If you thought the best woks were only good for a stir fry, think again – there’s a reason they’re an essential cooking tool in East, South and Southeast Asian homes across the world. The deep, traditionally round-bottomed pan can perform a multitude of cooking duties, from frying to searing, braising, steaming, stewing, and even dry roasting ingredients like whole spices and nuts.
Woks are also best known for imparting “wok hei”, a Cantonese term that translates to “breath of the wok”. It refers to the distinct charred, smoky flavor that results from stir-frying dishes over a big flame. The curved shape of the wok distributes heat from the flames very efficiently, making it ideal for cooking ingredients over a high heat and producing those authentic flavours.
However, modern woks are increasingly designed to be flat-bottomed to meet the needs of the rising number of homes that use electric or induction stoves. While woks were traditionally quite large and made from carbon steel or cast iron, they are now available in different sizes and in materials such as stainless steel, aluminium, and non-stick options to suit a wide range of households.
So crank the heat up on your stove and get ready to fry, steam and braise your way to deliciousness with my round-up of the best woks.
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The best woks for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Yosukata pre-seasoned blue carbon steel wok: £81.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget wok – School of Wok 10.5-inch carbon steel wok: £27, Schoolofwok.co.uk
- Best for large families – Hexclad hybrid wok: £179, Hexclad.co.uk
- Best for small households – ProCook professional stainless steel wok: £109, Procook.co.uk
How I tested
Each wok was tested on the same electric stove and used to cook a wide variety of dishes that required different cooking methods, including stir frying, steaming, braising, and dry roasting. From non-stick performance to heat distribution and, of course, value for money, keep scrolling to the bottom of this review to read my full testing criteria.
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Yosukata pre-seasoned blue carbon steel wok
Best: wok overall
Size: 34cm
Weight: 1.85kg
Material: Carbon steel
Hob compatibility: All
Dishwasher safe: No
Why we love it
- Comfortable to hold and toss ingredients
- Heats evenly and efficiently
- Robust and sturdy
- Pre-seasoned
Take note
- Lid available separately
- Needs re-seasoning
Yosukata’s pre-seasoned blue carbon steel wok is the best wok I tested and an excellent all-rounder. Food glides around the wok effortlessly, even fried rice which is notorious for sticking to pans without non-stick coatings. I found that it heated up very quickly and evenly, so it’s perfect for stir frying.
The high sides meant I could toss the ingredients around without worrying anything would fly out of the pan. Despite being non-stick, it’s also great for searing and braising meat. In order to steam foods in this wok, you need a lid, which is sold separately (£39.99, Amazon.co.uk), and a steamer basket that is easily available online or in Asian supermarkets.
I appreciated how heavy and sturdy the Yosukata wok is, clearly made to last a long time. The longer wooden handle is smooth and makes it comfortable to hold up the weight, even while tossing ingredients over the heat of the stove. It comes pre-seasoned, but the care guide advises seasoning it with oil before the very first use to “enhance performance”. I followed these instructions and I was really impressed by the results.
The blue carbon steel does more than give the wok an attractive colour. It makes the wok lighter than traditional cast iron and keeps it highly durable, thanks to a specialised heat treatment process that creates a protective layer of blue-tinted iron oxide on the surface. This also makes it more rust-resistant than raw carbon steel, but you must still maintain it by re-seasoning regularly to maintain the natural non-stick surface.
Buy now £81.99, Amazon.co.uk
School of Wok 10.5-inch carbon steel wok
Best: budget wok
Size: 27cm
Weight: 826g
Material: Carbon steel and bamboo
Hob compatibility: All
Dishwasher safe: No
Why we love it
- Lightweight and easy to handle
- Heats efficiently
- Budget-friendly
Take note
- May need regular seasoning
School of Wok’s carbon steel wok is the best value for money wok that I’ve found. The brand is founded by celebrity chef Jeremy Pang, so I had high hopes and fortunately it lived up to the expectation. For less than £30, this wok delivers great performance and is the perfect introduction to Asian cooking.
