My wife just bought me this for Christmas. I have gone thru several woks over the years. First glance this definitely looks way better quality than anyone of my old ones. I look forward to testing it out.
For using the 13.5-inch pre-seasoned blue wok on an induction or electric cooktop, the general instructions are similar to those for most woks. However, there are some important nuances to consider: Heat Conductivity and Temperature Control: Induction cooktops heat up and cool down very quickly, so it's important to carefully monitor the cooking temperature. Electric cooktops, on the other hand, respond slower to temperature setting changes. Induction cooktops provide very even heating, which is ideal for woks. On electric cooktops, the evenness of heating might be less evident, especially if the wok's base doesn't perfectly match the size of the burner. Before first use, it's important to properly season the wok. This usually involves heating it with a small amount of oil to create a protective layer. On an induction cooktop, this process can happen faster, so be careful not to overheat the oil. After use, the wok should be properly cleaned and a thin layer of oil reapplied for protection. Avoid using abrasive cleaners that can damage the seasoned surface. Remember, regardless of the cooktop type, avoid sudden temperature changes as they can damage the wok. Gradual temperature changes will help maintain the quality of your wok for many years.
Yes, the bottom of the wok also needs attention to prevent rust, especially if it's made of carbon steel or cast iron. After each use and cleaning, it's a good practice to apply a thin layer of oil to the entire wok, including the bottom. This helps to create a barrier against moisture, which is the primary cause of rust.
No, you don't need to season your wok every time you cook. Once your wok is initially seasoned, the cooking process itself will continue to build and maintain the seasoning.
Does the wok need to be fully cleaned with detergent and then seasoned like this when I first purchase it? If so, why is it better to buy pre-seasoned than non-seasoned? Thanks :)
When you receive a pre-seasoned wok, it's coated with a technical oil that needs to be cleaned off using dish soap and a non-abrasive pad. After cleaning and seasoning the wok with oil, a black/brown patina develops with each use, enhancing its non-stick quality. Post-cooking, clean the wok with water only to preserve this patina. If soap is used due to burnt marks or rust, re-seasoning is necessary. Pre-seasoned woks offer convenience, whereas unseasoned woks require initial seasoning before use. Our woks are pre-seasoned (pre-treated with high heat to prevent rust) but still require oil seasoning for a non-stick surface. Continuous seasoning over time improves the wok's performance. Check our UA-cam video to get better understanding of the product: ua-cam.com/video/vgu4Fa4vTIE/v-deo.html
The seasoning happens all the time when you cook with oil. The longer you use, the thicker protective layer will be. With each next cooking with oil, a black/brown\yellow patina will cover the wok. This patina is what makes the wok non-stick. With each next cooking with oil, the thicker patina should be formed and should cover the inner surface of the wok.It's a natural process that will take some time. Just no need to use acidic ingredients (they destroy the patina) until the patina is good enough.
Please follow the steps to start cooking properly: 1. Wok isn't the same as non-stick cookware. It is important to have the wok well heated (but not overheated) before you add oil and start cooking or seasoning. 2. After the wok is well heated, start smoking but not overheating (starting from low heat and slowly making it higher), oil can be poured. There should be enough oil in the wok. It is important. 3. The wok should be heated well with oil before one can add ingredients (for example egg). The temperature should be such that the oil is smoking slightly. 4. Before turning the egg, one needs to wait until the egg white becomes crispy. Below is a video about an egg test: ua-cam.com/video/3sq-H2eULNg/v-deo.html
If the burned mark is sticky, you need to scrub it with an abrasive sponge or steel wool (use dishwashing detergent if necessary), then re-season the wok well and evenly. If the mark is silky, it means the patina was formed in that area; no need to scrub it. Please note that to avoid sticky burned marks, you should control the heating temperature during the seasoning. It needs to start the seasoning with lower heat and then slowly make it higher.
Peeling off can be the result of acidic food ingredients contacting the iron. It can take place, especially for long-time contact. For example, keeping the wok dirty after cooking or cooking acidic ingredients when the patina is thin. Cooking with tomatoes, yogurt, lime juice, and other acidic ingredients is tricky. Peeling off is a natural process for carbon steel. In your case, we recommend you scrub the peeling-off areas with an abrasive sponge (use dishwashing detergent if necessary). After that, you need to re-season the wok well and evenly with oil and you can keep using your wok. Please make sure your wok is always seasoned and dried well. The seasoning is a key point to restore patina and protect the wok.
