I found a BEAUTIFUL vintage wok at a thrift store. It came in a large
wooden box and has two utensels with it (a ladel and a spatula-type
tool). It seemed to have a little rust inside, so I cleaned it off
with CLR and a metal scouring pan until it SHINED like new.

Then, to make sure I got all the CLR off, I ran it through the
dishwasher. When I took the wok out, to my disbelief, it had formed a
fresh coating of rust on the inside of it again. I wiped it off with a
paper towel, and it seemed to come right off (bright orange on the
paper towel), and it looks OK now.... but I find it a bit disturbing.

Is this normal? Is the Wok OK to use? Can rust hurt you?

Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

You are lucky to have an older one. I like those old ones (some of them
were made from files, and hammered into shape), better than the stainless
ones. Just nostalgia I guess. But they are rust prone. I wash mine,
sometimes using soap, (most often not) just hot water and a scouring pad.
And yes there are black cooking marks in the wok. But they don't matter. I
hand dry it with a paper towel and rub it down with some peanut oil. If
much time has passed before I use it again, I wash and scour and oil it
again, before putting it on the stove.
The flat spatula type tool is called a 'wok chan'. I forget the name of the
very shallow ladle. The chinese chefs use the wok chan to put the food on
the flat ladle, and then transfer that to the plate. I can't train myself
to do this... I just pour from the wok onto the serving plate... But it can
be very heavy and cumberson, and dangerous. The Chinese way would be best.
Keep your eyes open for a nice domed lid that fits, as they are great for
steaming. Bamboo steamer baskets would also be a nice addition.
I hardly ever nuke leftovers, but instead I steam them in a wok (using a
round cake rack and a glass frying pan lid). They don't cook hardly at all
and don't come out tough. Two chop sticks over 1/2 inch water, with a plate
on the chopsticks, and a frying pan lid is all one needs to steam with a
wok. It doesn't take much time to steam leftovers after your reach the
boil...just a few minutes. Good as freshly cooked.

****************************
"The Space Boss" > wrote in message
...
>I found a BEAUTIFUL vintage wok at a thrift store. It came in a large
> wooden box and has two utensels with it (a ladel and a spatula-type
> tool). It seemed to have a little rust inside, so I cleaned it off
> with CLR and a metal scouring pan until it SHINED like new.
>
> Then, to make sure I got all the CLR off, I ran it through the
> dishwasher. When I took the wok out, to my disbelief, it had formed a
> fresh coating of rust on the inside of it again. I wiped it off with a
> paper towel, and it seemed to come right off (bright orange on the
> paper towel), and it looks OK now.... but I find it a bit disturbing.
>
> Is this normal? Is the Wok OK to use? Can rust hurt you?
>
> Any advice appreciated. Thanks.


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Apr 19, 7:52*pm, "theChas" > wrote:
> You are lucky to have an older one. *I like those old ones (some of them
> were made from files, and hammered into shape), better than the stainless
> ones. *Just nostalgia I guess. * But they are rust prone. *I wash mine,
> sometimes using soap, (most often not) just hot water and a scouring pad.
> And yes there are black cooking marks in the wok. But they don't matter. *I
> hand dry it with a paper towel and rub it down with some peanut oil. *If
> much time has passed before I use it again, I wash and scour and oil it
> again, before putting it on the stove.
> The flat spatula type tool is called a 'wok chan'. *I forget the name of the
> very shallow ladle. *The chinese chefs use the wok chan to put the food on
> the flat ladle, and then transfer that to the plate. *I can't train myself
> to do this... I just pour from the wok onto the serving plate... But it can
> be very heavy and cumberson, and dangerous. *The Chinese way would be best.
> Keep your eyes open for a nice domed lid that fits, as they are great for
> steaming. *Bamboo steamer baskets would also be a nice addition.
> I hardly ever nuke leftovers, but instead I steam them in a wok (using a
> round cake rack and a glass frying pan lid). *They don't cook hardly at all
> and don't come out tough. *Two chop sticks over 1/2 inch water, with a plate
> on the chopsticks, and a frying pan lid is all one needs to steam with a
> wok. *It doesn't take much time to steam leftovers after your reach the
> boil...just a few minutes. *Good as freshly cooked.
>
> ****************************
> "The Space Boss" > wrote in ...
>
> >I found a BEAUTIFUL vintage wok at a thrift store. It came in a large
> > wooden box and has two utensels with it (a ladel and a spatula-type
> > tool). It seemed to have a little rust inside, so I cleaned it off
> > with CLR and a metal scouring pan until it SHINED like new.
>
> > Then, to make sure I got all the CLR off, I ran it through the
> > dishwasher. When I took the wok out, to my disbelief, it had formed a
> > fresh coating of rust on the inside of it again. I wiped it off with a
> > paper towel, and it seemed to come right off (bright orange on the
> > paper towel), and it looks OK now.... but I find it a bit disturbing.
>
> > Is this normal? Is the Wok OK to use? Can rust hurt you?
>
> > Any advice appreciated. Thanks.
>
> ** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com**

Thank you for the wonderful advice. I forgot to mention, the WOK DOES
have a "domed lid" in the box. The lid seems to be made of aluminum
and has like a "bamboo" handle on top. Also in the large box were a
set of chopsticks and some booklets.

