How to Season a Wok | Wok Maintenance at Home

Properly seasoning a cast iron or carbon steel wok will make it completely non-stick and protect it. A well-maintained wok should last you 10+ years.
Season your wok as soon as you buy it, and repeat the process only when you feel the wok has stopped being non-stick.
With proper use and maintenance (brush it out as soon as you're finished cooking, don't wash the wok with soap, and make sure it's dry when you store it) you should only need to season your wok once when you buy it, and perhaps again every couple of years after that just if something goes wrong.

[@biggee8111]

Thank you for explaining polymerization. You are the first source that took the time to talk about the layers of heated oil creating a non-stick surface.

[@peco3474]

Thanks for the quick and easy tip. I'm fed up with those 10 minute videos that explains things for far longer than needed

[@billist4]

Second video I've watched of yours that gets straight to the point, and also explains the science behind it. Thank you!

[@garychong83]

Brilliant! Always heard about it from the older folks but this is the first time i have seen such a technical video - kudos!

[@MeowkolaTesla]

This guy makes you happy lol.

[@JohnGomezNilmini]

Very useful, and short and sweet

[@sature3336]

Good stuff. My mom does this to all her woks.

[@andreamoboe]

Thanks Adam. My mum does the same thing with her works too :)

[@JasonPasteJP]

thank you

[@kimberlychako7269]

There are so many different videos on KZbin telling you to do different things. I’ve been battling with mine for hours now. Wish I saw your clip first. Hope I haven’t ruined mine already

[@cliffcarlo180]

I bought a pre-seasoned carbon London steel 14-inch wok from the market in China town. They pre-season them on a restaurant wok range. the wok cost me $8.

[@olgabocharova8751]

Thank you, I have made the crucial mistake, started to use it right after I bought it! duh! Never again!!!

[@DarkLRD]

Nice informative video. Adam, do you have the recipe for chinese sweet and sour sauce? I've been looking for it everywhere but the when I cook it, the flavor is completely different from the ones you get in the restaurants. Maybe it's because of the ketchup I use or I cook it wrong.

[@rowdytriesstuff9173]

Cheers mate

[@beverlyfitzgerald7675]

The new wok must be tempered completely then cooled BEFORE ADDING that thin coating of high smoke point oil. Doing it your way can result in the wok catching fire.

[@TraceurGreen93]

thanks for use full video and can u give me wok brand in video thanks againt :D

[@fairlymoon448]

Nevermind! found it :D you should link this in ur other vid! Does this coating come off when you wash it? Is there a certain way to wash it afterwards?

[@spacepanda420]

What about the manufacturer protective coating that comes on the wok? Do you not use a scour pad to scratch the coating off? I'm so confused

[@totomaxfull]

Is it toxic if the seasoning layer ends up in your food?

[@SycoraxSnow]

cool!

[@christophermoore753]

I just purchased a new wok and are attempting to season it but my wok has a dark coating which is flaking off compared to just going black unlike silver woks. I can only think my wok has a protective coating which is supposed to flake off after pre heating initially.

[@bashful228]

If it’s a Teflon™ coated (or most of those nonstick coatings) just bare in mind Teflon is a carcinogen. Best not to ingest.

[@PrincessPattyPumpkin]

I tried season my wok on a gas stove using coconut oil. That paper towels kept catching on fire and now it is an uneven black and blue color on the outside with what seems to be a burned blackened area partially covering the inside. Did I ruin it? What do I do now?

[@maxflorian89]

blued steel is toxic to all mammals. in the trash

[@nodrama490]

Do you repeat this process after a wash?

[@MaZEEZaM]

Hi Adam, you said to wipe out the oil and repeat the process, I have just bought a brand new wok, should I let it cool down between coats, or keep it hot?

[@musicplaylistize]

Hi, i'm wondering the same thing ! How did it go for you ?

