Buying the best wok will give you the perfect tool to cook authentic Asian dishes and quick and easy stir-fries.
With a deep and wide design, woks have the perfect shape for tossing vegetables and rice in soy sauce, and if you place them on a flame, the heat will spread along the sides of the wok to create super speedy dishes.
The quick list
1. HexClad
30m Hybrid Wok
This HexClad wok wowed our reviewer during testing after she used it to make a sticky chilli paneer and stir fry. She was especially impressed with its non-stick capabilities, even at an exceptionally high heat. The only downside is that it’s quite weighty, at 1.6kg, in your hand.
Read more below
2. Stellar
Rocktanium Non-Stick Wok
Stellar is one of the Ideal Home team’s favourite cookware brands so its no surprise that the brand’s wok is high on this list. It withstands scratches well and the curved handle is easy to hold. It’s oven-safe and all-hob-types-compatible too!
Read more below
3. Ninja
Foodi ZeroStick 28cm Wok
Ninja’s ZeroStick range is a favourite of our Editor Heather, with the non-stick capability apply to this fantastic wok too which also comes with a glass lid. Though it’s a little heavy, it worked a dream for cooking notoriously sticky foods like eggs in a fried rice.
Read more below
Best wok overall
When our expert reviewer Helen McCue tried HexClad’s 7-piece pan set out, one of her highlights was the brand’s wok. First, she used it to make a sticky chilli paneer dish to begin with and found that it cooked excellently on a medium heat.
She also made several vegetable stir fries in it. After these tests, she reported that the wok was roomy, with ample space for tossing the ingredients in the signature stir fry way. Her biggest downside with the wok was that it was pretty heavy when full (it weighed in at 1.6kg on her scales before cooking). That meant that tossing her stir fries ended up being a two-handed affair.
The reason it’s our number one pick is that the non-stick tech with this wok works so well, meaning there was never any sticking during cooking – even on a high heat. Perfect for electric and induction hobs, it’s a total crowd pleaser.
Helen’s 7-Piece HexClad Hybrid Cookware Set review has the full details.
Best wok for an induction hob
The Stellar Rocktanium Non-Stick Wok is a fantastic pick for most homes, especially those with an induction hob. It’s a far cry from traditional steel designs, and therefore takes a little longer to initially heat up, but the non-stick design is very high quality and will withstand scratches. It can also take a lot of heat to replicate the flash-fried results you’re looking for.
What’s more, it’s oven-safe up to 210 degrees, and it’s got a very generous capacity thanks to the 30cm width. This is a large design and therefore carries a substantial weight, but our reviewer Millie found the curved handle is very easy to hold. Should you want to take it out of the oven, you can hold the handle on the other side of the wok to keep things sturdy.
The flat bottom is suitable for all types of hobs, but the curved sides are ideal for authentically tossing your stir fry ingredients.
Best non-stick wok
The Ninja Foodi ZEROSTICK range continues to impress us with its hardy design. The Ninja Foodi ZEROSTICK 28cm Wok is a little heavy, but it comes with a lid included to steam or keep the heat in, and this can also be used on the 28cm frying pans.
We particularly enjoy the quality of the non-stick on this wok. It’s scratch-resistant and during testing, we enjoyed using metal utensils to stir egg fried rice and sticky chicken as it cooked. The range is also oven-safe up to 260 degrees.
You can use this wok on hobs of all types, and because of the quality of the non-stick, you don’t need to use much oil to prevent food from sticking or burning to the base. It’s also covered by a ten-year guarantee.
How we tested these woks
When testing we considered how fast the wok heated, and how evenly. After all, when cooking with a wok, you’re usually in a hurry to stir-fry a quick and healthy dinner.
Another factor we took seriously was the material used in construction. Carbon steel is the material of choice for most cooks, but these woks are becoming tricky to come by on the mass market, and have been replaced by durable non-stick that aims to replicate its lightweight design.
However, you won’t be able to season your non-stick as any remnants will wash away after cooking.
The balance of the wok was a big factor, because it should be able to support itself when left on the hob. However, the handle should also be sturdy enough to flip the wok when cooking, without the bowl being too heavy.
Image 1 of 7
Like with saucepan sets, most people will prefer a non-stick wok for the convenience of dishwasher cleaning, which is why we included specifically non-stick choces.
It’s less authentic than the carbon steel woks traditionally used in Chinese cooking, but non-stick will be able to withstand the high temperatures of the hob, even on full blast (which is something we tried out!). You won’t get the same charring that you’d find with cast iron or steel, but non-stick pans are often lighter, too.
It’s important to choose a wok with a handle that makes you feel safe, which is another factor that we applied to our testing process.. Many metal handles will heat up after prolonged use, but if you opt for one with a keep-cool handle, you won’t be able to put the wok in the oven.
It’s not essential to have a lid for your wok, but we tested options in this guide with ones, so that we could see the difference. A glass lid will let you look in to see how your meal is coming along, and they may come with a vent to let out moisture and keep your wok from bubbling over.
Read the full article here