The 8 Best Electric Woks and Electric Frypans for 2023

1. Breville the Hot Wok & Steam

Simply the best electric wok, better than all the rest!

The Breville Hot Wok and Steam is, quite simply, the best electric wok on the market in Australia for most users. Like its traditional manual counterpart, the Breville Hot Wok heats up quickly, able to generate temperatures of up to 218 degrees Celsius thanks to its 2400 watt heating element, to evenly distribute heat across the wok’s entire 8L capacity. While it won't heat up quite as fast as a carbon steel wok, it will come pretty darn close.

The Hot Wok has precision temperature control with many different cooking settings: it can sautée, boil, caramalise, simmer and steam, and is excellent for making stir fries, curries, hot pots and so much more. It even comes with a stainless steel steaming tray that can be set within the wok bowl.

The bowl locks in during cooking, making it more secure and less messy than traditional woks for the average home cook—and to clean up, simply unlock the bowl from the heating element and throw it in the dishwasher: it’s dishwasher safe, as is its tempered glass lid!

It is probably the most expensive option available in Australia, but with its many cooking functions, ease of cleaning and strong reviews, the Breville Hot Wok and Steam is well worth the investment.

2. Breville the Thermo Pro Stainless

The best stainless steel electric frypan

The Breville Thermo Pro Stainless is easily the best electric frying pan on this list. Though electric frying pans are not generally optimised for cooking stir fries and Asian dishes like an electric wok, there is still plenty the Thermo Pro Stainless can do and do well. As a banquet frypan, it can cook up plenty of food for a large family or gathering.

It has 5 intuitive cooking settings: Simmer, Sautee, Keep Warm, Pan Fry and Sear. These last two in particular the Thermo Pro can do better than an electric wok, given the electric frypan’s large, flat stainless steel surface.

With a 2400 watt heating element, Breville the Thermo Pro will cook enough food for a large family thoroughly and quickly, and retain and evenly distribute that heat. The steel base is non stick coated (BFOA-free, of course) for easy cleaning—however, this electric frying pan does not seem to be dishwasher safe.  

On the plus side, this Thermal Pro Stainless Steel electric frying pan is covered by a 25-year warranty guarantee on the cooking surface, making it an excellent long-term investment that will give you peace of mind and excellent value for money. Add to that the bonus trivet for steaming and roasting that comes in the box and you’ll have no doubt why this is our pick for best electric frying pan in Australia.

3. Breville the Thermo Pro Non-Stick

The best non-stick electric fry pan

Another excellent banquet-style electric frypan, the Breville Thermo Pro Non-Stick, is the one we recommend to those looking for a non-stick model. It possesses the same 5 setting heating control and 2400 watt heating element as the Thermo Pro Stainless and can be used for sauteing, simmering, warming, pan frying and searing, as well as roasting and steaming thanks to the included trivet.

The major difference between the Thermo Pro Stainless and the Thermo Pro Non-Stick is the material of the cooking surface: the Thermo Pro Non-Stick has—you guessed it—a black non-stick rather than stainless steel surface—still BFOA-free, to prevent food from sticking without harmful man-made chemicals leaching into your food or our waterways. This model also only comes in grey, so it’s not as nice-looking as other more expensive frypans.

The lack of stainless steel also means the Thermo Pro Non-Stick does not come with the same 25-year guarantee as its shinier older brother. But with the significantly lower price, it provides the best value for money out of all the models of nonstick electric frypans on this list.

4. Sunbeam DiamondForce Banquet Electric Frying Pan

Affordable electric frypan that’s easy to use

If you're in the market for a new electric frying pan, but don't want to break the bank, the Sunbeam DiamondForce Banquet Electric Frying Pan is definitely worth considering. This pan packs a powerful 2400W punch, making it perfect for those who want to cook up a storm on a weekly basis. Whether you're whipping up breakfast eggs, roasting a chicken, preparing a casserole, or even cooking soups, this pan is more than capable of handling it all.

One of the best things about this electric frying pan is its generous size. Measuring 380 x 295 mm, it's large enough to accommodate large servings and it’s quite deep too, making it the perfect choice for family dinners or even banquet style dinner parties. And, once you're done cooking, you'll love how easy it is to clean. Simply pop it in the dishwasher and you're done!

Now, it's important to note that this pan is not going to give you the same level of performance as a premium electric frying pan. The non-stick surface may get scratched over time and the temperature control may not be as precise as more expensive models, but for the price, the performance is more than acceptable.

5. Breville the Quick Wok

Compact, fast and budget friendly

The Breville Quick Wok is the smaller cousin of Breville’s Hot Wok and Steam, and the best affordable electric wok currently available. With an emphasis on minimalist design, compact size and fast cooking like a traditional wok, this 5L capacity electric wok with lid made from tempered glass, boasts a high powered “butterfly” element with fast even heat distribution from the base all the way up into the wok’s deep sides. 

The Quick Wok features 10 numerical temperature settings, which again does rely on you to have some idea of the proper cooking setting for whatever dish you may be cooking, but it also gives you greater ability to adjust and fine-tune the temperature to make perfectly cooked food every time. Its non-stick surface is easy to clean and dishwasher-safe. 

The Quick Wok’s smaller size makes for easier storage while being perfectly sized to cook for small families, couples and singles, with strong cooking power and efficiency like its more expensive counterpart.

6. Singer 4.5L Electric Frying Pan

A good choice for cooking small portions and saving space in the kitchen

The Singer 4.5L Electric Frying Pan is a charming little kitchen gadget that's perfect for those who love cooking and want a compact solution. With a 4.5-litre capacity and a 30x30 cm frying surface, it's ideal for small families or solo chefs.

Cooking with this electric frypan is a breeze thanks to its non-stick surface, making cleanup a snap. And its 8 cm depth means you can cook a variety of delicious dishes, including steaks, bacon and eggs, and even casseroles and soups.

We like its temperature control, allowing you to cook your food just the way you like it. Although it's not as powerful as some other electric frypans, with a 1500W power rating, it still gets the job done!

We do have one small drawback to mention: the dishwasher safety of this electric frypan couldn't be verified. But, with its compact size, cleaning it by hand isn't such a big deal, especially if you're a pro at doing the dishes!

7. Anko Electric Frypan

Cheap but powerful

The Anko Electric Frypan is one of the best cheap electric frypans available: no frills but all powerful. It heats up quickly with a 2400 watt element comparable to the more expensive models and brands, with a large deep pan big enough to feed the entire household. This electric frypan is non-stick and comes with a glass lid, power cord and a removable dial-operated temperature probe, featuring an array of different settings for all your cooking needs.

There are no extra features on this one: the benefits here stem from the outcomes rather than any extra capabilities, focusing on simplicity, reliability and affordability.

You might be alarmed to learn this electric frypan is also available at most K-Mart stores, but don’t let that fool you—with strong reviews and strong cooking performance, this unlikely contender is perhaps one of the best cheap electric frypans on the market.

8. Sunbeam DiamondForce Electric Skillet

Best for couples and singles

The best electric skillet in the Australian market right now is the Sunbeam DiamondForce Electric Skillet, a small electric frypan that is worth every cent at only around $50 (RRP is $65, but you can often find it for less) and will become your new best friend in the kitchen.

Whether you're a couple, a single, or cooking for yourself and the kids, this electric skillet is perfect for whipping up small dishes like eggs, chicken, steaks, burgers, and pancakes.

With its even and quick heating, you'll be able to cook better than ever before. Plus, the non-stick surface makes cleaning a breeze. And at only 25 cm in diameter, this compact electric skillet not only saves space but doubles as a mini oven. The high-domed lid transforms it into a cooking machine for small roasts and steaming.

With 10 temperature settings and 1200 watts of power, this electric skillet packs a punch in a small package, plus it's dishwasher safe and powerful enough to handle any cooking task. Highly recommended!

The two main types of this particular kitchen tool, each with distinct pros and cons, are electric woks and electric frypans. You may see the term electric skillet come up occasionally as well, but these generally fit within the second category. Which one you choose depends entirely on your needs—mainly the types of food you’ll be cooking, and the volume of food you need to feed your household.

Electric Wok

Electric woks are all about fast cooking at high temperatures, making them the optimal choice if you cook lots of stir fries, curries, hot pots and other saucy foods. Electric woks heat quickly and are extra deep, generally have higher capacities for a larger quantity of food. If you're making saucy foods, electric woks are great for getting all the food coated evenly.

Electric woks can do most things well, able to stir fry, deep fry, sear, caramelise, simmer and braise—however they are not optimal for cooking foods requiring a flat surface, like steak, and are not suitable at all for foods like roast meats.

Since electric woks are locked in during cooking, you need to make sure you are regularly stirring and keeping an eye on the food, especially when using high temperatures, to prevent food from burning and adhering to the surface. This means you can’t just walk away during cooking.

They are however typically easy to clean with non-stick coatings that prevent food from sticking and easy detachment from the cooking element, but their large size can make them unsuitable for small kitchens or fitting them inside the dishwasher.

Electric Frypan

Electric frypans are a good all-rounder, able to cook a range of delicious dishes at a variety of different temperature settings. They are great for roasting, searing, grilling and sauteeing but not well suited for cooking stir fries—though of course you still could. Most electric frypans have excellent heat distribution just like their wok counterparts and heat up quickly, albeit not quite as fast as a wok, due to the flatter shape.

Also due to their shape, electric frypans don’t generally have same volume capacity as most electric woks, and may not be as optimised for cooking saucy foods, but they can still cook plenty if food to feed a family without all the mess of several pots and pans. However, their flat surface and wide space give electric frypans an advantage over electric woks if you prefer eating foods like roasted meats, roasted or grilled vegetables, steaks and chicken pieces.

The great thing about electric frypans is that for many foods needing a bit of time to cook, you can “set and forget” without worrying—these frypans are well suited to long cooking on lower settings with minimal risk of burning. Of course, the heating control is a little less precise in most models, so getting to know the best temperature settings for your food can involve some initial guesswork. This can be a double-edged sword, at least until you’ve cooked with it a few times. It really depends on the model and how intuitive or self-explanatory each model’s temperature control is.

The one unique downside of electric frypans is, with a few exceptions, that the fats and oils from foods, particularly meats, can collect and soak into your food. Some electric frypans have features to help drain fats away from the food, but only one from this list. This could be a bit of a turn-off for health conscious buyers.