I’m so happy with this method from you! A few years ago i have discarded cooking in carbon steel skillets because of al the problems you describe with seasoning. Now i’m having a blast with my carbon steel wok!
I've been using carbon steel pans for about 2-3 yrs and I've noticed some of the same stuff mentioned in this video.. I fry my eggs in very little oil though and on very low with a lid. I put just 1/2-1 tsp or less oil or butter and spread it with the spatula so it coats the entire bottom once the pan is hot, add egg and cover on low. Creps are amazing in carbon steel pans
I returned my carbon steel wok to Amazon because of the seemingly complicated and hazardous process in seasoning the utensil. Now I rethink 🤔. BTW, I watched you cook 50+ years ago while we shared rental under the same roof in WI. Time flew by fast.
exactly the info i needed, got me a fancy hammered carbon steel wok and was burning stuff, i did not spot season like you, lesson learned thank you so much, lao gan ma chili crisp and lee kum kee chiu chow, get them and eat them with spam eggs and rice, enjoy, add a dash of shaoxing as well at end
This is a great video, I commented in another video telling you I just bought a new Carbon steel Yosukata Wok, using your methods I’ve been able to have a lot of fun cooking with this Wok, I’ve been using peanut oil most of the time and sometimes grape seed oil, I hear it up like you instructed, I also wipe the sides a little bit and let it smoke, turn the heat down a little and let the oil tell me when it’s done and I have no issues with sticking, thanks for the fantastic information in your videos, I can’t wait to learn more from you. 🇮🇹😎🇮🇹
Hi Tak. Thanks for the videos. I have been watching your videos and stir-frying. I bought a cheap 13.75" Mainstays carbon steel wok with a non-stick coating from Walmart (less than $10). I used it a couple of times and then decided to sanded all the non-stick coating off with 220 grit sand papaer. It worked very good and then I seasoned it. Haved used it many times since. I just checked and it is out of stock at Walmart but they have a Tasty Carbon Steel Non-Stick Stir Fry Pan/Wok, 14 inch, Red handle for $19.88. Don't know if it would be as easy to sand. It has raised ribs.
I have discovered that if I can cook an egg without sticking in a carbon steel wok, I can cook anything. Yes - the wok and oil must be very hot. Now - we can get a bit fatter by cooking in oil - or we can get cancer by cooking in teflon coated pans - which do we want??
In fact you cant, fried rice will always stick, u cannot use acidic stuff, like tomatoe sauce, and FYI the seasoning layer is polymerized (burnt) oil, you get cancer of that as well.
I just purchased a carbon steel wok with round bottom from Williams and Sonoma. It came with a ring. My question is I have an electric coil style stove. Can this ring be used on an electric stove like this? I’m wondering if it will be hot enough. I fear I purchased the wrong type of wok
I think you would be much better off with a flat bottom wok, or buying a portable stove using gas canisters and cooking with your wok that way. Coil stoves don’t put enough heat out beyond the coils to work with a wok ring and round wok.
How to use carbon steel wok on induction stove? My induction stove keep giving me over heat error, i think the carbon steel distribute heat unevenly causing hotspot, and how to season on induction stove?
I use a carbon steel wok on a Bosch Flexinduction cooktop. When I’m stir-frying the wok will sometimes slide off-center on the burner and then one half of the wok bottom stops getting hot! Apparently the burner thinks I’m suddenly using a smaller pot. When this happens I have to turn off the burner or entire cooktop and turn back on. Similarly, maybe your induction stove is confused about whether there is a pot on the burner because of movement. Some wok’s flat bottoms are quite small and should be used with a burner of the same size. My 14-inch diameter wok’s flat bottom is 7 inches across.
This video is golden. I try to explain people that seasoning is a dynamic process. You don't actually create it then it is there forever. Or it doesn't 'accumulate'. It only accumulates if you don't clean your pan and it accumulates carbon crust. This is not patina. My only issue with what you are saying is the following: you need the initial patina, the initial seasoning for preventing rust. You need to create patina the first use on the areas where you don't normally cook so that you won't worry about the rust. Otherwise you are right. Patina is the result, not the reason for non-stickness.
So, it's at least worth it to "blue" the Wok so to speak when first using it? I just bought an IMUSA Wok from a Wal-Mart here in the US and I'm planning on seasoning it at a friend's place next week since he has a gas stove.
@@charliec2966 If your wok is oven safe, apply a layer of oil to the wok, all over. Wipe all that oil off with a cloth or paper towel so there is only a microscopic layer left. Bake the wok in the oven at 500° for 1 hour. Repeat once or twice to thicken up that coating.
