How to clean a wok without losing its seasoning and keeping it shiny

For many years, my woks were always stained, soiled, and grimy, but I was afraid to scrub them. In this method that I developed, I can bring the shine back to the surface of the wok without losing its seasoning. It based on the concept of physical cleaning versus chemical cleaning. The physical cleaning removes the carbon particles that are burned onto the surface of the wok without removing the seasonings (the oil layer) coated the crevice of the metal. Give it a try, and you will be surprised by how well it works.

[@cathys949]

That is how I clean my old cast iron skillet. It has kept it's seasoning for over 50 years, without becoming crusty on the outside like so many old skillets. Occasionally I put a little vegetable oil on a paper towel and wipe it inside to give it a little sheen. I plan to buy an Imusa carbon steel wok, my first wok ever! Thanks for your spot seasoning method.

[@DiannaAtherton]

I am so hooked on your videos. I have learned so much. Could you please consider doing a video on the actual vinegar clean please? My wok has food stains but I am confused as to whether to scrub the heck out of it and re season or just keep going. I have owned this wok 25 years

[@gabudabi]

This man is a gem

[@jeankeats3200]

When I can be like a pro, I'll agree. First it works, then....it don't! Yes, I'm being facetious but I guess I'm just trying to learn and it "ain't a workin' out." :) I'm exhausted. I have not had anything to eat for six hours. Trying to learn...sorry for the rant. Hope you have better luck than I.

[@jaydeebishop2345]

Very impressive!

[@simonknox5580]

Hi Tak, great advice, recipes and channel. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I was of the belief that only gentle removal of stubborn food particles with hot water and a non abrasive pad was sufficient when attempting to clean a carbon steel wok. Adding a small amount of oil after cleaning seems to prevent any rust. My wok has darkened with its seasoning that remains and seems to be becoming more non stick with each use.....🍳🍳🍳🍳

[@radiofan2454]

It's my understanding that seasoning is the process of baking oil onto the surface of carbon steel or cast iron in what's called polymerization. During this seasoning process a dark patina forms. There are many sources of information about seasoning, include the Science of Cooking Web site and the Lodge (cast iron) Web site.

[@Toddster63]

Yes, Simon, you are on the right track! Vinegar and scrub pads have no place in consistent use on a seasoned wok. Using them will pretty much completely prevent a patina from forming. And a good patina on the wok is the hallmark of Chinese cooking.

[@agirlandherchihuahua]

Does this mean that you do not use a soap or detergent to wash your woks? Just water and and scrubbing pad (and elbow grease) ? And, any temperature water - warm, hot, cold? Also, thank you Tak for your wonderful videos! They are fantastic and very helpful, I am excited to try all your advice with my new wok! And now I understand why I had problems with my old cooking tools and an old wok - now I can season it properly!

[@KyaniMosaic_Crone]

Can I use salt & water like I clean my cast iron pans? I just got my 1st real wok (Had a $5 Walmart wok that was impossible to season properly but my husband surprised me with it & knows nothing about pans) He just upgraded me to a carbon steel wok & your spot seasoning method was PERFECT, Thank You for saving my sanity. I only know how to season & clean my cast iron without stripping the seasoning though. Most of my cast iron pans are Family Heirlooms, I'm 5th generation to own my biggest 1. The other 2 I won $100 bet because I found them rusted & full of water in a barn & nobody thought I could restore them. When it comes to cleaning though my gran always taught me to use warm water, a copper pad & plenty of salt. The salt sanitizes the pan without stripping the oils. Is that possible with a wok or will I damage it?

[@soniaclarkson3766]

Thanks for the useful tips. Do you spot season your wok every time you wash your wok?

[@AndrewNC22]

Thank you for the video and the idea. Did you heat up your carbon steel woks to blue before first use? I just bought a new carbon steel wok and seeing your shiny woks I was wondering that.

[@queennetta6815]

Next you'll have to teach me how to restore it pretty please please I have that very same 14" Imusa wok yours look so pristine wow they're beautiful.. my wok is my favorite piece of cookware

[@wokwithtak]

Hello, I definitely will show you how to restore your wok. I will post a video of the process in the near future. It is very easy, and I believe that you will enjoy using your wok more after it is clean it up. It works for me!

[@queennetta6815]

@@wokwithtak yessssss yessssss happy dancing lol..this is awesome looking forward to the video wok cooking has changed how everyone eats vegetables in my house I use to be the only one that enjoyed it now everyone eats

[@raulocasio9168]

At 2:32, is the 'SCRUB' pad made of steel or other material? Thanks, great video!

