looking for the best stainless steel wok, you can consider this Winco Stainless Steel Wok. Winco is a reliable and trusted brand in the culinary industry, producing top-quality kitchen appliances for over 20 years.
As its name suggests, this excellent wok is made of premium-quality, food-grade stainless steel. It ensures excellent heat distribution throughout the pan so that your foods can be cooked evenly from everywhere.
The color of this 14-inch wok is silver, which indicates that you can use it on any stovetops, including induction cookers. Besides, it comes with a bowl-shaped design that provides you with a mirror finish.
In main components, you’ll get a welded handle. On top of that, you’re not going to get a helper handle that most other woks come with. At the end of the handle, it has a hole for hanging after use.
As this doesn’t come with a lid, you have to purchase one separately or use an existing one in your kitchen. The cleaning process is the same as the other wok on the market.
Key Features
| Stainless Steel Construction Bowl-Shaped Design Excellent Heat Distribution Welded Handle with a Hanging Hole Enough Cooking Area |
9. Buffalo Stainless Steel Flat Bottom Wok
The second last product on this list is the Buffalo Stainless Steel Flat Bottom Wok. Look at the name of the wok, and you know which material the wok is made from. The bottom is round-flat that can retain enough heat for a long time.
This wok is designed with modern features, such as high-heat conduction with an adjustable ventilator. And the ventilator helps you adjust temperatures so that you can cook meals perfectly.
Besides, this wok can be used on almost all types of cooktops, including electric, gas, and, most importantly, induction cookers. It comes with a polished, nonstick surface that allows you to stir-frying various foods.
When it comes to the core components, the wok has two loop handles with supports so that you can hold it without wearing gloves on your hands. It includes a stainless steel dome lid that traps moisture, heat, and nutrients into foods.
Furthermore, the wok weighs 6.19 pounds and comes with 12.1 x 9.7 x 4.7 inches dimension. Afterward, this wok is a little bit expensive than other stainless steel woks available in the market.
Key Features
| Stainless Steel Construction Nonstick Cooking Surface Large Cooking Area Two Loop Handle Stainless Steel Dome Lid |
10. Buffalo Stainless Steel Wok
This is the last product on this list and another incredible option from Buffalo. This excellent wok is built with high-quality stainless steel that doesn’t include any harmful chemicals. The dimension of this cookware is 21.5 x 13 x 5 inches.
When it comes to heat sources, this wok can be placed on almost all types of cooktops, including electric, gas, and, most importantly, induction cookers. The polished, nonstick cooking surface is large for stir-frying a variety of meals.
Besides that, the wok comes with a round-flat base that can conduct a lot of heat and spread that heat throughout the surface to cook foods quickly. It features a long handle with a helper handle on the other side for comfortable holding.
Again, the wok includes a glass lid that allows you to see the cooking progress without lifting the lid. It has a semi-loop handle and a breathable air ventilator to prevent leaking of liquid, for example, soup or something else.
Last but not least, you don’t need to worry about accidental injuries due to its one-piece of construction. The cleaning of this piece of cookware is simple, just like cleaning other woks on the market.
Key Features
| High-Quality Stainless Steel Nonstick Cooking Surface Round-Flat Basement Long Handle with a Helper Breathable Air Ventilator |
The Ultimate Stainless Steel Wok Buying Guide
Before deciding on a top-quality stainless steel wok, you have to consider a few essential factors to make sure that you’re going to get the best product for you. Here are some factors below for narrowing down your choices.
Construction Material
As you’re looking for the best stainless steel wok, needless to say, the construction material of your wok should be stainless steel. But, make sure that stainless steel should be food-grade and harmful chemical-free.
In other words, stainless steel is one of the best materials for woks. It’s because it can conduct a lot of heat to cook your favorite foods perfectly. As it comes with a nonstick surface, you don’t need to season it before use.
Cooking Surface
Most stainless steel woks come with a nonstick surface that helps you release stuck-on foods easily. So, when you’re going to purchase a stainless steel wok, make sure that the cookware’s interior surface must be nonstick.
Size
Although size doesn’t matter in this case, these woks come in a variety of sizes. It entirely depends on your preferences and requirements for how many people you want to cook meals at a time.
Bottom Part
Stainless steel woks are usually designed with a round bottom to get closer to the flame. But, most stovetops, these days, don’t accommodate round-bottom woks. Instead, they prefer flat-bottom woks.
