This is the third Tefal product I've added to my pots and pans family. I am replacing all my old ones including stones and other premium non-sticks. They all have consistent quality so you know exactly how they will perform. The non-stick coating is far better than any other brands. Literally nothing sticks to it. Don't even need any scrubbing power when cleaning. Just rinse and wipe and everything is gone. And just to test my laziness to the next level, I have also washed it in the dish washer numerous times and it is completely unaffected.
The size of this wok is slightly smaller than the traditional wok but is suitable for a family of 3-4 people.
Unlimited Premium Induction Sautepan + Lid 24cm / 3.2L
The Tefal 24cm saute-pan was relatively lightweight.
It provided a wonderful cooking experience for everything from scrambled eggs to fried eggs (with or without oil) to stovetop casseroles to slow-cooked soups to dry-fried sausages or big thick fried burger patties.
The saute-pan, lid-on or lid-off (as required) gave even heat to its contents on my new induction cook-top.
I have a range of 'stone' or non-stick frying-pans from 16cm to 30cm but, over the 25 days, I've had the Tefal one, the others have nearly always stayed in the cookware
... Read moredrawer.
It is EXTREMELY EASY to clean ... most often a wipe with a paper towel suffices but it a delight in the sink and the dishwasher if they are used. The lid, too, wipes clean quite easily or responds well to a plastic scourer or any dishwasher cycle.
Build QualityValue for MoneyEase of UseCleaning & MaintenanceNon-Stick Quality
I have only tested this on a gas stove top and it works wonderfully, becoming my favourite wok/pan.
Good shape, design and weight This wok has a flatter bottom compared to more traditional woks, but with high sides. The 28cm may not be the largest wok but it means it's really easy to handle and manoeuvre and doesn't crowd the stovetop so you can still use adjacent hobs. The flat bottom is useful as I can sauté some chicken or beef chunks prior to chucking in the other stir fry ingredients. It is almost like a quasi fry pan. I really like this.
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The handle is stainless steel and the whole wok can apparently withstand unto 250 degrees Celsius which means it can go in the oven. While this seems impressive to me, I'm yet to actually think of a dish that would benefit from going into the oven.
Great non-stick surface
The non-stick surface is brilliant. I have not had anything stick to it, even when using minimal or no oil. In the one month that I have had it the surface has remained non-stick and is in pristine condition. Tefal claims that metal utensils can be used on the surface and I have used metal spoons and forks occasionally to stir without any impact on the surface. I cannot vouch for how well it will last long term.
The non-stick surface makes cleaning the wok incredibly easy and I don't dread hand washing it!
Build QualityValue for MoneyEase of UseCleaning & MaintenanceNon-Stick Quality
Reduced spatter due to higher side and easy clean surface with comfortable weight and even heat distribution.
Unlimited Premium Induction Sautepan + Lid 24cm / 3.2L
User impressions after 1 month use of supplied cookware under Product Review Ambassador Program. We have purchased many sizes and types of cookware and discarded many, particularly "Non -Stick", which failed durability when in use. This Tefal Saute Pan, offers comfortable weight 1.250kg without Lid / 1.950 kg including lid. A Red thermo indicator mark in centre of Pan which changes as pan heats causing legible print merge into uniform color with background to indicate searing heat attained for cooking. Securely attached metal handle which remai
... Read morens comfortable to touch while cooking and good balance.
Even heat distribution across whole base of pan and raised sides, which tend to minimise spatter when cooking.
A glass, ovenproof lid with fixed vent and metal handle securely attached, and comfortable to handle when cooking.
Advertised suitable all Hobs. I have only tested on solid electric and Aldi Ambiano Induction cooking plate.
Have used to cook, Shepherds Pie, Bacon &Eggs, Spaghetti Bol, Vegan Spaghetti Bol & Curried Chicken.
The pan fits comfortably inside our toaster oven , to complete cheese melt over Shepherds Pie.
Build QualityValue for MoneyEase of UseCleaning & MaintenanceNon-Stick Quality
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Find out how Tefal Unlimited Premium Induction compares to other Cookware & Fryware Products
This does a good job of being what it’s supposed to be.. a truly non-stick wok! We find that nothing ever sticks to it, even if we let food dry on it after we finish cooking. Some water and a soft dishcloth, and the food wipes straight off.
We have a ceramic cooktop and felt that the wok did a good job heating stir fries, noodles, even custard :P. The fact that this wok can be used on all stoves including induction means it’s great for people who might move house or replace their stove someday. It makes it a pretty safe investment. The wok do
... Read moreesn’t come with a lid, which is a pity especially considering the purchase price, but as we already have a set of Tefal Ingenio Non-stick cookware we had a similar sized lid that fit close enough to be useful.
Despite being metal, the handle doesn’t get hot at all. I was impressed that it remains at room temperature even when cooking on high heat. On the flip side though, we both find the handle feels somehow awkward to use. My husband feels he has to hold the handle in one spot or it seems harder to hold the wok stable. For myself the angle feels odd and the wok feels heavier than expected, considering it’s only 100g heavier than one of my favourite pots, I was surprised to feel such a difference. When the wok is full, I have to use two hands to transfer it to the bench, which I haven’t noticed having to do with my other pots. So we think this may come down to how the handle is designed.
We both hate hand washing, so we put everything through the dishwasher. While this wok is dishwasher-safe, Tefal suggest that you hand wash it to protect the non-stick coating for longer. And honestly, with how great the non-stick surface is, and since there’s no need to scrub it as the food just slides off, I’m very happy to hand wash it as it only takes a few seconds with warm water and a soft cloth.
