YOSUKATA Flat Bottom Wok Pan - 13.5" Blue Carbon Steel Wok With Lid 12.8 Inch - Premium Stainless Pan Cover with Tempered Glass Insert Steam Holes and Ergonomic Handle

Why it's worth it

A 13.5-inch blue carbon steel wok that comes pre-seasoned at high heat and ships with a vented stainless lid. On an electric or induction range, its flat base makes full contact where a round wok would only touch at one point.

You can cook in it the day it arrives. Yosukata seasons these at over 600°F at the factory, so instead of an evening of oil passes you get a quick wipe of oil and a preheat. If the seasoning ritual is what's kept you away from carbon steel, this removes that hurdle. The blue-black color comes from that heat treatment, and it's a decent sign the steel was properly tempered.

The flat base is the right shape for a coil, a glass top or an induction hob. Full contact means even heat across the bottom instead of one hot ring. You lose some of the tossing geometry a round wok gives you, but on these stoves that trade isn't optional — a curved pan simply can't heat evenly on a flat element.

From our review of 5 carbon steel woks, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +You can cook in it the day it arrives
• +The flat base is the right shape for a coil, a glass top or an induction hob
• +The lid makes it more than a stir-fry pan
• +The walls are tall and the shape is deep

What to know

• –Pre-seasoned doesn't mean finished
• –The listing is thin on the numbers that matter
• –A flat bottom limits the technique