Last Updated on May 19, 2023 by River Tree Farms
Woks date back to ancient times, during which they were predominantly made of cast iron and stainless steel. Like other kitchen tools, woks need to be cleaned and maintained well. Depending on the materials used in making the wok, cleaning and maintenance procedures vary from one wok to another.
Consequently, each wok user needs to know the material from which the wok is made. The material used informs the nature and intensity of care and maintenance the work needs. This article focuses mainly on the cleaning and maintenance of cast iron woks. How do you clean and maintain a cast iron wok? Read along and find all the answers to your questions.
How To Clean a Cast Iron Wok – Step by Step
Woks are a unique set of pans thus command special care and maintenance. Iron cast woks are easy to clean, maintain, and control their particular attention. Unlike ordinary pans, cast iron wok needs no aggressive scrubbing lest it gets spoilt. Iron cast wok needs to be rinsed using hot water immediately after cooking, unlike the ordinary pans for which cold water may be used. Moreover, the wok does not require any detergent or soap in washing. If anything, you should not use soap or detergent on the woks.
To properly clean the wok, you need to place it in a sink full of water for a few minutes. The hot water will help soak any stuck food particles and remove sticky oil molecules. Consequently, you can easily clean the wok without stubborn food particles and oil molecules. The soaking also helps avoid the much-dreaded use of steel wool in cleaning the woks as it may remove the patina. Below are a few instructions on how to clean a cast-iron woke.
- Clean immediately after cooking.
- Use hot water for cleaning.
- Let rest in hot water for some time before cleaning.
- Rinse and set the wok on the heat until it is dry.
- Do not use steel wool.
Following the instruction for cleaning the wok ensures proper maintenance thus durability of the wok. Besides the need to boil water for cleaning, maintaining a cast iron wok is straightforward.
How do you maintain a cast iron wok?
The wok needs to be maintained to last as long as it should. Besides, the maintenance is simple and easy as it mainly depends on how you clean it. In a nutshell, the care of a cast iron wok is how you tend it after cooking. However, when you buy the wok for the first instance, it needs to be seasoned and cleaned before the first use. Most cast-iron woks come pre-seasoned, so you don’t have to redo them. The seasoning is done to give the wok a non-stick surface. The herb also prevents rusting during transportation and use. However, you may do it yourself if your wok comes without the pre-seasoning.
After seasoning, you need to clean the wok before use. The first cleaning of the wok is crucial and must be done correctly. If the seasoning and first cleaning are not done correctly, they may not serve their intended purpose of preventing rust. Below is a step-by-step process to follow when cleaning your wok for the first time after seasoning.
- Fill the sink with hot water.
- Place the wok in the sink and let it rest for a few minutes
- Gently wipe the wok on both sides using a clothing
- Please place it in hot water again and then brush gently.
- Pad the wiped woke using a dry towel till it is reasonably dry
- Place the reasonably dry wok on medium heat till it is scorched.
- You may heat strongly for a few minutes to kill any surviving bacteria
- Your wok is ray for use.
- If the wok is not properly dry, the left water droplets may cause instant rusting.
- Do not use any soap or detergent in cleaning the wok.
The regular cleaning afterward in the life of the wok takes the form of cleaning illustrated in “how to clean a cast-iron wok” above. When scouring your wok, remember to avoid using steel wool, as its coarseness will remove the plating. Instead, it would help to always place the wok in hot water for a few minutes to ease the cleaning process. However, you can always re-season the wok if you accidentally remove the platina in the cleaning process. This helps appropriately maintain the wok and ensures its durability.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cleaning cast iron wok is straightforward. Notably, woks have in the recent past gained popularity across the globe. Consequently, there are high chances of people using the woks and not knowing how to clean them. It would be a shame to have wok rust soon after buying it because you used steel wool to clean it. It would be even worse if you can’t use your wok just a few days or months after purchase because it is rusted. In a nutshell, your wok will last for as long as you can maintain it if you follow the steps and instructions discussed above.