Thank you internet food dad. You’re the MVP

@paulpujeter6340

2 жыл бұрын

That's exactly what me and girlfriend call Kenji, "internet food dad"

@mattwilson9293

2 жыл бұрын

Food daddy...amirite?

@Mryuckus88

2 жыл бұрын

@@mattwilson9293 Food Zaddy

@shawnmann753

2 жыл бұрын

True

I tried on an electric hob, oven, charcoal grill and cooking blowtorch but none worked! So I brought it to my local Chinese takeaway and asked them to do it . They didn't have much english and were very amused but it came back looking shiny and beautiful!

@supakritpulmanausahakul1650

Жыл бұрын

That's a great life hack lol

@BigJackGameplays

Жыл бұрын

That's equally awesome and funny 😂

@SouloDoloMusic

Жыл бұрын

That's hilarious you mention that. I was planning on getting a wok soon and know the owner of a local Chinese restaurant so I was just going to go ask if one of his cooks wouldn't mind seasoning it for me lol. Great minds think alike!

@billytam8308

Жыл бұрын

Brilliant approach to getting the wok seasoned when you don't have the ideal setup at home. Thanks for sharing!

@ladymorti

Жыл бұрын

Hmm, we get takeaway often enough that they know us, I wonder if they'd do this...

Kenji, your book is AMAZING. I bought both a hard copy and a Kindle copy so I can refer to it in the kitchen without ruining the book. Thank you for creating such a great resource.

Fantastic work as usual Kenji AKA The Great Demystifier. Everyone I know who is interested in food, I point to you, and you never disappoint. Keep up the fantastic work, you are inspiring a lot of people to cook and it's a thing of beauty!

I’d love to see how you’d “re-season” a wok that has been used before. And also how to get rid of the sticky spots from oil that wasn’t burnt off well enough..

@ch1maera087

2 жыл бұрын

May not be the 100% be the best method to do it but for home use I just burn it off with a blowtorch keep it firing for like 10 secs or so on the sticky spot and wash it after.

@alexbrier718

2 жыл бұрын

Scrub off with metal scrub pad or scotch-brite pad or kosher salt. You could try using acid like vinegar or barkeepers friend and then neutralizing with water/ baking soda and then wash and dry it. Hell you could use power tools. There are lots of options to nuke the pan and remove seasoning and get to bare metal. You can get pretty creative with it. Once you do, the seasoning process is much the same to Kenjis method or many others.

@lrmorgan07

2 жыл бұрын

@@alexbrier718 All good options, but a simple piece of sandpaper is the fastest way I've found. If you need to remove a lot of stickyness, emery cloth.

@caffeinejunkie88

2 жыл бұрын

agreed! I'd also love to know if there's any way to avoid the polymerized oil that tends to accumulate on the cooler outer edges of the wok and creates a lumpy/flaky coating

@lrmorgan07

2 жыл бұрын

@@caffeinejunkie88 Scrubbing with chain mail after every use helps with this

Yes! I have a new wok that's been sitting in my pantry for like a year because the process of seasoning it seemed too scary and/or complicated. I think that now I'll finally start using it, so thank you! So much!

Finally, a good video on this topic. Got a wok last week, followed these instructions and the wok is essentially non stick now after just one use. Thank you.

Great timing. Literally went on a bender of watching wok seasoning videos yesterday. As usual, great info to go with the video content. Thanks Kenji.

I just followed these instructions and used my gas grill as the heat source. It worked like a charm! Thank you for your expertise.

For those wondering how to maintain after seasoning, Kenji talks about it in his vid for beef and broccoli (kzread.info/dash/bejne/m3mnldORgdnNZrA.html and timestamp included for when he talks about it at 16:50 ).

@cucumberblyat

Жыл бұрын

MVP

@zadecruz

Жыл бұрын

amazing, tysm

@Anvekeen

Жыл бұрын

@@zadecruz He made an even more detailed video Short exclusively on the subject, here : kzread.info4w210tQehQ8

@zadecruz

Жыл бұрын

@@Anvekeen thanks sm

@marclegarreta3359

26 күн бұрын

KING!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for doing what you do! My brother gifted me a wok and your book for my birthday, 10/10 stoked.

