What Is a Wok? How to Choose and Use One

A wok kinda looks a little like someone took a frying pan and handed it much bigger ambitions: the deep bowl that leaves plenty of room to toss food around, with sloping sides that let you move ingredients between the hotter centre and the edges as you cook. This shape is a big part of why woks are so good at stir-fries. Crank up the heat and keep things moving, and you’re in ‘wok hei’ territory.

Knowing what ‘wok hei’ means doesn't help much when you're standing in front of a shelf of woks wondering which one to pick, though. In this guide, we’ll look at the materials available, which suits your stovetop, and the basic care and use you need to get started.

What does "Wok Hei" Mean?

Wok Hei is a Cantonese phrase that literally translates to “the breath of the wok”. It describes the unique, complex, and slightly charred smoky flavour and aroma infused into food during high-heat stir-frying.

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What Is a Wok Used For?

A wok is a deep pan with rounded, sloping sides designed for fast, high-heat cooking, but its shape also makes it useful for steaming, braising and deep-frying. Unlike a regular frying pan, a wok gives you more vertical cooking space and plenty of room to toss and stir ingredients without everything ending up over the edge. Its shape also makes it easier to move food between the hotter centre and cooler sides as you cook.

If stir-fries, fried rice, noodles or Asian-style vegetables regularly appear on your dinner menu, a wok can make cooking easier. It's also useful when you're cooking larger batches and need more capacity than a standard frying pan provides.

Why Use a Wok?

What Wok Material Is Best for You?

The best wok material depends on how you cook, how much maintenance you're prepared to do and what type of cooktop you have. Baccarat's wok range includes non-stick-coated, stainless steel, and hard-anodised aluminium options, giving you a few different ways to approach the same job.

The differences between them are worth looking at before you buy, particularly if you have a specific cooking style or cooktop in mind. Here’s what to know about each material.

Non-Stick Wok

A non-stick wok is a sensible option for everyday stir-fries when easy food release and simple clean-up are priorities. The non-stick surface means ingredients are less likely to cling to the cooking surface, making it a convenient option for regular weeknight cooking.

Baccarat’s non-stick woks work on all cooktops, including induction and are suitable for everyday cooking.

Best for: Everyday stir-frying, easy food release and convenient clean-up.

Stainless Steel Wok

A stainless steel wok is a good option if you want a durable cooking surface that can handle browning and higher-heat cooking. It also gives you a different cooking experience from non-stick, with more opportunity to build colour on ingredients as they cook.

Baccarat’s stainless steel woks are available in larger sizes and include features such as helper handles on some designs, which can make a larger wok easier to manoeuvre when it’s full.

Best for: Browning, higher-heat cooking and cooks who prefer stainless steel.

Hard-Anodised Aluminium Wok

Hard-anodised aluminium is a good option when even heat distribution, durability and larger cooking capacity are high on your list. Aluminium is also lighter than many other cookware materials, which can make a larger wok easier to handle when you're tossing or serving food.

Baccarat’s hard-anodised aluminium wok range includes larger-capacity options for cooking generous portions without overcrowding the cooking surface.

Best for: Everyday cooking, even heat distribution and larger batches.

What About Carbon Steel?

Carbon steel is a traditional choice and has plenty of fans, particularly among cooks who enjoy developing a seasoned cooking surface. It can be an excellent choice if you specifically want that style of cooking, but it isn't the only material suited to wok cooking.

How to Choose the Right Wok Size and Stovetop Fit

The right wok size depends on how many people you normally cook for, your usual batch size and the type of cooktop you have.

As a general guide, a 28cm wok suits smaller households and everyday portions, while 32cm is a useful all-round size. A 36cm wok gives you more room for larger families and bigger batches, although you'll also need the storage space to match.

Your cooktop is just as important. For induction, choose a wok specifically designed for induction with a suitable magnetic base. Baccarat's current stainless steel iD3 wok, for example, suits all cooktops, including induction.

Before buying, check:

A traditional round-bottomed wok isn't automatically the best choice for a modern kitchen. If you have induction, a compatible flat-bottomed model is the much simpler option.

How to Season a Wok: Do You Need To?

