Review of the CUISINART 14-IN STAINLESS STEEL WOK | Why it is My Favorite Wok

Over the years, I have cooked in more than 15 woks with different types of natural surfaces: carbon steel, cast iron, light cast iron, and stainless steel. I enjoy cooking on all these four types of wok surfaces. After testing these woks under different cooking conditions, I came down to the Cuisinart 14-inch stainless steel wok being my favorite wok. I have been using this wok on a daily basis over the past four years. I really enjoy cooking in this wok for a list of reasons that I have presented in this video. Again, these are my personal preferences, and they might not work for you. However, I hope that this provides you with some ideas about the cooking potential of this wok and its ability to function efficiently under different cooking situations.

[@shelleylee8774]

I find one big advantage to only having the base cooking surface of this wok multi-clad is that when stir frying, I can push ingredients to the sides, where the wok is a bit cooler, as I am adding new ingredients to the hotter area and they will continue to cook more slowly while I concentrate on the ingredients in the middle of the wok. I can then scoop them all back together with my wok spatula (another of my favorite utensils) as the dish nears completion. I believe it is the perfect wok!

[@David-um2hs]

This is an outstanding video. I started with a Calpalon non-stick wok and the cooking results were great but I didn't like the fumes it released on medium high heat. I then bought a Joyce Chen carbon steel flat bottom wok but the bottom warped. I corrected it with a hammer but it warped again during the very next use. I was looking at the Cuisinart stainless steel woks on Amazon. This video sold me. Thanks a bunch.

[@limbrat5448]

Being able to put it in the oven is a definite plus, and with the lid you can make popcorn in it. My kids love that aspect.Thank you uncle Tak!

[@wokwithtak]

You are so welcome!

[@830jkl]

Wow, wokcorn! I love it!

[@shelleylee8774]

This is definitely the most versatile cooking utensil in my kitchen and works great on my induction burner or gas stove. I bought mine on recommendation from a previous video. Thank you, Tak, for making great videos sharing your years of experience to help home cooks make choices that will enhance their enjoyment and creativity in the kitchen!

[@wokwithtak]

Hello Shelley, it is always great to hear from you. Please say hello to your husband for us!

[@anth115]

​@Wok with Tak why are so many tradionalists saying Chinese restaurants only use carbon steel hence its better since Chinese restaurants MUST know best according to them. If the restaurants don't use it then it can't be good

[@vuvuzela691]

​@@anth115Chinese restaurants have special wok burners that can get way way hotter than a north American stove. You shouldn't compare your situation to a chinese restaurant

[@JohnStraussmusic]

I bought one after watching your videos 6 months ago and now cook just about everything in it thanks to you and your great videos.

[@steelstringstrangulation3424]

Just ordered this on Amazon, thank you :)

[@blaqfish]

Thank you for sharing your spot seasoning method Sir. I am buying the Cuisinart wok today.

[@aesea57804]

Good luck. I hate mine.

[@aesea57804]

I’m glad he’s had success with it. I bought one of these. Everything sticks and burns in it. Everything. Every time. It is the most irritating pan I have ever owned. I have not been able to get stains off it from the first time I used it. I lived in China for 15 years, used a wok every day. So I am very familiar with using a wok. My Chinese wok never rusted, was easily seasoned-but was round bottomed so I couldn’t bring it back with me. Sigh.

[@barcham]

I have a small 9.5 inch carbon steel wok that I use for many things but it really is too small to do a decent stir-fry in, so I've been looking for a larger wok and have been looking only at carbon steel woks. But on Amazon Canada, the ones that interest me are from $107 and up in price, and they have no cover, which is very handy to have. Now that I see you have been using this Cuisinart wok, I think I will be ordering one for myself. On Amazon Canada, it costs $69.95 which is an excellent price considering that just the cover for the wok I was considering is $53.99! Add that to the $107.99 price of the wok, and it's getting close to $200 when tax is added in. So, it looks like a Cuisinart wok is in my near future! Thanks for your advice, right on the money as usual! 👍

[@aesea57804]

Good luck with it. My experience with this wok was very disappointing. Poor heat conduction. Could not get it to season, so everything sticks. Makes it hard to clean and adds bits of burnt flavor to every dish. It may help to use far more oil than I like. I’m looking for a better wok. Wish I could have brought my wok from China. But it was round bottomed and I have glass top stove.