It’s the lightest wok of all the woks I tested at less than a kilo, making it very easy to handle. It cooks up meals for one to three people easily and quickly, so getting dinner on the table midweek was stress-free.
The bamboo handle is a comfortable thickness to grip onto and comes with a little metal loop at the end so you can hang the wok up on a hook, freeing up precious cupboard space. I liked having it on display too, as it looks quite sleek and modern.
As the wok is made from carbon steel, it does need re-seasoning over time, but it will become more non-stick the more you do this.
Buy now £27, Schoolofwok.co.uk
ProCook professional stainless steel wok
Best: wok for small households
Size: 26cm
Weight: 1.3kg/2.8lbs
Material: Stainless steel
Hob compatibility: All
Dishwasher safe: Yes
Why we love it
- Perfect size for couples and small families
- Excellent at searing and stir frying
- Lightweight
Take note
- Requires more oil to avoid burning and sticking
- No lid
I loved how light yet robust ProCook’s professional stainless steel wok felt from the get-go. It’s a really comfortable weight, especially if lifting heavy pans isn’t accessible for you and its compact size means it’s the best wok for small households.
The handle is stainless steel, but stays cool to the touch even when the wok itself is hot. I found really useful as I didn’t have to faff around with oven mitts or tea towels when dishing up.
The uncoated stainless steel meant that never had to worry about a non-stick coating peeling or flaking into my food, but it does take some getting used to. If there’s not enough oil in the pan or it’s not quite hot enough, then food does tend to stick to the wok – especially ingredients like rice or eggs. However, it just takes a bit of practice to understand how to use this wok to the best of its abilities.
It is especially great for searing and stir frying, with delicious results, but it does not have a lid so it can’t be used for steaming.
Buy now £60, Procook.co.uk
Le Creuset toughened non-stick wok
Best: lightweight wok
Size: 26cm
Weight: 1kg
Material: Hard anodised aluminium
Hob compatibility: All (avoid 'boost' function on induction hobs)
Dishwasher safe: Yes, but hand-washing recommended
Why we love it
- Deep with high sides designed for tossing
- Surprisingly lightweight
- Long handle that stays cool
Take note
- No lid
For a brand that is known for producing very heavy cast iron pots and pans, Le Creuset’s toughened non-stick wok is surprisingly light and agile. I was really impressed by how well crafted the wok is, from the high sides that give it a deep, curved shape, to the balance of the wok when held aloft with the long handle.
I had a firm, comfortable grip on the handle and the helper handle is wide, giving more stability when the wok is filled with food.
It has a flat bottom so it can be used on electric and induction hobs, but I think it will perform well over an outdoor fire if you fancy capturing a bit of “wok hei” in your summertime cooking.
It heats really evenly, which came in handy when dry roasting coconut flakes – it only took a few minutes to get the coconut flakes brown and toasty. However, be careful not to cook over too high a heat as this can damage the non-stick coating. You really don’t need that much heat with this wok anyway thanks to how evenly it heats up, even for searing.
Buy now £132, Lecreuset.co.uk
Hexclad hybrid wok
Best: wok for large families
Size: 35cm
Weight: 2kg
Material: Stainless steel and ceramic
Hob compatibility: All
Dishwasher safe: Yes
Why we love it
- Wide and shallow, so cooks really evenly
- Surprisingly lightweight for its size
- Comes with domed lid
Take note
- Textured coating may feel and sound odd
- Takes up a lot of hob space
Hexclad is a favourite among top chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Clare Smyth and Paul Ainsworth and it’s not hard to see why. Its pans are sleek, stylish and performs really well, and the Hexclad hybrid wok is no exception.
