New Wok has gone rusty

Jumpup on 30/10/2020 - 01:33

I purchased on eBay D.Line Carbon Steel Wok as it had good reviews.

Second time I’ve used it and it’s rusty now.

Should I be contacting the seller?

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • Hellcrusher3304 on 30/10/2020 - 01:44
    +11

    Carbon steel woks requires constant lubrication to prevent rust. The instructions usually says:
    - prior first use: heat up the wok and apply cooking oil on it. Then maybe repeat the process once, making sure that the heat is high enough that the oil starts to slightly smoke. This apparently makes the wok less sticky when cooking.
    - After every use: maintain the wok by apply light coat of cooking oil and maybe spread it using a paper towel.

    This can be quite messy as the wok will make other things oily, but this is how Carbon steel woks work

    • AustriaBargain on 30/10/2020 - 02:33

      How do you clean such a wok, scrub it with even more oil?

      • Hellcrusher3304 on 30/10/2020 - 03:23
        +2

        Clean it with dishwashing liquid as usual. Then wipe it dry and season it with a light coat of oil.

      • garetz on 30/10/2020 - 08:25
        +2

        You clean it straight after use, with plain water and a metal scrubber, then reheat it to evaporate any water.

        • try2bhelpful on 30/10/2020 - 12:38

          Yup. Because I stack a couple of these things I also put baking paper between them to stop them scratching each other or getting sticky from any leftover oil.

    • MeesusEff on 30/10/2020 - 04:00
      -1

      Wow, never knew that. My mum washes with dishwashing liquid and has never seasoned her wok with oil, but it's still going strong after 30 years. Guess they just made things a lot better in the old days

      • ESEMCE on 30/10/2020 - 07:40
        +14

        Or its not a Carbon Steel Wok…
        Chemistry hasn't changed since the dawn of time. Carbon Steel will rust (and always has) unless it is seasoned or otherwise protected..

        • MeesusEff on 30/10/2020 - 10:51

          Not too sure, doesn't exactly come with a brand or label. It's definitely one of those Asian shop ones, but she washes and dries it every night and puts it away. Maybe stainless steel then

  • Hellcrusher3304 on 30/10/2020 - 01:47

    You can read this article about carbon steel wok maintenance

  • scrimshaw on 30/10/2020 - 01:48

    Carbon steel woks needs seasoning, before you use it (if it's not already pre-seasoned) and after it gets washed (solvents like dish soap strip it of it's protective layer)

    Relevant reddit question about carbon steel wok seasoning:
    https://www.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/2vos4i/just_go…

    • AustriaBargain on 30/10/2020 - 02:34
      -3

      By seasoning you mean coat it on oil, or sprinkle some flavour and stuff on it too?

      • knasty on 30/10/2020 - 09:27
        +1

        Use flavoured oil and you can't go wrong?

  • ProlapsedHeinous on 30/10/2020 - 01:57
    +10

    Wok could go wrong if you don't season it.

    • Hellcrusher3304 on 30/10/2020 - 03:33
      -1

      Not much, just adds a good dose of iron into the diet.

  • oneilljstn on 30/10/2020 - 07:09

    As others have said, you need to season it. A quick google will teach you how to do it. It's very easy. Everytime you use it, make sure you use oil to help build up the seasoning. The seasoning is just a polymerization of the oil that creates a hard protective layer. You can strip it if you aren't careful with metal utensils etc, but modern dish soap won't do any damage at all.

  • dust on 30/10/2020 - 08:35
    +1

    Sounds similar to how you'd maintain cast iron pans/woks.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 30/10/2020 - 09:05
    +1

    Don't use dishwashing liquid….Use hot water, coarse salt and paper towel to scrub it. Dishwashing liquid ruins the top layer.

    Season and re-oil regularly.

  • Fergy1987 on 30/10/2020 - 09:41
    +1

    you didnt dry it after washing, And dont use any detergent, just hot water and a bamboo brush

  • Jumpup on 30/10/2020 - 10:28

    Is it for the bin now?

    • Fergy1987 on 30/10/2020 - 10:33
      +1

      nope, just clean the rust off, and season it again and google how to look after a carbon steel wok

    • scrimshaw on 30/10/2020 - 10:35

      Sprinkle with salt, add some oil, grab a coarse pad or paper towel and start working on it until all the rust is gone.

  • yfu1999 on 30/10/2020 - 11:43

    You need to season the wok when you first time use it and continue the process every time after use. I have the majority of my woks carbon steel, steel and cast iron in different sizes and I love them. After years of being used, they can be on high heat and also non-stick which non-stick pan and stainless pans cannot achieve. I can explain how I season my woks if you are interested to know

  • brad1-8tsi on 30/10/2020 - 14:43

    You are supposed to season it before use.
    Clean in hot water only
    dry immediately
    oil

    Google it

  • avoidfullprice on 31/10/2020 - 10:35

    Should I be contacting the seller?

    Nope - sounds like user error. I've made this error once before

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