Don't throw your wok away!!! | How to Revive a Rusty Wok & Daily Wok Maintenance & FAQs!

[@barcham]

I always give the outside of my woks a wipe down with my oily paper towel after I do the inside when I am finished cooking. I find that prevents any rust forming on the outside as well. After cleaning, and giving my wok a light finishing touch of oil when I'm done cooking, I put it back on the burner and just get it almost hot again, turn the burner off and let it cool down. Then I give it a quick wipe and put it away. In over 40 years, I've never had any rust on either the inside or outside of my woks by doing this.

[@Thewoksoflife1]

that's a great extra step! We can get a little bit lazy with the bottom of the wok, but this is awesome.

[@vanessam9251]

I bought a wok and used it once, put it away and what do you know? RUST! I had no idea that woks had to be seasoned or even the care for it. I didn't have the heart to throw it away so I put it in the back to deal with later. Now it's been a few years and one move and I found it again! Amazingly it wasn't as bad as I remembered and now I'm working on cleaning it up and seasoning it! Thanks for this video it helped so much and saved my wok 😂 No longer will it be that embarrassing monster hiding in the back of my cabinet haha!

[@bgrainger3477]

👏🏼👍🏼🍳 A well-seasoned pan is worth its weight in gold!

[@Thewoksoflife1]

Indeed it is!

[@evileyelash8094]

Extremely helpful - Thank you!☺

[@lorelei340]

I was just given two pre-pwned woks and baffled on how to clean & season. Thank you so much for your guidance and sharing your experience - it has given me confidence as I delve into Asian cuisine that I wish to prepare traditionally. Plus, the lady's comments match my own thoughts at the same time!

[@98682bobbyd]

I must admit, before watching your video, I was going to use a wet sanding sponge and take my surface down to bare metal and start from the beginning. Instead, I scoured off the loose material, heated it to evaporate all water, poured a little peanut oil inside and wiped off the excess oil. From now on, my maintenance routine has changed and I will be taking better care of my wok. Thank you very much for this well detailed instructions.

[@Thewoksoflife1]

Huzzah!!!!

[@taichiman2003]

very informative, thank you!!

[@Thewoksoflife1]

thank you! :) glad you found it helpful!

[@KimHigg66]

Fantastic video!

[@Thewoksoflife1]

thank you so much!

[@DrJohn493]

Good tutorial and refresher!! Learned these lessons years ago with our cast iron cookware. And apply the same lessons on my outdoor griddle. If you really want to get the rust off the outer surface (ONLY!), fine grade steel wool is far better than using some type of grinder.

[@rosei4628]

Thank you for this very informative video. While my woks are still in great shape it’s always good to be reminded on preventative measures and troubleshooting should the need arise.

[@Thewoksoflife1]

Thank you so much! Yes, you never want to have a panic moment if some rusty spots appear! :)

[@Matthew-i6b]

Cool video. first wok. Kinda amazed at how much easier it is to fry things over a wood fire. (I cook over wood coals a lot) Thanks.

[@theresamcpherson7352]

Greetings, Thank you, this is very helpful! Any suggestions about burners for a home cook that only has electric cooktop? Like maybe a small coleman gas burner used for camping? How would you get around it? Any suggestion would be very helpful! Thanks again!

[@mikeanderson2037]

Nice! Thank you! Enjoy your speaking and video!

[@Nemo-yn1sp]

Thank you. I'm reconditioning an old wok similar to the one you've got. It has a few scratches/surface imperfections and I wasn't sure if they'd be a problem.

[@Thewoksoflife1]

should be okay!

[@francismurphy1767]

Helpful and informative......and fun to watch. Many thanks

[@Thewoksoflife1]

Thank you so much, Francis! That feedback really means a lot to us :)

[@SheJay_1]

I needed this, I have a small wok that is a mess. Thank you!!!

[@jadynpaver5325]

Where did you find your bamboo scrub brush? I can only find coconut bristle scrubbers

[@franslingerland1207]

LOVE this. Thanks! I get to use an old pre-loved wok and enjoy its spirit! Thanks!

[@Doug98012]

Question: After cooking, i accidentally poured cold water on a hot wok when i tried to clean it immediately. Should I be concern on warping the wok doing this?

[@Thewoksoflife1]

Hi Doug, this isn't typically an issue we've encountered. Restaurant wok stations actually often have a running water setup so cold water + hot wok is a common occurrence. You can check out Wang Gang's youtube channel to see what we mean!