[@PhilipWong2009]

Can you steam food in a seasoned wok without damaging the seasoning?

[@Ali1xa]

Hi Mr Tak . I dont have wok , concedering buy one for my family of four. Can you pls recommend what size is best for us . We have gas stove .

[@wokwithtak]

Hello, I would recommend a 16 in carbon steel or light cast iron wok for a family of 4. I routinely use a 16 in light cast iron, wok which I have shown on some of my videos. We are a family of 3 with a relatively big eater. I really like this wok, and I bought it from Chicago Chinatown. I have not been able to find it online, but you might be able to. Please send me an e-mail, and I will send you a picture of the label. Thanks!

[@vj6926]

I seasoned my wok and it had nice blue finish, but it was coming off as I stared cooking. I thought i was supposed to take the whole thing off so I scrubbed it with metal scrubber. And now all the blue finish is gone and my wok looks like a metallic finish. Please tell me what should I do next. Did I overseason it? Will I get the blue seasoning back? Please help.

[@maxcrit3481]

The blue color is usually done by heat treating it. You can get it back if you have a gas stove and carefully apply high heat until you see it blueing.

[@huannguyen5359]

So don’t use any soap at all right? And if I want to restore back to its original finishes, do I need to scrub it with bar keepers friend?

[@wokwithtak]

Hello, I do not use soap. I normally use Scotch-Brite scrub pads, and they do an excellent job. I will do a video on how to clean and restore a carbon steel wok to its original finishes. Thank you for your questions.

[@DianElizabethSmith]

Xiexie 💕

[@bigbadboogie6842]

Odd, everyone says the wok should be dark as that's the seasoning that builds up over time?

[@wokwithtak]

Yes, that is the common perception, but it is not the case based on my research on the topic.

[@cpk2GIRL]

The TWO scrub pads shown are the Non-metallic ones??? And is that COLD water?

[@wokwithtak]

Yes, they are non-metallic. I use either warm water or cold water.

[@cpk2GIRL]

@@wokwithtak Thank you!!!

[@radiofan2454]

Hello, I thought the process of seasoning a carbon steel wok was to promote the dark seasoning by coating the pan with a "light" coating of oil after every cook? I have found that the key to good seasoning in my cast iron is to remove the burnt on food so that it doesn't burn and turn into a carbon build up. That is done with a good dose of physical cleaning :)

[@wokwithtak]

You are correct. The dark color is actually burned carbon from food particles. You can scrub it off and would not affect the seasoning of the surface.

[@kimberly1567]

I watch way too many seasoning vids, re-seasoning vids, etc. So often it's sort of like people come up with so many ideas as they make the vids. Then 2 weeks later they do just the opposite. Read the comments below. All the ways of seasoning can be correct and all ways can be wrong. The true secret is, doesnt matter if its a carbon skillet or carbon walk. Keep a .50 bunch of spring onions in your refrigerator. You arent going to eat them so they dont have to remain fresh. Cut onions into small, approx 1" pieces, throw onions into a pan on med to med/high heat with like 1/4c veggie oil. stir fry these onions until they look almost burnt. You want onions crispy. Then throw out onions, rinse pan, and pan will be wonderfully non-stick. You can fry eggs etc daily for like 7 days in a row and pan should remain non-stick. If you do some hardcore cooking in the pan (like searing a steak) throw some more spring onions in pan and stir fry the onions in oil again. Ive tried to do the same quick seasoning method w regular onions, it still works but there is just something about the green part of a spring onion. I learned this trick online and they had said that its a chemical reaction thing just like that onion can make your eyes water . Try it. I just buy a .50 cent bunch of onions maybe once every couple of weeks. this works with carbon steel, cast iron, stainless steel. Another suggestion, experiment cooking with always preheat your pan and experiment with different heat levels. It took me a few yrs to learn to always cook w oil, always preheat. I used to not use enough heat and food stuck more. One last thing, it should never, ever matter what your pan looks like. Just imagine it's an old hubcap you use to make beautiful tasting food. The appearance is not important. Sneak into a high volume professional kitchen that is putting out some great food, fast and look at their pans appearance

[@HiCy2012]

Do you mean elbow grease for cleaning? Isn't it a detergent too?

[@wokwithtak]

I am not sure. However, from a biochemical standpoint, it is a fatty acid. Therefore, it would not work as a detergent! Nevertheless, I enjoy your humor!

