I bought a wok the other day to use for stir frys, etc. I have a question though. On the directions it says I need to place thre wok on the stove and heat it with some oil until the protective coating turns soft, then rub off the coating with a sponge. I did that, but I went away from the stove for a couple minutes,a nd when I returned, what i presume to be the coating was sort of pooled in the bottom of the wok. It was burnt, it looked like, so I took it off the stove and rinsed it. This film coating is still on the bottom of ther wok, and it looks burnt, but when I rub with my nail, it does come off, revealing steel below it. Anyone got any tips on this? I';d like to know the best way to get this stuff off.
I bought a wok the other day to use for stir frys, etc. I have a question though. On the directions it says I need to place thre wok on the stove and heat it with some oil until the protective coating turns soft, then rub off the coating with a sponge. I did that, but I went away from the stove for a couple minutes,a nd when I returned, what i presume to be the coating was sort of pooled in the bottom of the wok. It was burnt, it looked like, so I took it off the stove and rinsed it. This film coating is still on the bottom of ther wok, and it looks burnt, but when I rub with my nail, it does come off, revealing steel below it. Anyone got any tips on this? I';d like to know the best way to get this stuff off.
Thanks!
tucker
The instructions are about seasoning your new pan. it is a common and necessary practice - it means the pan will last, is protected, and cooking improves and gets easier.
You can google "seasoning pans". There are various approaches to it. I don't know which is best.
But I know it is a smart thing to do. there are probably others here who know a lot more than I do.
I bought a wok the other day to use for stir frys, etc. I have a question though. On the directions it says I need to place thre wok on the stove and heat it with some oil until the protective coating turns soft, then rub off the coating with a sponge. I did that, but I went away from the stove for a couple minutes,a nd when I returned, what i presume to be the coating was sort of pooled in the bottom of the wok. It was burnt, it looked like, so I took it off the stove and rinsed it. This film coating is still on the bottom of ther wok, and it looks burnt, but when I rub with my nail, it does come off, revealing steel below it. Anyone got any tips on this? I';d like to know the best way to get this stuff off.
Thanks!
tucker
Steel wool it and then go through the entire traditional seasoning process.
I bought a wok the other day to use for stir frys, etc. I have a question though. On the directions it says I need to place thre wok on the stove and heat it with some oil until the protective coating turns soft, then rub off the coating with a sponge. I did that, but I went away from the stove for a couple minutes,a nd when I returned, what i presume to be the coating was sort of pooled in the bottom of the wok. It was burnt, it looked like, so I took it off the stove and rinsed it. This film coating is still on the bottom of ther wok, and it looks burnt, but when I rub with my nail, it does come off, revealing steel below it. Anyone got any tips on this? I';d like to know the best way to get this stuff off.
Thanks!
tucker
It is a steel wok? Scrub the wok with steel wool and washing up liquid. Rinse well and dry. Then heat it slowly on the cooker with some good cooking oil in it. Rub the oil around the hot wok every couple of minutes. Heat it just until it starts to smoke then turn off the heat and let the wok cool with the oil in it. When it's cool, wipe out the excess oil and it's ready to use. If there are no wooden or plastic parts on the wok, can heat in the oven but that uses more gas.
I bought a wok the other day to use for stir frys, etc. I have a question though. On the directions it says I need to place thre wok on the stove and heat it with some oil until the protective coating turns soft, then rub off the coating with a sponge. I did that, but I went away from the stove for a couple minutes,a nd when I returned, what i presume to be the coating was sort of pooled in the bottom of the wok. It was burnt, it looked like, so I took it off the stove and rinsed it. This film coating is still on the bottom of ther wok, and it looks burnt, but when I rub with my nail, it does come off, revealing steel below it. Anyone got any tips on this? I';d like to know the best way to get this stuff off.
Thanks!
tucker
It is a steel wok? Scrub the wok with steel wool and washing up liquid. Rinse well and dry. Then heat it slowly on the cooker with some good cooking oil in it. Rub the oil around the hot wok every couple of minutes. Heat it just until it starts to smoke then turn off the heat and let the wok cool with the oil in it. When it's cool, wipe out the excess oil and it's ready to use. If there are no wooden or plastic parts on the wok, can heat in the oven but that uses more gas.
Not necessarily, not if you put the wok into the oven while cooking something... I can't imagine the wok is an emergency, just wait until the next time the oven is lit... even if it's just a box cake... I rarely light my oven unless I've planned to cook more than one item.
"Tucker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Hi all,
I bought a wok the other day to use for stir frys, etc. I have a question though. On the directions it says I need to place thre wok on the stove and heat it with some oil until the protective coating turns soft, then rub off the coating with a sponge. I did that, but I went away from the stove for a couple minutes,a nd when I returned, what i presume to be the coating was sort of pooled in the bottom of the wok. It was burnt, it looked like, so I took it off the stove and rinsed it. This film coating is still on the bottom of ther wok, and it looks burnt, but when I rub with my nail, it does come off, revealing steel below it. Anyone got any tips on this? I';d like to know the best way to get this stuff off.
