I recently purchased a Soffrito Non-stick Wok. It is described as Carbon Steel yet the instructions recommend a simple warm water and mild detergent washing before use then wiping oil on occasionally. The internet is full of advice on seasoning carbon steel woks by conditioning them with high heat. Which is correct? The place I bought it from (Robin's Kitchen) won't make any recommendations other than to follow the instructions.
Regards
Hopeless in the kitchen.
Advice on Carbon Steel Wok Seasoning
bigpallooka on 27/02/2020 - 20:06
Comments
But if you want to go pro
Just an FYI to anyone who's bought a 'classic' wok with the factory oil coating - you need to scrub that layer off. The factory oil is not edible.
non-stick usually means there's a teflon coating or something, don't need seasoning, it'll ruin the non-stick.
raw carbon steel wok needs seasoning."With three layers of durable non stick coating, this pressed aluminum pan is …." Are you sure you bought a carbon steel wok ?
You might be looking at something else?
https://www.house.com.au/soffritto-26cm-non-stick-wok
Not even sure if this has a non stick coating or if that's just marketing fluff.
Yes. I purchased the 35cm version of this. That is what has me confused. It definitely says Non-stick however it doesn't state that it's a coating. I guess I should have done my homework first. They look to have a darker colour than all the 'raw' carbon steel woks you see on the seasoning video's so I'm going to presume it has a coating of some type on it (which isn't what I wanted). Now I have to decide whether to scrub it back or just see how the coating goes.
Really depends how high heat you're going to use it with. The non stick coating is fine for 'normal' (western) cooking temps afaik, they only fail fast under the really high heat of traditional Asian wok cooking.
You can't season something that's got a non stick coating… The coating would stop the seasoning process from, well, sticking.
EDIT: Ok I'm not even sure your wok has a non stick coating, but either way, you can actually scrub that off and season like usual - very high heat, canola oil on folded up paper towel rubbed into the wok, until a nice patina (shiny surface layer) forms.
A kind neighbour once seasoned 2 woks for us and used peanut oil , ginger slices and spring onions to do it.The woks , after a couple of uses, developed a black, shiny pattina and they are the best woks we've ever used and makes everything taste so much better. So much so that my mother-in-law who is chef offered to buy one off us.
Edit: Use any high smoking oil such as peanut oil, canola oil, grape seed oil and sunflower oil. Add pungent Pungent vegetables or aromatics such as garlic ,cloves, green onions, spring onions and ginger to reduce the amount of smoke produced.
This is honestly making me want to go out and get another wok just so I can season it haha.
This coversation is making me hungry haha.
Lots of videos on YouTube showing oil and onions as a temporary non-stick treatment for stainless steel pans.
Woks are sold already sealed with factory oil so they dont rust
Washing with water and oiling after will work
But if you want to go pro scub it with detergent to remove the original seal and season it yourself