Woks with Conor Pope

Tefal Jamie Oliver Stir Fry Pan, 99.95

Highs:This is a very shiny wok indeed. It comes with a heat-sensitive 'thermo-spot" at its centre which tells you when the pan is hot enough to start cooking on. It is non-stick, dishwasher safe and heavy enough to stay rock steady on the stove top. You can use metal implements on it without damaging the non-stick surface and its wide base means it can double up as a frying pan. Although the handle is metal it employs a "stay-cool technology" that seems to work.

Lows:At close to 100 you have to wonder how much extra you're paying to have Jamie Oliver's name attached to it - at least €30 we reckon. It has no lid, which was a shame and is a little on the shallow side, so vigorous stir-frying will lead to a little overspill.

Verdict:Good quality, high price

Star rating: ****

Hancock Wok, €15

Highs:Bought in an Asian market in Dublin, this 16in wok is the real deal. It is incredibly cheap and has no non-stickiness, "thermo-spots" or "stay-cool technology" to boast about. It is very wide and deep and heats up incredibly quickly. It is lovely to cook with once it has been seasoned properly. With the right care it will give you years of service, the makers promise.

Lows:And without that care you won't get more than a week out of it before it rusts to death. We found all the seasoning at the outset to be a bit tiresome, and while the rounded base does increase the surface area in direct contact with heat, it means you can't leave it unattended - but then you probably shouldn't do that anyway. This is the biggest of the woks tried and may not fit into most sinks.

Verdict:Cheap but fiddly.

Star rating: ***

Typhoon 14in, €36.50

Highs:This is very deep wok and at nearly a third of the price of the Jamie Oliver option is much better value. It may not be as fancy as some of the other options assessed but it is a good everyday wok which is very easy to use. It manages to be both lightweight and impressively solid. It has two handles which make it ideal for serving food from. It's widely available, non-stick, easy to clean and very versatile.

Lows:The absence of a lid is a minus, while the wooden handle does seem to stick out a lot from the stove top and on more than one occasion we came close to bringing an entire dish crashing down by brushing against it.

Verdict:Best value

Star rating: *****

Le Creuset Wok, €154.95

High:This very high-end wok marries a curved cooking interior with a flat exterior base, making it both steady and authentic. It comes in a range of colours and aesthetically is probably the most appealing of the woks we tried. The tempered glass lid is good and gives it increased versatility. It is certainly the heavyweight option and just taking it out of the cupboard really works the biceps. Treated well, it is durable enough to last at least several lifetimes.

Low:While its quality can't be faulted, we have some issues with its weight, size, metal handles and above all its price. It's very heavy so you can forget about tossing your vegetables about in it like a proper chef. It has two small metal handles which are useless when hot and it takes up a lot of room in the kitchen.

Verdict:Heavy on hands and wallet

Star rating: ***

Ken Hom Silver Hot Wok, €9.95

High:This is a dinky little wok that is easy to cook with and easy to clean. It heats up very fast and is lightweight. It comes with a lid, a wooden cooking implement and a small recipe book that will inevitably get discarded. And then there is the price - bought in Superquinn, it is, by any standard, incredibly cheap.

Low:It is, perhaps, too small for anything but the smallest of stir-fries and a single 280g bag of pre-prepared stir-fry vegetables and half a broccoli was almost enough to fill it, making it impossible to cook with any vigour unless you want to cover your stove top in food detritus. It also seemed a little flimsy, although you do get what you pay for.

Verdict:Cheap and easy but too small.

Star rating: ***