The best woks for stir fries and fakeaways, put to the test in our kitchen

Why should you trust the Good Housekeeping Institute?

It’s frustrating when your stir fry and noodles stick to the bottom of the wok, so our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have spent countless hours cooking with all these woks to find the best for your kitchen.

A carefully curated menu of staple dishes has been designed by our homes testing manager, Blossom Boothroyd, so our testers can put each to the test against their claims, as you would use them at home.

Our senior homes writer Megan Geall is also a keen cook and has spent time getting to grips with her wok in the kitchen, so she knows what makes a multitasking buy. She also writes about kitchen products day-in-day-out and keeps up to date with the latest innovations, to ensure she's asking all the right questions before she publishes our reviews.

The verdict: What is the best wok?

Le Creuset has a stellar reputation for a reason and the Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick Wok is here to add more fire to its flame. No ingredients stuck and mixing everything together was simple thanks to the wok's deep design.

But for a more affordable pick, we love the Tefal Titanium Stone Wok 28cm, which was comfortable to use, well-designed, and delivered an excellent cooking performance in the lab.

How to choose a wok

With so many styles to choose from, it’s important to focus on the best work for you. This depends on what you’re planning to cook most regularly, the size of your kitchen, and your budget. These are the things to consider before buying.

Base: To circulate heat evenly, traditional woks have a rounded bottom, but this means they can be tricky to balance on all hobs. Flat-bottomed woks are a good pick for gas hobs where stability is a priority.

Handles: Woks tend to either have one long handle for easy tossing and turning, or two smaller C-shaped handles for manoeuvrability. However, there are some hybrid models that have a long handle on one side and a small grip handle on the other.

Size: Woks vary in size, with smaller ones typically measuring about 24cm in diameter and larger family models going up to 35cm. It’s important to think about how many people you’ll be cooking for and how much storage space you have.

Lid: Although a lid isn’t necessary for a stir fry, if you’re planning on steaming, stewing or braising in your wok, then you may want to consider purchasing one with a lid. We recommend glass lids so you can keep an eye on your food without having to lift it and lose the heat.

Hob compatibility: As with all pans, you’ll need to make sure your wok works with your hob type. We’ve listed this in the key specifications for each model so double check before popping one in your basket!

What are the different wok materials?

Although traditional carbon steel and cast iron woks are favoured by chefs, we’ve focused on aluminium and stainless steel woks in our testing. Requiring less maintenance, these models are generally a better fit for the average kitchen, as well as being much cheaper.

Here's a quick rundown on the different materials.

Carbon steel: The first choice for chefs, these traditional works need to be seasoned with oil (and heat) before use to build up their non-stick surface and patina (that dark layer in the pan with all the flavour). This material offers good heat conductivity but isn’t dishwasher friendly. Look after a carbon steel wok properly, though, and it should last a lifetime.

Cast iron: These woks are fantastic heat conductors, but are usually heavy, making them trickier to flip and toss with. They also have to be seasoned (with oil and heat) to prevent rusting and achieve that authentic taste.

Stainless steel: Though naturally non-stick and typically dishwasher-friendly, stainless steel woks aren't always the most efficient, especially when it comes to heat distribution, but they are lower maintenance and easier to clean.

Aluminium: Aluminium woks are great when it comes to heat distribution – making them ideal for stir fry fans. They can take a little longer to heat up but are usually non-stick.

What are the essential tools for cooking with a wok?

As woks can make such a wide range of dishes, it’s useful to have some tools on hand for specific tasks. These are the ones we recommend.

• U-Taste Extra Long Silicone Wok Spatula: Flipping, turning, stirring, and spreading, a spatula is an incredibly versatile tool that can help disperse sauces and coat noodles.
• Woodenhouse Store Wooden Ladle: Perfect for adding sauces or water to your wok as well as removing ingredients.
• Doosu Kitchen Tongs: As you’ll be working with high heats, tongs provide an extra layer of safety by keeping your hands further away from the cooking surface. They also provide precision and control when flipping.
• Yfwood Spider Skimmer: A wise buy if you’re planning on deep frying food like dumplings.
• Bamboo Dish Brush: Bamboo brushes help remove stuck-on food and oil without scraping off the pan’s seasoning (patina). They’re particularly useful for carbon steel woks.