The Best Non-Toxic Woks of 2026
10 of the 15 woks PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, 66.7% of the category, as of November 2026, leaving 5 that pass. The highest graded is Our Place Carbon Steel Wok at 100 out of 100.
Every grade below is built from published materials, ingredient lists, certifications and brand disclosures, scored on one public rubric and ranked best-graded first. Each score links to the full breakdown of what earned it, and the numbers across the whole dataset are published too.
Are woks non-toxic?
5 of the 15 woks we graded clear our screen and 10 do not. Non-toxic is not a defined or regulated term, so what we can tell you is what our graders recorded. Beyond PFAS, the hazards found or left unruled-out on woks in this category are microplastics, aluminium leaching, VOCs and off-gassing, heavy metals, undisclosed ingredients. The highest graded here is Our Place Carbon Steel Wok at 100 out of 100.
Quick picks
Brand states its position
Le Creuset Essential Non-Stick Ceramic WokThe brand has published a PFAS statement we can quote
70 Good
A second brand to consider
Calphalon Premier Stainless Steel 13" WokThe best grade here from a brand other than the winner
75 Excellent
Why Our Place Carbon Steel Wok wins, and what it beats
Every grade on this page is one sum. A category starts from a baseline, each disclosed material or coating adds risk points, and each thing the brand or a third party has published takes them away. Below is that sum for the winner, then for 3 products it beats, so you can see exactly where the 95 points between the top and the bottom of this woks ranking come from.
The winner
Made of carbon steel (bare metal, no coating).
- +30Category baseline. The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
- -10Brand-stated PFAS-free. The brand states this product is PFAS-free. We have not verified the claim.
- -20Bare uncoated material. Recorded as a bare, uncoated material with no surface coating or treatment.
0risk points in total, which is a grade of 100
What the grade does not fix. Nothing specific to this product adds risk, so what remains is the category baseline that every product here starts from, and our graders recorded 2 other hazards on it. See the full breakdown.
What it beats, and why
What puts it behind. No PFAS disclosure, +15 points. No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product. The winner carries no such factor.
Made of Stainless steel with no nonstick coating.
- +30Category baseline
- +15No PFAS disclosure
- -20Bare uncoated material
25risk points, a grade of 75
What puts it behind. Non-stick, chemistry undisclosed, +40 points. Marketed as non-stick without stating the coating chemistry. The winner carries no such factor.
Made of Non-stick coated aluminum (coating type not specified by brand).
- +40Non-stick, chemistry undisclosed
- +30Category baseline
- +15No PFAS disclosure. No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
85risk points, a grade of 15
What puts it behind. PTFE / Teflon confirmed, +50 points. Uses Teflon-type coating (Teflon), a Teflon-family coating in the PFAS family. The winner carries no such factor.
Made of Teflon-type coating nonstick Teflon-family coating.
- +50PTFE / Teflon confirmed
- +30Category baseline
- +15No PFAS disclosure. No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
95risk points, a grade of 5
No product on this page was physically tested by us. Every number above comes from published materials, ingredient and coating disclosures, certifications and brand statements, scored on one public rubric. Formulations change without notice, so check the current product listing before buying.
What to watch for in woks
Beyond the PFAS grade, these are the things our graders recorded on the 15 woks in this category. We assess from materials, brand statements and published research. We do not lab-test.
- Microplastics
Plastic fragments small enough to shed from a product into food, water or air without anyone seeing it.
Found on 2 of these woks. Plausible but unconfirmed on 2 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA
- Aluminium leaching
Aluminium migrating out of cookware, bakeware or an antiperspirant into food or skin.
Plausible but unconfirmed on 6 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. ATSDR
- VOCs and off-gassing
Volatile compounds that evaporate out of a material at room temperature, which is what a new product smell is.
Plausible but unconfirmed on 3 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. EPA
- Heavy metals
Metals such as antimony, nickel and chromium migrating from a material into what touches it.
Plausible but unconfirmed on 1 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. ATSDR
- Undisclosed ingredients
Not a chemical. The absence of one, where we found no statement from the brand about what it uses.