[@Reyna-or5dc]

I have Canola, virgin olive and vege. Are these ok to use?😊

[@AceHBK972]

Thank you so much for this. Perfect timing

[@matthewharper9615]

As is true with most things in life, the solution is "More wok!"

[@Thewoksoflife1]

heheh! too true!

[@brigidajoven3849]

Thank u very much ur sharing this i really appreciate i try also

[@miguellomeli8709]

This truly helped. Thank you.

[@MonsieurTarzan-g3m]

Thank you. I was a little worried about a little greyish stain rubbing off on the napkin after I seasoned it. I trust this is nothing. After I was cooking with some pureed tomatoes (acidic), I didn't clean it immediately and noticed it created some odd black streaks in the surface. Those went away after the usual scrub & seasoning. But now wondering if I should toss the food that was in the wok.

[@vela1492]

Great video! I have taken care of my wok pretty much the same way for 35 years now - I still have the same wok, shovel, ladle, and rice cooker from 1989, when I started stir frying. Always oiled it after cleaning, wiped it down and stored it. I need to ask you, Bill, about that stove you have. I will be shopping for a new one soon, and would really love at least one burner of the size you have there - it's huge! Any recommendations on brands or models?

[@Thewoksoflife1]

It's a viking but this particular wok model is discontinued sadly!

[@dilekmahmutoglu8944]

THANK YOU !!!

[@aldolojero]

When I saw it was 23 minutes I was like "oh no", but it was just really pleasant to stay the whole video. One thing that makes me crazy about Wok Culture, can you "beam" a hot wok with water or not? Some people say you can, some people say no you can't. In my head it would make smalls cracks on the patina or something, I am just not sure. And you can always see those special faucets next to wok stoves, but I never catch someone using it over a hot wok.

[@LC_JSE]

Hi I’m just adding myself to this thread in case the answer to this comes about 😂

[@Thewoksoflife1]

Just catching up on old comments here, sorry for the delay-can you explain what you mean by "beam"? We're not familiar with the term

[@aldolojero]

@@Thewoksoflife1 Oh thank you for taking time to reply this! What I would like to know is how the faucet on wok stoves are used, from what I have gathered online they seem to just keep them on to cool down the stove? But can you actually drop the water directly on a wok to clean it between dishes? Or you only use that faucet to cool the stove and nothing else? Can you damage a wok with this action, or there is a temperature range ok to do so?

[@melbadee8301]

Thanks a lot 🙏

[@40083svene]

Put a small dish cloth in the sink while you scrub so you won't scratch the sink.😊

[@davem1564]

Hello, I enjoyed this video and learned a lot. I have a question pertaining to the wok I own. I have an anodized wok which I like to cook with only because like you said about rust on carbon steel. How do you feel about these anodized woks and what are the pros and cons? Thank you for sharing

[@Thewoksoflife1]

Hi Dave we don't have strong thoughts on anodized woks. We always prefer the basic carbon steel! Seems like it can ease and reduce daily maintenance though so if that's what works best for you, then it's great! :)

[@davem1564]

Well, I enjoy my wok and it’s worked well. I worked with it for over 10 years and I will continue to use it. Carbon steel is a pain to maintain and I will never use another one ever again. Even when you season it, you need to do it again and again.

[@wizard3z868]

4 over 30 yrs a lite coat of peanut oil or other seed oil if im going to use it regularly over the whole thing inside outside after cleaning and drying no noticable smoking and no rust with any of my cast or iron cookware and utensils

[@kikk0r]

21:00 ”Adding more [oil] never hurts". Doesn't it? A number of respectable online sources state that if the oil layer is too thick it has a harder time polymerizing, either when burning it in on high heat or when the wok is just sitting in your cupboard. It will feel sticky and rancid. And that's been my experience as well. Any thoughts on why you shouldn't keep the layers very thin and build on top of that?

[@Rik77]

But he is also always using a paper towel to wipe the excess off. So as long as you are wiping excess off it should be fine.

[@brigidajoven3849]

Liget cya talaga sa kaldero ko kinalawang thank u for ur sharing

[@UrsulaJStLouis]

Can carbon steel wok be used on glass-type stovetop? Thank you!

