Wlofie [1] came across this carbon steel wok while at Wal★Mart [2] that was perfect for the stovetop. He has another wok, but it has a completely round bottom and thus can only cook with it over an actual fire.
[Wok with me, talk with me] [3]
Although, as is, isn't quite ready for cooking.
[See! Nice, shiny and new!] [4]
It needed seasoning.
And seasoning a wok requires two things—heat, and peanut oil. Wlofie set the burner to “high” and dumped in a few table spoons of peanut oil (which has a highest smoke point of all the cooking oils). As the carbon steel changed to a dark brown to black, Wlofie would rotate the wok over the burner, and add oil as needed. The high heat would burn the oil into the carbon steel, “seasoning” it—basically, coating it with a molecule thick layer that resists sticking better than Teflon.
[One seasoned wok] [5]
Sure, it doesn't look all that great, but as a cooking surface, it's great. And heck, if something does stick, just apply more heat; whatever sticks will soon turn to ash which can then be dumped out (it's the principle behind a self-cleaning oven, which carbonizes any residue).
[3] /boston/2007/04/16/p4160002.jpg
[4] /boston/2007/04/16/p4160003.jpg
![[3] /boston/2007/04/16/p4160002.jpg](/gemini.conman.org/boston/2007/04/16/p4160002.jpg){kind=link}
![[4] /boston/2007/04/16/p4160003.jpg](/gemini.conman.org/boston/2007/04/16/p4160003.jpg){kind=link}
![[5] /boston/2007/04/16/p4160008.jpg](/gemini.conman.org/boston/2007/04/16/p4160008.jpg){kind=link}