All in all this is a good sized wok that’s really easy to clean. So I think if you’re considering buying it, you’ll probably be happy with your purchase. (But if I can make a suggestion, take a look at Tefal’s Ingenio Non-stick Cookware set, personally I prefer the smoother edges of the Ingenio cookware, and the comfort, strength and practicality of the removable handles)
Unlimited Premium Induction Sautepan + Lid 24cm / 3.2L
I have used my Tefal Unlimited Premium frypan with lid for approx. a month. In that time, I have cooked diverse types of meat. Whether in a sauce or pan fried and love it. Love the deep sides as it allows you to cook a bit more in one go and then allows freezing the extra. The handle did not get hot and was easy to manage through the cooking process. The pan is not too heavy to use, and this is good for me with my arthritis. The base is solid and retains the heat. I did not use the lid as I have not cooked anything that required going in t
... Read morehe oven and therefore not able to review this part.
The only thing I do not like is, you heat the pan until the timer located on the red centre disappears, turn down the temperature before placing food into the pan to cook as per instructions. It also suggests not using any oil.
This is not a problem, but when you have an induction stove top, it retains the heat more than other cooking surfaces, you put in your sausages, and they burn. This in turn burnt the bottom of the pan and I have tried all things possible to clean the marks without fail. With the type of surface in the pan, you are limited to a softly, softly approach for cleaning and I now have burn marks that do not want to be removed.
Another issue is not with the pan but my stove top. Most stove tops have one large and three smaller surfaces for cooking, mine has four small ones. This is a problem to get an even cooking surface for any pots or pans.
PS If anyone knows how I can get the marks off the bottom of my pan I would appreciate suggestions.
Build QualityValue for MoneyEase of UseCleaning & MaintenanceNon-Stick Quality
I don’t have any sort of formatting options on this site, so I use capitals for headings and emphasis. I do this to make this review easier to read and is not me yelling, ok? Please keep this in mind. I don’t tend to yell… ever.. but in the famous words of the Disney movie, “Tangled”:
“Frypans, who knew?!”
Perhaps in this case:
... Read more“Non stick induction woks, who knows?”
And that, dear reader, is what I endeavour to find out. :-)
This is an “Ambassadorial Review”, meaning that the folks at Product Review have sent me this item for free in order to express my opinion. I tend to write “in depth” reviews on items that I’ve bought in the past, so they recognise that I might “go the extra mile” to provide useful information. I do get to keep the wok, but I won’t let that sway me either way. The Ambassadorial system just allows recognised reviewers to assess things they don’t already have. So with that open-handed administrative stuff out of the way, I have one final tip before I start the review…
GET COMFORTABLE AND/OR READ SMARTER (NOT HARDER):
Have a look at my pictures first. They're a little out of order, but they show:
1. The temperature indicator, and damage free coating after a month of use.
2. The box and it's entire weight.
3. A random chicken stir-fry where I felt the chicken was not fried, but more simmered in its own juices.
4. What came inside the box (showing the lack of padding)
5. The weight of the wok itself.
6. Side by side comparison of a cheaper, and more expensive wok (typical photo)
7. (And this is the special one) A side by side comparison of all three woks (same arrangement) showing a thermal camera's view after three minutes on my biggest gas hob on max burn. This shows how evenly they heat up, and any cold spots.
Last point before I begin, I write long reviews in order to provide as much information as possible. Grab yourself a snack, and a tasty beverage, make yourself comfortable. While reading this may seem intimidating to some, reading this will be faster than hopping from one site to the next collecting disparate facts about this wok. If that’s too much, feel free to scan the headings, and read the bits that are useful to you.
Haven’t scared you off? Let’s go.
WHAT OTHER REVIEWERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE TEFAL UNLIMITED PREMIUM 28CM DIAMETER NON-STICK INDUCTION WOK:
On Tefal’s own (Australian) web site, I had a look around to see what (if any) issues I should be looking out for.
With an average rating of 4.6 (out of 5) stars, and 26 reviews (at the time of writing), the break down was as follows:
5 stars: 20 reviews
4 stars: 4 reviews
3 stars: 1 review
1 star: 1 review.
So let’s dispense with the bad… what did that 1 star review say? It was quite long, but the two sentence synopsis is as follows:
The wok was deformed in transit because while there’s lots of padding on the outside of the wok, there’s no padding inside it. It is no longer round.
Ok, so that’s some useful info for people considering getting it delivered. I’ll add a photo of the packaging situation below.
The three star review, said it didn’t look like the image they saw when ordering… so they returned it.
Ok, it’s not a fault per se, so these are the two most negative comments about it… and they don’t really say anything about an intact wok… so if you ignore these two scores, out of a potential 24 x 5 stars, (120) this wok gets 116. That’s 96.67% (note: This is Tefal’s own site, but many of the reviews were acquired from Myer’s site)… so it’s fairly unlikely that the results are horrendously skewed.
Overview of the 4 star reviews:
Some people don’t like the weight of it (whether that’s too high or low, is not always clear), some say it’s light, but maintains even heating. Interestingly, there are comments like “it’s lasted about a year, the coating is coming off, so I’ve bought a second one”.
Overview of the 5 star reviews:
“We love this wok and use it every day, but we have to buy new ones every 8 months to a year as the non stick stops working” Other comments like:
“I love the size, and how easy to clean it is”,
“Downside is that it doesn’t come with a lid”,
“Good size when cooking for two or four people” and
“Love the ovenproof handle”.
THE IMPRESSIONS FROM ONLINE REVIEWS:
So without even seeing one of these pans “in person”, you know it’s a wok without a lid, it’s possible to damage it in transit, people love the shape, and “general usefulness”, it’s easy to clean but the coating (with heavy use) might not last even a year. Yet strangely enough, people are happy to buy another one, sometimes one after another…. Which at between $95 and $190 per wok… adds up… even with free delivery.
Let’s put it another way…. “What questions should I as a reviewer, or theoretical buyer… be asking here?”
Firstly, Tefal has a two year warranty on this wok. If people are treating it correctly, and using it in a domestic situation, then the folks replacing it every 8-12 months should be eligible for a replacement under their two year warranty. Why they’re just buying replacements is beyond me… It makes me wonder if the warranty claim process is difficult or somehow not worthwhile. Perhaps it’s just that people are abusing the wok by doing things “against recommended practices” and are consequently ineligible for a warranty claim. That said, if you’re washing this wok by hand with non abrasive cleaning tools, and using non-metal implements to cook with, then according to Tefal’s own terms and conditions, they should be replacing or repairing the wok for you.
Secondly, if you’re going through a wok every year or so, this leads to questions about long term/ongoing costs:
Is it better to buy a higher-end solution like Swiss Diamond… which has “limited lifetime” warranties? If Swiss Diamond’s 32cm induction wok is $300-550 (or as low as $274 when on sale as it is at the time of writing), it may only take a few years for it to break even, and then any time after that SAVES you money. Conversely, my partner’s “trusty” $15 Woolworths-branded wok of similar dimension, that lasted about 12 years of routine use, (albeit not induction-capable, as that wasn’t nearly as popular as it is today). Alternatively, perhaps one should consider a fairly comparable offering from Baccarat’s “Rock” range, perhaps the 30cm induction compatible “Wok with Lid” that sells for between $120-$280… and has another “limited lifetime” guarantee, and of course, includes a lid. (Which we purchased a few months before receiving this Tefal wok).
So questions I’ll be finding answers for are:
1. What state does the wok arrive in?
2. How does it stack up against our very old “cheap and cheerful Woolworths wok” and the Baccarat “Rock” wok, or even our much loved, 12 year old Scanpan Paella pan with lid?
3. What (if any) degradation do I see with heavy use… albeit limited to only a month of use at most for this ambassadorial review? Maybe I’ll do a follow up “after the fact”, but since I have to write the primary review first, I better get to it.
THE DAY OF DELIVERY:
Ok, so the postie placed it on our front doorstep with an audible thud. In our case, it was a typical brown cardboard box, with the pretty coloured box inside. There was no padding whatsoever in the brown box, and to my surprise NO padding whatsoever inside the internal box. (Well, there’s a sleeve of bubble wrap on the handle, but that’s it. If this is typically the case, damage in transit wouldn’t surprise me. That said, our wok seemed fine to me. (See image).
The first thing that struck me was just how light the entire delivered package was. Some of my more recent reviews have been cast iron cookware, so this may have skewed me somewhat. However, I wanted to know how heavy the internal box + contents was. I took a photo of it on my kitchen scales, and it came in at only 1.6Kg. Weighing the wok alone it came in at a little under 1.2Kg (1184g according to my scales). Compared to my other cookware (a mix of enamelled or seasoned cast iron, steel, aluminium alloys, and ceramics) it feels quite a bit lighter, but if you run a lot of aluminium cook/bakeware, then this might be normal for you.
LETS TALK ABOUT THE BOX FOR A MOMENT:
I’ll get to the care instructions pamphlet next, but ignoring the marketing for a moment, there are a few things mentioned ONLY on the box, or mentioned in greater detail on the box than the included pamphlet.. which largely deals with care instructions.
1. All hobs + induction (ok, so regardless of your stove top, like gas, electric, induction, etc… this wok will work).
2. “Stands the test of time” (ummm… clearly other owners who are routinely replacing it disagree, but we’ll see).
3. The red seal in the bottom of the wok, actually changes to a deeper red as it heats up. When it gets hard to read, it’s “perfect for searing”. (Note that the lighter red bits darken to match the text/hourglass icon). This is in the pamphlet but the only photos to explain it are on the box.)
4. The pan itself is recyclable (no nasty chemicals, but see point 8 below).
5. Made in France… so if you’re a Francophile, maybe this will matter to you. If you started your driving career on a 1982 Renault Fuego that literally (as its name suggested) caught fire while you were driving it… “Made in France” might go the other way.
6. “Images may differ from the photos” (really, you can’t match the photos on the box to the pan? Sounds somewhat sad to me, especially for a company that claims to be no. 1 in European sales value back in 2018.)
7. Upper (widest) diameter may vary from the specified 28cm by as much as +/- 0.5cm.
8. “No INTENTIONAL addition of lead or cadmium” (both at toxic heavy metals).. I’m glad they’re not doing it intentionally…(Which makes me wonder: “Are other woks likely to have these metals in them?”)… apparently they test for it, but the conditions of that test aren’t mentioned.
THE PAMPHLET:
The key bits of information that I found useful are:
a. Oven safe up to 250 Celsius (That’s higher than the official 220 limit that LeCreuset/Chasseur enamelled cast iron pots can handle).
b. Cannot be used in the microwave (that’s obvious, and I don’t know many microwaves that would FIT this wok)
c. The “searing ready” (mood ring/temperature indicator) on this wok is called “Thermo-Signal technology”. There’s greyscale image of the seal (too cold/hot enough) but I find the photos better on the box. However, it does warn you that the heat should be turned down once hot to avoid damaging the wok. So this is to stop people from overheating the wok.. I guess… at least more so than indicating when the wok is hot enough to sear.. but I suppose it could be interpreted either way.
d. The product has a 2 year warranty against “Manufacturing defects unless the country you bought it in has higher warranty requirements” It does not cover:
i. glass components. (None included with this wok)
ii. anything “sticking”
iii. damage caused by “incorrect use”
iv. “professional use”
v. damage caused by “knocks or drops”
vi. “stains, discolouration, scratches ANYWHERE on the product due to normal wear and tear”.
So proving that there’s a manufacturing problem… might be a challenge.
Care instructions:
- Initially, you need to hand wash, and lightly oil the pan.
- Avoid heating the pan without food, it’ll overheat and distort.
