The wok is the perfect stirfry companion, a deep and round-bottomed pot commonly used in the majority of Asia. Ideal for making a stirfry or deep frying ingredients, the deep sides reduce oil splattering outside the pan and make it easy to continually stir and add ingredients when cooking. With their popularity growing in homes, many woks feature flat bottoms to sit on conventional stove tops including induction.
Types of Woks
When shopping for a wok you'll notice there are a number of options to choose from when it comes to the material choice of your wok, including: non-stick, stainless steel, carbon steel and cast iron woks.
Carbon Steel Woks
Our most popular type of woks that are used heavily in commercial kitchens are carbon steel woks as they can be used on very high heat for flash frying ingredients and giving a good seared flavour to dishes. A carbon steel wok gradually blackens with time from a process known as seasoning where it develops a natural non-stick patina from cooking that makes food release easily from the pan that is helpful especially when frying noodles and eggs that can be difficult to release from the pan. This type of wok is the most traditionally used and is very common in Asian kitchens.
non-stick Woks
If you're after a light-weight option, easy to clean and great for everyday use, a non-stick wok is a suitable option. This can allow you to make quick stirfry meals without the requirement of seasoning as they won't rust and the non-stick surface will allow for easy food release with minimal oil use.
Cast Iron Woks
For those that love cooking with cast iron for its long heat retention and incredible heat conductivity, a cast iron wok is ideal. This type of cookware is great for both stovetop and oven use. Cast iron woks from brands like Lodge are able to withstand higher cooking temperatures but like a carbon steel wok will require seasoning. The enamelled cast iron woks are better to remain on medium heat to avoid the enamel surfaces burning.
Stainless Steel Woks
If you'd like to avoid seasoning while still wanting to cook and stir-fry at high cooking temperatures, a stainless steel wok is a great option. Able to withstand higher cooking temperatures than a non-stick wok, a stainless steel wok is ideal for deep frying and using metal cooking utensils. A stainless steel wok will however require more oil to release foods when you are cooking but is a more resilient cookware option than non-stick as well as being lighter than cast iron and carbon steel.
Induction Compatible Woks
If you're looking for an induction compatible wok, there are a few brands that you can trust to deliver a quality product. Some of the most popular brands include:
Scanpan: Made in Denmark, Scanpan's Classic Induction range features Scanpan's latest revolutionary non-stick cooking surface, Stratanium. Other Scanpan induction compatible wok ranges include the; Scanpan Impact, Techniq, HaptIQ, Pro IQ, STS & CTX ranges, all which provide even heat distribution allowing you to safely cook on induction cooktops.
Tefal: Tefal's Ultimate Induction range of cookware has been designed to be used over and over again. The extremely resilient non-stick coating infused with Titanium particles makes it three times longer lasting than Tefal's standard non-stick coating.
Ken Hom: Designed by the celebrity-chef Ken Hom himself, Ken Hom Wok range applies centuries of old Chinese traditional design with modern material and manufacturing for better cooking. Durable to perform in commercial kitchens and compatible with all cooktops.
Woll: The Induction Diamond Lite range has been designed with an innovative 7.5mm pan thickness making it suitable for all stove tops, including induction. Diamonds have been placed in each layer of the pan's construction process providing optimal durability and heat retention. Diamonds are the world's hardest mineral making these woks resistant to scratches and tolerable to high heat temperatures.
De Buyer: The Mineral B Range from De Buyer performs outstandingly well at high temperatures. The more you use these carbon steel woks, the better they perform, as the wok will naturally darken to become a natural non-stick over time. These induction compatible woks are also free of chemicals, PFOA and PTFE coatings.
Essteele: Italian-designed and made cookware, Essteele provide induction compatible excellence across a number of their ranges most notably:
Essteele Per Domani: Sleek and classy Italian made cookware brings you the ultimate cooking performance and modern technological innovation. The double induction technology features a super flat base that provides superior strength and is able to be used on any cooktop.
Essteele Per Salute: An impressively well-designed cookware fused with a unique diamond-hard non-stick coating made from real diamonds to help conduct heat better and provide superior durability.
What is a Seasoned Wok?
A seasoned wok is simply a wok that has been used multiple times and has developed a natural patina from the cooking process. This patina helps to create a non-stick surface on the wok. In addition to its non-stick properties, a seasoned wok also has better heat retention. This means that it can maintain consistent temperatures throughout the cooking process.
Wok vs Saute Pan
The wok and saute pan are both highly versatile and can be used for frying foods and more. While similar in capabilities, the distinction in their design allows them to excel in different ways. The saute pan has a wider, flat base with a deeper, straight rim ideal for searing meats and cooking liquid based dishes. The wok is shaped more like a bowl and is made with thinner walls to allow it to heat up quicker than a saute pan, perfect for flash cooking. The wok can also accommodate more food than a saute pan, great for cooking for more people with less time. If you appreciate these benefits and prefer cooking Asian-inspired cuisine, then the wok is right for you.
Different wok handle styles
There are 2 wok handle styles - the Cantonese-style and the Northern-style:
- Cantonese-style: These woks have small handles on either side making them easier to move around
- Northern-style: These woks come with a long handle on one side and a smaller handle on the opposite side to make stir-frying, flipping, and other maneuvers easier.
Best Wok Brands
Our top-selling wok brands are as follows:
- Ken Hom Woks is the most popular commercial-grade woks sold on the market in Australia used by many in the hospitality industry.
- Scanpan Woks are popular for home cooks with their non-stick woks made in Denmark and stainless steel woks for those wanting to cook at high temperatures.
- D.Line Woks are both commercial-grade and affordable carbon steel woks, commonly used by chefs across Australia
Wok accessories & other utensils to consider
These kitchen essentials are perfect to complement your wok and make your cooking tasks simple.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can you do with a wok?
Perfect for cooking Asian dishes, the wok pan is also highly versatile - stir fry, toast, steam, indoor smoke, flash fry, and much more. The generous cooking area of the wok allows you to cook more food in a shorter span of time. The versatility of the wok means you don’t have to buy multiple cookware to do a single task, your wok can do it all!
Is a wok better than a frying pan for stir fry?
While both cookware can be used for stir-frying, the wok’s deep sloping rims allow for easier stir-frying without spilling when compared to the frying pan. The wok’s thinner walls also allows it to heat up quickly, a must for stir-frying noodles, vegetables, and more.
Does your wok shape matter?
Yes! The earlier wok models have completely round bases as they were designed to fit in the opening of a hearth. As modern stove tops become the norm, the wok has also evolved to have more of a flatter base to accommodate the newer hobs. We recommend choosing a flatter wok base for electric or induction hobs, and a rounder one for gas type stovetops.
