I picked up this Wok at Goodwill. A magnet sticks to the bottom, so it will work with my induction hob. It had a little rust on the interior, but that cleaned up with a scotch-brite pad and a little dish soap.
It’s too light to be cast iron. There are no markings or logos anywhere on it. Should I assume it is carbon steel?? If so, I’m guessing the previous owner never seasoned it?? Should it be seasoned?? I don’t really know how to care for it. I can’t season it (in the oven) like my cast iron skillets because of the wooden handle. Any help/advice is appreciated. Thanks!!
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In my experience, a carbon steel wok requires little to no care. Stir frying usually involved temperatures high enough that seasoning will not survive and things will release and not stick. But that is just my experience. Others will doubtlessly find otherwise.
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“The Woks of Life” site has a good explanation of how to care for a Carbon Steel Wok, which that looks to be.
As an aside, that Handle doesn’t look like it will last very long, but from Goodwill I imagine the longevity isn’t very important.
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You are correct. I use the items I find from Goodwill to learn on. If I like the item and it survives “my learning curve” then I’ll invest in a new (better) one.
If I don’t like cooking in a wok on induction, then I haven’t lost that much money and I’ll donate it to a different charity.
Sunshine and I like egg fried rice and (presently) I make it in a large non-stick saute pan. This pan does not work on my induction hob/burner. Trying to control the heat on my radiant stove is always a challenge, especially with fried rice. Moreover, I’m trying to get away from (teflon) non-stick pans/skillets.
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Thank you!!
In my opinion, unless you have a commercial stove and vent, the best place to use a wok is outside with a high BTU propane burner
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No commercial stove for me… I’m slowly trying to save up for an induction stove/oven. I’m trying to learn what I can and can’t cook by experimenting with a single induction burner/hob.
If my wok experiment is a failure, I’ll try to find a carbon steel saute pan or rondeau and experiment with that. If that doesn’t work, then maybe a larger enamel cast iron dutch oven??
My goal is to discontinue all use of my (teflon) non-stick pans.
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I would suggest that a Flat Bottomed Wok would be the next in line for testing.
The round Bottom will give you a very small cooking Area to work with unless you are using a Induction Burner made for a Wok.
Yes, this used wok is a flat bottomed wok. I always carry a small magnet with me when I go to Goodwill, so I can test for induction compatibility.
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Ah, I see that now.
I am assuming your single induction hob is 120V, and if that is the case it will not provide enough heat for stir-fry… so set your expectations for that.
As to whether a 240V induction cooktop will provide enough heat depends on the cooktop, element size, and its fit to the wok bottom. The problem with a lot of flat-bottomed woks is that their flat surface can be pretty small… resulting in using a smaller element and thus less available heat.
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If you plan on seasoning (or re-seasoning) that wok, do it outside.
Just go out to the desert (heck, that’s is your HO handle after all), build up a nice little fire and go at it.
Even with gas prices the way they are, it’s still worth it.
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Definitely look like a carbon steel wok. It is light/thin and very smooth. Yeah, you should season it. Wok seasoning is usually done on stove top.
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Don’t listen to them. You bought junk. Box it up and send it to me. I’ll dispose of it for you.
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I have an 240v induction range with a big super-burner high wattage element and frankly, that burner is usually more than I need, and definitely fine for my wok. Nobody’s going to get the BTU-equivalent of a Chinese restaurant kitchen anyway unless they go outside, with gas, or rebuild their home kitchen to accommodate the necessary inferno. What does an ordinary Chinese family do in their kitchen for wok hei anyway? Unless you want to attempt blowtorch hei, which I will leave to Kenji and/or the fire department, you have to accept that there’s going to be a compromise. But you can produce an enjoyable product for yourself. I do fried rice all the time, not in teflon, and I’m happy to eat it. It probably doesn’t tick all the purist boxes, but my ingredients, including the soy sauce and the oil(s), are the best I can muster and the result is very tasty.
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I get it. My comments addressed following a stir-fry recipe on a 120V hob… which simply would not work out. If your 240V element works out for you I’m happy to hear it… and maybe let the OP know what cooktop and wok size you’re using.
For me… I don’t even own a wok anymore. I do these kinds of recipes in a sauce/sauté pan, which often requires different order and timing of the ingredients (and sometimes an additional pan), but like you I am happy with the results.
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86ing the Teflon and its ilk is So important and valuable. Thank you!
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Doing stirfry at super high temperatures is not the only way. You can do loads of great food on what you have, using your wok. Enjoy the heck out of it!
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