Just like any other pot, you can find the wok pot in the best department stores and hypermarkets.

But you don’t have to leave the house to find the best option. On sites like Amazon more competitive prices.

Purchasing criteria: Decisive factors in choosing your wok pan

In common, all wok pots are deeper than traditional frying pans and have no corners. But there are important differences between the options on the market to be considered before purchasing.

To help your decision we have listed below the factors that differentiate one model from the other.

• Manufacturing material
• Size
• Number and type of handles
• Background format

Below we explain in detail each of the factors so that you can safely purchase the wok pan that will best suit you.

Manufacturing material

Like other types of cookware, Wok cookware can be found in a variety of materials, such as iron, stainless steel, aluminum, teflon and carbon steel.

Each has different properties in terms of durability, heat spread and cooking time. That is why it is important to understand each one to make the best choice.

Among the most practical models, the carbon steel wok is considered the best, because it is cheaper and conducts heat evenly. For beginners are also recommended those coated with teflon, which guarantees the non-stick function and facilitates when cleaning.

Check out the main characteristics of the materials from which wok pots are made:

• Carbon steel : Heats quickly and evenly, is durable and inexpensive.
• Stainless steel : Very heavy, difficult to handle and take a long time to heat up.
• Ceramics : Heats faster and leaves no residue.
• Cast iron : Releases iron in food, offers a better non-stick surface, but also takes longer to heat.
• Teflon : Teflon coated woks have a non-stick function and are easy to clean. However, the coating does not withstand high temperatures for long.
• Aluminum: Heats up quickly, requires more maintenance and can release toxic substances if not properly cared for.

When choosing which wok pan to buy, choose a pan made of heavy and resistant material. Experts guarantee that the heavier the better.

But you need to ensure that you’ll be able to not only hold the pan, but also jump it. So make sure you can handle it easily.

Size

The size of your wok pan is an item to be analyzed for those who want to ensure practicality and functionality when cooking. It is no use having a small pot for a large family. Or a small pot for larger groups of people.

In both cases, the work will be doubled, both to correct the amount of the recipe, and when cleaning your pan. Check out this delicious recipe from Boca a Boca channel in a wok pan:

It is possible to avoid these setbacks by knowing in advance the size of the wok pan. In the market you can find sizes ranging from 15cm to 50cm.

To give you an idea, a wok pan for two people has a diameter that varies between 15 and 20 cm. For four people the ideal is to have a pot of 30 to 35 cm. While the largest, 40 to 50 cm, is suitable for groups of more than six people.

When in doubt, the ideal is to have a medium size wok pan, about 30 cm. This way, you also guarantee that you will have enough space to store it when you are not using it.

Number and type of handles

As we have seen above, the traditional wok pan is heavy. And a technique widely used with it is the act of jumping. That is, stir and raise the pan to mix the food.

For this reason, and to facilitate handling during the cooking process, the traditional wok usually has two short handles on each side.

Still, it takes skill to handle both handles, especially if the pan is too heavy.

Therefore, currently, there are two other versions with different handles: the wok pan with a long and unique handle, similar to the conventional frying pan; and the wok with a long handle and a small handle on the opposite side.

Although this is a category of personal taste, these last two versions are the most practical and suitable for beginner cooks because they are easier to handle.

Background format

The shape of the bottom of the wok pan is the highlight of this type of product. Traditionally smaller than an ordinary frying pan, the bottom of wok pans serves to conduct heat better and faster and evenly.

There are two types: flat bottom and rounded bottom. The flat-bottomed or flat wok is ideal for sealing large pieces of protein, such as fillets and chicken breast.

The round-bottomed wok is more suitable for frying and smaller pieces of meat and vegetables. There are also some models that have a perforated bottom for use on the grill, for example.