Found on 1 of these woks. Plausible but unconfirmed on 1 more, meaning nobody has ruled it out. FTC
The safest woks we graded, lowest PFAS risk first
- 1
No coating to fail
- carbon steel (bare metal, no coating)
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Iron leaching from bare metal surface
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- 2
- Stainless steel with no nonstick coating
- Metal leaching (chromium, nickel, iron)
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon - 3
- ceramic non-stick coating (ceramic-type)
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Ceramic coating degradation and substrate exposure
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- 4
- Nonstick ceramic-hybrid coating, composition unspecified
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Coating degradation and unknown leachables
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- 5
- Ceramic nonstick coating (composition unspecified)
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Ceramic coating degradation and aluminum leaching
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
What the evidence says about PFAS in woks
Many nonstick pans are coated with PTFE, a fluoropolymer that Minnesota’s cookware ban treats as a PFAS. Minnesota has banned cookware with intentionally added PFAS since January 2025, Colorado and Maine followed in January 2026, and more states follow through 2028. The US FDA authorizes PFAS in nonstick coatings and says only negligible amounts migrate to food, while Washington’s health department warns that pans that get too hot can release PFAS into the air. A PFOA-free label does not mean a pan is PFAS-free.
- Regulatory filingMinnesota has banned cookware with intentionally added PFAS since January 1, 2025, and its pollution control agency says Teflon, as a PFAS, is prohibited from use in cookware. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency ↗
- Regulatory filingColorado bans the sale of cookware with intentionally added PFAS from January 1, 2026. Colorado General Assembly ↗
- Regulatory filingMaine’s ban on selling cookware with intentionally added PFAS took effect on January 1, 2026. Maine Legislature ↗
- Regulatory filingRhode Island bans covered products with intentionally added PFAS, including cookware, from January 1, 2027. Rhode Island General Assembly ↗
- Regulatory filingConnecticut requires labels on cookware with intentionally added PFAS from July 2026 and bans it from January 1, 2028. Connecticut DEEP ↗
- Regulatory filingCalifornia has required cookware makers to disclose intentionally added chemicals from the state’s designated list online since 2023 and on labels since 2024. California Legislature ↗
- Regulatory filingA 2025 California bill to ban PFAS in cookware, SB 682, was vetoed over concerns about the availability of affordable cooking products. California Legislature ↗
- Regulatory filingThe US FDA lists nonstick coatings among the authorized uses of PFAS in food contact, and says studies show negligible amounts of PFAS in these coatings migrate to food. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe FDA says that, of these authorized uses, only paper and paperboard grease-proofing agents may result in dietary exposure to PFAS that could be a safety concern. US FDA ↗
- Independent testIn the Ecology Center’s 2020 testing, 79 percent of the cooking pans and 20 percent of the baking pans were coated with PTFE. Ecology Center ↗
- Independent testThe Ecology Center’s 2020 cookware testing found that PFOA-free does not mean PFAS-free, and that most pans labelled PFOA-free were coated with PTFE without clearly saying so. Ecology Center ↗
- Regulatory filingMinnesota’s health department says a PFOA free claim may mean a product contains trace PFOA and any amount of other PFAS. Minnesota Department of Health ↗
- Regulatory filingColorado prohibits cookware makers from claiming a product is free of PFAS unless no individual PFAS is intentionally added. Colorado General Assembly ↗
- Regulatory filingWashington’s health department says PFAS can escape from pans that are too hot and get into the air in your home. Washington State Department of Health ↗
Sources checked September 14, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.
You may also be interested in
Top-graded picks in the categories readers replace first, every one scored on the same rubric.
- polypropylene filter housing, carbon/sediment cartridge
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial growth in spent cartridges
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Aquasure
Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System
- RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Avocado
Vegan Mattress
- organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Heavy metals
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
All the woks that pass, side by side
Sorted by score. A higher score means lower PFAS risk.
| # | Woks | Score | Rating | Made of | Key concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Our Place Carbon Steel Wok | 100 | Excellent | carbon steel (bare metal, no coating) | Iron leaching from bare metal surface |
| 2 | Calphalon Premier Stainless Steel 13" Wok | 75 | Excellent | Stainless steel with no nonstick coating | Metal leaching (chromium, nickel, iron) |
| 3 | Le Creuset Essential Non-Stick Ceramic Wok | 70 | Good | ceramic non-stick coating (sol-gel based) | Ceramic coating degradation and substrate exposure |
| 4 | Our Place Always Pro Pan Vanilla Bean | 70 | Good | Nonstick ceramic-hybrid coating, composition unspecified | Coating degradation and unknown leachables |
| 5 | Our Place Large Always Pan | 70 | Good | Ceramic nonstick coating (composition unspecified) | Ceramic coating degradation and aluminum leaching |
The verdict on woks
Our Place Carbon Steel Wok grades 100 out of 100, the highest here. It is carbon steel (bare metal, no coating). The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified.