That is so much more simple than some processes I've seen on youtube, where they do what you have done, two or three times, then cook something like spring onions and ginger as part of the seasoning process. I will be getting a gas BBQ with a ring burner soon, and plan on getting a carbon steel wok. I will be going with your easy method to season it. Thanks heaps!

Bro I love your book! I legit have it open right now reading the creamy layered scrambled eggs and thought I should reseason my wok and wanted to find a quick video. Didn't even realize it was you till the outro was advertising 'The Wok'. Keep up the awesome cooking and thank you for writing such a concise book on wok cooking and wok techniques. You are a saint.

very happy that the wok is becoming more and more popular these days. thanks kenji :)

I got “The Wok” book for Christmas, so excited to buy and season my first Wok! Happy Holidays!

New subscriber just now. @JKenjiLopez-Alt Outstanding comprehensive video to season a new wok. Watched several others today and yours is the only one that demonstrates that we must season ALL the Carbon Steel areas of the new or restored wok. This must be how my excellent cast iron mentor, Jeffrey B Rogers seasoned his new Yokusata wok so beautifully. Thank you very much for taking the time to teach us.

Love your daughter's work on the nails and bling!😻

1. I like the glasses! 2. I was just looking up how to season a wok yesterday! Thanks Kenji!!!

My son bought a small size for me ! It has just arrived this evening! Can’t wait to season and use it !!!

this is timely; i was reading the wok section of your book and was intrigued; the video definitely helped!

I just wanted to say thank you so much for this guide. I've really been struggling to season my wok. Seems like there's a lot of misinformation out there suggesting to do it in the oven or to essentially do rapid fire long yao sessions multiple times to build up polymers. I followed your steps and cooked two eggs just like you did. Achievement unlocked!

Would have liked to see what you do after cooking as well. Washing, drying, storing, etc

Loved to see the black bird bakery shirt! I lived on Bainbridge for a while, and it was a nice added bonus to an amazing video.

This was so very helpful because you know that all of us who have purchased your book, have also probably purchased a new wok! Thankfully, we have been away and haven’t yet had time to address the seasoning, and voila, here we have the step by step instructions! Thanks so much, Kenji! 😘

I absolutely love the wall of cast iron skillets. Something to aspire to.

I needed this video. Thank you, man. We miss you in the Bay.

I did this with a wok I thought I’d ruined, and it worked! I did the egg test, and it worked perfectly! Now I have a usable wok and some cooked eggs for fried rice!

Thank you for making a video like this, I didn’t feel like an idiot and liked how you explained it.

Thanks for this. Something that's been at the front of my mind is non-stick pans. I know you've touched on seasoning cookware a fare bit but I was wandering if, one of these days, you could do a master class on cooking and living with uncoated cookware. I've been considering getting rid of non stick cookware due to PFAS and I realised I'm not sure about life with just stainless or cast iron (or other options if they're out there). A masterclass for these types of cookware would be great.

Whoa my wok shop wok JUST came in the mail. Great timing!

I've been waiting for this ever since it was mentioned in one of the early wok videos

Absolutely love your content. Thank you.

Thank so very much! A really helpful lesson... simple and to the point!

Finally!! I've been waiting for this video for a while😍

Thanks for this info! Currently saving up and doing the research for my 1st CS

wow I just bought the same exact wok as Kenji Lopez without realizing it. I have never felt so validated

That's one nice looking coffee machine Kenji. Would love to see your routine with it whenever/if possible of course.

thanks for this! it was really helpful to me. now i need to go and re-season my wok

Kenji, you're awesome, man. I bought this same exact wok off of Amazon a few days ago. Tried to season it the same way I do my cast iron skillets and... the eggs stuck horribly. I thought I ruined it, and was planning on returning it. Fortunately, my procrastination led to it still sitting around my house. Lo and behold, you make a video on how to properly season with the same exact wok that I bought (shoutout to Serious Eats recommendation). Just watched your video and immediately ran and grabbed the wok to season it with this method (at 1 am, no less). The eggs didn't stick! I'm so hyped right now. Gonna make a stir-fried dish tomorrow. Thanks!

