Seasoning a wok

Mark A

Mark A

Mark A

Soldato
Joined
19 May 2005
Posts
18,139
Location
Lancashire
I bought a proper commercial carbon steel wok from ebay a few weeks back and i'm not sure i have seasoned it properly. I followed the instructions and removed as much of the varnish as possible, then heated it up on the hob and applied a coat of sunflower oil, then left on a low heat for 15 mins. The whole kitchen was full of smoke, but it seemed to work as a blackish coating formed on the wok. I repeated the process a few more times as I read the more you season it the better.

Food doesn't seem to stick, but the black coating starts to peel away after every use. Not sure if this is normal or not? From what I have read every time you use it it should be adding to the coating, but every time I use it the coating comes away and i have to redo it, rather than adding to it.
 
It takes a long time to build up the patina (black coating). I've had a my work for a couple of years and still occasionally get black coming off if I wipe a bit too much afterwards.

It's fairly important what you do with the wok after using it though. Never use soap/washing up liquid, just hot water and a light (light!) scrub. Some people probably don't even do that.

Personally I wash it, then let it drip-dry whilst I eat. Then afterwards put it back on the hob to warm (very important it's bone dry), then wipe a layer of oil into it. LEt it cool and put it away.

Perhaps you haven't burnt enough oil onto it?
 
If you have a local Chinese takeaway take it along there and ask them to season it, that is what I did giving them a fiver for the trouble.

They were happy to help!
 
Recently got around to seasoning my Carbon Steel Wok I got back in December. After cleaning off the machine grease properly I seasoned with Peanut oil after seeing it recommended in a few places, wiping it all over under heat with a paper towel and repeating until the towel was coming away fairly clean looking. Maybe spent 30 minutes doing this in total? I've cooked with it a few times now and had no signs of the patina being affected, it's getting better with each cook and the flavour when cooking on high heat compared to something slightly more modest when using a non stick pan is fantastic - I'd never have expected as big a difference.

I've got a Bamboo Wok Brush I use for cleaning. Once I've finished eating I'll run warm water over the wok and just brush any leftover food away with the brush. Shake the worst of the water off then back on top of the hob over a flame to dry off.
I've found the whole experience far less time consuming and frustrating than I had expected after how much I'd read around it.
 
Thanks, some good tips there. It does seem to be working as no food sticks to the wok, just every time its used some of the coating comes off and I have to quickly re season it.

I'll get a bottle of peanut oil to see if that makes any difference. Also looking at that video I think I probably didnt heat it enough first.
 
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