- “Metal utensils may be used, except Knives and whisks. Avoid using sharp-edged utensils” (Umm whisks aren’t usually sharp edged.. but if you want the maximum life from you non-stick coating, I’d just use wood, plastic, or silicone coated utensils.
- To prolong the life of the coating, we recommend hand washing, avoiding abrasives, and after each wash, dry the induction base thoroughly.
- However, if you DO clean it in the dishwasher, we recommend gentle detergents such as liquids or gels (not tablets).
INITIAL TEST OF THE “THERMO SIGNAL” (MOOD RING) OF THE WOK.
If a mood ring changes colour based on temperature, (ostensibly defined by mood-related increases of blood flow, rather than poor blood circulation) then this “Thermo Signal” stuff works in a similar way, albeit at much higher temperature. I had to try it out after I washed and oiled the wok. It does indeed darken as it heats up. I wasn’t cooking at the time, so I used my smallest gas hob (I have a gas stove) to avoid overheating. While I couldn’t find my laser thermometer to test how hot it needs to be to darken, the radiant heat from the pan once removed from the stove was noticeable. I believe it would be a good searing temperature. I’ll hopefully see the temperature in my subsequent tests.
Down sides of the “Mood ring”:
1. It’s a “hot enough” indicator. It tells you NOTHING of how far you’ve overshot…. Until the pan starts deforming.. and by then it’s too late.
2. It requires you to heat the pan up EMPTY (or close to it... if it’s full of food, how will you see it?)
3. It basically REQUIRES you to stare at the empty pan as you heat it up, because if you go away and come back, (say, to do some food preparation) you really won’t know if you needed to turn the heat down five seconds ago, or five minutes. You might well have overheated the pan already. So if you heat the wok up as you prepare your food, then this indicator isn’t going to help you much at all.
For me, it’s not particularly useful for my cooking style, so I consider it a bit of a gimmick. Also, because of the warnings Tefal has made regarding “overheating” the wok, I’m not entirely convinced that searing in this wok is a great idea to begin with. When I sear my steaks on the barbecue, or even the stove, I use seasoned cast iron cookware, and I like my cook surfaces to be upwards of 300, sometimes even 400 Celsius.. I don’t recommend that with pans/woks that have non-stick coatings…. If you want your wok to last, that is.
IMPLICATIONS OF THE (MOSTLY) ALUMINIUM CONSTRUCTION:
If you’re serious about searing anything, you’ll find that the flat base of the wok will do a better job of searing than the walls will…. Unless you’re on a big gas hob and there’s significant flames kissing the other side of the walls. The base will be better (in general) because that’s the only bit that has the thermal retention (read: steel for the the induction hobs) to sear at least passably well.
Since the pan is so light, the bulk of the base, and walls will be made of a coated aluminium. Aluminium has a fantastic thermal conduction rating (ranked third of the cookware-safe metals, after copper and silver.. but is often chosen for low weight and considerably cheaper price)… but that conductivity and lower density means that thermal retention is consequently, pretty low compared to iron (and steel which is refined iron with some impurities). Aluminium has 3 times the thermal conductivity, and at one third the density. That means it’s easy to put heat in and take it out but, keeping that heat in there and only transferring it to your food will be a challenge.
A low heat retention means that a cold slab of meat (or frozen vegetables if you prefer), will suck the heat right out of the preheated wok on initial contact. So searing would need VERY high temperatures to pull that off, and it would be very difficult to control (not to mention, potentially damaging to the pan). It’s for this reason, I prefer a seasoned steel wok or cast iron pan for searing. Metals like cast iron have so much more heat retention (don’t confuse that with conductivity) that preheating it will buffer the pan from the initial “cold shock”, and this tends to give that true brown (ideally not black) “bark” (think: browned meats) indicating that the Maillard reaction is happening (proteins breaking down into flavoursome aromatic compounds).
Frankly, I think this wok doesn't truly work as a traditional wok very well. The shape and materials of the wok aren't "traditional" for the classic style of wok, and it really seems to behave a little more like a deep frypan. Perhaps I was heeding the warnings about overheating the wok too closely, and didn't stretch the wok to "true stir fry" temperatures. Consequently, I found that it took a LOT of time and/or heat to do a nice browning since the aluminium will draw that heat away… and the wok didn't quite concentrate the “juices” coming out of the ingredients. Since I probably played it a bit safe, I found that it’s more likely to simmer/boil, rather than fry your meat.
Of course, this wok with even heating caused by the thermal conduction, will likely be fantastic for heating liquids though, particularly curries, laksas, and stews…. If you don’t have the time for a slow cooker. So perhaps it's also more akin to a small saucepan... than an actual wok.
Aluminium is a highly reactive metal. It does NOT handle acids well at all, and can add a metallic taste to acidic foods. So people who cook with lots of citrus, vinegars, wines, pineapple, and tomatoes would normally be discouraged from cooking with bare aluminium cookware. However, since this wok has the non-stick coating that will protect the metal, you can cook with acidic foods without issue… as long as the coating is intact. However, again, how well the coating holds up to acidic foods is a question I cannot test without destroying the wok.
GOING BEYOND THE FIRST DOZEN COOKS:
After cooking a range of foods, from bacon and egg breakfasts, rainy afternoon laksa, “one pan” steak & veggies meals, and meatballs, to Turkish Pide pizza stuffings, curries and (you guessed it) stir fries, the pan cooks many things besides stir fries, and cooks well. I used wood, plastic and silicone implements, so I haven’t scratched anything yet. Of course, I’m taking it slow and following the instructions provided. If you’re the kind of person who uses dishwashers and metal implements, particularly the pointy/edged kinds, then you can expect to damage the non-stick coating, particularly when it is hot.