Ah, mon dieu! It is with a heavy heart and a barely concealed smirk that I must dismiss this culinary charade. The very notion of seasoning a wok in a paltry 30 seconds is not just laughably absurd, but it borders on culinary blasphemy. It’s like a child daubing paint on a canvas and declaring it a masterpiece worthy of the Louvre! Seasoning a wok, my dear amateurs, is an art form that has been refined and perfected through centuries, a delicate ballet of heat, oil, and metal that cannot be rushed. It is a ritual, a sacred rite that transforms a mere piece of cookware into a vessel of gastronomic legend. To suggest that this process can be completed in a mere 30 seconds is to display a level of ignorance that is almost pitiable. It takes 30 days of continuous labor to season a wok, and a lifetime to maintain it. Not 30 seconds. And you cannot just dismiss the patina - the very essence of a seasoned wok - as inconsequential! The patina is not just a layer; it is the soul of the wok, a testament to the culinary journeys it has undertaken. It is a canvas that records the history of flavors, a testament to the skill of the chef. To ignore this is to cook without soul, without the depth of understanding that separates the maestros from the masses. While Mr. Tak may provide amusement for the culinary novices, his approach is but a shadow of the true art of seasoning a wok. It is a process that demands time, patience, and a level of skill that only a few, such as myself, can truly claim to possess. Remember, in the world of haute cuisine, greatness is not achieved through shortcuts, but through the meticulous and loving cultivation of one's craft.
“Seasoning a wok is an art form”. That’s more than a bit overrated. Every year millions of people season their new wok. Not artist, just your every day mothers, fathers, grandma’s. An art firm..nonsense. It’s more like” Just burn the Shite out of that fucker until it turns black.
How do you apply haute cuisine and first grade French admonishment to an ancient seasoning method of a cooking vessel that is 2000 years old? I certainly think you’re entitled to your opinion and it’s clear you love your craft, but why do I know you’re probably the white guy at the table insisting people use chopsticks to keep it authentic. Pfft. I’ll keep the sage advice of Tak who’s been cooking longer than you’ve been on the planet. Merci beaucoup. 😂
Cooking in a 2000 year old vessel and using an ancient method of seasoning was never purported to be “haute cuisine”. Then again, sprinkling first grade French in your comments isn’t haute either. Je pense que le monsieur et un poseur.
Tak, if you put as much oil as you do to simply fry an egg, any surface will become non-stick. The beauty of a non-stick surface is to cook without oil.
I have tried seasoning, but fried rice always sticks. i hate this pan. i am going to throw it away because it takes 100 times more effort to work with it. and it has much more limitations then non stick. e.g: cant wash it in dishwasher, cannot soak it, u need to season it, u cant use acidic ingredients, u cant make sauces, u can't deglace. its a lot of hassle. dont buy it. You will lose the layer sooner or later or will get sticking, meaning you have to spend hours fixing a pan before u can cook in it. IT SUCKS!
I agree with you completely about carbon steel woks. There are many limitations regarding carbon steel cookware. The most important and significant drawback is their tendency to rust when they are put in situations that lead to the loss of the protective oil film. You can always apply a thin layer of oil on the surface of the wok before storing them. Many people find that it works well, but for some this is an extra step that they would rather do without. However, it you use my spot seasoning method each time before you cook, you should not have problem with food sticking. Have you tried that? Please feel free to write to me at wokwithtak@gmail.com if you any further questions. I will be more than happy to help you as much as I can. Because of some of the reasons that you mentioned in your comments, I have switched to stainless steel woks a number of years ago. They work very well for me without the problems that you mentioned above about carbon steel wok. I use a Cuisinart 14-in stainless steel wok as my everyday wok. However, I use my carbon steel wok when I cook outdoors.
I’m so happy with this method from you! A few years ago i have discarded cooking in carbon steel skillets because of al the problems you describe with seasoning. Now i’m having a blast with my carbon steel wok!
I've been using carbon steel pans for about 2-3 yrs and I've noticed some of the same stuff mentioned in this video.. I fry my eggs in very little oil though and on very low with a lid. I put just 1/2-1 tsp or less oil or butter and spread it with the spatula so it coats the entire bottom once the pan is hot, add egg and cover on low. Creps are amazing in carbon steel pans
Thank you so much.
I watched the other "30 minute" variations and was just about to do that.
So the 30 second method is brilliant! Way, way easier!
Absolutely fantastic video and shows a well tested hypothesis. I will do this my my new wok. Thanks.