Not every wok needs seasoning. Carbon steel is traditionally seasoned with a thin layer of  cooking oil, heated to build up a protective cooking surface, but the same routine shouldn’t be applied to every wok you bring into the kitchen. 

Carbon steel is the classic example. Repeated seasoning builds up a surface that changes with use, which is part of the appeal for cooks who like the way a well-seasoned carbon steel wok cooks over time.

Other wok materials and coatings have different care requirements. Some stainless steel cookware, for example, may need to be seasoned before first use, while coated surfaces can have completely different instructions. 

The safest rule is simple: follow the instructions that come with the wok you bought, rather than assuming every wok needs the same treatment. If the manufacturer specifies seasoning, follow those instructions. If it doesn't, don't reach for the cooking oil simply because you've bought a wok. The material and coating determine what the cookware needs.

Is a Carbon Steel Wok Safe?

Yes, a carbon steel wok is generally considered safe when used, maintained, and seasoned correctly according to the manufacturer's instructions. Carbon steel is a popular choice for woks, but it does need a little more care. Seasoning helps protect the cooking surface, while washing and drying the wok properly helps keep rust at bay. If you’d rather spend less time looking after your cookware, a coated or stainless steel wok is an easier option.

How to Use a Wok for Everyday Cooking

A wok works best when it's heated appropriately, lightly oiled and not overloaded with ingredients.

For a simple stir-fry:

Overcrowding is probably the easiest mistake to make. If you put too much food in the wok at once, the temperature drops, so your ingredients are more likely to steam than fry. And don't worry if dramatic wok tossing isn't your thing. You don't need to put on a show every time you cook dinner! If the food is sizzling, browning and moving around the pan, you're doing just fine.

How to Care for Your Wok

The best way to care for a wok is to follow the instructions for its specific material and avoid unnecessary heat, thermal shock and abrasive cleaning.

Let a hot wok cool before cleaning, rather than plunging it straight into cold water. Avoid abrasive scourers and cleaners, particularly on coated cooking surfaces, and use utensils appropriate for the finish.

Dishwasher suitability also varies by product. For example, Baccarat's iD3 stainless steel wok is dishwasher safe, although warm soapy water is recommended, and you should use a mild dishwasher cycle if you do put it through the dishwasher.

Baccarat's cookware is covered by its Lifetime Guarantee, which runs for 25 years from the date of purchase, subject to the warranty terms. Correct use and care are important, so it's worth keeping the product instructions rather than relying on generic cookware advice.

A Few Wok Accessories Worth Adding

A long-handled spatula or turner makes it easier to stir, toss and serve food from a deep wok.

You don't need a drawer full of specialist tools. One good spatula or turner can handle most of the jobs you'll throw at it.

The Baccarat Bottom Line

The best wok isn't necessarily the most traditional one or the one with the most cooking-technique buzzwords attached to it. It's the one that suits your stovetop, your cooking habits, your household and how much maintenance you're prepared to do.

Ready to find the right fit? Explore the Baccarat wok collection and choose the material and size that make sense for your kitchen.

Frequently Asked Questions: Choosing & Using a Wok

1. What’s the Difference Between a Wok and a Regular Frying Pan?

A wok has deeper, sloping sides and a shape designed to give you more room for tossing and high-heat cooking than a typical shallow frying pan.

2. Can I Use a Wok on an Induction Cooktop?

Yes, as long as the wok is induction-compatible and has a suitable magnetic base; several current Baccarat wok models are induction-compatible.

3. Do I Need to Season a Baccarat Wok?

Follow the care instructions for your specific Baccarat wok, as requirements vary by material and product; for example, the current iD3 stainless steel wok instructs users to season it before first use.

4. What Size Wok Should I Buy?

Choose the size according to your household and usual batch size, with 28cm suited to smaller meals and 32cm to 36cm providing more cooking space for larger batches.

5. Is Stainless Steel or Non-Stick Better for a Wok?

Neither is necessarily better. It really comes down to how you like to cook. Non-stick makes cooking and clean-up easier, while stainless steel is a good choice if you want a hard-wearing surface that can handle browning and higher heat.

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