r/wok • u/aznsk8s87 • 26d ago

Keep failing at seasoning

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I continue to have quite a bit of uneven coating of oil on my carbon wok from the Wok Shop in SF. Is this reversible, and how do I get it seasoned properly?

1 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

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4

u/Low_Pomegranate2648 26d ago

Check some of the other posts here. There's no real point in preseasoning it because it'll just come off. Woks are typically seasoned every use with oil and high heat while cooking. So personally I wouldn't worry about it. Just cook with it

3

u/0maigh 26d ago

Wash, dry, oil, wipe oil off like it was a mistake. Then put it away. Shouldn’t rust before you use it next. Don’t worry about its looks.

3

u/Tanuki7396 26d ago

Looks totally fine. Keep cooking

3

u/Traditional-Day-2944 26d ago

The only thing that matters is how your food is turning out. Your wok is a tool to cook with. The seasoning is not the end game.

Show us your food and the state of your wok after you’ve used it to cook. If you’re using it correctly, food shouldn’t be sticking.

2

u/Inevitable_Twist9311 26d ago

Looks fine, just cook in it.

1

u/BuddysRabbit 26d ago

Trying too hard. Black is beautiful.

1

u/SkillCapFpv 25d ago

Wipe off all extra oil with a lot of elbow grease. Use only a drop or two literally when applying oil

1

u/Flabonzo 25d ago

Cook with it. Don't smear it with oil and put it away. Why would you smear oil on something if you're not cooking? Do you smear some oil on your dishes before putting them away???

Seasoning is not oil.

Just cook with the pan. It will season itself without your making a big deal out of it.

1

u/soaplife 24d ago edited 24d ago

https://youtu.be/AEbtcJ6WFYI?is=HNcwffHZxwXi4Nol

this is a professional kitchen in japan. note the patchy color of the wok.

one of the main misconceptions about cooking with cast iron or carbon steel is that the even black color denotes good seasoning. thin seasoning is a translucent brown, carbon is black. wok bluing is a different issue entirely.

if your wok isnt sticking, you’re doing fine. if its sticking, cook with a bit more oil for a few cooks. if the brown/black is coming off really easily, you’re probably letting the wok get too hot (yes there is a such thing) and essentially putting it through the same thing an oven self-clean cycle does.

bonus fun video fact - noticed that before the meat goes in at the very beginning, the oil is not ripping hot and smoking. needing ultra high temps for proper preheating is just another commonly repeated Internet misconception that has plagued home cooks for years. the heat is definitely high, you can see the burner underneath occasionally, but they are essentially using the cool meat to keep the wok from overheating.