We appreciated this head start toward building up a nonstick surface. This was the only wok in the lineup to include a lid and the only carbon-steel wok that was preseasoned (this is done with a high-heat process that turns the wok blue, which fades to normal brown/black with use). It offers the biggest flat cooking surface, and its thin, heat-responsive carbon-steel material helped us control temperatures for excellent cooking results. Its stay-cool wooden handles and light, balanced weight helped us maneuver and lift it, even when it was full of hot food. Testers agreed unanimously: This wok was the easiest and most comfortable to use. Smaller woks can crowd and essentially steam your food instead of sear it, while larger ones can take up too muc. All measured 14 inches from rim to rim, the size that our wok experts said is optimal for home cooks preparing anywhere from two to six servings. Next, we bought nine woks to test, priced from about $33 to about $55. Active stir-frying was much trickier in our low-sided skillet. Another plus? Her stovetop stayed neater. With its high walls and rounded shape, the wok allowed Young to stir less carefully and move food around more thoroughly during cooking. Also, it was clearly easier to stir-fry in the wok. These results were likely due to the wok’s hotter temperature and well-seasoned surface that resulted in food that had better browning and was more flavorful. While the recipes came out well in the skillet, all agreed that the wok-cooked versions tasted at least as good-many said better-than the skillet-cooked versions. Test cooks and editors gathered to compare the techniques and results. The Showdown: Wok versus Skilletīefore we began testing, we invited Young to the test kitchen for a friendly “wok versus skillet” cook-off where she prepared a set of recipes in a wok while we used our winning nonstick skillet to make the same recipes. With a well-seasoned wok, we might be able to skip using nonstick-coated skillets while retaining the benefits of their slick surfaces. As we’ve learned from testing cast-iron and carbon-steel skillets, these metals also gradually acquire seasoning as you cook over time, the polymerized oil naturally makes them more and more nonstick. These materials transfer heat efficiently, so they sear foods more effectively than woks made of stainless steel or clad materials or woks coated in a nonstick material. She and other experts advised us that carbon-steel and lightweight cast-iron woks are the top choices for cooks. ![]() We turned to Grace Young, wok expert and James Beard ward–winning author of Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge (2010), The Breath of a Wok (2013), and The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen (2014). You can buy woks in a huge range of materials, shapes, and sizes. Recently, we decided to take another look at woks. Since American stove burners are flat, we aimed to get more contact with the heat source by using the broad cooking surface of a 12-inch skillet instead of the smaller bottom surface of a wok. For years, we’ve tweaked conventional stir-fry recipes to achieve delicious results in a nonstick skillet rather than a wok, the traditional cooking vessel. ![]() They make browning difficult, and it's impossible to get food to stick in place against the wok when you want to clear a surface to cook in the middle.Because this is America’s Test Kitchen, we’re always questioning our assumptions. They start vaporizing, releasing noxious fumes long before they reach the requisite temperature. Most nonstick coatings cannot handle the high heat necessary for a proper stir-fry. (Read more about why carbon steel is a great cookware material.) Look for carbon steel woks that are at least 14-gauge-about two millimeters thick-which won't bend when you press on the sides. It heats quickly and evenly it's highly responsive to burner input it's durable and inexpensive and, when properly cared for, it will end up with a practically nonstick surface. But when made thick enough to be durable, they are extremely cumbersome to lift, which is essential for proper flipping during a stir-fry. The main problem with cast iron is that when it's too thin, it is extremely fragile-I've seen cast iron woks crack in half when set down too hard. Cast iron is a better choice, though it still takes a relatively long time to heat up and cool down. ![]() Food, particularly protein, has a tendency to stick to steel. ![]() Not only are they extremely heavy and difficult to maneuver, they also take a long time to heat up and cool down-a fatal flaw for something that requires rapid, on-the-fly heat adjustments, like a stir-fry.
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