Do you need to season this wok before and after cooking, like seasoning the cast iron woks? Seasoning meaning rubbing it with cooking oil after used..
1571440
According to the instructions that come with the wok it needs to be seasoned before and after cooking for the first few times.
1571441
Care for a Carbon Steel Wok the same way you would care for Carbon Steel knives or Cast Iron skillets. Wash thoroughly with soap and hot water to remove oil coating from factory. Heat Wok on top of stove, or if your wok does not have a wooden handle, you can put it in a hot oven. When wok is hot, add a high temperature oil like peanut oil. Coat the wok inside and out. Let it cool with the oil on it. To let it sit in a warm oven is good. The intent is to let the oil penetrate the metal. When the pan is cool, wipe it down with towel or paper towels. The pan is now cured. NEVER EVER wash the pan again with soap! If you do, you'll destroy the 'cure'. If that should happen, just repeat the 'seasoning' as described above. I like to always have a "Chore-Boy", metal scrubby by the sink for cleaning my cured pans. They clean up quickly and best if the pan is hot. Put it in the sink and flush with warm water and scrub with the metal scrubby vigorously to remove food particles. Again, no soap! Any germs are killed by the hot heat on the stove and with the warm/hot water washing with the scrubby. Why do all of this? If you don't season, the pan will rust.
1336371
It's like a wok and cast iron skillet as you first have to season it with oil and heat; instructions can be found on the internet. The more you use it, the more nonstick it becomes.
673231
I seasoned my new wok as instructed then cooked my first meal. Got a little burnt on bottom so let it soak a bit then washed. I noticed lines up sides from pulling the veggies up the side (with wood spoon). After cleaning and drying I notice what appears to be rust... I can scrape off with nail. Guess will try the oil spread. Just seems odd..
2200171
I rubbed mine with a generous helping of vegetable oil and then baked at 200ish degrees for 30 mins. Put a baking tray below it in case any of the oil drips off. Also, after using, be sure to wash the wok and then dry over a burner or in the oven to remove all traces of water. This is a great wok for he grill especially!
1535392
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/09/dining/09wbox.html?_r=0Here's an article on how to season a wok.
1459706
I think the people at Lodge ought to start using cast iron cookware, instead of making stuff up. I wouldn't Pam it or oil it once it's seasoned. That is the point of being seasoned. Besides, oil sitting in a pan? Yuck. Nasty. Just use olive oil or something when you go to cook. It's not rocket science. And if you hate my soap and water idea, just clean it with hot water. But dry it on the fire before putting away. It needs to be DRY not oiled.
1798784
I soak my wok in very hot water and use a plastic scraper that I purchased from pampered chef. It took about a month of seasoning to get the seal I wanted. I never use metal to clean, and sometimes I use a small amount of dish washing liquid to clean. I always put my wok back on the heat to dry after cleaning. I no longer have to season my wok, it always cleans up with my scraper and hot water. Cast iron on the inside will blacken and create a wonderful natural seal if you can let it go through the process. The oily residue is just part of the essential process to sealing the I cast iron. I also use cast iron skillets everyday! I soak my wok in very hot water and use a plastic scraper that I purchased from pampered chef. It took about a month of seasoning to get the seal I wanted. I never use metal to clean, and sometimes I use a small amount of dish washing liquid to clean. I always put my wok back on the heat to dry after cleaning. I no longer have to season my wok, it always cleans up with my scraper and hot water. Cast iron on the inside will blacken and create a wonderful natural seal if you can let it go through the process. The oily residue is just part of the essential process to sealing the I cast iron. I... » Read More I soak my wok in very hot water and use a plastic scraper that I purchased from pampered chef. It took about a month of seasoning to get the seal I wanted. I never use metal to clean, and sometimes I use a small amount of dish washing liquid to clean. I always put my wok back on the heat to dry after cleaning. I no longer have to season my wok, it always cleans up with my scraper and hot water. Cast iron on the inside will blacken and create a wonderful natural seal if you can let it go through the process. The oily residue is just part of the essential process to sealing the I cast iron. I also use cast iron skillets everyday! « Show Less
2122696