[@Tatertot01]

yes just be sure it's a flat bottom wok instead of a round bottom and make sure the bottom is touching all the glass so it heats properly. If it doesn't return the wok and get another one. However it will be difficult to season a wok on an induction stove. Your best bet would be to do it in the oven. There are YT videos on how to do this. If your wok has any wood or plastic handles be sure to wrap them with a wet towel and then wrap the towel with aluminum foil.

[@carlgeenen1654]

I have an old round-bottomed Joyce Chen wok I bought at a neighborhood yard sale for $1. It has wooden handles with burn marks on it. I'm not worried so much about that as I am the caked on charred coating, from old food I guess, around the top 2-3 inches of the inside of the wok. I've tried scrubbing it with the same sponges you used in the video, but the coating is really tough and thick and so far isn't coming off. I'm pretty strong and have applied plenty of elbow grease during scrubbing, but still no luck. I'm reluctant to use any soap or other chemical cleaners, and I'm afraid steel cleaning pads will scratch the surface. Any idea how I can clean it off? Thanks for any help you can give me. BTW, I'm a huge fan of your web site and have cooked many of your recipes. Soon I will delve into sticky rice!!

[@Bradlee297]

Leave it on the stove on very high heat and let it heat up. It will turn very black and then turn silver. The old food and patina will burn off it'll be like a new wok you'll have to reseason it

[@carlgeenen1654]

@@Bradlee297 Thanks for your response. I'll give your suggestion a try and report back with my results.

[@UrsulaJStLouis]

Does your second wok have a somewhat flat bottom?

[@Thewoksoflife1]

it's ever so slightly yes!

[@MidnightSky801]

It's kind of funny with the wife or girlfriend giving her two cents about the flaws of the wok. 😂

[@Thewoksoflife1]

Daughter! :) Read more about us here! thewoksoflife.com/about/

[@apistosig4173]

To clean a neglected wok any abrasive pad (includig steel wool) is fine - you just need to season appropriatly afterwards - then your good to do :-) I wouldn't use any fibreous oil including avocade - grape seed would be a better optiopn.

[@irvingzebedeegaddi4883]

2000 years later...

[@TLH442]

Iron oxide yes toxic and is not dietary iron and is implicated in lung cancer. Same with elemental iron. It should be complex iron like heme-iron. Organic source like from beef, pork and eggs.

[@wendyyin9450]

我好像看到了我送你的手机支架哈哈哈哈

[@KnotChinese]

Sorry to disagree with you, but the last part of the video is off the mark. After you have dried and lightly oiled your wok, it is indeed ready to cook on but not to store. Even an ever so lightly oiled wok will attract dust and other detritus if just left on the surface. After oiling, l always heat the wok again taking it past the smoke point until it polymerizes. Yes it is repeating one cycle of the seasoning process, but you are not re seasoning only adding to it. This will ensure that the wok is no longer greasy and, if you make it a part of your regular after use routine, will continue to build up the seasoning that already exists. If that all sounds like a chore, change your mindset and allow your wok care to give you a more intimate relationship with your wok - make it a hobby in the way that other people do when working on their prized car or motorcycle, or perhaps when they are maintaining a straight edge razor. Cooking with a wok should not only be pleasurable, but should inspire you to treat your wok like the finely tuned instrument that it is.

[@TigerBoyX15]

So after cooking cool down wok rinse in warm water ..heat up on stove to dry..do I need to add little oil again to season it and dry off ?

[@KnotChinese]

@@TigerBoyX15 Yes, after washing drying and giving it a thin smear of oil, put it back on the stove to heat for a couple of minutes until the sheen from the oil disappears, you don’t need to do it for long like you did when you seasoned it. Just make sure that it’s nice and smooth on the inside, as any small rough patches will build up and be much harder to remove later.

[@achuthankurup]

Modern education teaches us so-called sciences, etc. I mean, we are actually gaining something useful or knowledge there?!😮

[@Anno_Nymous]

Throw it away because it requires 10 times more effort when compared to a non stick pan.

[@johndowd7010]

Non stick Teflon is poison.

[@suzywoozy2694]

Non stick pans are coated with forever chemicals. Look it up.

[@rufushughes5602]

I wish he wouldn't talk so much I was just about to turn to another link.

[@greyman5590]

Rust isn’t toxic? 😂 We aren’t designed to ingest heavy metals.

[@Thewoksoflife1]

this very small quantity is actually okay. but the point of the video is to eliminate rust while also avoiding people panicking and throwing out a perfectly good wok.