Is it mind blowing as a cooking implement? I’m sorry but I haven’t noticed anything majorly different between the $12 Woolworths wok, the $99 Baccarat “Rock” Wok with Lid, or the $300 Scanpan 36cm non-stick paella pan. They’re all based on an aluminium and steel core and merely vary in their shape and coatings.Given their respective sizes and construction, the Tefal wok heats up roughly as quickly (on average) as the all aluminium Woolworths wok. The wider than average flat bottom of the Tefal wok reviewed here does make it a little faster to heat up than the Baccarat, but then again, the wider base (and significantly larger capacity) of the Paella pan evens any gains the Tefal had over the others. Really, it comes down to a size and shape you like to cook with.
Now what makes the Tefal wok better and worse as a cooking implement compared to our other options here?
We love the 28cm size and shape for a typical 2-4 person meal, but we feel that cooking for four adult males with hearty appetites is really only achievable when it’s padded out with rice or noodles cooked in some other pot or appliance. If you have folks with smaller appetites, or often do “multi pot” instead of “one pan” cooking… then this works very well.
If you keep this in mind, and limit the contents somewhat to the sauce/meat/vegetables, (with thicker sauces, or lower amounts of sauce) we can shake the entire wok around and while cooking to “keep the food moving”, to ensure a satisfactory, but hardly amazing sear. That said, this is a FAR cry from the steel 40cm+ diameter woks with narrower bases that force the food back into the middle. Even so, the Tefal wok’s elongated handle allows easy operation one handed, and the “high-enough” walls allows you to shake things around the wok quickly without spilling. That said, we can do that with the Woolworths and Baccarat woks just as easily. The Paella pan, doesn’t have a long handle, it has two tabs on the side. While the paella pan has a higher capacity, the lower walls and short handles require the food to be pushed around the pan, rather than the pan shaken to move the food. That said, Scanpan has woks very similar to the Tefal as well, I just don’t own one.
The Woolworths pan and the Tefal are the only implements that DON’T come with a lid. Now most people won’t care, but we often cook in the pan, and leave it there for “second helpings” to save washing up another pan. Having a lid to keep things warm and dust/insect free is a huge help to us. The Woolies pan cost $15 dollars, so we expected the lack of a lid. The Tefal, at the similar price range of the Baccarat (which did come with a lid) puts it, in my humble opinion, at a disadvantage to similar options.
My partner likes the shape, the weight, and way the Tefal wok cooks. Since she’s a not-quite-5 foot stick-figured pixie, and I’m a much taller, stronger (lets carry that 80kg railway sleeper by myself on my shoulder) kind of fellow, I was interested in how she handled it. But it’s little different from our other similar cookware in weight and dimensions, so she has made no complaints and uses it with relative ease.
CLEANING:
Overall, I found the cleaning so far to be very easy. I’ve had some burned bits of mince and sauce, but they slid off with almost no effort. The cleaning instructions suggest to dry the bottom thoroughly before storing it. I suspect this is to reduce rusting, so I’ve done that, and I haven’t seen any problems so far. That said, the riveted handle does have some “nooks and crannies” that can accumulate around the rivets themselves. So it’s not as easy to clean as it could have been if the handle was cast or welded to the wok.
The reviews stating that the non-stick coating of the wok is only good for a year or two, coupled with the subtle hint that hand washing or dishwashing with “gentle detergents” is recommended, I’m reluctant to stick it in the dishwasher. While I’m willing to wash up by hand using detergent and a soft cloth, (I haven’t even scratched the coating yet, see attached image) my better half is less enthralled from the cleaning perspective. She’s a “If it doesn’t go into the dishwasher, then I won’t use it” kind of gal. So I get the impression that I’m going to be the only one who uses it. That said, since we’re both crazy food nutters, it actually helps me to have pots “at hand” (for my use at least) when we’re cooking concurrently. :-)
3 MINUTE “AFTERBURNER” TEST - THERMAL IMAGING & ANALYSIS:
OK, so I’m a tech-head, nerd, who uses thermal cameras… so I thought I’d help you, dear reader with images that show just how evenly the woks heat up… and compare it to the cheaper and more expensive woks I already have.
Please note: That the even-ness of the images shows heat conductivity, and does NOT reliably translate into heat retention or cooking performance. (Remember my discussion above). Obviously these images are for the empty woks, and foods (particularly fluids like sauces, stocks, and even water) will help to even the distribution of heat further over time as well.
So to ensure a fair reading. I’ll put the woks I have on the same hob, at the same heating level and take the image at the same time (3 minutes to avoid destroying my woks), and let the hob to completely cool down (to ambient) between images. (See comparison thermal images).
The cheap (and ancient) Woolworths pan (Left) has the hottest base and greatest thermal differential (75 degrees Celsius) on the walls. The thinner Aluminium construction allows the base to heat up quickest in the allotted time frame, and the taller, wider walls cool down as you get further away from the hob. No surprises there. What IS interesting, is that the exposed aluminium (where the coatings have chipped off… largely after 6-7 years of routine use) is actually cooler. This makes sense in that the aluminium is no longer insulated by the coating, but it is surprising that the coating itself helps with thermal conductivity to the point that the core seems noticeably cooler.
The Tefal “Unlimited” 28cm Induction Wok (Middle) has the most even result with a temperature difference of just 29.5C. Part of this is the fact that it is the smallest of the three woks (at only 28cm wide, and shallower/shorter walls). The conductivity of this wok ensures that heat from the base is drawn from the base, and the wider base has a slightly better contact with the hob’s heat. I can’t verify this, but I suspect that the metal is a little thicker, which would also explain the lower base temp and greater wall temperatures. However, I have found that chicken is definitely hard brown in this wok. (See image of stir fry). Now yes, I prefer my veggies to be a little undercooked, and yes, I could have browned it eventually. However, I just don’t like the long-term implications on the non-stick coating if I’m using the Tefal for the kinds of searing temperatures a typical seasoned/stainless steel wok would experience in that short, high-temperature style of cooking that a true stir-fry wok is usually associated with. If you’re wondering what that cooler splotch in the base is, that’s a little pool of oil that accumulated when I oiled the pan after cleaning.