@abrarghatala4193

2 жыл бұрын

😊

Wow how funny i just got what looks to be the exact same wok yesterday and have to season it. This is wonderful!

@willcurtis3464

2 жыл бұрын

What wok is it? I’m looking to buy one, and this looks perfect!

Just exactly what I needed, I got a couple wok coming in.

I love how kenjis nails are always different it's always cool to see

@cozza819

Жыл бұрын

A middle aged man taking the time to paint his nails for KZread attention is quite possibly the most cringe thing ever

@chalor182

Жыл бұрын

@Cozza ah, yes.... the famous chef, restaurant owner, and award winning author of multiple books is totally only painting his nails for youtube attention even though he literally just cooks, never mentions his nails, and was already fucking famous before he got on youtube 😂😂😂 Idiot.

@cozza819

Жыл бұрын

@@chalor182 This maybe true, but certainly does not take away from the cringe level

@Honking_Goose

6 ай бұрын

​Nobody cares kid ​@@cozza819

I don’t have a wok, nor do I plan on buying one anytime soon. Still gonna watch the shit out of this

Thank you for the great wokthrough !

@_jojo11

3 ай бұрын

Lol nice one

Very glad to see Jamón again

I've had a few woks that come lacquered instead of oiled. Soap and water didn't remove the lacquer so I burned it off. Fortunately I have an outdoor wok rocket burner so that went quickly. To burn it off inside would generate a lot of nasty smoke your rangehood might not contain. Once I used acetone to dissolve the lacquer but that was a hassle and it left traces of lacquer.

That wok is gorgeous.

Thank you Kenji! I get it so much better now. That’s a YOSUKATA wok right? I bought one on your suggestion and LOVE it for my electric range. Still working on what to do with it! 😉

Another tip for electric stove owners. Use the Hi Broil mode to get the whole Wok hot for seasoning. Some aluminum foil on the wood handle to protect it and your good to go.

Thanks Kenji. Very excited to get your “The Wok” on Audible. Absolutely LOVED the Food Lab on Audible. I still want both hard copies too. Any chance you will come to Toronto for a signing some time?

As a Chinese Cooking Demystified fan, I audibly laughed because I was thinking "but first, long yau" right before you said it

Thanks for pointing out that you don't want a lot of oil left in the pan when you're seasoning it. It's a place where a lot of people go wrong on woks and skillets.

When I do an egg in the wok, I don't blast the wok to such high temperatures, I just love how the scrambled egg expands to four times its original volume.

A genuine question that's been on my mind: if a wok doesn't build up layers of polymers like a cast iron, what does it mean for a wok to build up seasoning? Like you mention at the end of the video: the more you use the wok, the better season it's gonna get.

@nezothgarone2319

2 жыл бұрын

he said it doesn't build layer as good as a western cast iron because of the heat distribution and common deglasing, but it still builds up polymers and it will build better if you don't deglase to often, it will be slower than cast iron but still will build up with propper care

@juanzambrano2944

2 жыл бұрын

Not too sure on the science but I believe what the polymers stick too are the microscopic imperfections on the cooking surface so because a wok being made of carbon steel has less of these imperfections compared to a cast iron skillet you generally dont build up to many layers, in the long run I believe various mechanisms are at play creating what we understand as “seasoning”, taking into account heat distribution, what you cook in your vessel of choice, cooking time.

Your Shar Pei is ADORABLE!!!

love that you apo0logized for leaving the water running lol we are only human

Are there oven-safe woks that could be seasoned in the oven for those of us with electric stoves? I do the same with cast iron all the time

Thanks for the great video. How do you properly clean a wok after use?

Rockin’ that trendy Blackbird Bakery shirt!

Love the shout-out to Chinese Cooking Demystified that you snuck in there.

How do you wash/maintain the seasoning after each use?

Quick question Kenji, how would you clean/store this after cooking? Do you need to re-season it?

Love this. Other websites and videos have you cooking potato peels and onions with salt for like 20 minutes and then doing all these small oilings and wipings before and after. This just made so much sense.