Thanks.

The Space Boss wrote:

> Thank you for the wonderful advice. I forgot to mention, the WOK DOES
> have a "domed lid" in the box. The lid seems to be made of aluminum
> and has like a "bamboo" handle on top. Also in the large box were a
> set of chopsticks and some booklets.

I envy your bargain! There is nothing better than a carbon steel wok.
Everyone gave you great advice for cleaning it and seasoning it. Here's
a tip I got from a Chinese chef: after you wash the wok (NEVER use
soap)put it on the burner and turn on the heat until it dries itself.
That way you know it's dry and no rust will form on it.

Texas Janet, cooking with a 20 year-old and downright ugly wok.


--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

On Apr 19, 7:52*pm, "theChas" > wrote:
> You are lucky to have an older one. *I like those old ones (some of them
> were made from files, and hammered into shape), better than the stainless
> ones. *Just nostalgia I guess. * But they are rust prone. *I wash mine,
> sometimes using soap, (most often not) just hot water and a scouring pad.
> And yes there are black cooking marks in the wok. But they don't matter. *I
> hand dry it with a paper towel and rub it down with some peanut oil. *If
> much time has passed before I use it again, I wash and scour and oil it
> again, before putting it on the stove.
> The flat spatula type tool is called a 'wok chan'. *I forget the name of the
> very shallow ladle. *The chinese chefs use the wok chan to put the food on
> the flat ladle, and then transfer that to the plate. *I can't train myself
> to do this... I just pour from the wok onto the serving plate... But it can
> be very heavy and cumberson, and dangerous. *The Chinese way would be best.
> Keep your eyes open for a nice domed lid that fits, as they are great for
> steaming. *Bamboo steamer baskets would also be a nice addition.
> I hardly ever nuke leftovers, but instead I steam them in a wok (using a
> round cake rack and a glass frying pan lid). *They don't cook hardly at all
> and don't come out tough. *Two chop sticks over 1/2 inch water, with a plate
> on the chopsticks, and a frying pan lid is all one needs to steam with a
> wok. *It doesn't take much time to steam leftovers after your reach the
> boil...just a few minutes. *Good as freshly cooked.
>
> ****************************
> "The Space Boss" > wrote in ...
>
> >I found a BEAUTIFUL vintage wok at a thrift store. It came in a large
> > wooden box and has two utensels with it (a ladel and a spatula-type
> > tool). It seemed to have a little rust inside, so I cleaned it off
> > with CLR and a metal scouring pan until it SHINED like new.
>
> > Then, to make sure I got all the CLR off, I ran it through the
> > dishwasher. When I took the wok out, to my disbelief, it had formed a
> > fresh coating of rust on the inside of it again. I wiped it off with a
> > paper towel, and it seemed to come right off (bright orange on the
> > paper towel), and it looks OK now.... but I find it a bit disturbing.
>
> > Is this normal? Is the Wok OK to use? Can rust hurt you?
>
> > Any advice appreciated. Thanks.
>
> ** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com**

Oh, yes...... there were also two "racks" for the wok inside... one
that hinges on the side, and the other that sits in the bottom.
Thanks.

On Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:36:19 -0700 (PDT), The Space Boss
> wrote:


>Thank you for the wonderful advice. I forgot to mention, the WOK DOES
>have a "domed lid" in the box. The lid seems to be made of aluminum
>and has like a "bamboo" handle on top. Also in the large box were a
>set of chopsticks and some booklets.

>
>Oh, yes...... there were also two "racks" for the wok inside... one
>that hinges on the side, and the other that sits in the bottom.
>Thanks.

sounds like you got the whole package. the side rack is to park
deep-fried items while cooking another batch, i believe. now season
it as another poster advised, and you're set for years.

your pal,
blake

On Apr 20, 10:42*am, blake murphy > wrote:
> On Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:36:19 -0700 (PDT), The Space Boss
>
> > wrote:
> >Thank you for the wonderful advice. I forgot to mention, the WOK DOES
> >have a "domed lid" in the box. The lid seems to be made of aluminum
> >and has like a "bamboo" handle on top. Also in the large box were a
> >set of chopsticks and some booklets.
>
> >Oh, yes...... there were also two "racks" for the wok inside... one
> >that hinges on the side, and the other that sits in the bottom.
> >Thanks.
>
> sounds like you got the whole package. *the side rack is to park
> deep-fried items while cooking another batch, i believe. *now season
> it as another poster advised, and you're set for years.
>
> your pal,
> blake

THANKS GUYS. I'M SEASONING IT NOW BUT I HAVE ONE OF THOSE GLAS TOP
ELECTRIC STOVES SO THE BOTTOM IS NICE AND SEASONED BUT THE SIDES DON'T
SEEM TO BE YET.