[@SilverforceX]

@@musicplaylistize Once u burn the first layer of oil in as in the vid, you wipe it gently, any impurities will come off but the oil has already been polymerized to the steel so it wont come off easily. Add more layers.

[@sean550]

Is it re season the same..When i re seasoned mine a film of oil stuck to bottom of wok

[@Xanjrod]

This process takes way longer on an electric stove but still works fine.

[@christophermoore753]

My electric top is working but takes longer to

[@frankray3289]

I ruined the seasoning of the wok by having too much oil in it, and after ten minutes there is a gunk that doesn’t wash off. Which I can only suspect is the remains of what the oil turned into. Hope can I get it off so I can try again?

[@anandkishansarda4921]

where can I find a 16"/17" flat bottom carbon steel wok

[@Olyatzaneros]

I rinsed out my new wok With warm water but didn’t use any soap or give it a scrub before seasoning it. Should I start over or is it too late?

[@toivadan]

ok. im a noob, wat kind of oil is that, n, can you wash after season, also ,after cooking for awhile, can u season again if the wok loose the non stick .

[@painttheworldgrey]

toivadan I think you use a high burning oil like peanut oil...

[@soysaucebill90]

In some videos the wok is heated first, then the oil is added. In others the oil is added first and then the wok is heated. In the end is one way better than the other?

[@iPat6G]

According to food scientists: "When the pan heats up, it expands. Expansion closes its pores, giving the pan a smoother surface on a microscopic level. With the pores closed, the oil just sit on top of the pan. Also, when heating the oil along with the pan, the oil has more time to break down and combine to form polymers that forms the seasoning on a pan." So I'd deduce that doing it the way Adam did in this video is a better way to go. Cuz the oil will get to polymerize "into" the pan surface, making for a more durable coating instead of just having the polymer sit on top. This reminds me of non-stick pans. Some companies just spray the non-stick coating on their pans while other companies have the non-stick material "bonded" into their pans for better durability.

[@adamliaw]

Billy Roman Definitely oil before heating. Trying to wipe the excess oil away from a hot wok would be impossible, and leave too thick a layer, causing the wok to be sticky rather than smooth and seasoned.

[@soysaucebill90]

iPat6G Makes sense. Thank you.

[@soysaucebill90]

Adam Liaw Thanks Chef, I appreciate it.

[@andis9076]

You make it looks easy.

[@jamesmcinnis208]

Yes it do.

[@minerallady]

When use a thin layer of oil on the wok, will it produce a smoke when the wok is heated? I live in an apartment, I'm worry if it create heavy smoke.... Some other videos showed a heavy smoke when heating the wok....

[@aeriste]

Yep, it will smoke a lot. To get the patina right, after the very first burn-off of the industrial oil (you see it change to bare blue metal), do as he did- but leave it on medium-high heat, and rub a paper towel with oil over the wok. Let that start to smoke all over and become opaque, then repeat until you have a nice bronze color. After that, oil it again to keep the patina protected, and heat/oil after every wash to keep rust away.

[@tommyzhang123456]

i live in apart too! my way is once it's smoking, i took it away from the stove. it takes more times to do it, but i feel saver. couldn't afford the risk for a getting fire alarm.

[@jameshoey69]

I did this but I feel that cleaning off the coating wasn't emphasised enough, now I'm afraid my wok could be ruined:(

[@jayroland9481]

Why are woks not seasoned at the factory? It would save an awful lot of bother if they were.

[@koetomo]

I have tried your seasoning method. My wok turns very black like burnt (how do I get the same colour as your after seasoning?)...and I did a test on chopped spring onion...it didn't take long for the chopped leaves to burn and crumble. Do you know why? I have seasoned my wok around 5 times. The crumble then sticks hard to the wok. When I scraped it off, the black wok colour (which I presumed is the coating from seasoning) came off too. Help!

[@christophermoore753]

Hi my wok is black with a coating it is flaking off but I didn't think it would be flaking off unless it is supposed to.