@sagichdirdochnicht4653

Жыл бұрын

Potato peels and salt is a common here in germany for carbon steel pans. And it's complete nonsense and will only smoke up your whole kitchen. I mean you will have some seasoning, because oil polymerizes, but skipping all the useless ingredients is easer, faster, cleaner and gives a more even coating.

how nice is this guy.

Kenji, do you know anything about the combustion of these butane torches? like is there any type of uncertainty for like whether it is all completely combusted or not? or if there are trace chemicals that might be going into food?

Kenji, whats your oppinion on woks for electric stoves? do they only work well if you have an actual flame under it, or are the electric ones worth it?

I seasoned my wok like this when I got it last year and I'm running into the scenario you described in the video where the bottom of my wok is well seasoned and nonstick on the bottom, but the sides where I deglaze is not very nonstick. Is there a way to fix that?

Another great video

Can you do a video on how you clean/wash it? And your routine there to maintain the seasoning and beat work hay?

I seasoned my carbon steel wok over an electric coil. Took almost 30 minutes and my hands were killing me from all the rotating and holding but it works great now. I didnt end up seasoning the bottom because I didn't want the oil to touch the coil directly.

Loved the video Kenji. Would you mind telling us the brand of wok you got? The carbon Steele woks I find online have like ripples in them and I don’t want that.

7:32 Get that wok piping hot. shut off the heat. add in the oil, here about [X] [tablespoons/cups], and give it a swirl to get a nice non-stick surface

Thanks for the guide! What happened to your 20 year old Target wok? I like to season (and cook with mine) on an outdoor burner (turkey fryer.) Definitely gives you high output heat. Although, once you use an outdoor burner to wok, it's hard to go back to a stove. I appreciate all of your videos and am digging your newest book. Velvetting proteins is another step I often do in my weeknight stir fries.

Kenji! Thank for the content! I have an electric stove (glass top) and for some reason with my wok. If I preheat as normal add oil and coat and then put food in it seems to stick everytime. And I’ve been seasoning and cooking with it for months now. However. If I preheat the oil from cold until smoking, it seems to not stick. Any thoughts?

I bought a flat bottom high sided wok, but I am running into the issues associated with having only an electric range, where the sides stay cold. Should I even bother with a wok, and just use my normal skillets instead? I've found that leaving it on the heat for a while before cooking helps, but it's still not perfect.

If you buy a wok blue steel or carbon steel you can season all pans of such in the oven versus doing the stove top and get even coating of seasoning / polymers. Avoid cookware with a wooden handle to season in ovens. Extra tip, you can also season your blue steel / carbon steel / cast iron cookware in an outdoor grill. ✌😊

@HeyNikP

2 жыл бұрын

Can you pretty please post your DETAILED method to do this in an oven, to get the even seasoning of the Wok? It seems like if I read 10 different Wok seasoning methods, I get 10 different answers. 😞

Kenji, are there any good Wok induction cook tops that you know of? I would love to move from gas to save on having to track down little canisters of gas, but it's hard to find good info online for an induction cook top.

Thanks for the tutorial, btw, where do you get the little enamel bowl you mixed the eggs in?

For environmental reasons I got an induction stove. But I really love cooking with a wok. In this video you explained how to season a wok when you don‘t have a gas stove. Is it even possible to really cook with a wok on induction? Do you have some tips?

Just wondering, what is the best way to clean the wok after each use? And should I use the heat & coat in oil technique after each use as well?

@kyapox

2 жыл бұрын

He showed how he do it at the end of this video. kzread.info/dash/bejne/m3mnldORgdnNZrA.html

@bemccune7671

2 жыл бұрын

Pretty sure he's addressed this (with cast iron at least) before that as long as it's seasoned properly, you should be able to hand wash with soapy water and a soft spone as long as you didn't use something like flax that tends to get brittle and flake off, I use soap and water and it seems to work well without removing the seasoning.

@rhl2008hotshot

2 жыл бұрын

@@bemccune7671 Do you need to heat and coat it with oil again after each wash (before storage) ?