I returned my carbon steel wok to Amazon because of the seemingly complicated and hazardous process in seasoning the utensil. Now I rethink 🤔. BTW, I watched you cook 50+ years ago while we shared rental under the same roof in WI. Time flew by fast.
exactly the info i needed, got me a fancy hammered carbon steel wok and was burning stuff, i did not spot season like you, lesson learned thank you so much, lao gan ma chili crisp and lee kum kee chiu chow, get them and eat them with spam eggs and rice, enjoy, add a dash of shaoxing as well at end
This is a great video, I commented in another video telling you I just bought a new Carbon steel Yosukata Wok, using your methods I’ve been able to have a lot of fun cooking with this Wok, I’ve been using peanut oil most of the time and sometimes grape seed oil, I hear it up like you instructed, I also wipe the sides a little bit and let it smoke, turn the heat down a little and let the oil tell me when it’s done and I have no issues with sticking, thanks for the fantastic information in your videos, I can’t wait to learn more from you. 🇮🇹😎🇮🇹
Hi Tak.
Thanks for the videos. I have been watching your videos and stir-frying.
I bought a cheap 13.75" Mainstays carbon steel wok with a non-stick coating from Walmart (less than $10). I used it a couple of times and then decided to sanded all the non-stick coating off with 220 grit sand papaer. It worked very good and then I seasoned it. Haved used it many times since.
I just checked and it is out of stock at Walmart but they have a Tasty Carbon Steel Non-Stick Stir Fry Pan/Wok, 14 inch, Red handle for $19.88. Don't know if it would be as easy to sand. It has raised ribs.
Thank you for this. My carbon steel wok sometimes sticks, but maybe my oil isn't hot enough
Thats exactly what i do with my stainless steel skillet when i need it ti be nonstick. Works like a dream!
I love this video. So much effort. Subscribed hands down.
I have discovered that if I can cook an egg without sticking in a carbon steel wok, I can cook anything. Yes - the wok and oil must be very hot. Now - we can get a bit fatter by cooking in oil - or we can get cancer by cooking in teflon coated pans - which do we want??
In fact you cant, fried rice will always stick, u cannot use acidic stuff, like tomatoe sauce, and FYI the seasoning layer is polymerized (burnt) oil, you get cancer of that as well.
When can you turn the heat back up during the cooking process?
Interesting video tak
I just purchased a carbon steel wok with round bottom from Williams and Sonoma. It came with a ring. My question is I have an electric coil style stove. Can this ring be used on an electric stove like this? I’m wondering if it will be hot enough. I fear I purchased the wrong type of wok
I think you would be much better off with a flat bottom wok, or buying a portable stove using gas canisters and cooking with your wok that way. Coil stoves don’t put enough heat out beyond the coils to work with a wok ring and round wok.
What temperature should you cook in a wok ?
About as hot as you can, but it depends on the dish
Thank you.
quite informative. thank you.
How to use carbon steel wok on induction stove? My induction stove keep giving me over heat error, i think the carbon steel distribute heat unevenly causing hotspot, and how to season on induction stove?
I use a carbon steel wok on a Bosch Flexinduction cooktop. When I’m stir-frying the wok will sometimes slide off-center on the burner and then one half of the wok bottom stops getting hot! Apparently the burner thinks I’m suddenly using a smaller pot. When this happens I have to turn off the burner or entire cooktop and turn back on. Similarly, maybe your induction stove is confused about whether there is a pot on the burner because of movement. Some wok’s flat bottoms are quite small and should be used with a burner of the same size. My 14-inch diameter wok’s flat bottom is 7 inches across.
i just finished seasoning my new wok for an hour.. I burned my wok into back colour as seasoned it for 1 hours on stove.. !!
Hard to find carbon steel, where to find ?
Plenty of choices in Amazon.
This video is golden. I try to explain people that seasoning is a dynamic process. You don't actually create it then it is there forever. Or it doesn't 'accumulate'. It only accumulates if you don't clean your pan and it accumulates carbon crust. This is not patina.
My only issue with what you are saying is the following: you need the initial patina, the initial seasoning for preventing rust. You need to create patina the first use on the areas where you don't normally cook so that you won't worry about the rust. Otherwise you are right. Patina is the result, not the reason for non-stickness.
So, it's at least worth it to "blue" the Wok so to speak when first using it? I just bought an IMUSA Wok from a Wal-Mart here in the US and I'm planning on seasoning it at a friend's place next week since he has a gas stove.
