Getting black burning off inside of a wok

[MontyVeda]

Just play around with various combinations of white vinegar, lemon juice, elbow grease, bicarb and a plain steel scourer.

 

[PK99]

Anyone any hot tips?

It's NOT non stick - just plain metal.

So can use those steel wool cleaners.

Have been gradually scrubbing the affected area for a while on each clean but progress has stopped.

I have the hopeful idea that perhaps there's some harmless but effective household product I can heat up in it to kinda magically shift/loosen it but maybe a vain hope.

If a solution is forthcoming perhaps I can also use it on my various blackened bialetti coffee pots (tho they are aluminium I think).

I'm confused as to what you are talking about here?

Black, crusty lumps of burnt food stuck to the cooking surface?
or
The black even surface of a seasoned iron wok or pan?

The former is bad: I put on the hob at max temp and then scrape off

The latter is good:
Wiki:
The seasoned surface consists of a polymerized and plasticized coating.
The process of heating a pan to cause the oil to oxidize is analogous to the hardening of drying oil used in oil paints, or to varnish a painting. But whereas the curing of oils is the result of autoxidation at room temperature for a painting, for a pan, the thermoxidized oil undergoes a conversion into the hard surface of the seasoned pan at the high temperatures of cooking.
When oils or fats are heated in a pan, multiple degradation reactions occur, including: autoxidation, thermal oxidation, polymerization, and cyclization.[14][15]
The surface is hydrophobic and thus highly attractive to oils and fats used for cooking and thus when used with a layer of oil prevents foods, which typically contain water, from touching and cooking on to the hydrophilic metallic cooking surface that lies beneath.

 

[Blue Hills]

Thanks for the quote PK but that's all a bit a beyond me.

It's not crusty stuff - just a thick black coating in some bits.

To tell the truth I can't see how it aids non-stick properties as I always season a wok after my (only infrequent) cleaning and the use of only moderate bits of oil and the stirring action prevents anything sticking - I have never had anything stick in a wok in my life.

I do note though that if I let the black build up too much my stir fried chicken bits do get somewhat covered in black bits which strikes me as not good.

Anyways will largely relax - shouldn't listen to Italians so much (esteemed mod excepted) - they can be notoriously fussy about non Italian food and somewhat hypochondriac to boot.

 

[PK99]

Thanks for the quote PK but that's all a bit a beyond me.

It's not crusty stuff - just a thick black coating in some bits.

To tell the truth I can't see how it aids non-stick properties as I always season a wok after my (only infrequent) cleaning and the use of only moderate bits of oil and the stirring action prevents anything sticking - I have never had anything stick in a wok in my life.

I do note though that if I let the black build up too much my stir fried chicken bits do get somewhat covered in black bits which strikes me as not good.

Anyways will largely relax - shouldn't listen to Italians so much (esteemed mod excepted) - they can be notoriously fussy about non Italian food and somewhat hypochondriac to boot.

Attached pic is of properly seasoned iron pan. Surface is as described in quote and is Teflon like in its non stickabilit

y.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Pink Stuff. THE BBQ fraternity use it to bring ‘em up shiny.
But really the burnt-on layer is exactly what you want on steel or iron pans!
Teflon is the work of stan....

Poor Stan, he gets the blame for everything

 

[PK99]

Poor Stan, he gets the blame for everything

Are you confusing Stan with Bill Posters?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Bought one of these in Aldi... £13 bargain. Weighty too....mild steel teflon-free loveliness :-)

 

[Fab Foodie]

Anyhow, here’s what I love about cast-iron and steel non teflon pans, a multitude of uses....

load ‘em up and shove ‘em in the oven....

 

[oldwheels]

Boil up a strong washing soda solution and leave to soak overnight. With rubber gloves scrub with stainless steel scrubber if needed. Season with oil after pan is dry.