Can you use a wok on an electric stove?

A wok is a great pan for cooking Asian food. You might not know that it can do much more. Frying, sauteing, braising, steaming, stir-frying...you name it.

Of course with all that cooking happening in your kitchen, you need a powerful stove. Gas stoves are ideal for cooking with a wok but we know not everyone has one.

Luckily that’s not the end of the world.

Use a flat bottomed wok on an electric stove rather than a round bottomed wok. A round bottom wok is not ideal on an electric stove because it requires a wok ring. On an electric stove, using a wok ring means your wok is a couple of inches from the heating element. So it will take a long time to heat up.

A wok ring is also difficult to stabilize on an electric stove with coils. Working with high heat, you want everything to be as stable as possible to prevent potential injury. In contrast, gas stoves do not have coils which makes using a wok ring much more reliable.

As far as material goes, carbon steel, stainless steel, or cast iron are all great options. Carbon steel is more durable than stainless steel, but also more prone to rust. Carbon steel is much lighter and conducts heat faster than cast iron. Cast iron is a lot heavier but it keeps heat better than a carbon steel wok.

If you’re an avid cook and you can’t live without your wok, you’ll want a gas stove. It’s got a lot more power, heats up much faster, and allows for fast and easy temperature control.

An electric stove is still a viable option but you won’t be able to get it as hot as a gas stove.

When cooking with your wok over an electric stove…

Set up at least two burners of varying heat.

The burners on an electric stove take a while to heat up and cool down. So if you need to change the temperature, consider setting up two different burners. You could set one on low and one on high, for example. When you’re done stir-frying, swap it from the high burner to the low burner. If you don’t use two burners, your food could burn.

Let the wok preheat for about 10 minutes.

Compared to gas stoves, electric stoves take a while to heat up. So preheating your wok is especially important on an electric stove to cook at the right temperature.

Apply oil after preheating your wok.

Add oil to the wok and move it around to coat the entire pan. After just a couple of minutes, you should start to see ripples in your oil. This means you’re ready to fry. You can also use a thermometer to test the temperature.

Keep your food moving in the pan constantly to prevent burning.

While cooking, keep in mind that flat bottomed woks have a wider base than round-bottomed woks. That base gets really hot which means it’s easy to burn your food.

Stir-frying requires careful supervision so don’t leave your food unattended.

Don’t be afraid to crank up the heat for stir-frying with a wok.

When cooking with a wok, high heat is your friend. Be careful about turning it up to the max, though. For some electric stoves, that’ll be necessary. But every stove is different.

Make sure you’ve got a high-quality range hood over your stove before you get too carried away. Learn about why you need a vent hood over your electric stove in this article.

Avoid warping your wok.

Be careful when turning up the heat. Woks of any material – stainless steel, carbon steel, ceramic, etc. – can warp if they are heated up or cooled down too quickly. You can also warp your pan if you put it under cold water while it’s hot. It’s best to let your wok cool on the stove before cleaning it or putting it into the dishwasher.

You might think that warping is not a big deal. Unfortunately, it can make wok cooking incredibly difficult. Woks have a small flat bottom and wide sloped edges to fit a lot of your delicious stir fry. The bottom of the pan is the hottest and that’s where most of your frying happens. Heat dissipates as you move up the sloped edges.

If a pan is warped, it’ll move your food to the sides which aren’t nearly as hot. This makes it difficult to cook food evenly! Not to mention if it’s too warped, it won’t stand still on your stovetop!

It’s true that on a flat bottomed wok, the bottom of the pan is much wider. So a little warping won’t be the end of the world.

Still, since you’ll be cooking at high heat, it’s important to be aware of warping at all times.

Don't put too much food in your wok.

Woks are designed to hold a lot of food. Their sloped round edges make it easy to put a little too much in the wok.

If you overcrowd your wok, food won’t cook evenly. The ingredients won’t get very hot and they will steam in the pan. The ingredients on the bottom will eventually burn while the rest of your food gets soggy. That’s not what you want when you’re frying!

Move your wok off the heat immediately after you’re done frying.

When stir-frying, it’s important to watch your food closely. Since the pan gets so hot, especially the bottom, you can burn your food if you’re not careful. Once you get the char you want, move your wok from the heat and it will cool down quickly.

What type of wok is best for an electric stove?

Carbon steel is a great wok for an electric stove because it is lightweight and conducts heat quickly. Stainless steel is also a good option for your wok. Cast iron is a bit heavier than carbon steel and stainless steel. But it retains heat incredibly well, ensuring your food cooks evenly. All three of these pans can warp, but they are quite durable.

Can you use a wok ring on an electric stove?

It’s not recommended to use a wok ring on an electric stove. Sitting on the ring, your wok will be about an inch or two away from the heating element. So heating up your wok will take a long time. Your wok will also be unsteady if you try to put the ring on a coil stove. Instead, invest in a flat bottomed wok. It is stable and the entire bottom makes direct contact with heat, making cooking reliable.

What can I use besides a wok on an electric stove?

Flat bottomed woks are the best pan for stir-frying on an electric stove. But, frying pans are a great alternative. It will take longer for your food to cook and you’ll need a little more oil. You won’t be able to fit as many ingredients in a frying pan compared to a wok either. But frying pans don’t need to be watched as closely or moved around.

That wraps up our article on using a wok on an electric stove. If you take away anything from this article, go with a flat bottomed wok over an electric stove.

Thanks for reading!