The Baccarat “Stone” 30cm wok with lid (lid not used or shown for test comparison) had a “middle of the road” temperature difference of nearly 50C (49.6 Celsius to be precise). However, it is both taller and wider than the Tefal, and the coating CONSIDERABLY thicker. Interestingly, the extremities temperature was IDENTICAL to the Tefal after the same amount of time, but the core was 20C warmer. If I had to sear something in any of these woks, I think this would be my choice, as the embodied heat is higher, and the walls seem to be a little more efficiently transferring heat than the Tefal. This would probably be a bit nicer than the Tefal and probably noticeably better to sear with than the Woolworths wok.
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS:
Cost: 50-80%
For a 28cm wok with induction capability, this is a fair-priced model. I’d say it’s aimed at the lower-mid range of the market. There are a range of alternatives, each with their pros and cons. However, if you can buy it on a sale at the lower end of the price scale, I’d give the price an 80% score. If you pay the higher end, or find you need to replace it within the 2 year warranty period as others seem to, then I’m sorry, the price only gets 50% and I’d strongly encourage you to buy something else (whether that’s a Woolworths el-cheapo, that did serve us well for 12+ years) and replace it every few years, or just buy a high end Baccarat, Scanpan, or Swiss Diamond which can be bought on sale for $100-270 on sale for the long term savings (and dishwasher safe cleaning).
Quality: 90%
I can’t fault this wok for materials so far, so I’m giving it 90% for the lack of dishwasher safe cleaning.
Design: 95%
Light weight, single handed operation, relatively nice shape, and easy to hold handle. Riveted handles a little bit of a pain to clean though, deducting 5%.
Ease of Use: 90%
10% lost because the walls are a little shorter, making spillage a little more likely, and lower capacity probably needs other cookware to pad larger meals out. Very easy to clean while the coatings are intact though.
Versatility: 90%
Depending on your cooking style, temperature range… For general cooking… 90%. It’s not going to compete with preheated cast iron for searing, or copper/silver cookware for rapid -yet-controlled temperature changes. However, I’m only going to compare this with a wok of similar construction, so it loses 10% for those pervasive warnings about overheating this wok.
Effectiveness: 80%
Frankly, the “Thermo signal” is of limited use to me personally. Other than that, it’s pan that can be very versatile if used within the bounds of its construction. For frying up bacon and eggs, cooking mince, or making a curry, this works well and without much fuss. As a high-temp, sear everything right-at-the-smoking-point or “let’s fry the pants off this food”, this isn’t the wok for that… unless you WANT to replace the wok on a regular basis.
Warranty: 50%
Two years, with so many conditions that I think it’d be hard to claim against, doesn’t inspire confidence. With so many cookware brands (some cheaper end) offering 7 year, 10, or limited lifetime warranties, Tefal hasn’t inspired a great deal of confidence here, and the fact that people are reporting that they’re buying new pans whilst WITHIN warranty, only reinforces my concerns. I’d really like to see a re-coating service, or some other way to make the wok last longer.
Support/Documentation: 90%
The pamphlet told me almost everything I needed to know, but the box had better images to show what it was talking about. The box isn’t something I’d keep around, but the pamphlet is. Consequently, I’d have liked to see the pamphlet printed in colour, and perhaps the box be a little less fancy.
Total Score: 645/800 - 675/800 (80.625% - 84.375%)
There are a lot of reasons to judge this differently, and it depends on your needs and situation.
Cost is a big variance here. You can get it from “Peters of Kensington” for as little as $85 (pickup). Some places have it at over $170.. that’s TWICE the price (and still not include shipping). You can get four or even EIGHT “el cheapos” for that price. With the Baccarat having limited lifetime warranty and dishwasher safe cleaning, and larger cook volume, starting at $119 might make more sense. However, if you love the size and shape of the Tefal, and get it cheap, and really look after it, I don’t see why it should lose any more than 20%. If money is no object, and you just don’t care and love Tefal… then add the missing 20-50%. (Add 2.6 to 6.25% to the overall score)
Perhaps you don’t mind hand washing, then add the 5% (add 0.625% to the overall score)
Perhaps you only do simple meals and this wok does everything you need, add 10% back to versatility. (Add 1.3% overall)
Perhaps you LOVE the thermo signal, and rely on it heavily, and don’t sear much…. Then add the 20% back to effectiveness. (That’s an additional 2.6% to the overall score)
Perhaps you are constantly upgrading/giving your “hand me downs” to friends and family, the warranty won’t mean much to you, add 50%… (that’s 8% to the overall score)
Perhaps you’ve never read a manual in your life, forsaking the consequences, add 10% to the documentation. (Add 1.3% overall)
CONCLUSION:
At the end of the day, I have seen no evidence of problems with the non-stick coating. Particularly when following Tefal’s instructions. However, my test was limited to the month I was given, so long term use may paint a more detailed picture. So I personally cannot fault this pan at all. I’ve perhaps treated this one a bit more gently than the other ones, (namely hand washing) because the other models explicitly say I can use the dishwasher. Overall, it’s a perfectly serviceable multi-purpose piece of cookware, but it isn’t going to handle continual use at those extremely high temperatures some stir-fry enthusiasts will want to use.
I like it, and as a one-pan option, it’s great. But keep price and performance in mind when comparing the alternatives.
Good luck and happy cooking!
Harmo.