How do I do it. Please help
@@charliec2966 If your wok is oven safe, apply a layer of oil to the wok, all over. Wipe all that oil off with a cloth or paper towel so there is only a microscopic layer left. Bake the wok in the oven at 500° for 1 hour. Repeat once or twice to thicken up that coating.
@@SiouxTube If it's uncoated carbon steel, yes
sorry but im skeptical about this. i want to see you cook an egg with minimal oil. if the wok is properly seasoned, you dont even need the oil
I love it!
Of course it won't stick. because you used a lot of oil for an egg.
Just found your channel man cuz I just got a new wok Love the video man I'm subscribing
Ah, mon dieu! It is with a heavy heart and a barely concealed smirk that I must dismiss this culinary charade. The very notion of seasoning a wok in a paltry 30 seconds is not just laughably absurd, but it borders on culinary blasphemy. It’s like a child daubing paint on a canvas and declaring it a masterpiece worthy of the Louvre!
Seasoning a wok, my dear amateurs, is an art form that has been refined and perfected through centuries, a delicate ballet of heat, oil, and metal that cannot be rushed. It is a ritual, a sacred rite that transforms a mere piece of cookware into a vessel of gastronomic legend. To suggest that this process can be completed in a mere 30 seconds is to display a level of ignorance that is almost pitiable. It takes 30 days of continuous labor to season a wok, and a lifetime to maintain it. Not 30 seconds.
And you cannot just dismiss the patina - the very essence of a seasoned wok - as inconsequential! The patina is not just a layer; it is the soul of the wok, a testament to the culinary journeys it has undertaken. It is a canvas that records the history of flavors, a testament to the skill of the chef. To ignore this is to cook without soul, without the depth of understanding that separates the maestros from the masses.
While Mr. Tak may provide amusement for the culinary novices, his approach is but a shadow of the true art of seasoning a wok. It is a process that demands time, patience, and a level of skill that only a few, such as myself, can truly claim to possess. Remember, in the world of haute cuisine, greatness is not achieved through shortcuts, but through the meticulous and loving cultivation of one's craft.
Bravo
“Seasoning a wok is an art form”. That’s more than a bit overrated. Every year millions of people season their new wok. Not artist, just your every day mothers, fathers, grandma’s. An art firm..nonsense. It’s more like” Just burn the Shite out of that fucker until it turns black.
How do you apply haute cuisine and first grade French admonishment to an ancient seasoning method of a cooking vessel that is 2000 years old?
I certainly think you’re entitled to your opinion and it’s clear you love your craft, but why do I know you’re probably the white guy at the table insisting people use chopsticks to keep it authentic. Pfft. I’ll keep the sage advice of Tak who’s been cooking longer than you’ve been on the planet.
Merci beaucoup. 😂
Barf
Cooking in a 2000 year old vessel and using an ancient method of seasoning was never purported to be “haute cuisine”.
Then again, sprinkling first grade French in your comments isn’t haute either. Je pense que le monsieur et un poseur.
So much oil though 😢
Tak, if you put as much oil as you do to simply fry an egg, any surface will become non-stick. The beauty of a non-stick surface is to cook without oil.
What you clearly don’t stir fry lol
I have tried seasoning, but fried rice always sticks. i hate this pan. i am going to throw it away because it takes 100 times more effort to work with it. and it has much more limitations then non stick. e.g: cant wash it in dishwasher, cannot soak it, u need to season it, u cant use acidic ingredients, u cant make sauces, u can't deglace. its a lot of hassle. dont buy it. You will lose the layer sooner or later or will get sticking, meaning you have to spend hours fixing a pan before u can cook in it. IT SUCKS!
I agree with you completely about carbon steel woks. There are many limitations regarding carbon steel cookware. The most important and significant drawback is their tendency to rust when they are put in situations that lead to the loss of the protective oil film. You can always apply a thin layer of oil on the surface of the wok before storing them. Many people find that it works well, but for some this is an extra step that they would rather do without. However, it you use my spot seasoning method each time before you cook, you should not have problem with food sticking. Have you tried that? Please feel free to write to me at wokwithtak@gmail.com if you any further questions. I will be more than happy to help you as much as I can.
Because of some of the reasons that you mentioned in your comments, I have switched to stainless steel woks a number of years ago. They work very well for me without the problems that you mentioned above about carbon steel wok. I use a Cuisinart 14-in stainless steel wok as my everyday wok. However, I use my carbon steel wok when I cook outdoors.
......but it's over 9 minutes long?
How to do it in 30 seconds and the video is ten minutes ? Skipping it .