West Bend SKWB12BK13 Electric Wok: Full Review

The West Bend SKWB12BK13 is a popular electric wok offering a large 12" nonstick cooking surface and 1500 watts of power. With its family-sized capacity and high heat output, this electric wok is designed to rival traditional stove-top woks for stir-frying, steaming, simmering, and deep frying.

The nonstick interior allows you to cook with little to no oil while still preventing food from sticking. The tempered glass lid traps in heat and moisture for faster cooking. And the cool-touch base and handles promote safety during use. With its range of useful features, the West Bend electric wok aims to bring versatile, high-heat wok cooking into any kitchen.

Design & Features

The West Bend Electric Wok has a modern and stylish design with multiple useful features.

• The cooking surface is made of durable nonstick material to prevent food from sticking and allow for easy cooking and cleaning.

• It has a clear tempered glass lid that allows you to monitor cooking progress without releasing heat or moisture.

• The cool-touch base and long handle stay cool on the outside even during cooking at high temperatures to protect from burns.

• It has adjustable temperature controls from warm up to 400°F. Simply turn the knob to your desired temperature setting for precision cooking.

• The heating element provides even heat distribution across the entire cooking surface for consistent results.

• The nonstick coating is PFOA and PTFE-free to avoid hazardous chemicals.

Overall, the thoughtful design focuses on convenience, ease of use, safety and performance. Key features like the nonstick surface, glass lid, cool-touch handle and adjustable temperature dial allow you to cook a wide variety of recipes with excellent results.

Size & Capacity

The West Bend Electric Wok has a generous 12 inch diameter cooking surface, providing ample room to stir fry ingredients with ease. With a 4 quart capacity, this electric wok can hold enough food to serve 3-4 people comfortably. Whether cooking a quick weekday dinner or preparing a more elaborate meal for guests, the sizeable 4 quart bowl offers sufficient space to cook a variety of ingredients simultaneously without overcrowding the pan. The wide 12 inch base also allows ingredients to cook evenly, ensuring nothing gets burnt or undercooked. For families or those who love to entertain, the West Bend Electric Wok provides an ideal balance of size and capacity to whip up delicious stir fry meals.

Temperature Range & Control

The West Bend Electric Wok offers a wide range of cooking temperatures to suit different recipes and ingredients. The adjustable thermostat allows you to precisely control the temperature from a low simmer all the way up to a high sear.

The wok can maintain a steady low temperature for simmering sauces, soups, or steaming vegetables. Moving up to the medium settings is great for stir frying, sauteing meats and veggies, or pan frying breaded foods. For getting a nice sear on meats or charring vegetables, the high heat setting brings the wok up to 450°F.

An advantage of the electric wok is the consistent heat spread across the entire cooking surface. The aluminum pan heats evenly and maintains the set temperature. This allows you to cook efficiently without hot or cold spots like some stovetop woks.

The thermostat knob makes it simple to adjust the temp as needed for different stages of cooking. You don't have to guess temperatures based on low/medium/high settings like some models. Just turn to your desired temp and the wok automatically maintains it. This level of temperature control rivals many stovetops.

Ease of Use

The West Bend Electric Wok is designed for easy use and convenience. It has user-friendly controls like the adjustable temperature dial and power light indicator. The temperature can be adjusted from warm all the way up to 450°F, giving you a wide range of cooking options.

Cooking and cleaning up is a breeze thanks to the durable nonstick coating on the interior. Foods slide right off the surface, so you won't have to scrub at stuck-on messes. The nonstick coating also allows you to use less oil or butter for cooking, supporting healthier meal preparation.

The base is designed for stability during cooking. It has non-slip feet to keep the wok firmly in place. The handles stay cool while cooking, allowing you to safely grasp and maneuver the wok. Overall, the thoughtful design makes this electric wok very simple and hassle-free to use.

Cooking Performance

The West Bend Electric Wok provides even heating for consistent cooking results across the non-stick surface. The aluminum body and wrap-around heating element distribute heat evenly without any hot or cold spots. This makes the wok great for stir frying meats, vegetables, noodles and more.