[@barcham]

@@aesea57804 You cannot season a stainless steel wok in the usual sense. It must be 'spot seasoned' each time it is used, using the technique shown in this video. If you follow those instructions, you will have no problems with food sticking. I cook on a regular basis in stainless steel cookware and have absolutely no problems with food sticking to the surface.

[@jaq_lin720]

I've been waiting for this video! Thank you Tak! Very detailed review! I'm so happy i no longer need nonstick t-fal pan on glass stovetop. Talking about wok, have you ever tried wok from neoflam?

[@TheFoodExperience]

I just came across your channel and subscribed. You have a good way of explaining things. Still watching the video and I am about halfway through. I just purchased this wok because my thoughts are in line with yours in regards to flexibility and easy to maintain and keep clean. I'm hoping it will work wonderful for egg fried rice which I plan on making next weekend. I have not taken mine out of the box yet. Thanks for the videos, I see you have at least a few of them for this product.

[@eliot2283]

It's getting really hard to find this exact wok lately. I ordered one from Amazon about 3 weeks ago, and I'm still waiting to receive it. It was only being soled by one third-party seller. So take really good care of yours so that it lasts!

[@UrDoinItWrong]

It's been going in and out of stock, and at one point it was marked "discontinued" but maybe Tak is keeping this model alive by helping the sales! It's back in stock shipped from Amazon as of right now again, might be a way to cancel and re-order!

[@eliot2283]

@@UrDoinItWrong Thanks for letting me know. Amazon is selling it for $30 less than I paid for it 3 weeks ago, and of course it just shipped out to me yesterday. That's my luck.

[@judyb.6810]

I ordered from Amazon a few months ago and I could tell when I picked it up that the lid was broke, I mean shattered. I sent it back and got one that wasn’t broke. Hopefully everyone will get theirs intact.

[@CS-ww3bs]

If i may make a suggestion. Make an Amazon affiliate account, and copy the link of this wok into your description. Then each time someone here clicks it, you get a little commission. This would help support your channel. If you have internet savvy family I'm sure they could help you as well. Love the channel! I suggest this because i was going to click your link before i head over to amazon. But i saw you didn't have one.

[@vinayfuntube6525]

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

[@GodsObedientChild-Deuteron6262]

Thank you🤗👌!!!

[@tatab5515]

Love your review, thanks. Subscribed.

[@garypostell5268]

Beautiful Wok

[@Rob_430]

How does it compare to the Willow & Everett Wok Pan - Stainless Steel Stir Fry Pans With Domed Lid & Bamboo Spatula? I saw comments below on the Cooks Standard wok. I’m looking at all 3 woks. I’m surprised the Cuisinart is your favorite and you promote it. It has an encapsulated bottom where the other 2, the heat is all around. That is better for cooking.

[@jesmpk2298]

I like your reviews. Looked at the KitchenAid 15" Stainless Steel Wok review. Don't like the handles. Want to buy the Cusinart but the reviews on AMZN of Cusinart clad products melting scare me. Are they exaggerated?

[@Lisa13245]

thank you for this video!

[@kateristuart8881]

I noticed in a lot of Amazon reviews that the Cuisinart instructions say to not cook with this pan on high heat. But if you don't cook with high heat, the food won't be as delicious, correct? From watching a few of your videos, isn't high heat an indispensable factor in stir-frying? What heat do you use and have success with for this pan?

[@Syd7088]

hi, did you find the answer? 😂 I;m looking to buy a wok soon 🙏

[@kateristuart8881]

@@Syd7088 Hi! I decided to just take the plunge and buy this wok and I'm so glad I did! I season like he suggests and I've had no issues with warping. Just make sure to use oil with a high smoke content. I personally really like avocado oil. And I love that I can just throw this in the dishwasher and don't have to fuss with seasonings and rust and stuff. Hope this helps!

[@Syd7088]

@@kateristuart8881 thanks very much!

[@ian-digitalhit]

Just bought one, noticed the high heat warning, and wondered what was up. Obviously Tak uses it on high heat. How is it holding up after 5 months for you?

