How to Season a Chinese Cast Iron Wok / Pan
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ธ.ค. 2017
- Quite a number of you have asked us how to season a cast iron wok. Thanks to La Gourmet who passed us this new wok to try, we could make this video for you. Roland is very happy with this wok. He said it's a very well-constructed wok and it can serve any kitchen for many years to come.
Here's more information of the La Gourmet Cast Iron Wok
It's a 30cm wide Nitrigan Light Cast Iron Wok. Compared to a typical cast iron wok, this wok is 30% lighter. Cast iron wok is viewed as one of the safest and healthiest cookware but rust has always been an issue. To resolve this, La Gourmet innovated by adding nitrigan to the surface of the cast iron. Nitrigan is highly resistant to rust as well as incredibly strong and durable. Most importantly, no chemical has been added to the wok, making the nitrigan treatment on cast iron a healthy alternative to PTFE coating cookware.
You can get this wok from all major departmental stores in Singapore.
Isetan / Robinsons / BHG / OG / Tangs - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
My mum bought a cast iron wok when she first got married. Though heavy, she has cooked countless family meals in it everyday. It has been 50 years and still going strong.
Wow! Great story for those who’re still wondering what kind of wok to go for. We’re very strong advocates of cast iron woks too.
I just bought the nitrigan wok and followed the steps in your video. I have changed some woks and hope this is my last one which can serve me and my family for many years to come :)
Thank you Roland for sharing some of the tips on how to season the cast iron wok which I bought one yesterday.
Good and simple instructions, thank you 😍Gilbert, AZ
Thank You Roland for giving us the tips for cleaning new Cast iron Pan. It is a must to own a cast iron pan for Chinese cooking. It gives more flavour to food n also for Fried Kueh Teow it gives a nice Wok Hei (a smokey aroma.) Thumbs up. 👍👍👍👏👏👏
Thank you too, Rebekah. Happy 2018 to you!! 🤓
I m so goin to get one now. My char kuey teow is no good in my present wok. Mee goreng mamak also cannot get e Char flavor.
Thank you so much for the sharing 👏✌
I LOVE cast iron cookwares! Couldn't click on yr video fast enough! I use spring onions... chives pretty expensive in Australia. Happy 2018!
Wow. Didn’t know chives are expensive in Australia. Great to know that spring onion can be used too 👍🏻👍🏻 Happy new year to you! 😊😊
Simple good and effective way. Thanks
Thanks for sharing .Keep the recipes coming.Happy New Year to you both😊
Thank you so much. Happy new year to you too 😊😊😊
P
Thank you very much for this tutorial! I just purchased my fist cast iron wok and needed to learn how to season it properly.
Hope you’ll enjoy your cast iron wok, Rhonda. Don’t be alarmed if you see black stuff being emitted from your wok. Just use it a few more times like boiling water in it (steam your other dishes at the same time) and it should go away after a while.
Me too. I just purchased mine 3 weeks ago, and there are black stuff emitted from the wok when I cook my dishes. Is it safe to eat? It seems that it won’t go away even after i scrub and soak the surface few times
Happy New Year 2018 Chef😄👍
Simple, and no flowering around. Used as a guide to mine. It would be more complete with a visual guide how to clean, but this is super. Used mine today. A real wok. It's impossible to find in Portugal in stores, only online.
Thank you. I learned something.
Thank you , Happy New Year 2018 !
Thank you Lily! Happy new year 😊😊😊
Actually, a chinese lady i met in Bangkok had used her wok for 35 years;) still just as good.
Wow. That’s really durable. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 cast iron woks are definitely worth it 👍🏻👍🏻
Love your sink
Great tip....thanks!
Thank you so much! Happy New Year to you, Trudy :)
This is the guy who knows what he’s doing 😱
Thank you Jessica. 🙏🙏🙏
I have been using La gourmet Nitrigan cast iron wok(32x9cm) for 8 months now, there's a thin layer of a dark coating on the inner surface. A small patch of it has come off. What do you think this dark coating is? Do you think it's harmful to health if it went into the food during cooking.
Hi I just bought this wok, is it normal the center of the work got this black spot? Appreciate any help or advise whether I overburn my work, tq.
I really like your wooden turner. May I know where you bought it?
I just bought the cast iron wok
I just wonder ,each time after cook need to use water wash wok and dry it(use kitchen paper or fire ?) ,the last need to rub the light oil?
Am I correct?
And each time to cook needed wash again?
Csed not every family is cook often, afraid the season oil become smelly (油变质）
I just bought this wok
Somehow, after some use mine have a lighter shade in the middle. How do I make it slick black again?
The chives, we only need to do once (newly bought), am I correct?
Hello sir, is it the same method to season a die cast pan. Like the Fujiyama Japan Die-cast healthy wok. Thank you.