Choose Calphalon Premier Stainless Steel 13" Wok instead if you want a second option at 75 out of 100, stainless steel with no nonstick coating.
We hold no price data, so nothing here is a budget recommendation. Grades are model-based assessments from published materials and disclosures, not laboratory tests.
The woks we would skip
Lowest scoring in this category, worst first, with the reason.
- 5T-Fal Essentials Nonstick Jumbo WokBad
Teflon-type coating thermal decomposition (fume inhalation)
- 5Calphalon Signature Hard-Anodized Nonstick WokBad
Teflon-type coating degradation and fume inhalation
- 5T-fal Easy Care Nonstick Wok 14.25 inchBad
Teflon-type coating thermal decomposition fume release
What we check on woks
- Confirmed PFAS, PTFE or fluoropolymer content, which is the heaviest penalty we apply.
- Stain, water or grease resistant treatments, which usually mean fluorinated chemistry.
- Whether the brand discloses what is in the product, or stays silent behind a “clean” claim.
- Independent lab results and certifications where they exist.
Full point-by-point rubric on the methodology page.
Common questions about PFAS in woks
Are woks PFAS free?
10 of the 15 woks PFAS Authority has graded score below its 70 point pass mark for PFAS and other toxins, 66.7% of the category, as of November 2026, leaving 5 that pass. The highest graded is Our Place Carbon Steel Wok at 100 out of 100. The lowest graded is T-Fal Essentials Nonstick Jumbo Wok at 5 out of 100.
Are woks non-toxic?
5 of the 15 woks we graded clear our screen and 10 do not. Non-toxic is not a defined or regulated term, so what we can tell you is what our graders recorded. Beyond PFAS, the hazards found or left unruled-out on woks in this category are microplastics, aluminium leaching, VOCs and off-gassing, heavy metals, undisclosed ingredients. The highest graded here is Our Place Carbon Steel Wok at 100 out of 100.
Which are the safest woks to buy?
On our grades, Our Place Carbon Steel Wok at 100 out of 100, which we band as Excellent. Then Calphalon Premier Stainless Steel 13" Wok at 75. These are model-based assessments from published materials, ingredient lists, certifications and disclosures, not laboratory tests, so treat them as the lowest risk we can evidence rather than a safety guarantee.
Which woks grade best for PFAS?
Our Place Carbon Steel Wok, at 100 out of 100, which we band as Excellent. It is carbon steel (bare metal, no coating). The runner up is Calphalon Premier Stainless Steel 13" Wok at 75.
Which woks should I avoid?
The three lowest scoring we hold are T-Fal Essentials Nonstick Jumbo Wok at 5, Calphalon Signature Hard-Anodized Nonstick Wok at 5, T-fal Easy Care Nonstick Wok 14.25 inch at 5. The problem with the first is that skip if PFAS exposure concerns you; T-fal does not disclose PTFE-alternative or PFAS-free status.
Do you lab test woks?
No. We score from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, disclosures and third party lab results where they exist. Where a product has been independently tested we use that result and say so.
More kitchen and cooking categories we have graded
Same rubric, same scale. These are the categories closest to woks.
- Best non-toxic cookware312 graded
- Best non-toxic parchment paper275 graded
- Best non-toxic air fryers231 graded
- Best non-toxic bakeware168 graded
- Best non-toxic non-stick knife sets15 graded
- Best non-toxic nonstick saucepans15 graded
- Best non-toxic pressure cookers15 graded
- Best non-toxic roasting pans15 graded
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The products we score each week, and the best-graded alternative in every category.
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Does a particular brand of woks have PFAS?
Brands we grade across the catalogue
Everything we have scored from these brands, not just woks.
We also wrote this up at length. PFAS in Woks, the Pan Where Nonstick Makes the Least Sense
Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 15 woks.