I rescued a rusted pan\wok from the scrap & it was well used & had years upon years of burnt oil buildup, it required a lot of work to improve on it, but I knew it was a good quality one & I loved it. I dismantled it, I had to unscrew the handle threading a metal rod through the handle loop & twisted it. I knew it had never had its handle detached before, because I really had to pull the handle off the after removing the metal loop rod that screwed the handle onto the wok bowl, following bits of crud that got trapped years ago. I wrapped the wok bowl & the handle assembly separately in kitchen towel & sprayed heavily with distilled vinegar & salt, then put into a decent sized plastic bag & tied it shut & left it for a few hours. Removed pan etc from bag & paper towels & scrubbed all over with metal scourer. Rinsed under shower head & I couldn't believe the amount of rust water pouring off it! I'm pleased on how clean the handle assembly came out, but I'm going to wrap & spray the bowl again. The pan\wok had a non stock coating on it at one time, but half of its surface area is missing coating so, I know I have to season it before every use At the moment all the rust on the inside of the bowl is gone & showing the bare silver metal under a severly scratched non stick coating. I'm trying to remove all crud from the outer side of the bowl because if you use a pan with baked on crud on the outside, it can give off toxic fumes while cooking.

He is a top chef in London, and runs a cookery school, so I’m sure he’s done his research. Great advice, thanks.

Join our Patreon: www.patreon.com/schoolofwok

Love your direct and to the point tips on how to season and care for your wok. After using a grinder to remove all the previous seasoning inside and out, I followed your seasoning instructions and my old wok turned out great. Much better seasoning than the original method I used years ago. Thank you!!!

After drying the wok I splash a bit of sesame oil and spread it around that stops rust as well.

awesome thanks for demo

I appreciate you and your teachings! Namaste 🙏 💜💜

Very very thankfull for these tips. Also I am definitely a Fan of your recipes. Warm regards, RuthM

Looking to buy a wok, didn’t realise it needed so much research. Hoping to buy one of school of woks wok!

Just found your site... great information. I just saved my wok that hadn't been used for years, now I'm excited to get back into wok cooking!!

Super helpful video. We just got a wok, used it a few times and could not figure out how to get the burnt residue off the bottom without scratching it. This video saved our wok and our food!

Again.....Thank you School of Wok :D x

I don’t understand why everything else I see says not to just detergent but you advise to? And also there’s no recommendation to oil it a little once dried.

great tip❤❤as an asian family we use them daily but my mom uses a very harsh sponge which damages the wok so im gonna use this technique instead❤

Where can i buy a wok from you that ships cheap to norway? Would be fun to review one or two on my channel. Really love the hob you have that the wok fits snugly in

I thought you weren’t supposed to use detergent on a seasoned wok? I’d appreciate an answer. Thanks.

I bought a wok from SOW a few years back and use it a few times a week. It's great for the price and follow a lot of Jeremy's recipes on KZfaq. Unfortunately it's not as shiny as the one on this vid.

How can I prevent the seasoning from coming off when cooking with soy sauce?

I use lemons and limes to clean my wok and After I finish I wipe out all the lemon or lime residue With a paper towel I use Bounty. and I use a little bit of used oil or new but I prefer use to Coat the whole wok, just the inside And I put it away with my cast-iron and I do use the same method with my cast iron. I never use water to wash my cast iron or my wok I also use steel wall to scrape the hard stuff off before I start using citrus fruits and I’ve had using grapefruit and oranges as well. Remember, they say citrus is a good disinfectant but most of the time I use lemons and limes, mostly lemons.

So when do you do this, and when with a sponge? Can a regular sponge work?

While with boiling water, instead of ladle, can you use wok brush instead to prevent also from scratching the wok from ladle?

uhm... many videos say you can't use detergent to clean a seasoned wok. I'm confused now

There is no visual aid for step 4, which i think is important because this is different from a cast iron skillet where you do not want to clean with any detergent or soap at all

After cleaning and seasoning my new wok, there are blemishes and spots on it after I oiled it. Any idea why?

I've learned so much from this thank you! I have a wok that was fine until my ex washed it and left it to dry - it got covered in rust. I recovered it using emery cloth to take off all the rust and I figured I'd need to strip it back to the bare metal and season it again. The emery cloth did leave light scratches on the surface though. I've reseasoned it, but not quite happy with the performance - could it be these scratches, or should they not matter?

Can I cook soup in a wok? Will it rust straight away? Lol silly question just curious since it reacts with water amd all that

How to season a new wok and also reason an old one?

How do you get the stuff off without removing the seasoning?

Hi SoW! the link to rescuing a wok is wrong! Just a heads up! Keep up the good work!