I did all this correctly, then cooked pad thai in it the next day and a lot of the seasoning came off. Is that because the tamarind sauce is too acidic? How do I avoid acidic sauces deteriorating the seasoning? Is it just my cooking technique?
The cooking of acidic foods may alter the seasoning and react with the steel (peeling off and the appearance of grey stains). If this happens, please re-season. When the wok is just seasoned, acidic ingredients shouldn’t be used as they dissolve the patina and react with metal. The longer you cook with oil the thicker patina will be formed. When the patina is good enough you can start using acidic ingredients. But if you cook for a long time (like stewing) it will ruin the patina anyway. The seasoning is a key point to restore patina and protect the wok. With time, with each next cooking, a better patina will be created in your wok and the silver area will become black. Just no need to use acidic ingredients (they destroy the patina) until the patina is good enough. It isn't easy to give exact figures when the patina is good enough or the maximum cooking time with acidic ingredients as it depends on many factors. With time you will be able to "feel" it and adjust the patina level with seasoning when necessary.
The Blue Carbon Steel Wok was initially pre-seasoned by high-temperature treatment (the blueing process) for your convenience, but without any oil. You may see the process of bluing in our video between 0:58 - 1:35 minutes (watch with subtitles on): ua-cam.com/video/k5whS60uScQ/v-deo.html But even though it was initially pre-seasoned, it still needs to be fully seasoned with vegetable oil after you get it.
I bought the black carbon steel, but it was light grey and looked very different from the product pictures I'd sem online. Okay, I thought, it must just be a case of seasoning it. I'm used to seasoning my cast iron Skeppshult skillets and pans, which is very hard to get wrong, so stupidly I didn't follow these instructions carefully and basically ruined the wok with ugly irregular burnt oil stains. I trued to scrub it out and start again, but I just made things worse. I was so dissapointed. Not so much in the product, as in the right hands I'm sure it's excellent. Moreso in myself for my overconfidence. Anyway, I've now bought the blue steel flat bottomed one (which looks more black), and seasoned it according to these instructionsed and it all looks good. I'm looking forward to using it. I also use enamelled cast iron (Le Creuset) pans so I typically use wood or silicone utensils to avoid damaging the enamel. The video shows stainless a stainless steel spatula (carbon steel is harder than stainless), but is it really safe to use and not damage the patina/cooking surface? Also, can the burnt pan be salvaged if I completely remove the top layer, for example with detergent and steel wool? Would I ever be able to achieve a decent cooking surface, or should I just throw it away?
Thank you for choosing our brand. Our cookware is very difficult to ruin or damage. It can only happen if the rules of use are not followed. But the good thing is it can be restored in any condition. Please reach out to us at support@yosukata.com so we can give you clear instructions on how to restore your wok.
I also saw mixed messages by this merchant regarding the use/non-use of metal in their wow. They say: 1) Do not use metal and 2) use metal. At first, I would not use a metal asian spatula-not until I know that a pan/wok has been greatly seasoned. I have also purchased the Pre-Seasoned Blue Carbon Steel Wok, with this merchant/company.Their pre-seasoned only means they have treated it with a special oil, to protect it from moisture-but we still have to remove that nasty oil with dish soap and a sponge, and then season it). In the late 70’s as a teen, I worked in Maine for a French chef. He taught me how to season pans, from fry pans to crepe pans, etc. All that is needed is to cover a pan/wok with a thin coat of oil-inside and outside-and leave it in the oven for an hour. This is/was a great and simple way to season your pans and wok. Just wash and dry, cover in oil with a paper towel, and set it in the middle of your oven at 350F for an hour. Make sure you place your wok or pan in the oven as soon as you turn your oven on: no need to wait to preheat your oven. The slow, steady heat increase is what this steel loves. Also, if your turn your wok upside down the oil is distributed evenly. (And you can place a pan underneath it to catch any drops of oil-but if you have bathed your pan/wok evenly with paper towels, you don’t need to do that.) If you are worried about burning the handle(s) just cover them with aluminum foil. When finished cooking, wash your wok right away, dry it, add oil and season it so that it is ready for the next time. And again, to simplify the process, cover it with oil and throw it in the oven again. This may seem like a lot of work but this is what professional cooks and chefs do, normally.