Thanks!
tucker
Thanks to all who replied. To the first respondent: there are instructions for seasoning, yes, but there was separate set of instructions for what i described. I never even got past that step to *get* to seasoning! I will give the steel wool a shot. I had really wanted to use the damned wok tonight, but I'll aim for tomorrow now. Thanks again!
I bought a wok the other day to use for stir frys, etc. I have a question though. On the directions it says I need to place thre wok on the stove and heat it with some oil until the protective coating turns soft, then rub off the coating with a sponge. I did that, but I went away from the stove for a couple minutes,a nd when I returned, what i presume to be the coating was sort of pooled in the bottom of the wok. It was burnt, it looked like, so I took it off the stove and rinsed it. This film coating is still on the bottom of ther wok, and it looks burnt, but when I rub with my nail, it does come off, revealing steel below it. Anyone got any tips on this? I';d like to know the best way to get this stuff off.
It is a steel wok? Scrub the wok with steel wool and washing up liquid. Rinse well and dry. Then heat it slowly on the cooker with some good cooking oil in it. Rub the oil around the hot wok every couple of minutes. Heat it just until it starts to smoke then turn off the heat and let the wok cool with the oil in it. When it's cool, wipe out the excess oil and it's ready to use. If there are no wooden or plastic parts on the wok, can heat in the oven but that uses more gas.
With those heavy cast iron frying pans the old recommendation was to wipe oil over it then heat, then liberally sprinkle salt over the hot oil layer and leave to cool. Finally, rinse the salt off in plain water (no detergent). Once treated thus it only needed to be washed in hot water after use -- again, no detergents.
Perhaps a steel wok could be treated much the same way?
A wok is different than a cast iron pan. Woks (traditional) are made of carbon steel and need to be seasoned different. The way I've done mine for years is to wash it good when you first get it. Once washed and dried put the wok wipe the inside of the wok down with peanut or some other high heat oil. Now put it on the stove, on high until the oil begins to smoke. Now turn it off and let it cool. Once cooled wipe it out and you are done. If you ever put soap in it to clean it you will need to preseason the pan. To clean a wok while hot put it under boiling water and scrub with a wire brush designed for a wok or use a steel wool without soap.
Tucker said:
"Tucker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Hi all,
I bought a wok the other day to use for stir frys, etc. I have a question though. On the directions it says I need to place thre wok on the stove and heat it with some oil until the protective coating turns soft, then rub off the coating with a sponge. I did that, but I went away from the stove for a couple minutes,a nd when I returned, what i presume to be the coating was sort of pooled in the bottom of the wok. It was burnt, it looked like, so I took it off the stove and rinsed it. This film coating is still on the bottom of ther wok, and it looks burnt, but when I rub with my nail, it does come off, revealing steel below it. Anyone got any tips on this? I';d like to know the best way to get this stuff off. Thanks!
tucker
Thanks to all who replied. To the first respondent: there are instructions for seasoning, yes, but there was separate set of instructions for what i described. I never even got past that step to *get* to seasoning! I will give the steel wool a shot. I had really wanted to use the damned wok tonight, but I'll aim for tomorrow now. Thanks again!
Thanks to all who replied. To the first respondent: there are instructions for seasoning, yes, but there was separate set of instructions for what i described. I never even got past that step to *get* to seasoning! I will give the steel wool a shot. I had really wanted to use the damned wok tonight, but I'll aim for tomorrow now. Thanks again!
You should have used it last night. A wok doesn't have to be babied for seasoning. Just clean it out to start with, then add oil and start cooking. After use, soak it a bit, then scour it out with a plastic scouring pad. Rinse and dry immediately, coat with oil, then wipe out all excess oil with paper towels.
It will never "season" like cast iron but it will acquire a semi-seasoning after several uses.
Thanks to all who replied. To the first respondent: there are instructions for seasoning, yes, but there was separate set of instructions for what i described. I never even got past that step to *get* to seasoning! I will give the steel wool a shot. I had really wanted to use the damned wok tonight, but I'll aim for tomorrow now. Thanks again!
You should have used it last night. A wok doesn't have to be babied for seasoning. Just clean it out to start with, then add oil and start cooking. After use, soak it a bit, then scour it out with a plastic scouring pad. Rinse and dry immediately, coat with oil, then wipe out all excess oil with paper towels.
It will never "season" like cast iron but it will acquire a semi-seasoning after several uses.
