Any wok pros?

shifty_uk

shifty_uk

shifty_uk

Soldato
Joined
27 Sep 2004
Posts
13,597
Location
Glasgow
This might be a bit of a silly question..

I switched all my cookware from non-stick(granite etc) to stainless steel last year. It's been a game changer in terms versatility, cleaning and general durability.

Working with stainless steel is a breeze after some practice.

Now my issue is with the wok..

Got myself a nice carbon steel wok to replace the non-stick one and it's a nightmare in terms of food sticking and burning. I made a simple fajita dish last night and the base of the wok is now burnt black and I can't seem to get it off.. I'm near binning it.

So my question is:
What's the trick with these? I've tried "seasoning" with veg oil ie heating the pan up, adding the oil and letting it burn to the surface. Done that a few times over the course of a week thinking this is it, I'm ready but nah, disaster. The obvious thing is to lower the heat and toss the food more but the dishes I'd tend to use it for require high heat.

I'll try to salvage it and get rid of the mess, otherwise I'll get another. Annoying as other than this, it's great. Lightweight, wooden handle just can't get the hang of it.

Any tips welcome.
 
Last edited:
Yes - what is his heating source ?
it sounds like it is not hot enough, use lecreuset cast iron wok usually with groundnut oil on gas, with metal 'spade',
subsequently clean, whilst still pretty hot, with just boiling water & brush/nylon pot scraper , using no soap, then dry with kitchen towel.
e:it's the uniformity of heating of gas and the power
 
Last edited:
I had the opposite experience. I made a mess of my carbon steel pan but my wok has turned out great.

shifty_uk said:
I made a simple fajita dish last night and the base of the wok is now burnt black and I can't seem to get it off.. I'm near binning it.
Click to expand...
Was the food heavily spiced? I can imagine that burning and making a mess on an unseasoned pan. Don't bin it use some sand paper then have another go.
 
Last edited:
Sorry guys, think I’ve been a massive idiot. I started attacking the mess with a steel spatula last night ended up scraping the base to pieces.. it must have a non stick coating :o I don’t remember any mention of a coating on the label as I was purposely looking for carbon steel.

sigma said:
It could be too light? Not enough oil?
Click to expand...
Always use plenty of oil. Makes it even more embarrassing that I was trying to ‘season’ a pre-coated wok.

BUDFORCE said:
What kind of hob mate?

Don't bother trying to use carbon steel (especially a wok) on an electric hob.
Click to expand...

New build so I’m stuck with an electric hob for now :( The rest of my stainless steel stuff is fine.
 
BUDFORCE said:
Better off with a cast iron wok for electric hobs.

I got this one had it for years its great


Not available anymore but sure you can find somehting similar.
Click to expand...
Thanks, that looks the business, I’ll checkout alternatives.

Definite no no to carbon steel on electric? The biggest draw is how lightweight they are for tossing rice and stuff.

I’m going to bin this one, can’t believe the coating didn’t dawn on me.
 
shifty_uk said:
Thanks, that looks the business, I’ll checkout alternatives.

Definite no no to carbon steel on electric? The biggest draw is how lightweight they are for tossing rice and stuff.

I’m going to bin this one, can’t believe the coating didn’t dawn on me.
Click to expand...

Yea that is the only drawback they are heavy.

I'm not saying you'll never manage it, but I tried for years with carbon steel and just couldn't get it to work on my induction hob.

And I don't think it was me, I actually own a carbon steel wok as well, but I only use it on and outdoor gas burner I have, and it's fine on that.

I also had a nice de buyer mineral b frying pan and despite my best efforts I could never get a good season on it on the induction hob. I gave it away to a mate in the end.

I have a cast iron frying pan, cast iron wok and also a heavy bottomed stainless steel pan, and between those three that's everything I need.
 
heaviness is good, with a flat based wok - aforementioned/similar https://ovenspot.com/le-creuset-wok/ bought 20yrs ago,
you can work one handed, stir/coat as you add, and it's rock stable - OH might find it heavy when it does need to be moved/cleaned

I'd try and buy from amazon - in case even those don't work -
I've not used it much at current electric house because it's not great versus gas in previous 3 places;
I'll get a gas put in when it breaks ... not even sure a dedicated induction wok burner would help (with traditional wok - if you could find right shape)

To my mind a non-stick wok is an oxymoron - the right temperature will destroy the surface.
 
shifty_uk said:
Definite no no to carbon steel on electric? The biggest draw is how lightweight they are for tossing rice and stuff.
Click to expand...
It's fine. I used a carbon steel wok on electric hobs for years. It's not ideal, sure, and you'll struggle to season more than the flat base, but it's absolutely usable.

They're fine on induction too, but you do have to be careful not to heat them too quickly. I warped the base of my wok the first time I used it on induction - I'd heard they weren't very powerful so I just whacked it straight on full power, and uneven "donut" heating pattern you get with induction caused the flat base to warp and dome upwards a little :(
 
As an alternative to oil, the name seasoning comes from literally cooking salt in a pan, it really works, you can then do an oil season of the pan upside down in the oven rather than the hob to finish the job but you usually shouldn't need to. I do this with my cast irons, I can fried and egg in there no trouble.
NOt sure is youtube linking is allowed ? but like this...
 
jpaul said:
heaviness is good, with a flat based wok - aforementioned/similar https://ovenspot.com/le-creuset-wok/ bought 20yrs ago,
you can work one handed, stir/coat as you add, and it's rock stable - OH might find it heavy when it does need to be moved/cleaned
Click to expand...
Will check it out, cheers
rgrocott said:
It's fine. I used a carbon steel wok on electric hobs for years. It's not ideal, sure, and you'll struggle to season more than the flat base, but it's absolutely usable.
Click to expand...
Good to know, I’ll have a proper look at options next weekend.
thebandit said:
As an alternative to oil, the name seasoning comes from literally cooking salt in a pan
Click to expand...
Makes sense.. most of the videos I watched went right in with the oil.

Cheers for the help guys, I’ll report back when I’ve had a chance to look at options.
 
You should season the wok but when in use, treat it like stainless steel. Meaning get it smoking hot (pores in metal open), add oil (fill pores), heat down a little, then ingredients.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom