Signature Hard-Anodized Nonstick Wok vs Carbon Steel Wok: which is safer?

Our Place Carbon Steel Wok is the clear pick. Calphalon Signature Hard-Anodized Nonstick Wok carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Calphalon Signature Hard-Anodized Nonstick Wok

Calphalon

Signature Hard-Anodized Nonstick Wok

PFAS grade

Bad 5/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Hard-anodized aluminum with Teflon-type coating-based nonstick coating

Confidence

78%

ReportedTeflon-type coating degradation and fume inhalation

PossibleCoating peeling and microparticle ingestion

LikelyPFAS exposure from nonstick manufacturing and use

Our pick

Our Place Carbon Steel Wok

Our Place

Carbon Steel Wok

PFAS grade

Excellent 100/100

Overall grade

Excellent 78/100

Verdict

Buy with care

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

carbon steel (bare metal, no coating)

Confidence

85%

PossibleIron leaching from bare metal surface

LikelyRust formation from improper storage or care

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag PTFE coating degradation and fume inhalation, Coating peeling and microparticle ingestion and PFAS exposure from nonstick manufacturing and use on the Calphalon and not on the Our Place.
  • We flag Iron leaching from bare metal surface and Rust formation from improper storage or care on the Our Place and not on the Calphalon.
  • The Calphalon is Hard-anodized aluminum with PTFE-based nonstick coating where the Our Place is carbon steel (bare metal, no coating), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 95 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Our Place is the one to buy.

Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More woks: see the full ranking