This wok looks really nice and has a beautiful chrome looking handle , the build is nice and the riveted connection looks quality. Most of the woks I have had in the past have had a small base with steep edges so if you a flat cook top like induction, the pot has a reduced face of connection with the top. This wok has a wider base almost like it is a pot rather than a wok and this makes it work better with a induction surface. I feel the purists will probably scoff at this being not as traditional shape but if you have a flat surface cook top
... Read morethis wok will be a good one to choose. That being said , the wok is quite light weight and does not have a heavy base to help with heat retention and transmission up the sides of the wok. The nonstick surface is traditional tefal and I have had longevity issues with tefal in the past so only time will tell how this holds up. over all i would have seen this wok in a cheaper price bracket at around 100 bucks , there are other woks on the market in this price segment and there is competition here to look at.
Build QualityValue for MoneyEase of UseCleaning & Maintenance
Unlimited Premium Induction Sautepan + Lid 24cm / 3.2L
I’ve had this pan in for nearly a month now and it’s proved to be an excellent addition to the kitchen collection. Several members of the family have used it, with one wanting to sneak it into his suitcase and take it home to NZ. He ended up buying a sauté pan *and* a frying pan back home! The pan is relatively light weight so we found it easy to toss the food while cooking. The metal handle is maybe a little thin for anyone with a weak hand grip, but for most people it will be adequate. We have a 5 hob LPG gas cooker and mostly used the large
... Read morer wok burner with the pan. This produced a good even heat across its solid base and there were no hot spots. The red dot heat Indicator is handy to determine the pan temperature and we had it on “full red” for steaks.
We tried a variety of meals in the pan: Bacon and eggs didn’t stick; Stir fry and spag bol’ came out nicely. The curry king kiwi relative said he thought the food had more flavour than usual. I’m not sure if that is true or not so I’ll take his word for it. It sure tasted great to me!
As for its durability… its early days yet... but it’s not just “any ol’ pan either... for the premium price you will want to treat it nicely. So for the first time ever, I read the use and care instructions (…of a cooking pan!). Because of its non-stick surface it is very easy to clean. The instructions do say it can go in the dishwasher, but from my experience with other pans, this tends to dull the outside finish, so I’ll stick with hand washing for now. Similarly, the instructions say the cooking surface can handle metal implements… but I prefer to stick with bamboo, wood and high temperature plastic.
Overall it is an excellent pan and you wont be disappointed. Some of your other pans will probably end up gathering dust.
Build QualityValue for MoneyEase of UseCleaning & MaintenanceNon-Stick Quality
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This Tefal wok was provided to me for the purpose of this review, under the Productreview.com.au Product Ambassador program.
This wok has really helped improve my cooking of stir-fries. I am a retired professional cook, but I have never really been happy with my stir-fries. The end result has often been limp vegetables rather than crisp crunchy ones. I think the issue has been the pan temperature falling too much during cooking. The first time I used the Tefal Unlimited induction wok, I was impressed. At last, a crisp and flavourful stir fry.
... Read more
The Tefal Unlimited Premium Induction wok has some clever features. It has non-stick surfaces inside and out, so even any spills and dribbles that find their way over the edge of the pan are still very easy to clean off. The inside surface is a premium titanium non-stick, Tefal says it is safe to be used with metal utensils as long as they don’t have sharp edges. That is impressive. I didn’t subject the wok to any torture tests to look at durability, but so far after a few weeks use it is still unmarked. I did cook a chilli dish using minced beef and used a stainless steel potato masher to break up lumps of minced beef, it has rounded edges (like a heavy wire zig-zag) so nothing scratchy, the titanium non-stick surface had no marks or damage at all.
Tefal frypans, including this 28 cm Unlimited Premium induction wok, have a very clever temperature-indicator red dot in the centre. This dot has an image of an hourglass in a slightly different shade of red, one of the two reds becomes darker when the pan is at a good hot temperature for cooking, which is a really good guide for the cook. The hourglass image disappears and it becomes just a plain red circle when at the correct temperature. This isn’t perfect, I could still make out the hourglass image even when hot, but it is certainly less distinct and is still a big help.
I have two ways of heating this wok, my regular stove is gas and has a wok burner, I also use a small benchtop induction cooker and I have used this wok on both. As it is sold as an induction wok, I mainly used it on the induction hob, which has a maximum power level of 2000 watts. At this level it took a little while for the wok to heat up, a more powerful induction cooktop would have been faster. Even on the gas wok burner, it took a few minutes to get up to temperature. This isn’t a bad thing – it means when the wok is hot enough (when the red dot becomes all one colour) there is quite a lot of heat stored in the metal of the wok, so it holds its heat when you put cold food into it, and it cooks the food easily and fast. Nothing sticks, not even a little bit. It is the best non-stick surface I have used. This makes clean up easy, too.
Build QualityEase of UseCleaning & MaintenanceNon-Stick Quality
Finally a truly durable Non-Stick good sized Saute pan & Glass Lid that is very versatile.
Unlimited Premium Induction Sautepan + Lid 24cm / 3.2L
I had stopped using Non-stick Frypans about 5 years ago, as I got sick of the surfaces not lasting and them not having a decent base. After throwing many out, I figured they were a waste of money and had since only bought Stainless steel Scanpans & Roco pans as I found they cleaned up better after cooking than a lot of nonstick pans ended up doing, and they had much solider bases that retained the heat and cooked food better. This pan was sent to me for a trial, and after using it for a month I have found it to be a very pleasant improvement t
... Read moreo the older versions of non-stick pans. I would certainly buy this brand and model pan again.
The Lid handle and pan handles stayed cool at all times during cooking and handling.
A solid, heavy based pan - which is what you want for good cooking without pan warping after high heat use. Diameter of pan fits my large circular hotplate circle perfectly. I have cooked a range of foods in it, from frying onions a long time, to stews, pancakes, and there has been no discoloration, warping or any change in the non stick surface. It still looks like brand new. Good quality glass lid with cool touch handle with a permanent tiny vent hole in the glass works well.
