The invention is a dimpled wok. A wok, or any other bowl-shaped cooking surface, is fitted with one or more discrete cooking surfaces along the inner sloping walls. The discrete cooking surfaces, which are containers for food, may be bowl-shaped, creating dimples in the pan, or they may be oval with flat bottoms, or they may resemble a shelf. The discrete cooking surfaces have lower cooking temperatures than the bottom and walls of the pan. This allows food to be pushed, conveniently and easily, away from the high-temperature cooking that takes place at the bottom of the pan, and into the separate discrete cooking surfaces, where the food may be held to be warmed, and not overcooked. The dimpled wok may be an electric wok, equipped with a central heating element, or a heating element in each of the dimples.

An induction cooking system suitable for use with a round-bottom wok is disclosed. The system includes a cooking vessel made from an induction suitable material, a base unit having an upper surface, and an induction coil and electric generator housed therein, and a control interface positioned on the base and electronically coupled to the electric generator. The upper surface of the base unit made from a ceramic and is concave to allow seating of the round-bottom wok cooking vessel on the surface. The upper surface of the base unit may include a rim at a top-most edge made of a non-magnetic material to create a gap between the upper surface and the round-bottom wok cooking vessel when seated. Preferably, the gap is greater at the center of the upper surface than at the rim of the upper surface.

An induction cooking system suitable for use with a round-bottom wok is disclosed. The system includes a cooking vessel made from an induction suitable material, a base unit having an upper surface, and an induction coil and electric generator housed therein, and a control interface positioned on the base and electronically coupled to the electric generator. The upper surface of the base unit made from a ceramic and is concave to allow seating of the round-bottom wok cooking vessel on the surface. The upper surface of the base unit may include a rim at a top-most edge made of a non-magnetic material to create a gap between the upper surface and the round-bottom wok cooking vessel when seated. Preferably, the gap is greater at the center of the upper surface than at the rim of the upper surface.