@@krangdrol You may use metal utensils and the wok can be scratched with them. It will be healed with the oil during the cooking naturally. But if you scrub too hard, the patina may be ruined which may cause stickiness. Removing the seasoning is the only significant harm that metal tools can cause your wok. In this case, the wok should be re-seasoned before it can be used for cooking again. The seasoning is a key point to renewing the patina and protecting the wok. The seasoning process includes two steps - pre-seasoning and seasoning. Before seasoning with oil, the wok should be pre-seasoned without oil (other names boiling, bluing). You may see the process of bluing in our video between 0:58 - 1:35 minutes (watch with subtitles on): ua-cam.com/video/k5whS60uScQ/v-deo.html But even though it was initially pre-seasoned, it still needs to be fully seasoned with vegetable oil after you get it. The seasoning will form another protective layer from oil (patina). The seasoning happens all the time when you cook with oil. The longer you use it, the thicker protective layer will be. Before transportation, each wok is covered with technical oil (mineral oil) that is applied to protect the wok during shipping and storage and to avoid rusting. It needs to be cleaned off using dish soap and a non-abrasive pad before the first seasoning. So when you get your pan you will see oil in it. Before seasoning, this technical oil must be cleaned with a non-abrasive scouring pad and dishwasher soap during the initial cleaning. Please note that the wok CANNOT be used either for seasoning or for cooking in the OVEN. The reason is the wooden handle, which is pressed by metal and the screws help to fix the handle. The handle is non-removable and no handle replacement is foreseen.
You need to season to prepare your wok for first cooking. Then seasoning happens all the time when you cook with oil. But if you use detergent, acidic ingredients, or scrab it too hard, a patina will be destroyed. In this case, you need to reseason your wok again.
My wife just bought me this for Christmas. I have gone thru several woks over the years. First glance this definitely looks way better quality than anyone of my old ones. I look forward to testing it out.
Just ordered mine. Cant wait
Just got mine. I’ll follow these steps
Do you have a guide for the 13.5in preseasoned blue wok on induction cooktop or electric cooktop? Thanks.
For using the 13.5-inch pre-seasoned blue wok on an induction or electric cooktop, the general instructions are similar to those for most woks. However, there are some important nuances to consider:
Heat Conductivity and Temperature Control: Induction cooktops heat up and cool down very quickly, so it's important to carefully monitor the cooking temperature. Electric cooktops, on the other hand, respond slower to temperature setting changes.
Induction cooktops provide very even heating, which is ideal for woks. On electric cooktops, the evenness of heating might be less evident, especially if the wok's base doesn't perfectly match the size of the burner.
Before first use, it's important to properly season the wok. This usually involves heating it with a small amount of oil to create a protective layer. On an induction cooktop, this process can happen faster, so be careful not to overheat the oil.
After use, the wok should be properly cleaned and a thin layer of oil reapplied for protection. Avoid using abrasive cleaners that can damage the seasoned surface.
Remember, regardless of the cooktop type, avoid sudden temperature changes as they can damage the wok. Gradual temperature changes will help maintain the quality of your wok for many years.
What about the bottom? Does the bottom need oil so it doesn't rust?
Yes, the bottom of the wok also needs attention to prevent rust, especially if it's made of carbon steel or cast iron.
After each use and cleaning, it's a good practice to apply a thin layer of oil to the entire wok, including the bottom. This helps to create a barrier against moisture, which is the primary cause of rust.
Hi. Do we have to season it every time we cook?
No, you don't need to season your wok every time you cook. Once your wok is initially seasoned, the cooking process itself will continue to build and maintain the seasoning.
Does the wok need to be fully cleaned with detergent and then seasoned like this when I first purchase it? If so, why is it better to buy pre-seasoned than non-seasoned?
Thanks :)
When you receive a pre-seasoned wok, it's coated with a technical oil that needs to be cleaned off using dish soap and a non-abrasive pad. After cleaning and seasoning the wok with oil, a black/brown patina develops with each use, enhancing its non-stick quality. Post-cooking, clean the wok with water only to preserve this patina. If soap is used due to burnt marks or rust, re-seasoning is necessary. Pre-seasoned woks offer convenience, whereas unseasoned woks require initial seasoning before use. Our woks are pre-seasoned (pre-treated with high heat to prevent rust) but still require oil seasoning for a non-stick surface. Continuous seasoning over time improves the wok's performance. Check our UA-cam video to get better understanding of the product: ua-cam.com/video/vgu4Fa4vTIE/v-deo.html
How often should i do this process? - once a week, or everytime before I want to cook something?