I was impressed by how quickly and evenly the Hexclad wok heated up despite its size. I particularly like how versatile it is, as it comes with a domed tempered glass lid that is perfect for steaming and is oven-safe up to 200C. Washing up is effortless and if you want to spend even less time doing dishes, there’s good news – it’s dishwasher-safe.
The brand’s signature hexagonal non-stick design really delivers, with food gliding around the pan with zero resistance. Unlike a lot of non-stick pans, I like that you can use metal utensils with it. Though the sound of any utensil scraping along the coating can be a bit strange and takes some getting used to.
The wok has short handles that stay cool even when the hob is raging hot, which is very useful. But it can also make it awkward if you need to lift the pan to get food into a plate or bowl, so you might need a second pair of hands to help out.
Buy now £179, Hexclad.co.uk
Stellar rocktanium non-stick wok
Best: non-stick wok
Size: 30cm
Weight: 1.5kg
Material: Aluminium
Hob compatibility: All
Dishwasher safe: Yes
Why we love it
- Effective non-stick
- Scratch resistant
- Comes with lid
Take note
- Handles get hot, so extra care is needed
The Stellar rocktanium non-stick wok felt very sturdy, thanks to the thick construction that makes it more resistant to scratches. It’s the best non-stick wok I tried and it worked a treat with foods like eggs that lifted easily from the pan. I also found that less oil is needed because of how effective the non-stick is, which is great for cooking healthier meals.
The size of the Stellar wok makes it a good option for cooking big meals, which can be separated into batches for freezing ahead. Plus it comes with a lid, making it perfect for steaming.
However, I did find the two handles - especially the smaller helper handle - became hotter compared to the other woks I tested while cooking, so you need to take extra care and use oven mitts or a tea towel. Apart from that, this is a solid, dependable non-stick wok that washes up easily and can help reduce the use of oils in your cooking.
Buy now £46.52, Stellar.co.uk
Your questions on woks answered
What is the best wok?
These days, woks are so much more versatile thanks to the introduction of flat-bottomed woks that can be used on electric and induction hobs as well as on gas stoves. The best wok I tested was Yosukata’s blue carbon steel wok , which blended modernity and tradition really beautifully. It does require more maintenance than its non-stick counterparts but it is worth the effort for a cooking tool that will last for years and become more non-stick the more you cook with and season it.
Meanwhile, I found myself regularly reaching for ProCook’s stainless steel wok – it’s excellent for everyday use, as it is small and versatile enough to cook just about anything in. Hexclad’s wok is an expensive investment, but is a brilliant size for larger families and the non-stick makes for easy clean-up, as does the Stellar rocktanium wok.
You also don’t have to spend a fortune to get a high-performing wok, as proven by School of Wok’s carbon steel wok, which is much more budget-friendly but delivers great results.
How I tested woks
While stir frying, steaming, braising, and dry roasting, I rated each wok on several factors, including:
How to season a wok
Seasoning your wok improves its durability, enhances its non-stick abilities and adds a depth of flavour to your food. Some woks come pre-seasoned, but even these will need re-seasoning over time. To start, thoroughly wash the wok in hot, soapy water to remove the anti-rust coating added during manufacturing. Make sure the wok is bone dry before placing it on the stove.
Place the wok on a high heat until it begins to lightly smoke. Then add around a tablespoon of oil with a high heating point to the wok, such as vegetable or peanut oil. Swirl the wok and use a paper towel to ensure the whole of the inside is coated in the oil. Allow it to reach smoking point again and repeat this process two to three times, leaving the wok to cool before adding more oil.
You’ll know when your wok is properly seasoned, as the inner surface will have a matte finish and darker colour.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Kate Ng is a former lifestyle reporter for The Independent and continues to write about food, cooking and health. She has previously pitted budget and luxury saucepans against each other and reviewed Tom Kerridge’s cookware range for IndyBest, making her well-placed to test the best woks. As with all IndyBest reviews, the products were tested in real-world settings to bring you practical recommendations.
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