Hi.. Is it okay to use palm oil for seasoning?
Just bought this recently after watching your video..great quality but so far I’ve seasoned it with a thin layer of oil heated up to smoke point for about 5 times..slightly darker but a fried egg still sticks unfortunately
I just bought one. May I know if I can immediately wash with water after each cook (while the wok is still hot)?
Hey Kenneth, you can wash it with water while the wok ist still hot, just use *hot* water. If you use cold water on hot cast iron, your wok can crack. That’s all.
Hi tks for the video where is this wok made in?
do i have to use a soft sponge because my new wok is very black
Thanks for this video! I bought the same brand, a wok and pan. After the first seasoning, there were black residues, so I tried boiling with water and went for another round of seasoning. The residues at base were gone, but some still lingering when side swapped. It will go away with time.
Woohooz!! Thank you for sharing your experience. Our wok is now good without black residue too. Cast iron wok usually has this black residue cos of the iron. Happy new year to you!!
@@spicenpans Happy New Year! Can't wait to fry lala in it!
May I know where the black residue arises from?
Can we steam food using light cast iron wok?
Can use this wok on induction cooker?
How often need to season the wok?
Hi I have this wok for about a year now. I didn't manage to season it well in the 1st place with the instruction given. When i boil the oil, it polymerized unevenly on the flat surface.
Took me hours to scrub and redo. so I tried many ways following the western style applying thin coat of layer after another and resulted in a smooth flat surface but not so even on the corners and sides. so eventually after a year it start to flake off here and there. try to keep seasoning and end up with uneven surface now.
I wondering what's the best method i can use to remove them all and start re-seasoning again? since this is not normal cast iron but with Nitrigan surface, I don't want to over scrub and damage the surface by using the wrong tools or throw it in an oven and bake with high temperature. I used to just scub with those common metal wool scrubber for cookware but now it doesn't seems to work effectively due to the built up of seasoning on some areas of the pan. Hope you can give me some tips and advise. it's a great wok and i just want to smooth out the surface to make it gorgeous :)
this is 2 years late... but you can scrub hard on the surface. Nitrigan is a process to the iron itself, not a coating.
Hi, what is the different btw Chinese cast iron with euro? I normally see cast iron which is thicket and heavy..
Hihi. May I know what do you mean by euro?
Spice N' Pans sorry, western vs eastern...
You probably saw a cast iron pan or skillet, that is not specifically a wok. They are usually square-shaped and more common than cast iron woks.
Where in the us can I get this pan
Hi. Where to buy this wok ?
Probably not what my doctor meant when they said to "wok" more but this is better
i wish i could watch your video earlier before i done the wrong steps to my wok. i seasoned my wok following the steps stated in the manual but i keep getting black residue while i wipe it with kitchen tower, i just don't feel safe. so i went to google and i have read it from somewhere suggesting to boil the wok with white vinegar. i did what have been suggested and my brand new wok is rusted now, ~~>.
Hi Yoke Yue. So so sorry for our late reply. Please use a steel wool to clean off all the rust then wash a few times. You can need to redo this step a few times to get rid of all the rust. Once you’ve gotten all the rust off, you can season you wok like a new wok. Hope this helps.
@@spicenpans thanks for that!
Hi there, I always have this question in my mind. May I ask, after the seasoning or even cooking, you mentioned that we can use some soap to clean the wok. Would then this clean off the oil that we had used to season and the next time when we cook, our food will stick on the wok easily?
Hi Sebastian. Actually the recommendation is not to use any soap at all to clean it but I think it sounds unhygienic to most people - including ourselves. So we just use water and soap to wash using a soft sponge. No worries that the coating won’t last. You’ll need to season it every now and then actually. Sounds troublesome but cast iron wok can last you a lifetime.
The food residue will come off a well-seasoned wok easily. I used hot water to rinse the wok after each use(fat melts with hot water not cold water) and burn it on the stove to get rid of the remaining water. After that, you can re-coat a layer of oil(if you feel needed) heat it until you see smoke, turn off the heat, air-cool and put it aside for next time. Any non-abrasive brush works best with a wok. Traditional, Chinese people use brushes made from coconut skin(not the hard shell) or bamboo branches.
Whenever I fry fish or egg, it tend to stick to the wok eventhough I have enough oil. How to solve this issue?
Mine became sticky may I know which part I done wrong?
Hi what kind of veg that I can used instead of chinese chives?
Where is the cast iron wok? I'm not seeing one in your video.
Hi James. This one? We still have it and we’re using it in some of our videos. 👍🏻👍🏻
Even though the box says cast iron it's not. It's probably a black or carbon steel. Cast iron is not that shiny, takes about 10 min to heat up and a long time to cool down, which is not what you typically want for Chinese stir fry. In my opinion, carbon steel will give you a better experience in achieving "wok hei" if you have a strong burner. Good video though.