Initially I was wondering if it may not be big enough for a family meal, but after cooking Spag Bog in it for 5 without any crowding or overflowing sauce I think it is a good everyday size for family meals.
The diameter it is fits in the Dishwasher very well also, not dominating much of the entire lower shelf like my other frypans tend to do. It also fits into my kitchen sink better and is less cumbersome to handle than my other bigger pans. The nonstick surface lives up to its name and no food sticks to it making for a very easy handwash also.
High pan sides reduce splattering when cooking fatty chops, etc. There was definitely less splatter. The extra cm of height really makes a noticeable reduction of spitting fat on the bench, other hotplates and my arms weren't splashed at all.
You could own only this 1 pan and be very happy. It could well remain the only pan I regularly use, so far this month I haven't used my others at all.
This is a really good frypan. I own 7 Frypans, whilst this may seem strange, they all have their own purposes. Omelettes, steaks, stir frys etc. I've rethought how I use a frypan since using this pan. I'm used to stainless steel pans, and one very small Aluminium pan with a non-stick coating. Though the coating is disappearing on that item as a result of my cleaning habits. I exclusively use a gas cooktop (except for motels)- maybe an induction cooker would be a different experience, due to the finer control of heat. Other people's input would
... Read more be good here to see what they found.
My photos show the frypan in action.
The Pros: I use far less oil with this Tefal pan. It heats up faster, the coloured area means that I know when the temperature is good to go and it's quicker to clean.
The weight is balanced nicely, with a well shaped handle that fits my hand and importantly, the handle does not get hot in use, due to the good choice of materials. The base is thicker than most alternatives, so that the temperature does not drop rapidly when cold ingredients are put into it and of course, the base does not warp at all when hot.
Anything I've tried has fried really easily - beef and pork steaks, bacon, eggs and capsicums amongst other vegetables.
The coating seems to be very well attached, other non-stick pans I've owned have shed their coating after a short time - my bad, I am vigorous on cleaning. The handle is well attached with big rivets, it looks like it will not get loose over time and could be "nipped" up anyway, since you can see that good materials have been used in making it.
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An excellent and versatile addition to any kitchen
Unlimited Premium Induction Non-stick Frypan 28cm
I have used earlier Tefal non-stick pans before, so was very keen to try this newer addition to their range when given the opportunity as an Ambassador for Product Review - especially since I am intending to change out my 900 mm natural gas cooktop for a 900 mm induction cooktop. This is a very high quality product that benefits from the base thickness and solid stainless steel handle that does not overheat during use. I have posted pictures in the order mentioned in this review. Initially, I hand washed the pan (from new) using a mild dish det
... Read moreergent, then a rinse under the tap.
Since pancakes have been a family favourite for many years, I decided to use this breakfast example to show just how easy it is to do and end up with a sparkling pan with a few second clean-up (hot water rinse and wipe only), as in the second pic - literally as good as new.
I did use a small amount of butter (for flavour) in the pan since I don't add any to my pancake mix.
With previous thinner base pans on gas, I used heat and flame diffusers, but not this time. I tried both the largest burner (turned down from full to medium heat), then the smallest burner on full heat (marginal difference but slightly better as it heats from the centre and bubbling indicating ready to flip a little faster).
For a stir fry I used Rice Bran Oil and cleaned the pan in the same way. Thankfully my stir fry tasted better than it looked, thus no pic.
I look forward to this being my universal pan of choice given experiences to date.
Impressive! If you've never had a saute pan before (like me!), you better read this! It'll beat your fry pan :).
Unlimited Premium Induction Sautepan + Lid 24cm / 3.2L
Full disclosure... I was given this pan to test for free, but I'm no sell out :). This is a completely honest review of the product at hand, and I don't sell my word to anyone.
I’ve been looking for a larger cooking vessel than my large fry pan, but not so big and cumbersome like a cooking pot… and I think I’ve found the perfect solution!
Tefal’s Unlimited Premium Induction Non-Stick Saute pan is definitely a winner. Made in France (not a cheap import from the usual cheaper manufacturing zones), this definitely has that superior feel.
Lets s
... Read moretart off with its size… as this is the thing that used to scare me off saute pans (for handling, storage, and cleaning). Not so with this one! To put it in perspective, I have a large non-stick frypan (also from Tefal coincidentally) that has served me well over the last few years of daily use.
This saute pan has an inner diameter of 24cm, with straight sides that extend up in height at 8cm. Their large fry pan is 26cm at the top lip, but curves in at the bottom to 22cm, and is only 5cm in height. It doesn’t sound like much of difference, but when you work out volume the saute pan has about 50% extra capacity! That makes a huge difference to what you can cook in it, without being too big like a pot is.
Strong, well balanced in the hand, quick to heat up and holds heat well. Best one I have used !
Unlimited Premium Induction Non-stick Wok 28cm
This is really quite a pan. As I did not pay for this, I decided to give it the real kitchen test. I cooked everything in it including paella and fried rice. I even put it in the oven to finish a dish. Then washing was almost unnecessary as it is so non stick. Then.. I put in in the cupboard and did what others do.. stack pots on top of it right on the non stick surface. Not a mark ! I was not going to see what it would take to damage it as that would ruin an amazing pan. However it did get the "Normal" treatment and it is the best non-stick I
... Read morehave ever used.
The non stick is not the only thing that is good about it. The base of the pan is really heavy and sits well on both hotplate and gas. It heats very fast and holds the heat but not too long like some big cast iron pots do. It is just right if you ask me !
To be fair, I will continue using the pan and update this in six months if anything 'untoward' happens with it, but I am not expecting any problems. If it can survive myself as well as my elderly father using it, then it is stronger than anything we have !
Build QualityValue for MoneyEase of UseCleaning & MaintenanceNon-Stick Quality
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