When you’re going to buy a top-quality stainless steel wok, make sure that the cookware’s bottom should be flat. If the base is made of aluminum, it can be hot faster and save your valuable cooking time.
Handles
When it comes to core components, one thing that comes to our mind is handles. The woks come with different types of handles. Some woks have two loop-style side handles, while others have one loop and one long handle.
Besides, you may find such woks that have only a long handle. It would be best if you avoid these handles. Instead, try to get a wok that comes with either two loop-style handles or 1- loop and 1- long handle.
Lid
The lid is one of the essential components when it comes to selecting a high-end stainless steel wok. Typically, these woks come with two types of lids, such as stainless steel lid and glass lid.
In our opinion, you should choose a wok that comes with a tempered glass lid. It allows you to monitor the entire cooking process without lifting the lid. Besides that, it also traps nutrients, moisture, and heat inside the cookware.
How to Clean Stainless Steel Wok – 6 Steps to Follow
Stainless steel cookware is an excellent alternative to the non-stick pans. These durable pans are safe as they don’t contain harmful material. They offer non-sticky and superior cooking facilities. The stainless steel products can resist permanent stains, but they are not entirely stainless.
If you use strong cleansers or scrub it harshly, it won’t last long. So, it is essential to wash the non-stick surface properly. Let’s describe the techniques of washing these woks conveniently.
1. Regular care
The ideal cleaning method for stainless steel woks is hand-washing. Wipe away the excess oil with a piece of cloth or paper towel. Use hot soapy water to remove the grease, oil, and other items. Scrub with a soft and non-abrasive scrubber and rinse off.
Make sure of drying it as soon as you finish washing it. It will protect the wok from getting water marks. Also, you can do it with a soft cloth to avoid scratches.
Avoid putting cold food on the container. Don’t pour cold water on a hot pot to keep it safe from disfiguration. Say goodbye to harsh cleaners as they cause scratches.
2. Water spots
Water with calcium components can be the reason for water stains on steel. It can create a white residue on the stainless steel woks. You can clean these stains in two methods. First of all, dampen the cookware. Then take a damp sponge and move it gently with baking soda.
On the other way, you will need water and vinegar. Fill the wok with the water-vinegar mixture, boil it and let it cool down. Then clean it with soapy water before drying with a soft piece of cloth. You can also use tomato paste or sauce on affected areas to get the same result.
3. Burnt Food
It is difficult to remove sticky burnt food from the woks. You can solve the problem with boiling water. Try to scrub away the most amount of mess using non-abrasive scrubbers. Then fill it with water and add a small amount of dish liquid. Be sure of perfectly submerging the burnt portion into the mixture.
Boil it for 15 minutes and use a plastic spatula to get rid of the mess. Alternatively, create a vinegar-water combination and bring it toa boil. Turn off the heat, pour two tbsp baking soda, and mix well.
Remove the burnt foods using a soft scrubber. You can also remove it with salt and lime. Add salt to lime juice and leave it for a few minutes on the wok. Gently scrub with a non-abrasive sponge.
4. Burn Marks
Overheating the cookware may result in burn spots on the body of your wok. The easiest method to clean such stain is by using baking soda. Take a completely dry pot and flip it. Then sprinkle little baking soda over the bottom surface evenly. Rub the baking soda gently into the stains.
You can also create a water-soda paste and do the same. Then rinse off the paste or extra baking soda. Besides, you can remove the stains by combining baking soda and mild dish cleaner. Apply the mixture to the marks and leave it overnight. Then rinse it off and dry.
5. Burnt oil
It is fast and effortless to get rid of burnt oil using soft drinks. Fill the wok with sufficient soda such that the burnt portion lies into the liquid. Turn on the heat and wait until simmering. Turn off the heat and dismiss the unwanted layer with a spatula.
6. Built-up food
The best way to dismiss built-up food is done with warm soapy water. Soak the wok for several hours in it or leave it overnight. Drain the liquid, and rub with a soft pad. The process will remove the majority of crusted food inside the cookware.
Conclusion
After all, you’ve already known how to choose the best stainless steel wok for your kitchen. Now, we want to share some useful tips with you to enjoy the excellent results of this piece of cookware.
When you’re pre-heating your wok, make sure you set it on the stovetop over medium heat. If you pre-heat it on high to save time, the cookware may get damaged and, therefore, won’t last for years.
We recommend you heat the wok with a little cooking oil before using it every time. Once you’ve needed to clean it, submerge it with hot water to release leftover foods. Avoid dishwashers for the best results.