The seasoning happens all the time when you cook with oil. The longer you use, the thicker protective layer will be. With each next cooking with oil, a black/brown\yellow patina will cover the wok. This patina is what makes the wok non-stick. With each next cooking with oil, the thicker patina should be formed and should cover the inner surface of the wok.It's a natural process that will take some time. Just no need to use acidic ingredients (they destroy the patina) until the patina is good enough.
@@Yosukata 👍
Just received mine, about to season shortly and try the egg test. How high should the heat be for doing this, do i wait for smoke before adding oil
Please follow the steps to start cooking properly:
1. Wok isn't the same as non-stick cookware. It is important to have the wok well heated (but not overheated) before you add oil and start cooking or seasoning.
2. After the wok is well heated, start smoking but not overheating (starting from low heat and slowly making it higher), oil can be poured. There should be enough oil in the wok. It is important.
3. The wok should be heated well with oil before one can add ingredients (for example egg). The temperature should be such that the oil is smoking slightly.
4. Before turning the egg, one needs to wait until the egg white becomes crispy.
Below is a video about an egg test:
ua-cam.com/video/3sq-H2eULNg/v-deo.html
I got the black carbon steel one and have oil burned on it. Any tips on getting it off to try again for seasoning? Can I scrub with steel wool?
If the burned mark is sticky, you need to scrub it with an abrasive sponge or steel wool (use dishwashing detergent if necessary), then re-season the wok well and evenly.
If the mark is silky, it means the patina was formed in that area; no need to scrub it.
Please note that to avoid sticky burned marks, you should control the heating temperature during the seasoning. It needs to start the seasoning with lower heat and then slowly make it higher.
Why does mine peel off? The blue coating gets in my food. Should I throw this pan out?
Peeling off can be the result of acidic food ingredients contacting the iron. It can take place, especially for long-time contact. For example, keeping the wok dirty after cooking or cooking acidic ingredients when the patina is thin. Cooking with tomatoes, yogurt, lime juice, and other acidic ingredients is tricky.
Peeling off is a natural process for carbon steel.
In your case, we recommend you scrub the peeling-off areas with an abrasive sponge (use dishwashing detergent if necessary). After that, you need to re-season the wok well and evenly with oil and you can keep using your wok. Please make sure your wok is always seasoned and dried well. The seasoning is a key point to restore patina and protect the wok.
Is this a sample with flat bottom or round one?
Because from the video I cannot get it properly
The wok featured in this video has a round bottom.
I did all this correctly, then cooked pad thai in it the next day and a lot of the seasoning came off. Is that because the tamarind sauce is too acidic? How do I avoid acidic sauces deteriorating the seasoning? Is it just my cooking technique?
The cooking of acidic foods may alter the seasoning and react with the steel (peeling off and the appearance of grey stains). If this happens, please re-season.
When the wok is just seasoned, acidic ingredients shouldn’t be used as they dissolve the patina and react with metal. The longer you cook
with oil the thicker patina will be formed.
When the patina is good enough you can start using acidic ingredients. But if you cook for a long time (like stewing) it will ruin the patina anyway.
The seasoning is a key point to restore patina and protect the wok. With time, with each next cooking, a better patina will be created in your wok and the silver area will become black. Just no need to use acidic ingredients (they destroy the patina) until the patina is good enough.
It isn't easy to give exact figures when the patina is good enough or the maximum cooking time with acidic ingredients as it depends on many factors.
With time you will be able to "feel" it and adjust the patina level with seasoning when necessary.
How come the Yosukata instruction manual says something completely different than what is being shown here?
If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to us at support@yosukata.com for any assistance you may require.
so, basically it's not pre-seasoned?
The Blue Carbon Steel Wok was initially pre-seasoned by high-temperature treatment (the blueing process) for your convenience, but without any oil.
You may see the process of bluing in our video between 0:58 - 1:35 minutes (watch with subtitles on): ua-cam.com/video/k5whS60uScQ/v-deo.html
But even though it was initially pre-seasoned, it still needs to be fully seasoned with vegetable oil after you get it.