Actually cast iron and carbon steel season exactly/precisely the same... no reason ya can't just start frying stuff with cast iron. Just don't buy cast iron cookware with a machined interior surface, it's garbage (literally garbage, was machined to hide a defective casting) and can never develop a properly seasoned surface.
I bought a wok the other day to use for stir frys, etc. I have a question though. On the directions it says I need to place thre wok on the stove and heat it with some oil until the protective coating turns soft, then rub off the coating with a sponge. I did that, but I went away from the stove for a couple minutes,a nd when I returned, what i presume to be the coating was sort of pooled in the bottom of the wok. It was burnt, it looked like, so I took it off the stove and rinsed it. This film coating is still on the bottom of ther wok, and it looks burnt, but when I rub with my nail, it does come off, revealing steel below it. Anyone got any tips on this? I';d like to know the best way to get this stuff off.
I bought a wok the other day to use for stir frys, etc. I have a question though. On the directions it says I need to place thre wok on the stove and heat it with some oil until the protective coating turns soft, then rub off the coating with a sponge. I did that, but I went away from the stove for a couple minutes,a nd when I returned, what i presume to be the coating was sort of pooled in the bottom of the wok. It was burnt, it looked like, so I took it off the stove and rinsed it. This film coating is still on the bottom of ther wok, and it looks burnt, but when I rub with my nail, it does come off, revealing steel below it. Anyone got any tips on this? I';d like to know the best way to get this stuff off.
It is a steel wok? Scrub the wok with steel wool and washing up liquid. Rinse well and dry. Then heat it slowly on the cooker with some good cooking oil in it. Rub the oil around the hot wok every couple of minutes. Heat it just until it starts to smoke then turn off the heat and let the wok cool with the oil in it. When it's cool, wipe out the excess oil and it's ready to use. If there are no wooden or plastic parts on the wok, can heat in the oven but that uses more gas.
With those heavy cast iron frying pans the old recommendation was to wipe oil over it then heat, then liberally sprinkle salt over the hot oil layer and leave to cool. Finally, rinse the salt off in plain water (no detergent). Once treated thus it only needed to be washed in hot water after use -- again, no detergents.
Perhaps a steel wok could be treated much the same way?
Cheers, Phred.
Dunno. A cast iron frying pan and a steel wok are very different creatures. Got my wok instructions from Chinese cooks so not inclined to try a different method.
A wok is different than a cast iron pan. Woks (traditional) are made of carbon steel and need to be seasoned different. ...
That's not been my experience. Carbon steel and cast iron can both rust. That chemical similarity allows them to be seasoned the same way. See my thoughts at http://users.erols.com/jyavins/season.htm for what they're worth.
Jerry -- Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Thanks to all who replied. To the first respondent: there are instructions for seasoning, yes, but there was separate set of instructions for what i described. I never even got past that step to *get* to seasoning! I will give the steel wool a shot. I had really wanted to use the damned wok tonight, but I'll aim for tomorrow now. Thanks again!
You should have used it last night. A wok doesn't have to be babied for seasoning. Just clean it out to start with, then add oil and start cooking. After use, soak it a bit, then scour it out with a plastic scouring pad. Rinse and dry immediately, coat with oil, then wipe out all excess oil with paper towels.
It will never "season" like cast iron but it will acquire a semi-seasoning after several uses.
Actually cast iron and carbon steel season exactly/precisely the same... no reason ya can't just start frying stuff with cast iron.
Yes.
Quoted message said:
Just don't buy cast iron cookware with a machined interior surface, it's garbage (literally garbage, was machined to hide a defective casting) and can never develop a properly seasoned surface.
Oh come now! All Wagner and Griswold cast-iron cookware was machined smooth, as are the big griddle/cook tops found in diners and wherever cheese steaks are made in quantity. Methinks you bought into a myth. :-)
Jerry -- Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get. ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Thanks to all who replied. To the first respondent: there are instructions for seasoning, yes, but there was separate set of instructions for what i described. I never even got past that step to *get* to seasoning! I will give the steel wool a shot. I had really wanted to use the damned wok tonight, but I'll aim for tomorrow now. Thanks again!
You should have used it last night. A wok doesn't have to be babied for seasoning. Just clean it out to start with, then add oil and start cooking. After use, soak it a bit, then scour it out with a plastic scouring pad. Rinse and dry immediately, coat with oil, then wipe out all excess oil with paper towels.
It will never "season" like cast iron but it will acquire a semi-seasoning after several uses.
Actually cast iron and carbon steel season exactly/precisely the same... no reason ya can't just start frying stuff with cast iron. Just don't buy cast iron cookware with a machined interior surface, it's garbage (literally garbage, was machined to hide a defective casting) and can never develop a properly seasoned surface.
Sheldon
Sheldon, Please show me documentation that cast iron and high cabon steel are the same thing. They are not.