[@HiCy2012]

@@wokwithtak haha, you meant for the idiom of hard work or manual labor. It's a test for non native speaker 😂. I actually found a degreaser called "elbow grease" lol

[@audacity1375]

shouldn't a seasoned wok look black or blue? yours look silver

[@wokwithtak]

Not at all. A seasoned wok does not need to take on any coloration. The seasoning is actually invisible. The black or blue color is just burned carbon. I discuss this issue in the following video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGGUfYGFo9GXmJY Thank you!

[@yt650]

The only part of Popeye that doesn’t rust is the part he sticks in Olive Oil.

[@rizzo-films]

I'm a little confused, but maybe there are other videos with context. I thought these stains you get from food and burned oil are supposed to stay and add to the seasoning. Do you remove it every time or is this just a tutorial on how to start from scratch? Or maybe I'm doing it wrong 😵.

[@BrianGay57]

Proper seasoning is simply polymerized oil. It protects the metal from oxidation (rust). Carbon steel and cast iron require this protection. Seasoning will build up gradually over time and with continued use. I make sure to clean the crud off, but not the already polymerized oil. I don’t try to take mine back down to bare metal, but I also don’t allow food particles to build up in it either. Tak seems to like his shiny with thin seasoning. I like mine dark, and well seasoned, but without any crusty buildup.

[@DiannaAtherton]

@@BrianGay57 interesting comment. Mine has the same. A build up of what I call defense. The wok is clean but has black discoloration on wok sides. You can feel it when you touch it. Not the same feel like dried on food. I always wondered if I should strip it clean and start new

[@BrianGay57]

@@DiannaAtherton If it’s sticky, crusty, rusty or just not functioning properly, I probably would start over. If it’s still cooking well without any sticking I wouldn’t do anything.

[@DiannaAtherton]

@@BrianGay57 after I rinse it and dry it, it shows small rain drop size spots of rust. After 28 years I may just need a new one LOL

[@BrianGay57]

@Dianna A If it’s carbon steel you should be able to restore it if necessary. I don’t understand why yours would be getting rust if if it is well seasoned, and you are drying it thoroughly. Do you live in a high humidity area?

[@jeankeats3200]

Oh man....learning this is so ambiguous. I would not know if it's rusted, food stuck on or a monkey. All I know is that I don't care if the wok is sky blue pink after I use it. I just want it to work but there is no straight forward way of learning. If anyone finds someone that teaches A -------------------------->>>>to Z, let me know, please.

[@Toddster63]

Tak, I am so surprised at this video. I do not agree with your methods. Harsh cleaners such as vinegar and scrub pads when used consistently on a seasoned wok will prevent a patina from forming. A good dark patina on a carbon steel or cast iron woks is usually coveted and worked toward for years by those working with Chinese recipes. Not only does the patina form a non-stick surface (that requires very little if any regular seasoning and egg frying tests) but the carbon build-up-the darK coloring you are regularly removing, Tak, adds incredible flavor to anything cooked upon it. I implore those with newer seasoned woks to stay away from scrub pads and vinegar, and keep your wok clean with brushes (nylon or bamboo) and hot water only, and let them get dark! Carbon build up, “patina”, is what cooking with carbon steel or cast iron is all about. If you want nice shiny silver woks, go with stainless steel and scrub the heck out of it to keep it shiny and like new. But heaven above, don’t do this with carbon steel or cast iron!

[@agirlandherchihuahua]

Perhaps you missed something? Tak was explaining his process of working it out. He tried cleaning with vinegar, and then he realised this was not good. Tak was not advocating to clean with vinegar, rather against it.

[@Toddster63]

@@agirlandherchihuahua Uhhhh, as I viewed this vid, Tak does use vinegar regularity and further talks about it’s effects and how clean and shiny all of his his wok are now. He even provides still photo snaps of his shiny silver carbon steel woks...

[@BlueGorillaInTheMist]

@@Toddster63 I believe he just used vinegar as an experiment, which resulted in stripping the oil and making the wok rust. Leading to his recommendation of cleaning the wok via scrubbing and not chemicals. His recommended cleaning appears to be just using water and scrubbing, which is pretty standard, with the possible exception of the abrasive intensity of the scrubber he is using. To your point, the photos he showed looked like new unseasoned woks, rather than well seasoned woks with dark patinas, which I have always understood to be the goal.

[@Rob-lv3rj]

During the clip of frying an egg, it ironically did stick.

[@cathys949]

@@Toddster63 He used vinegar to remove the shipping oil from a brand new wok in another video. then said not to use it to clean with regularly. In this video the vinegar was an experiment to show how it promotes rust. If you are going to scold a professional, at least pay attention to the entire method.

[@oGrasshoppero]

To be honest, I'm not sure I can trust someone for wok advice that uses a wok on an induction stove top (instead of over a propane burner)...