You can also use the wok for deep frying with the ample 4-quart capacity. The temperature goes up to 400°F, hot enough for crispy deep fried foods. The non-stick surface allows oil to spread evenly and makes cleanup much easier after frying.

Versatility is a key benefit of the electric wok. You can cook a wide variety of dishes that require high heat for searing or stir frying. The domed shape is perfect for tossing ingredients while cooking. Compared to a skillet, the deeper sides prevent spattering and contain juices. This allows you to cook up saucy dishes or broths.

Durability

The West Bend electric wok features a durable black exterior housing that withstands high heat. Inside, it has a long-lasting scratch-resistant nonstick coating that allows for easy cooking and cleaning. The nonstick surface is designed to be metal utensil safe, so you don't have to worry about chipping or scratching the coating. It's also PFOA and PTFE-free, so it doesn't contain harmful chemicals.

The wok is designed for longevity and repeated use. The nonstick coating holds up well after multiple uses without food sticking or residue buildup. Reviewers have used this wok for over a year without any scratches or degradation of the nonstick surface. The exterior also retains its sleek black look over time without any visible wear.

Overall, the durable construction ensures this electric wok will last for years of cooking. The scratch-resistant nonstick interior in particular makes cooking and cleaning easy while maintaining its integrity with heavy rotation.

Safety Features

The West Bend Electric Wok has several important safety features to prevent accidents while cooking.

One key safety feature is the cool touch base and handles. The base and side handles remain cool to the touch even during prolonged cooking at high temperatures. This prevents the risk of burns if accidentally touched while cooking.

Another useful safety feature is the tempered glass lid. The lid is made of durable tempered glass designed to withstand high heat. If any splattering occurs inside the wok, the shatter-resistant lid helps protect against burns. The transparent lid also allows monitoring the cooking process without needing to open the wok.

The safety features like the cool touch design and tempered glass lid make this electric wok safer and easier to use, especially for home cooks. You can cook with confidence knowing the wok is designed to prevent kitchen accidents.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Large capacity - The West Bend Electric Wok has a very generous 12 quart capacity, making it easy to cook large batches of food. Whether you're cooking for a big family or meal prepping, you'll appreciate the extra room.

• Versatile - This electric wok can be used for stir-frying, pan-frying, steaming, stewing, braising and more. The nonstick coating and domed shape make it ideal for tossing and swirling food. You can cook a wide variety of dishes in this one pan.

• Easy to use - With simple on/off and temperature controls, this wok doesn't have a complicated learning curve. The handles stay cool while cooking for safe and easy use. Just add your ingredients and you're ready to cook.

Cons

• Heavy and bulky - Given its large capacity, this electric wok is fairly heavy at over 9 pounds. The circular shape also takes up a decent amount of storage space. If you have limited kitchen space, it may be unwieldy.

• Non-immersible base - The heating base is not designed to go into water or other liquids. This limits what you can cook compared to a full immersion circulator type device.

Conclusion

The West Bend SKWB12BK13 12-Quart oblong electric wok delivers excellent performance and value for the price. With its extra-large 12-quart non-stick cooking surface, adjustable temperature dial up to 425°F, tempered glass lid, and dishwasher safe parts, this electric wok makes cooking for the whole family quick and convenient.

The non-stick coating allows for easy cooking and cleanup, while the ample cooking space can accommodate large batches of food. The tempered glass lid traps in heat and moisture for fast, even cooking results. The cool touch base and handles ensure safe handling while cooking.

Overall, the West Bend SKWB12BK13 electric wok is an excellent addition to any home kitchen. With simple operation, versatile cooking capabilities, and durable construction, this wok delivers delicious stir fry, soup, stew, and more for family dinners or entertaining a crowd. The quality and performance rivals more expensive models but at a very affordable price point.

I would highly recommend the West Bend SKWB12BK13 to anyone looking for an easy-to-use electric wok that can feed the whole family. It's a great value purchase that makes cooking quick one-pot meals simple and enjoyable. This electric wok should provide many years of great service with proper care.