All Clad d5 Wok Review
As an Asian recipes site, we test a lot of woks here at Steamy Kitchen. Some work great for the first 2 months, then discolor, warp, or fall apart at the handle. Only four woks out of the dozens we test actually are sturdy enough to last for years. The All Clad d5 Wok is one of them.
The All Clad d5 Wok is made from five layers of bonded metal:
- 18/10 stainless-steel interior for foolproof browning and easy cleanup.
- Two aluminum layers, one to conduct and one to sustain heat.
- Patented stainless-steel core diffuses heat for consistent results.
- Magnetic stainless-steel exterior for durability and dishwasher-safe ease.
The result is a wok that really will last a lifetime of stir fries, steaming, braising, boiling, sautéing, deep frying and everything else you can do in a wok.
What we love about the All Clad d5 Wok
Quality
As I mentioned before, the wok will last a lifetime. Years ago, we bought my Mom an entire set of All Clad d5 cookware, which she still uses everyday. We brought this wok to her kitchen to add to her collection. Mom’s the perfect tester for woks, if a wok can withstand the twice-daily use in her kitchen, then it’s a great quality wok.
Shape
The All Clad d5 Wok is 14″ wide. Mom loves the wide, shallow shape of the wok, it gives her a lot of room to add ingredients – the more wok surface that’s closer to the fire, the hotter the wok gets and the more evenly the food cooks.
But this is where my Mom and I differ: I personally like having a deeper bowl in a wok, When a wok is too shallow, I feel it’s harder to stir fry – the ingredients tend to spill out (I’m a big, messy tosser.) Another point of consideration for wide, shallow woks – it does take up a lot of real estate on your stovetop, preventing use of a neighboring burner. Taller, bowl-like woks are tall enough that you can squeeze in a small pan nearby.
Helper handle on the side of the wok is a must-have. Rolled lip at the edge means you can pour things out of the wok easily.
No lid
All woks should come with a lid! Luckily, we had a lid that fits the 14″ wok perfectly. Since we use our woks for more than stir fries, a lid is essential. Actually, in stir frying, lids are used quite a bit, especially when cooking vegetables that require a bit of steaming and cooking. Think of your wok as the most versatile cooking vessel you will own. Wok lids are easy to find, look for ones that are domed.
Induction friendly
More and more kitchens are installing eco-friendly induction stovetops. Our last kitchen in Florida featured a KitchenAid induction stovetop that we LOVED. This All Clad d5 Wok works on an induction stove. The base of the wok is wide enough so that you get good contact with the stove.
Let me clarify for those who don’t have induction – we once tested an “induction friendly” wok with such a small flat base that I could only use the wok on the small induction burner. The wok didn’t have a big enough contact point to activate the induction element on the big “burner.”
In short – All Clad d5 Wok will work perfectly on the large induction element.
Made in USA
“All-Clad has a policy of manufacturing all of its bonded cookware in the USA. This means that it purchases its metals only from US suppliers and bonds them at its own rolling mill on-site in Canonsburg PA. It then forms them at the same location into high performance cooking vessels” (from All Clad’s site)
But it’s heavy
Like all the quality All Clad cookware, it’s heavy. One-hand lifting is difficult, you really need to use two hands, one on the handle, one on the small helper handle. The heft makes something like this difficult:
That’s Mom making the Pressure Cooker Chinese Sausage Rice recipe. This wok may be difficult for people with weak wrists to use. But I guess that’s the tradeoff – five-ply, high quality metal construction vs. lightness and ease of use.
But hard to clean
I recommend cleaning the wok (and any stainless steel cookware) right away, when the wok is still hot and the oils and grease are still hot. It’s so much easier to clean and scrub right away, than to wait until after dinner, as tempting as that may be.
When the wok cools, the oils solidify and become much more difficult to scrub off. To keep the stainless steel interior and exterior shiny long term, you do have to take the time to clean well.
Cooks great
Even heating, heats up fast and keeps hot. There’s no denying that All Clad can make cookware that performs well. This wok is a keeper – well, at least in my Mom’s kitchen! I’m not sure she’ll give it back to me!
Where to buy
The All Clad d5 Wok is available exclusively at Williams Sonoma for $240
About All Clad d5
All Clad d5 Wok Giveaway
