How to season a wok?

[jawnn]

I kept researching the best ways to season a steel pan. I found a blog with scientific proof that flax seed oil is the best possible oil (because it has the most omega3) to use even though it has the lowest smoke temperature.

And that grape seed oil has the one of the least amounts of omega3 fatty acids.

Then I found this video, I do not understand what is happening to the steel. Is it loosing its temper or what? I know that steel will turn blue when hardened with water or oil, then one has to anneal it for tool use or it will break. Could he be just burning out all the impurities left from what ever they put on it at the factory?

Would this work for cast iron? Seems like it may damage it.

Seasoning A New Wok (Like A Professional) Carbon Steel Wok

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a783vEF2yYA

 

[Andy M.]

I seasoned my wok the same exact way I seasoned my cast iron skillet. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

If your wok has a wood handle you may want to remove it. It probably unscrews. If not, It will turn a nice mahogany brown in the oven.

Wipe a small amount of oil all over the wok on all metal parts inside and out. Coat the entire surface, then use a clean paper towel to wipe off any excess. Place the wok in the oven upside down. Let it cook for an hour then turn off the oven and let the wok and the oven cool off.

Repeat this process a couple of more times and you're done. This is the simplest effective method. There are other ways but I know mine works. Good Luck!

 

[jawnn]

But why is it different than all the other carbon steel pans? and what is happening to the steel here.

it seems to me that is it being annealed, which can't be good.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Judging by the way he scrubbed the pan, I would bet money that he didn't remove all the protective lacquer, and what you're seeing is the remaining lacquer burning off the pan. Nothing really to worry about. These pans will handle extremely high heat.

 

[Andy M.]

But why is it different than all the other carbon steel pans? and what is happening to the steel here.



it seems to me that is it being annealed, which can't be good.

Annealing is a process where you heat metal and allow it to cool slowly to toughen the metal. Why is that bad?

 

[buckytom]

Annealing begins at very high temps, same as quenching.

We're only talking a few hundred degrees here, not enough to affect the metal on that level.

 

[Roll_Bones]

And it will get better and better if you take care of it.
I used mine for deep frying as well. I think that helped in the beginning.

 

[jawnn]

I have never seen instruction like this for something like the DeBuyer pans...



Steel in a tempering oven, held at 205 °C (401 °F) for a long time, will begin to turn brown, purple or blue, even though the temperature did not exceed that needed to produce a light-straw color. Oxidizing or carburizing heat sources may also affect the final result.

 

[jennyema]

You are overthinking this.

Its a wok. Season it with peanut oil, since that's probably what you'll be cooking with in it.

Or Crisco. Or any oil with a high smoke point.


Then cook in it. And cook in it some more. It will season itself over time

 

[buckytom]

You cannot anneal a pan on or in a kitchen stove. Not even in self cleaning mode. It takes about 1400+ degrees for high carbon steel.