Every culture may own unique cuisine and cookware. Around 2 thousand years ago in Chinese culture, woks evolved significantly to fulfill the requirements of stir-frying. On the other hand, Skillets were invented in the West, allowing you to follow a wide variety of cooking methods.
These days, people use both of them in their kitchen to make plenty of different meals. The food you’ll prepare in a wok may not be well-cooked in a skillet and vice versa. Knowing the differences between a skillet and a wok is quite essential to choosing one over the other.
What is the Difference Between Wok and Skillet
When comparing a wok with a skillet, we can find only a couple of differences – construction materials and shapes. We’ve done a little more research on both of the cookware and found some key ones to know more about them.
Why Use a Wok Instead of a Frying Pan
A wok is ideal for stir-frying vegetables, meat, and fish. It can transfer a lot of heat to the ingredients to be cooked quickly and evenly with a rounded bottom. In contrast, a skillet with a flat bottom is ideal for frying the same meals at even heat that keeps the foods warm for long.
Regardless of these differences, you’ll find some others between a wok and a skillet. If you’re confused about which one is the right one for you, we assure you not to worry because we’re here to differentiate the two so that you can narrow down your choice.
What is Wok?
A wok may come in several forms, but the cookware’s signature style is the round bottom. It’s usually made of carbon steel metal, and it needs proper seasoning before the first time use. Although it was originated in China, it’s now used throughout the world.
Pros
- An ideal piece of cookware for steaming, sautéing, and deep-frying
- Prepares healthy meals in a relatively short time
- Requires a little amount of oil in preparing dishes
Cons
- Not suitable for highly acidic dishes
What is Skillet?
A skillet usually comes with a flat bottom and slanted sides. It’s ideal for stir-fries, crepes, omelets, and more. Typically, every skillet can be used to cook plenty of recipes, but you’ll find some materials and sizes that are suitable for unique cooking methods.
Pros
- Usually made of robust materials, such as cast iron
- Often comes with a naturally nonstick coating
- Allows you to use it both on stovetops and in ovens
Cons
- Might be a bit heavier than other pieces of cookware
Wok vs Skillet: Is a wok better than a skillet?
There are some specific differences between a wok and a skillet based on their construction materials, shapes and sizes, features, and cooking versatility. So, let’s have a look at these fundamental differences between these two pieces of cookware below.
Construction Material
Woks are usually made of some common materials, such as carbon steel and cast iron, but you can also find works made of aluminium, ceramic, stainless steel, and copper. Among them, carbon steel is a lightweight yet durable material that heats up quickly and evenly.
On the other hand, skillets are also built with robust materials, including stainless steel, cast iron, ceramic, anodized aluminium, and copper. Some skillets come with a combination of two or more materials, like stainless steel bonded with aluminium or enamelled-coated cast iron.
Shape
When it comes to shapes, you can understand a clear difference between a wok and a skillet immediately after looking at them. For example, a wok comes with a rounded bottom and slanted sides that look like a big ball cut in half.
On the contrary, skillets usually have a flat bottom similar to sauté pans. The clear difference is that sauté pans have straight sides, while skillets feature slightly flared ones. Besides, some woks feature a flat bottom so that they can be used on electric stovetops.
Heat Resistance Capacity
Vegetables, meat, and fish need high heat temperatures while cooking. So, a wok is ideal for cooking these ingredients. As it comes with a rounded bottom, it can transfer heat and helps the ingredients cook quickly and evenly.
On the other hand, a skillet is usually made of cast iron, ideal for stovetop and oven temperatures. It also distributes even heat throughout the surface so that it can remain hot for a long time to keep your cooked food warm.
Cooking Versatility
A wok supports a wide variety of cooking methods, such as braising, deep-frying, dry-frying, stir-frying, making soup, steaming, etc. It usually comes with a large cooking capacity so that it can be used for mixing up your favourite veggie salad.
On the contrary, a skillet is an excellent piece of cookware that can be used for various cooking methods, including braising, frying, sautéing, roasting, and many more. However, it works better in browning meats, cooking eggs, or preparing sandwiches.
Utensils
While using utensils, a wok can be used with a metal spatula with a long handle and a curved head. Regardless of using it to mix ingredients, you can easily fry ginger and garlic with the spatula while stir-frying.
On the other hand, a skillet can be used with a spatula, but ensure that the spatula you choose is compatible with the skillet. A silicon spatula can work excellent, especially when you’re cooking something at less than 600° Fahrenheit.
Final Words
Woks and skillets are not always interchangeable. If you want to taste the best stir-fry meat or vegetables, you should cook them in a wok. But, if you’re willing to make roasted meat or vegetables, a skillet will be the better option. However, we recommend you purchase both of them and keep them in your kitchen, especially if you’re interested in spending more money.
Otherwise, you should buy one that meets your specific preference and requirements. We hope this writing has helped you know the factors in which a wok and a skillet differ. If you still have any confusion in making the right choice, you can share it with us below in the comment section.
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Hello! I’m Paula Deen, a mother who loves to create memories in the kitchen. As a kitchen enthusiast, I love to do experiment with different kitchenware for daily recipes. This is my blog, where I’ll share my experience, knowledge, and reviews on various kitchenware and appliances.