[@kateristuart8881]

@@ian-digitalhit It is doing just fine! Obviously I don't leave it with hot oil unattended or for long amounts of time with just oil and no food in it. I feel like that could lead to some warping. But with letting it smoke for 30 seconds and then adding food I've had no issues! By far one of my favorite kitchen tools and I have 0 regrets getting it. I never use it with the glass lid though - I read too many reviews saying the glass shattered when they used it during cooking. Apparently this happens because glass and stainless steel expand at different rates? Anyways, that's above my paygrade. I just use the cover to keep it warm on the table after I've finished cooking or things like that.

[@jtes166888]

Hi Tak , any comment on using Buffalo band Wok , quite expansive though. Appreciate your feedback. Thank you.

[@debbiejackson4390]

Hi Tak.... Would you please write out the name of the brush you use for cleaning your wok. I have looked for one at my local stores...to no avail. I found a similar looking brush in the car care isle...but I don't think it's what you have. I purchased the 14" stainless steal wok that you reccomended...and it is wonderful for cooking. My only problem with it is that I cook on a gas stove, and therefore the sloped sides get a dark carbon build up on it everytime I use it. It takes Bar Keepers Friend to get it off. If I cooked something lite...I can remove it with a short soaking of Dawn Powerwash foam for a few minutes.

[@zhugeliang3905]

I would like to see an improvement in the design of this wok. The long handle gets in the way when it goes in the oven.

[@miscellaneouscell]

I wish the all clad had a lid... especially for the price. :D

[@michaelb4512]

Have you ever used this wok on induction cooking or what wok do you recomend for induction cooking?Thankyou!

[@tastymacification]

Can you tell us what brand his your wok shovel (spatula)? I have only found a similar looking one in that length with the shovel sides from a restaurant supply company. The brand is “Town” 33973 model

[@HATL201]

I just ordered a stainless steel wok, and so far I can not find a single recipe of stir fried noodles/spaghetti with a stainless steel wok. I want to make chicken chowmein, but is it really possible with a stainless steel wok?

[@vishakag5675]

How does this compare to Cooks Standard NC-00233 Stainless Steel Stir Fry Pan with Dome Lid 13-Inch Multi-Ply Clad Wok?

[@vishakag5675]

@@youngdcfa thanks.

[@wokwithtak]

Hello, I have the Cook Standard Wok in my kitchen, and I like it as well. It comes with a stainless steel dome cover. It is useful when I bake a whole chicken in it. The dome cover was able to accommodate the chicken. However, as Young D pointed out the Cook Standard wok is about 1 lb heavier than the Cuisinart wok. For me, I prefer the lighter Cuisinart wok. As my friend Brian told me that at our age, our woks gets heavier every passing year. I plan to cook until I can't, and I need to look for something light. Thanks!

[@vishakag5675]

@@wokwithtak thanks for your reply. We are vegetarians so will not be cooking any birds in it. I prefer lighter ones too as I’m not tall😃

[@rochu168]

I purchased the Cooks Standard 13" wok. It is a little too heavy. But 14" is too big for me. Also the high dome lid makes it possible for me to steam dishes. This way I can eliminate the 14" cast iron wok which I have used for many years. Iron cookware adds iron to the food. While it is an essential mineral for children and young women, too much iron in the diet causes elevated ferritin in the blood that is not good for health.

[@vishakag5675]

@@rochu168 thanks I think 14 inch will be too big for me too.

[@mercurymoon16]

😱I see the old price on this video! they totally raised it ! 🤣

[@dayone1375]

Is this compatible with Induction cooking?

[@Syd7088]

is this suitable for gas stove? thanks

[@c2ronk]

The sides brown badly over a gas burner and it is a lot work get off

[@drmarxx]

Ditto, I'm having the same problem. I also use a gas burner. I'm wondering if I am using the wrong oil? I'm using avocado oil which is supposed to have a high smoke point. Tak can you please reply to this question. The sides start turning brown and then black almost immediately. I'm using medium heat. I've used it a couple of times and it takes a long time and a lot of work to get the brown and black off the sides of the wok.

[@c2ronk]

@@drmarxx I use avocado oil too other seed oils have polyunsaturated fats that oxidize in harmful products. The only thing I have found to slightly reduce the problem is rub the pan with onion when I am seasoning it and stick with lower heat on a small burner. Onions supposedly form sulfides on the surface. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXPUdKOGqsqloKs

[@hanchang84]

If you’re thinking about getting a stainless steel wok, please don’t! I have had a 14 inch stainless steel and it sticks at times and is hard to clean. Please get a carbon steel instead! It’s not as much of a hassle as you think