It absolutely matters and there is a ton of different sizes. It entirely depends on how big the dishes you are cooking will be. For a single or double serving, get a smaller wok, around 12 inches. For about 4 servings, grab a 14-inch wok. The more you fill up a wok, the cooler the overall temperature.
I use a 12.5-inch wok for 2 adults and 2 kids and it’s a struggle not only in keeping things evenly heated but also in that you should be able to get a nice stirring motion with some dishes like fried rice and you simply can’t get that if you fill it too much. You usually want to fill it to a maximum of 1/3rd and I’ve found myself getting close to that limit, if not slightly over it. That said apparently a 12.5-inch wok is fine for 2-4 people but not much more. So it could just be my novice cooking skills. I hesitate to get a bigger wok because they do take up a ton of space. I leave mine on the stove and it’s constantly used for everything from eggs to fish to sauces. It’s a pan+pot combo for everything. I deep-fried chips with it this weekend and it was the best deep-frying experience I had. Super easy to clean up and less mess overall on the stove.
Lastly, I forgot to mention the best thing. Any utensil works with a wok. You don’t need to worry about scratching it. You can’t hurt it. It’s just a piece of metal that’s had oil slightly cooked onto it so it sticks.
It absolutely matters and there is a ton of different sizes. It entirely depends on how big the dishes you are cooking will be. For a single or double serving, get a smaller wok, around 12 inches. For about 4 servings, grab a 14-inch wok. The more you fill up a wok, the cooler the overall temperature.
I use a 12.5-inch wok for 2 adults and 2 kids and it’s a struggle not only in keeping things evenly heated but also in that you should be able to get a nice stirring motion with some dishes like fried rice and you simply can’t get that if you fill it too much. You usually want to fill it to a maximum of 1/3rd and I’ve found myself getting close to that limit, if not slightly over it. That said apparently a 12.5-inch wok is fine for 2-4 people but not much more. So it could just be my novice cooking skills. I hesitate to get a bigger wok because they do take up a ton of space. I leave mine on the stove and it’s constantly used for everything from eggs to fish to sauces. It’s a pan+pot combo for everything. I deep-fried chips with it this weekend and it was the best deep-frying experience I had. Super easy to clean up and less mess overall on the stove.
Lastly, I forgot to mention the best thing. Any utensil works with a wok. You don’t need to worry about scratching it. You can’t hurt it. It’s just a piece of metal that’s had oil slightly cooked onto it so it sticks.