@413tyson

2 жыл бұрын

@@rhl2008hotshot after washing you should heat it to make sure there's no moisture left anywhere on the wok, then reseason and store

@vSharpYv

2 жыл бұрын

Just hot water and something like a bamboo scrub or brush scrub. You want to avoid soap as it will strip the seasoning. Soap is really only for first time use. But if you do use soap just be prepared to season again by getting it super high, rubbing some oil into it with paper towl and tongs. Then once the oil is no longer smoking you are good to go.

Hello Kenji, My family and I are big fans. We just ordered your Wok book and many copies of The Food Lab which makes excellent gifts. If you could please provide a link for the wok you ordered in the video that would be great. Thank you

Hi Kenji, can you also post a link to where you purchased that carbon steel wok?

@FilmFactry

2 жыл бұрын

Me too, I have been very unhappy with the woks I have so seldom use them.

@robertbell7783

2 жыл бұрын

Looks like Yosukata wok he recommended in a serious eats article!

@bradleyfranklin7426

2 жыл бұрын

I might be mistaken, but looks like a Yosukata carbon steel wok. I got mine on Amazon and it works exceptionally well. Hope this helps!

@Terndrup4what

2 жыл бұрын

I bought this Wok after purchasing Kenji’s book. Looking for a “flat bottom” (This one is flat, but not flat enough for an electric or induction burner), carbon steel, 14 gauge (2mm thick) with helper handle. Highly recommend this Wok even though you might be able to find one cheaper. I’ve used it 3-4 times a week for the last 7-8 weeks. The seasoning builds up, but like he says does go away so definitely treat it ~like a cast iron. One of my favorite meals was actually Adam Ragusa‘s Chicken tikka masala. The acid from the tomatoes pulled a lot of the seasoning off, but it also pulled a lot of flavor. Hope this helps!

@SuttonB4646

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks all! I see the black carbon steel wok linked in the article, but what's the difference between that one and this blue carbon steel one also by Yosukata? a.co/d/3RnYkFG

Please do one for cast iron too, including washing and storage

Why if the wok doesn't work off of the same oil polymer build up, does the seasoning improve through use?

I've been looking into getting a wok recently. Is there a brand you recommend, or something I should look for or be looking to avoid in a wok? Sometimes it can be really hard to tell the differences from sellers on online pages because the descriptions are so general.

Any suggestions on Woks where the manufacturer oil is stubborn? Bought a Wok 4-5 months ago and just cannot get the oil off from the upper edges with conventional soap and water.

Just discovered and love your channel. Do you recommend any particular wok brand? Thank you!

Could you follow the same process with western style cast iron as well? I've seen guides where they recommend to do this after washing cast iron to build up another layer of seasoning and prevent rust before storing.

@TheChowHall

Жыл бұрын

I cook with cast a lot. When I first get one I’ll clean it like he does the wok, get a very thin layer of oil on it, throw it in the oven for awhile or I’ll throw it in a grill, whatever, basically burning that oil in. Then cook on it like you would any pan. Then after a cook, I’ll scrape and wash with water only, dry with towel, throw it back on a burner till it’s hot, add another thin layer of oil and kill the heat. Dunno if this is the best method but it’s what I do and I cook with cast constantly.

So how did you clean it after the egg? Just wipe it out? Then do you reseason it again?

I would LOVE a video like for western style carbon steel. My Matfer 11" skillet keeps flaking and I wonder what your method is.

Greetings kenji, What about aluminum woks? Is it safe to do this method?

I know this seems like a dumb question, but we've seasoned the wok, we've used it, what's the best way to clean in between uses?

Thanks for this.

Kenji, would you do this this a carbon steel skillet as well? I'm wondering if the wok's shape and thinner gauge makes this more doable, and if a thicker Matfer would warp from this black oxide process, especially because of its flat bottom.

Does seasoning the Wok and turning it black undo the effect of bluing the steel?

If the wok doesn’t have a wood handle, like the made in wok, is it ok to season in the oven? @kenji

Also I love love love your nails!!!!!

Can a wok be seasoned and used over an outdoor BBQ grill? If so it would be and alternative for those only having an electric stove range.

Your channel is wonderful ! Just a quick question the metal rack inside your sink what’s that for ? And do I need one ? Lol love from Oklahoma !♥️

Very interesting! Why do you need to rub oil into the bottom of the wok too?