How to Clean & Reseason a Rusted Steel Wok

A well-seasoned wok requires very little oil to stir-fry foods.

Home cooks sometimes buy special equipment to try new cooking methods and recipes but once the novelty wears off, the equipment goes into storage. If you have acquired an old rusted wok you would like to bring back to life, you'll need to clean it and reseason it with oil before use. If your wok has a wooden or plastic handle, reseason it on the stovetop. If the handle is metal, you can reseason it on the stove or in the oven. Use peanut, corn, canola, safflower or another cooking oil that can withstand fairly high heat.

Things You'll Need

• Steel wool pads
• Cooking oil
• Paper towels
• Tongs

Instructions

Rust Removal

1. Clean the rust off of the wok by scouring it with a soapy steel wool pad.

2. Rinse the wok with hot water.

3. Dry it with a dish towel or paper towels.

Stovetop Reseasoning

1. Turn the gas flame or heat on your stovetop to high. Place the wok on the stove.

2. Allow the wok to heat to the point where a few drops of water sizzle as they touch it. This should take about five minutes.

3. Pour enough cooking oil on several sheets of paper towel to completely coat them. Do not saturate them to the point where the oil drips. Wad them up into a loose ball.

4. Pick up the paper towels with tongs. Thoroughly coat the inside surface of the wok with the oiled towels and then set them aside.

5. Turn the under the wok to low and allow it sit on the stove for approximately 15 minutes to absorb the oil.

6. Check the wok periodically as it seasons. The interior of the wok should gradually darken. If the surface looks dry, coat it again with the oiled paper towels.

7. Take the wok off of the heat and allow it to cool.

8. Repeat the seasoning process.

Oven Reseasoning

1. Turn the oven on and set it to a medium heat of about 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Brush the inside surface of the wok with cooking oil.

3. Put the wok in the preheated oven for at least two hours. Periodically take out the wok and use a wadded paper towel to swish around any oil that has pooled at the bottom.

4. Allow the wok to thoroughly cool after the reseasoning and then repeat the process.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not wash the wok with soap and water after it is seasoned as soap removes the seasoning.

• After cooking with the wok, rinse it out with hot water while it is still hot and then allow it to air dry. The more you use the wok, the darker it will become as the oil penetrates its surface.

• Ventilate the room well during seasoning. Since you will be working with high heat, the oil may generate some smoke.

• Do not use olive oil to season a wok. Olive oil has a low smoking point and will burn more quickly than most other cooking oils.

References

• Asia Recipe: All About Woks: Seasoning a Wok
• Thai Food and Travel; How to Season and Care for a Wok; Kasma Loha-unchit; 2006