I bought the black carbon steel, but it was light grey and looked very different from the product pictures I'd sem online. Okay, I thought, it must just be a case of seasoning it. I'm used to seasoning my cast iron Skeppshult skillets and pans, which is very hard to get wrong, so stupidly I didn't follow these instructions carefully and basically ruined the wok with ugly irregular burnt oil stains. I trued to scrub it out and start again, but I just made things worse. I was so dissapointed. Not so much in the product, as in the right hands I'm sure it's excellent. Moreso in myself for my overconfidence. Anyway, I've now bought the blue steel flat bottomed one (which looks more black), and seasoned it according to these instructionsed and it all looks good. I'm looking forward to using it. I also use enamelled cast iron (Le Creuset) pans so I typically use wood or silicone utensils to avoid damaging the enamel. The video shows stainless a stainless steel spatula (carbon steel is harder than stainless), but is it really safe to use and not damage the patina/cooking surface?
Also, can the burnt pan be salvaged if I completely remove the top layer, for example with detergent and steel wool? Would I ever be able to achieve a decent cooking surface, or should I just throw it away?
Thank you for choosing our brand. Our cookware is very difficult to ruin or damage. It can only happen if the rules of use are not followed.
But the good thing is it can be restored in any condition.
Please reach out to us at support@yosukata.com so we can give you clear instructions on how to restore your wok.
I also saw mixed messages by this merchant regarding the use/non-use of metal in their wow. They say: 1) Do not use metal and 2) use metal. At first, I would not use a metal asian spatula-not until I know that a pan/wok has been greatly seasoned.
I have also purchased the Pre-Seasoned Blue Carbon Steel Wok, with this merchant/company.Their pre-seasoned only means they have treated it with a special oil, to protect it from moisture-but we still have to remove that nasty oil with dish soap and a sponge, and then season it). In the late 70’s as a teen, I worked in Maine for a French chef. He taught me how to season pans, from fry pans to crepe pans, etc. All that is needed is to cover a pan/wok with a thin coat of oil-inside and outside-and leave it in the oven for an hour. This is/was a great and simple way to season your pans and wok.
Just wash and dry, cover in oil with a paper towel, and set it in the middle of your oven at 350F for an hour. Make sure you place your wok or pan in the oven as soon as you turn your oven on: no need to wait to preheat your oven. The slow, steady heat increase is what this steel loves. Also, if your turn your wok upside down the oil is distributed evenly. (And you can place a pan underneath it to catch any drops of oil-but if you have bathed your pan/wok evenly with paper towels, you don’t need to do that.) If you are worried about burning the handle(s) just cover them with aluminum foil.
When finished cooking, wash your wok right away, dry it, add oil and season it so that it is ready for the next time. And again, to simplify the process, cover it with oil and throw it in the oven again. This may seem like a lot of work but this is what professional cooks and chefs do, normally.
@@krangdrol You may use metal utensils and the wok can be scratched with them. It will be healed with the oil during the cooking naturally. But if you scrub too hard, the patina may be ruined which may cause stickiness. Removing the seasoning is the only significant harm that metal tools can cause your wok.
In this case, the wok should be re-seasoned before it can be used for cooking again. The seasoning is a key point to renewing the patina and protecting the wok.
The seasoning process includes two steps - pre-seasoning and seasoning.
Before seasoning with oil, the wok should be pre-seasoned without oil (other names boiling, bluing). You may see the process of bluing in our video between 0:58 - 1:35 minutes (watch with subtitles on): ua-cam.com/video/k5whS60uScQ/v-deo.html
But even though it was initially pre-seasoned, it still needs to be fully seasoned with vegetable oil after you get it. The seasoning will form another protective layer from oil (patina). The seasoning happens all the time when you cook with oil. The longer you use it, the thicker protective layer will be.
Before transportation, each wok is covered with technical oil (mineral oil) that is applied to protect the wok during shipping and storage and to avoid rusting.
It needs to be cleaned off using dish soap and a non-abrasive pad before the first seasoning. So when you get your pan you will see oil in it.
Before seasoning, this technical oil must be cleaned with a non-abrasive scouring pad and dishwasher soap during the initial cleaning.
Please note that the wok CANNOT be used either for seasoning or for cooking in the OVEN.
The reason is the wooden handle, which is pressed by metal and the screws help to fix the handle. The handle is non-removable and no handle replacement is foreseen.
This process will be before eacj use or only before first time use ? 🫶
You need to season to prepare your wok for first cooking.
Then seasoning happens all the time when you cook with oil. But if you use detergent, acidic ingredients, or scrab it too hard, a patina will be destroyed. In this case, you need to reseason your wok again.