Q: I was given a wok a few months ago and I cleaned and seasoned it according to an article on this site. I noticed from the beginning that around the top edge of the wok there was this syrupy-looking residue that was solid but would get a little sticky when the pan was heated.
Every time I clean the wok I try to wash it off with a brush and some soap (I don't use either of these when I wash the rest of the pan) but it doesn't seem to be coming off and when I dry the wok on the stove there is a noxious smell like burned plastic. I'm afraid this residue is some of the coating that was originally on the pan and it is now stuck on and possibly poisoning my food or air. My next step is to get a stronger cleaning utensil, like steel wool.
What I want to know is this: will using steel wool or another similar tool ruin the pan? Is this the best tool for removing that residue? Is the residue toxic? If so, is the pan already ruined and should I just get another and clean it more carefully from the beginning?
Sent by Robin
Editor: Robin, I showed the photos of your carbon steel wok to Grace Young, stir-frying guru. She says that, given the smell and the appearance of the wok, she suspects that all the factory coating was not removed when the wok was first seasoned. "It's easy to miss the top edge," she said. "I recommend using a stainless-steel scrubber with liquid detergent and scrubbing it several times as vigorously as possible."
Grace also recommends giving the wok a "facial" with oil and kosher salt (see directions here on how to do that). Then season it again with scallions and ginger.
"The wok is beginning to get a nice coating," said Grace, "and should be fine."
So, all will be well! Just give it another go with scrubbing and seasoning, and wok away!
Related: A Beginner's Guide to Superb Stir-Fry: Quick, Healthy Meals from a Wok
(Images: Robin via The Kitchn's submission form)
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I'd warm the pan a bit and then use a mix of a small amout of oil and lots of kosher salt to scrub away, using a copper "Chore Boy" scrubber or plain steel wool. Then clean with soapy water, rinse, heat to dry and re-season.
That looks suspiciously like the sticky stuff that's all over the outside of my cheapest fry pan (and that no amount of scrubbing has ever gotten off). It looks/feels like built up oil residue, but cleaning never seems to help. It's also on the edges of some of my sheet pans.
I hope the advice works out for the OP!
I have this on my sheet pans too! I had no idea those even needed a pretreatment at the factory.
I bought a wok from the wokshop this summer and it came with seasoning instructions saying that the wok was coated in a wax that needed to be removed by filling the wok with water and 2-3 Tbsp baking soda, boiling it for 15 minutes and then washing well with soap and scrub brush before heating it up with some oil and alliums (onions or garlic) to season it.
Alicelost and Herms are right that this sticky film is similar to what you find on a used sheet pan or on the outside of a fry pan. While the Wok Shop does recommend cleaning a new wok with water and baking soda, I wouldn't do it to this wok. There's a nice patina that's started and the sticky residue is only on the upper edges. Boiling water and baking soda will strip the wok of its new patina. As Gudnis suggests, do the wok facial and clean with salt and oil is all that's needed. However, I don't use a scrubber or steel wool. If you look at the wok facial posting, several paper towels that have been folded to make a thick pad is sufficient.
My MIL ordered a wok for me with a non -stick surface. It had a terrible smell when put on heat and set off the fire alarms. . I understand about what the others write about oil residue on baking pans etc. But this stuff was a different beast, and no amount of cleaning would remove it. I tossed it. It isn't worth the risk to anyones health. Like my Vietnamese-American friend says, just go down and buy a $10 steel wok like all the Asian cooks buy.