If you enjoy cooking Asian cuisine at home, you should strongly consider purchasing an electric wok. Most people think you only need a wok for stir frying, but they actually have many other uses. In addition to stir-frying, woks are also great for deep frying, boiling, steaming, poaching, smoking and braising. They’re an extremely versatile kitchen utensil, and their electrically powered versions offer the same benefits except that they’re even more versatile because you don’t even need a gas range to use them. Although you can use a wok on an electric range, it’s not recommended that you do so because the rounded bottom of a wok can potentially reflect heat back onto your range, damage your stove’s heating elements.
Although there isn’t a huge selection of electric woks on the market, we analyzed and reviewed all of the ones we came across and, after researching and comparing them extensively, we were eventually able to come up with this list of the 3 best electric woks.
Best Overall: Breville BEW600XL Electric Wok
The Breville BEW600XL is, in our opinion, the best currently on the market. It is our top pick and we give it our highest recommendation. The Breville is perfect for any at-home chef who enjoys preparing stir-fry meals at home. This modern, stylish looking 1500-watt electric wok can reach temperatures up to a sizzling 425 degrees and, due to the smart design and placement of the heating elements, the heat that it dishes out is very evenly distributed across the wok’s surface. This is a true “round bottom” wok and does not have a flattened surface at the bottom of it. The biggest advantage of a round bottom is that it disperses heat more evenly throughout the wok instead of concentrating most of it in the center. Cooks tend to prefer them over flat bottom woks when stir frying because it’s easier to move food around in them.
The wok has a completely nonstick surface, which means you can cook just about anything (including eggs and pancakes) without worrying about it sticking. This makes clean-up a cinch as well, since all that’s required is a simple wipe down of the wok’s inner walls with a damp paper towel or sponge. Additionally, the top part detaches from the base, so you can easily fit it into your kitchen sink or dishwasher for cleaning if you need to. The wok measures 14″ across from lip to lip and can hold an enormous 6 quarts of food. The Breville BEW600XL, like most Breville appliances, feels and looks like it was built to last. So if you value quality above all else, then this is your wok.
Best Value: Presto 5900 Stainless Steel Electric Wok
If you’re looking to get the best “bang for your buck” then look no further than the Presto 5900. This electric wok is loaded with value. The first thing you’ll notice about this electric wok is that it’s constructed entirely out of stainless steel, making it extremely durable. Note that this wok does not have a non-stick coating like many other electric woks out there. This is, however, not a drawback at all. A non-stick coating is great for griddles and skillets, but it’s better to purchase a wok without the coating. The reason is because it not only makes it harder to brown and sear foods, but it also makes it much more difficult to move food to the sides of the wok in order make room in the center when you want to cook something else separately. Moreover, the coating tends not to last very long when it’s subjected to very high heat, as is usually the case with wok cooking.
The bottom of the wok is slightly flattened (6″ diameter) and has high, sloping sides that expand out. It’s a good sized wok that measures 14″ across and can hold about 4 quarts of food, enough to easily feed a family of four. The Presto 5900 has a powerful 1500 watt heating element that can reach a maximum temperature of 400 degrees. The wok’s looped side handles (also known as Cantonese style woks) remain surprisingly cool during cooking and are always safe to touch. The domed, tempered glass cover allows you to easily watch your food as you’re cooking. Additionally, the entire unit is simple to clean, and all of the parts are dishwasher safe. The Presto 5900 is just a great wok all-around, and it’s why we selected it as our #1 electric wok to buy.
Best Budget Model: Aroma AEW-306 Electric Wok
If you’re looking for an electric wok that’s fairly cheap, but don’t want to sacrifice too much in terms of quality, then the Aroma AEW-306 is your safest bet. At just under $50, it’s quite affordable, and is priced about the same as a regular, non-electric wok. The Aroma AEW-306 was created for people who just need a basic electric wok that’s both reliable and simple to use.
Don’t expect the Aroma AEW-306 to come with many of the features you would find in some of the high-end electric woks, but do expect to get a decent-quality electric wok that should last you years. It’s great not only for stir-fries but blanching, deep fat frying and smoking as well. It may look small, but don’t let the picture deceive you. This is a large capacity wok that can prepare up to 5 quarts of food at a time, making it perfect for parents with kids or other large families. The wok heats up fairly quickly (the cast metal construction probably helps with this) and evenly.
This wok does have a nonstick coating, so you’ll want to be sure to avoid using any metal utensils with it. The bottom of the wok is rounded and does not have a flat surface like many woks that were designed to be used with an electric range do. This helps with heat dispersion (even the rim of the wok gets quite hot) and reduces the chances of you burning your food by leaving it sit at the bottom for too long. We really like the sleek, all-black look of the Aroma as well. All things considered, it’s a very good electric wok, and if you’re just looking for something simple and inexpensive to cook up the occasional fried rice or meat-and-veggie stir fry, then you really can’t go wrong with the Aroma AEW-306.
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