[@stephenyork7318]

Would you recommend 2mm woks? I'm not sure if it's worth going for the $150+ woks or just get a D.Line Carbon Steel.

[@kasperholmjensen8540]

Check out J. Kenji Lopez-Alt recent post on Instagram about choosing your wok. He just released a ~700 page book called The Wok (which Adam Liaw has actually writing a little review about) and he knows his shit!

[@88maximous]

HI Adam, I'm curious. After cooking in a seasoned wok how do you recommend to clean it? I pour warm water and scrub with a plastic brush (no soap). However, after doing this I find sometimes a few things are still stuck - Do you have any tips to avoid this ?

[@adamliaw]

If things are sticking to your wok even when it's seasoned then the problem is likely that when you're cooking, you're not getting your wok hot enough before you add your oil. Get the wok smoking hot, add oil around the edges so it runs down to the middle and then start to cook. I clean my wok while it's still hot with a natural fibre brush under running water without soap (it only takes 5 seconds) and then dry it back over the heat.

[@88maximous]

Adam Liaw thanks for the quick reply and tips! 😊

[@felixjusth609]

@@adamliaw i just wanna copy paste this to my cooking notebook, thank you!

[@MightiestArm]

do you do this every time you cook or just the first time?

[@Trixtah]

+MightiestArm Just the first time. Scrub it under running water with a brush when you're done cooking, and give it a wipe over with a paper towel and a tiny bit of oil. You can reseason it if food starts sticking when you cook.

[@kayself1891]

Thanks Adam. I'm thinking of buying a pre-seasoned Japanese style wok. Arthritis in hands. What do you think?

[@jonelbondyingnuezca742]

No, season it yourself.

[@kayself1891]

@@jonelbondyingnuezca742 Thanks. I've got a Yosukata wok and happy as Larry!

[@aamoyano5408]

What size is this wok?

[@colinwoods5663]

what type of oil is recommended

[@TheBraveIntrovert]

Oils with a high smoke point....Flaxseed, grapeseed, Peanut, corn, canola, lard...

[@michaeldavidson1113]

what are your thoughts on a non stick wok looking at one from walmart 13.5 inch for 6.99

[@TheBraveIntrovert]

Dont do it.

[@bashful228]

Teflon is a known carcinogen. Watch the movie about how the company (was it 3M, I forget?) who developed Teflon covered up related morbidity and mortality.

[@DM-sk5lx]

Hi Adam, when repeating the seasoning step, do I have to wait for the wok to cool down first each time and then start the process again? Thanks heaps :)

[@visualsbysanga5523]

It is widely recommended that you oil, heat, cool to room temperature, then repeat....

[@DM-sk5lx]

Thank you :)

[@benvella1728]

Save yourself the time - just watch out not to get burned by the hot wok! You can wipe while it's hot (obviously remove from the flame), apply another thin layer, buff it out well with a clean cloth / paper towel and return to the flame for similar results. Will save a ton of time and gas, and get you the same results. Polymerized layers don't really need to "set" or temper.

[@DethKount]

But the wok looks old and used after that or ruined

[@philidornews4055]

Does anyone know the brand of that wok?

[@jamesmcinnis208]

I'm sure someone must.

[@flouflis1a]

why dont they come ready??? :(

[@holmiumh]

Look for the word "pre-seasoned" that way you don't have to do it yourself.

[@mescellaneous]

because people that don't understand it will eventually destroy the seasoning and waste time and money.

[@rushtush9782]

why does it look like you using the paper towel that you wiped up the oil on the inside of the wok, on the outside too? is that what you supposed to do? gosh finding a proper wok is a mission on its own🙈

[@bashful228]

What temperature are we looking for? Using an old school electric coil hot plate here. (We all need to Get OFF Gas btw!).

[@delboyo3922]

Wok £20 gas bill £100 🤣