Wash it with soap and water to get the manufacturer coating off, there is no need to scour or heavily scrub this wok. I washed it for maybe three minutes in hot water and Dawn. I then dried it and seasoned it with Crisco and a second coat of a liquid oil. That should give it the start of a smooth, non-stick surface. Use it for frying only at first, no tomato sauces or other acidic things. After the surface is really oil glazed, it is fine for making spaghetti sauces and other tomato based dishes, as well as for frying. This wok works great for deep and stir frying and is great for omelets. I haven't used it for many oven dishes yet. Wash it with soap and water to get the manufacturer coating off, there is no need to scour or heavily scrub this wok. I washed it for maybe three minutes in hot water and Dawn. I then dried it and seasoned it with Crisco and a second coat of a liquid oil. That should give it the start of a smooth, non-stick surface. Use it for frying only at first, no tomato sauces or other acidic things. After the surface is really oil glazed, it is fine for making spaghetti sauces and other tomato based dishes, as well as for frying. This wok works great for deep and stir frying and is great for omelets.... » Read More Wash it with soap and water to get the manufacturer coating off, there is no need to scour or heavily scrub this wok. I washed it for maybe three minutes in hot water and Dawn. I then dried it and seasoned it with Crisco and a second coat of a liquid oil. That should give it the start of a smooth, non-stick surface. Use it for frying only at first, no tomato sauces or other acidic things. After the surface is really oil glazed, it is fine for making spaghetti sauces and other tomato based dishes, as well as for frying. This wok works great for deep and stir frying and is great for omelets. I haven't used it for many oven dishes yet. « Show Less
619063
There is no need to season the pan like you would old fashioned cast-iron cookware. Just wash it in soapy water and dry it well. Of course, you may wish to use a slight bit of oil, but it is not necessary, because the pan is absolutely non-stick.
1956485
I just use Pure Olive Oil. Don't use extra virgin, the smoke point is much lower. When I season, I just put a bit in the bottom and heat it up. Once it is hot, I swirl it around and up all the sides. Just make sure the wok is pretty hot, you will see a small bit of smoke from it, but nothing major. Then wipe out the excess when you are done and you are good to go!
2143565
No special preparation like cast iron seasoning. Just a long preheat before you use it every time. It's very thick takes a long time to get to cooking temperature.
964750
I use a carbon steel wok for many things other than stir fries and it's heat retention and seasoning retention have always been great. But for the times where something other than a wok is needed I turn to a fry pan. In this instance, the Cast Iron wins out over the DeBuyer. I hope this answers your question.
1180278
Yes, I use cook with a wok all the time. Just make sure there are no dings that would scar the surface.
1685528
before using it, the wok needs to be seasoned (see included directions or go on line). If it is left wet it will rust, but the rust washes out. After cleaning it, always apply a light coat of vegetable oil, to keep it non-stick.
1582509
Stainless steel is very corrosion resistant (meaning it should never rust with normal use and does not require seasoning), but does not transfer heat as well carbon steel. Carbon steel, though, rusts very easily, so it must be seasoned before use. This wok is carbon steel. Carbon steel woks come from the factory with some kind of rust-blocking grease rubbed over the surface. This could be the "smell" you are referring to, so I would suggest scrubbing it vigorously with a brillo pad before seasoning, to make sure you get all that nastiness off. Go to youtube.com and search for "seasoning carbon steel wok" to see a plethora of videos showing you how to season properly. Stainless steel is very corrosion resistant (meaning it should never rust with normal use and does not require seasoning), but does not transfer heat as well carbon steel. Carbon steel, though, rusts very easily, so it must be seasoned before use. This wok is carbon steel. Carbon steel woks come from the factory with some kind of rust-blocking grease rubbed over the surface. This could be the "smell" you are referring to, so I would suggest scrubbing it vigorously with a brillo pad before seasoning, to make sure you get all that nastiness off. Go to youtube.com and... » Read More Stainless steel is very corrosion resistant (meaning it should never rust with normal use and does not require seasoning), but does not transfer heat as well carbon steel. Carbon steel, though, rusts very easily, so it must be seasoned before use. This wok is carbon steel. Carbon steel woks come from the factory with some kind of rust-blocking grease rubbed over the surface. This could be the "smell" you are referring to, so I would suggest scrubbing it vigorously with a brillo pad before seasoning, to make sure you get all that nastiness off. Go to youtube.com and search for "seasoning carbon steel wok" to see a plethora of videos showing you how to season properly. « Show Less
1800158
It is cast iron, so it needs seasoning before use. It may have been pre-seasoned, but I did it myself anyway. It is easy to do.
1868143
I love my wok, but make sure you properly season it. I have only used mine a few times and it did stick when I put honey in my sauce.