Fyi, this wok is actually steel treated with the nitriding process en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitriding
Thanks for sharing Cyberrian. Roland still prefer cast iron wok over steel though. Just his preference.
i guess u used the western thick cast iron pan, that's why it took long time to heat up. carbon steel wok doesn't need strong burner to achieve 'wok hei', home kitchen, u just need to burn the wok and oil hot enough to achieve the same.
lol are your a metallurgy specialist? you can polish cast iron btw...
I have a wok but not sure if it is cast iron. I have used it many years. But I did not season it when before I first used it. It do rust. So after washing, i turn it upside down. How do I know if it is cast iron. Appreciate your reply. TQVM.
Hi F1. Is your wok heavy or light?
@@spicenpans not heavy but not light too😊 but it is not an expensive wok. I just fried chives in it . It need more oil than tefal. Tefal is risky🙄
I've seen a few articles saying that a cast iron wok needs to be oiled on both the inside and outside, is this true?
Hihi. No need to oil outside but the idea is to prevent the cast iron from rusting. We don’t oil ours on the outside though. Hope this helps.
@@spicenpans thanks for replying!
i just seasoned a wok...everytime after using and washing with warm water, i tried to put a coating of oil and use a tissue to wipe evenly around the pot...but the tissue seem to be wiping off some brown substance, same case as what the video is showing...what is that? Is it safe to eat?
Iron dust from the manufacturing process. safe to eat, they will get cleaned off if you keep using it.
Is the video still available? Seems to have error loading the video. It says video is not available.
Thank you so much for bringing this error up to us. The video is still available for something is wrong. Let us check with TH-cam to get it fixed. 🙏🙏
I just bought this one today, is yours still working well?
Yes still working well and one of our go-to wok. Just wanna highlights to you that in your first few uses, you will see black substance from your wok. No worries. That’s iron. The more you use, the lesser you’ll see that. You can boil water with your wok and it may help to speed up this problem. Nothing to worry about. Now our wok doesn’t release any black substance anymore.
@@spicenpans good to know, thank you. Something isn't working though, tried to fry eggs and everything is still sticking, even after seasoning. Quite upsetting.b
@@spicenpans thanks for sharing that, mine made my hands black after initial wash and was wondering if I didn't clean it enough until I read this
chainsaw bar oil works good
👍🏻👍🏻
This season need to do everytime before use? And cook with the chives also every time or only on first time use?
You’ll need to do this whenever your wok is dull. This step is to make the wok ‘non stick’
In your opinion, is anodized wok good? I just bgt a anodized wok fm C K Tang. Please advise. Thanks.
Hihi. Anodized wok must be bought from reputable brands because it is made of aluminium. Some “black hearted” manufacturers may not make it the right way, then it will be dangerous for health especially when used to cook acidic food. Otherwise it is a good wok too. Enjoy your wok!
4:22 how long to cook the onion inside?
hi, where can i buy d wok n how much is it.
Hihi. You can get this La Gourmet 30cm Nitrigan Cast Iron Wok from Lazada or just go to any of the major departmental stores in Singapore such as Robinsons, Isetan, Tangs, BHG and OG
It seems every expert on the subject of wok seasoning has a different way....
In my experience.....I have cast iron pan, cast iron crepe pan, and even a cast iron wok..(Indian version)...
What i have found in the decades of cooking for my family....the more you use your wok and pans, the more non stick they get...
Just lightly coat them with cooking oil when you have finished cooking with them
You’re right. Awesome sharing 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
.
When next u go to use ? Do need to wash again or direct to cook ?
Thanks for reply
Hi I would like to ask yr cast iron wok oso known as carbon steel thk u.
Hi Adeline. They are different. Hope this helps 🤓🤓
@@spicenpans Hi I have bought a wok from taobao on line it stated cast iron but my husband said it isn't but seem like black steel wok it is oso know as cast iron thk u.
I just bought this la gourmet pan. I followed ur instructions but there is still black shiny residue when i wipe it with kitten towel. Never get clean up or disappear. It blackened my fried vegetables , the water became black too. I don't dare to eat it. I had read many feedback and pictures as mine but still no solution from la gourmet.. please give advices.. thanks a lot
Hi Willy. I told Roland about your problem and he suggests that you boil some water in the wok. Then scrub the wok clean and re-do the seasoning process again. May I know what oil are you using to cook normally? Is it olive oil or flaxseed oil? By the way, the black residue is actually iron which is harmless to our body because our body needs iron. But what we don't understand is why so much of it gets onto your food because we don't have the same problem. Maybe you try out Roland's recommendation and let us know how it turned out. In order for me not to miss out your message, please start a new comment instead of adding on to this comment. This way i would be able to see your reply. Hope this helps.
