Care and Maintenance of Woks

Care and Maintenance of Woks

A carbon steel wok’s performance will improve with time and use. Most new woks come with a protective film of oil on them to prevent them from rusting or tarnishing in the store. To remove this layer before using it for the first time, the wok should be scrubbed with hot, soapy water, dried carefully then placed over a burner at the highest heat possible until it starts to smoke. The pan should be carefully rotated so that every area of it is exposed to the super-high heat. The final step is to rub it down with oil using a paper towel held in a pair of tongs.

A wok shouldn’t be scrubbed after use unless it’s absolutely necessary. A rinse and a rub-down with a soft sponge is usually all that’s necessary. Purists may say not to use soap, but that is a personal choice. The wok should be dried with a kitchen towel or paper towels after rinsing and rubbed with vegetable oil to give it a vapor-proof coating that will prevent it from rusting.

With repetitive use, the heated oil in a wok breaks down into polymers that fill the microscopic pores in the metal’s surface, rendering the material completely nonstick. As the wok is broken in, the material will gradually change from silver to brownish, and finally to a deep black.