Best Woks for Home Cooks: Yosukata, Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street

Jul 11, 2023

A carbon steel pan requires additional care, but the work pays dividends.

The dimpled surface helps keep Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street wok free of stickiness.

Photographer: Justin J Wee for Bloomberg Businessweek

Every serious home cook needs a wok, even if home kitchens are rarely accommodating to the round bottom of the stir-frying, deep-frying, veggie-steaming workhorse. The 13-inch hammered carbon steel wok ($156) from Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street food-media empire leads the pack of flat-bottomed woks that can accommodate a range of ranges. Its carbon steel construction ensures that the pan heats up hot and fast, and with continued use it develops a gorgeous patina.

THE COMPETITION• Yosukata’s 13.5‑inch carbon steel wok ($60) has received acclaim from the New York Times’ Wirecutter and the food website Serious Eats for its quick-heating ability, wood handle and overall light weight.