@@spicenpans firstly, we followed the instructions in the booklet given which couldn't solve our problem.
Then I searched in TH-cam of this pan and found yours. I followed every steps of yours and still got the black residue after I wipe with paper towels. It's pretty black.. like how the cottons look like after remove a make-up..
I use canola oil
@@willyhi9822 have you solve your problem? Cos I just bought yesterday and now I dunno how to deal with it.. arghhhhh
@@mijai523 no.. i don't dare to use anymore. urs also got black residue that can't get cleaned?
@@willyhi9822 i haven't try to clean and season it again like the above. But yesterday I already did once as per instruction but still paper towel very black when I wipe.. but I didn't heat the oil until it smoke though...
May I know hom many cm for its diameter
Are the 'chives' spring onions? Can we rub the wok with a cut surface of an onion? Also I have only peanut oil. Can I use that to season the wok? Thank You.
Peanut oil has a high smoking point, in other words its perfect for wok cooking
Thanks Roland! I have bought this wok. However, after seasoning there is like yellowish patches. Is this normal?
Is it like ours like you see in the video? If it is, it’s normal cos of high heat. Or is it still yellowish even when the wok isn’t hot?
Spice N' Pans When the wok is heated, the patches are not really visible. Yes, there are yellowish patches when the wok cools down.
Joel Tan , this is normal, discoloration will occur. No worries.
Thanks Roland. Have a good weekend ahead!
I just bought a new Tanaka series 32cm non stick pan. Do I need to season it the same way as the cast iron wok? Thank you
Hihi. You don’t have to season a non stick pan. It can be used immediately. Enjoy your new pan.
@@spicenpans Do I use the same method to recondition my old cast iron wok? Lately, food tends to stick to the bottom.
Yes you can use this method to re season your cast iron wok. 👍🏻👍🏻
@@celestinepay5744 if a non stick pan is sticking, it's time to throw it away.
Why my wok sticky to cook...?
Do i have to do seasoning every time i cook or just first time? Can anyone clarify that?
Every time.
I saw this wok many times but l really dont know how to season it 😏
Glad you found this video useful. Happy New Year, Catherine Grace!
Is this the step where the “ Wok Hei “is actually created ?
Hihi Ferdy. Wok hei is created when you’re actually frying the dish but it’s quite difficult to achieve wok hei at home because the strength of fire of our home-grade stove isn’t as powerful as those commercial ones. You can however get those 梅花炉 for very powerful fire for cooking. 😊
Spice N' Pans Thank you for the explanation :):):):)
Do you eat the chives 🤔
Does it come with a cover for this wok?
Hi there. No this doesn’t come with a cover.
What's your advice on seasoning a nonstick pan? Can the method used be the same as the Chinese wok?
Hi KL. You don’t need to do anything to a non-stick pan. Just need to wash it with a sponge - not those wire ones. Use wooden spatula instead of metal. Don’t use olive oil when cooking because the smoking point of olive oil is low. Will spoil the non-stick coating. Cool down pan first after cooking. Don’t wash it immediately. This is how we take care of our non-stick pan. Hope this helps.
Depending on the sound, color and brighness, this is not cast iron but steel.
Cast iron is rough, black, heavy and sounds like a bell.
Hi Pana Cotta. This is definitely cast iron. The manufacturer used a special technique to treat the coating that’s why it’s smooth. Hope this clarifies.
Bottom of my new wok has brown spots. I'm cooking chicken and it's not non-stick!
is cast iron better than carbon steel wok?
I have used both. Both are equally tough and good. But personally, I prefer cast iron as i feel that they conduct heat better, just my humble opinion.
Do you have any recommendations for carbon steel woks?
Unfortunately we can’t think of any brands from the top of our head because carbon steel woks are usually made in China. You can go to any Chinese hardware stores. They should have the carbon steel woks.
Chinese restaurants often use burners with 100-150 000 BTU. The average home burner is at around 10 - 15 000 BTU so light weight chinese cast iron retains heat better as heat is essential for successful wok cooking. Treat your wok with love and it will wok your socks off in return.
That looks like a carbon steel wok, not cast iron.
Quite sure this is carbon steel, not cast iron wok. The packaging is misleading
Cast iron or carbon steel , that don't look like cast iron at all
This is clearly not a cast iron wok. Looks more like a carbon steel wok. Please clarify.
cast iron ?cast iron wok should be so very heavy to be use a single handed.. your look like just steel wok.. that somehow coated back.. cast iron should not be so smooth ... non of cast iron is that glazing smooth.. i hope someone can teach how to distinguish them.. with unarguable test and proof.