Made from heavy cast iron, the John Wright Wok 74-000 is a versatile and efficient cooking vessel for preparing quick stir fry dishes and more.

This medium-sized wok weighs 8 pounds, 5 ounces and accommodates 8 cups of ingredients, while still allowing room for stirring. The wok has a long handle on one side and a short ring-style helper handle on the other. Both handles will heat up during normal use so oven mitts are needed to move the pan off the stove.

We found that the wok, with its flat bottom sits perfectly still on the stovetop so there's almost no reason to move it, except to take it off the stove. The cast iron works equally well with gas, electric, and even ceramic stovetops but you need to be careful not to move the pan once it's set on the stove or scratching may result.

We loved the sloped sides of the pan, which lent themselves well to the traditional stir frying technique of layering foods to be cooked from the bottom up along the sides. While the bottom of the pan was clearly hottest, the sides heated up nicely and provided an overall cooking surface for pan frying, braising and even stewing foods.

Like any uncoated cast-iron pan, the wok needs proper seasoning to achieve an optimum stick-free surface that will last a lifetime. A light coating of oil should be applied to the pan (inside and out) and the empty pan should be baked on a low heat setting to allow the oil to adhere to the surface of the pan.


Pros: Sturdy cast iron heats evenly
Cons: Needs proper seasoning