In a restaurant kitchen, chefs often wash their hot wok right away using cold water from a faucet directly over the cooktop. Steam pours out of the wok as the water hits it, and the chef immediately cleans the wok with a scrub brush (working the brush in a circular motion). Steel wool and stainless steel scrubbers: Steel wool and those stainless steel scrubbers (the curly kind) are not recommended, since metal pieces can more easily fall off over time and they are more awkward to use. They can also be too abrasive if you’re not careful and steel wool tends to rust with use. We tried many variations at my parent’s restaurant, so I am speaking from experience here.

Woks tend to either have one long handle for easy tossing and turning, or two smaller c-shaped handles for easy manoeuvrability. There are some hybrid models that have a long handle on one side and a small grip handle on the other though, such as the high-scoring M&S Chef Hard Anodised 30cm Wok we tested.Spread 1 teaspoon vegetable oil around the perimeter of the heated, dry wok, and wipe the entire surface down with a paper towel. Make sure you get every spot! Do use your metal wok spatula to lightly scrape your wok to remove heavy grease and crusted food before washing.

Once you are done cooking, let the wok cool down to a manageable temperature before you transfer it to a sink.Industrial scouring pads: Industrial scouring pads are best for restoring old and rusty woks and prepping them to be re-seasoned. However, they are much more abrasive than the scrubbing pads on sponges. They are rarely needed when cleaning a well cared for and seasoned wok, unless you have burned something (which happens to all of us!)