On Apr 19, 5:51 pm, The Space Boss > wrote:
> I found a BEAUTIFUL vintage wok at a thrift store. It came in a large
> wooden box and has two utensels with it (a ladel and a spatula-type
> tool). It seemed to have a little rust inside, so I cleaned it off
> with CLR and a metal scouring pan until it SHINED like new.
>
> Then, to make sure I got all the CLR off, I ran it through the
> dishwasher. When I took the wok out, to my disbelief, it had formed a
> fresh coating of rust on the inside of it again. I wiped it off with a
> paper towel, and it seemed to come right off (bright orange on the
> paper towel), and it looks OK now.... but I find it a bit disturbing.
>
> Is this normal?

Yes, there was no seasoned layer on it so it formed rust. Just wash
the rust off again by hand and once you season it you won't get any
more rust. It should never be put it in the dishwasher again. I'm
not sure what CLR is, but assume it's a strong cleaner. You won't
need that again either.

> Is the Wok OK to use?

Yes. Given how you describe it, it is very likely steel. They can go
and go nearly forever with proper care.

> Can rust hurt you?
>
Well, not really. It's iron oxide, which is not food but not toxic
either. If any were left after being scrubbed off it would be a
miniscule amount.

So what you do now is season it and maintain it. It's very similar to
cast iron. Put the wok over high heat and when it's hot, rub it with
oil -- peanut or safflower or corn or sunflower, not olive. One way
to do that is with long tongs holding a wad of paper towel soaked in
oil. You will see the wok darken and change color as the oil gets hot
enough. Coat the entire inside surface of the wok with oil, and tilt
the wok in all directions to hit all of it with maximum heat. When
you've produced a little smoke from as much of the surface as
possible, remove from heat, let cool, and wipe off all excess oil.
You've now finished the initial seasoning.

From now on, after each time you use it never use soap to wash it,
just wipe/brush/scrub with water, preferably while the wok is still
hot. Periodically wipe the clean wok with a folded paper towel with a
little oil to renew and continue building up the seasoning/coating.
As time and usage go on a dark, hard, extremely smooth surface will
develop -- better than any non-stick pan. -aem

The Space Boss wrote:
> I found a BEAUTIFUL vintage wok at a thrift store. It came in a large
> wooden box and has two utensels with it (a ladel and a spatula-type
> tool). It seemed to have a little rust inside, so I cleaned it off
> with CLR and a metal scouring pan until it SHINED like new.
>
> Then, to make sure I got all the CLR off, I ran it through the
> dishwasher. When I took the wok out, to my disbelief, it had formed a
> fresh coating of rust on the inside of it again. I wiped it off with a
> paper towel, and it seemed to come right off (bright orange on the
> paper towel), and it looks OK now.... but I find it a bit disturbing.
>
> Is this normal? Is the Wok OK to use? Can rust hurt you?
>
> Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

No, could be deadly, even to have in the house!
Pack it and send it to me for disposal immediately... :{)

I'd say wipe it clean again, oil lightly, and put it in a warm (250F ?)
oven, inverted, over a cookie sheet for a couple hours. Basically, treat
it like cast iron, and it'll be fine.

Dave

On Apr 19, 8:19*pm, Dave Bell > wrote:
> The Space Boss wrote:
> > I found a BEAUTIFUL vintage wok at a thrift store. It came in a large
> > wooden box and has two utensels with it (a ladel and a spatula-type
> > tool). It seemed to have a little rust inside, so I cleaned it off
> > with CLR and a metal scouring pan until it SHINED like new.
>
> > Then, to make sure I got all the CLR off, I ran it through the
> > dishwasher. When I took the wok out, to my disbelief, it had formed a
> > fresh coating of rust on the inside of it again. I wiped it off with a
> > paper towel, and it seemed to come right off (bright orange on the
> > paper towel), and it looks OK now.... but I find it a bit disturbing.
>
> > Is this normal? Is the Wok OK to use? Can rust hurt you?
>
> > Any advice appreciated. Thanks.
>
> No, could be deadly, even to have in the house!
> Pack it and send it to me for disposal immediately... :{)
>
> I'd say wipe it clean again, oil lightly, and put it in a warm (250F ?)
> oven, inverted, over a cookie sheet for a couple hours. Basically, treat
> it like cast iron, and it'll be fine.
>
> Dave

Dave, your advice sounds good, but sadly, I CANNOT put it in the oven
as it has wooden handles. Thanks.