Is it worthwhile re seasoning it every now and then? Just used a SoW wok for the first time today and after washing gently there are quite a few silvery bits showing up. Thanks

Hello Chef, thank you for the video how to clean the wok. I do have one question though. After cleaning the wok and dry it and put the wok on a high heat, do i need to season the wok with oil for next time for usage? Thank you so much.

Sorry for all the negative internet comments here guys. Jeez. It’s simple folks! Yes, using detergent everyday on your wok is bad, and I’m sure our friends at School of Wok more than know that since they are well known chefs who run a cooking academy who have probably spent 1,000 more hours behind a wok than any of us. As a Southerner, it’s the same with my cast iron skillet. Never detergent, unless it’s brand new, or if it’s old and rusty. A healthy wok or skillet doesnt need soap, but a new or nasty one sure as hell does. Those factory chemicals are gnarly folks, you want that in your food?!? P.S. what is this awesome song in this video?! I’ve been listening to it on repeat because it’s so damn funky! Thanks for the high quality videos and information guys. Keep em coming.

What kind wok is the best for a single person with an electric stove?

I have a non-stick coated wok - all instructions say do not use metal implements (like that ladle) - what would you advise?

Quick question. I have a new carbon steel and I always wipe a thin layer of oil on after each use to protect against rusting. Am I to wash this off before each use, or am I good to go?

But I was told it was a big no no to put soap on a carbon steel wok!

After using detergent, you destroyed the "protective layer". Do you need to season again? Get confused. Thank you for the tips.

Is there a reason why my seasoning keeps flaking off after i cook with the wok? I've tried both seasoning in the oven and on the gas stove.

I'm just a hobby cook and I'm thinking about getting a wok but this kinda demotivates me. How necessary is it? Can I not clean it like regular pans under water with a sponge or something? I can imagine that it'll affect the seasoning but how bad it is really?

Is it okay to use liquid detergent to clean a wok after each use,? Some professionals warn against use of any washing detergent saying it will affect the seasoning of the wok.

do you need to put an oil after cleaning?

I purchases a wok yesterday, carbon steel (soffritto wok). I was also going to buy a steel ladle but the lady at the front counter said I shouldn't use steel ladle on my wok, it will damage it. Is she correct? I was planning on seasoning it and using a steel ladle. She made me but a plastic one

Wait. Aren't you supposed to avoid detergent to preserve the "chi" of the wok?

hmmm so we need to dry the wok using fire / heat after every cooking ?

lol so was I not supposed to use the green part of the sponge to wash the wok

My wok keeps getting sticky when doing stir fry like chicken in corn flour, any suggestions

So you can use detergent and not bother coating it in oil after to stop it rusting. How best store. I don't want it hanging getting dust on it.

I bought a new wok and iv been scrubbing it over and over again with vinigar or baking soda also washing up liquid,and nothing is removing the factory oil 😢

Who knew🤔. I was today years old 🤪

My Wok has a non stick coating and you're not supposed to use metal cleaning devices.

Wouldn't using that metal ladle on a carbon steel wok cause it to scratch, removing the non-stick surface?

I knew that detergent can't be used with wok..

I have a cast iron wok, and use the worse possible method to clean it...fill it up with water and leave it over night, next morning I use steel wool to scrape away the food and rust and oil that shiny exposed iron surface XD

I feel like using a wok is to much work. I will just use a teflon covered one, ( i know a desaster) but way more convenient

Love your videos, but have to disagree with this cleaning method, sorry. I do agree with your cooking videos, that a good proper heat when cooking helps avoid most cleaning up. If I find the need to cleanse my wok due to the wrong heat (it happens, lol) I use oil, warm it up (not high) and all the left behind items slide off rather simply. Then use paper towel or a lint free cloth to simply wipe clean. Since i bought my Wok about 6 months ago I've never used dish soap on it.

DON'T boil in your wok. To quote the book Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge: "Although the versatile wok can be used for more than just stir-frying, avoid boiling, poaching, or steaming in a new wok, because water dissolves and dries out the patina. In fact, for this reason, many traditional cooks have a wok designated only for cooking with water and another separate wok reserved for stir-frying, pan-frying, and deep-frying."

so it never clean, i think

Don’t think this guy cares about his wok much, scrape with ladle and wash with detergent? Your nonstick coating will be washed off every time you do so. Well, Maybe he is more expert in wok maintenance than all other chefs.

Never use detergent on your wok. This guy is totally lost.

WTF IS ON THE HOB?

Big fan of your cooking videos, but this is so wrong. I'd never put soap near my wok! Why does your wok have no patina either? Surely you have have one with a patina you could of used and done it properly.

Never use detergent after seasoning.. Also, bloody horrible "music"..