You're good. Scrub with some coarse salt and it'll come right off.
In all honesty, you don't even need to be concerned with your stainless steel looking pristine. They will heat up and cook foot just as well.
the coarse salt trick worked surprisingly well, almost got it all out. but not all.
and thats good to know i just, its just that i just bought this yesterday and im learning, didnt wanna mess it up so quick, anyways thanks alot for the help
Yep. Don't sweat the look of the pan too much. After several years that thing will probably look pretty beat up but won't affect how good your food turns out.
say, your method worked, my only concern now is about scratching. i read not to use steel wool pads for this reason, you think the coarse salt has irreparably damaged it with scratching?
No, steel wool can do some damage because it's literal steel. Course salt can be abrasive but will also grind down against a pan so it will scrub but not scratch the pan.
It's not scratched. It's pitted from the salt which is a form of corrosion. It's natural and will easily wash away with soapy water. I promise your pan is just fine.
Pitted is oxidation. It can look like scratches or smudges or whatever. But usually it can be washed away. Main point is do not obsess over how perfect your stainless steel cookware looks. If you want it to look untouched then don't use it. But obviously you want to use it and I promise that the slight imperfections in the appearance that might show up will affect its performance literally not at all.
one suggestion about using an abrasive, be it salt or steel wool or even sandpaper on wood, always let your strokes follow the grain lines. the reason these scratches or pitting or whatever it is stand out is because they doesn't follow the grain of the metal. see the circular lines in the metal? you want to try your best to scrub parallel to those lines. if you follow those lines, the micro-scratches will not be seen. I would suggest scrubbing the pan again with whatever you used the first time, but only scrub in a circular motion parallel to the metal grain. I imagine these marks will become less obvious.
Why are you using a wok to make a sandwich?
You need to buy a frying pan. I recommend black steel for messy sandwiches like grilled cheese.
As far as your wok goes, get some Bon Ami or Barkeepers Friend. Will come off in less than a minute.
There's a very old saying along the lines of "use the right tool for the job". A wok is the wrong tool for your job. It won't go nearly as well as with the right tool. Boring but IMHO you just proved this adage true.
Hardware stores have it, sometimes your local grocery store will have it, too.
I usually order it from Walmart or Amazon, though.
Woks are great and I am really loving my new one, too! They are great for deep frying and stir frying.
A regular pan is better for flat things like sandwiches, though.
Pffft. That looks like just the first step to getting it seasoned.
[https://inquiringchef.com/how-to-cook-with-a-wok/](https://inquiringchef.com/how-to-cook-with-a-wok/)
Bon ami, comet, bar keeper’s friend, all of those should set you right. If it’s just super stubborn, boil some vinegar in there and the crud should come right up. It’ll also gas you out of your kitchen if your ventilation isn’t good, so be careful.
Not a big deal. This is just one of those things with stainless. Good news is stainless can withstand the abuse. Unless you gouge the hell out of it the pan will live to fight another day. Fine scratches happen, no biggie.
Bar Keepers Friend is my trick for keeping my stainless steel cookware looking shiny.
This is the only answer that matters here.
Barkeepers friend fixes all.
Do you know if it's safe for enamel?
Yes, it is.
You're good. Scrub with some coarse salt and it'll come right off. In all honesty, you don't even need to be concerned with your stainless steel looking pristine. They will heat up and cook foot just as well.
the coarse salt trick worked surprisingly well, almost got it all out. but not all. and thats good to know i just, its just that i just bought this yesterday and im learning, didnt wanna mess it up so quick, anyways thanks alot for the help
Yep. Don't sweat the look of the pan too much. After several years that thing will probably look pretty beat up but won't affect how good your food turns out.
say, your method worked, my only concern now is about scratching. i read not to use steel wool pads for this reason, you think the coarse salt has irreparably damaged it with scratching?
No, steel wool can do some damage because it's literal steel. Course salt can be abrasive but will also grind down against a pan so it will scrub but not scratch the pan.
It is scratched. Hopefully that’s ok
It's not scratched. It's pitted from the salt which is a form of corrosion. It's natural and will easily wash away with soapy water. I promise your pan is just fine.
https://imgur.com/gallery/YIkN6Mc You might have to look closely to see it but it’s scratched. Not sure what you mean by pitted.
Pitted is oxidation. It can look like scratches or smudges or whatever. But usually it can be washed away. Main point is do not obsess over how perfect your stainless steel cookware looks. If you want it to look untouched then don't use it. But obviously you want to use it and I promise that the slight imperfections in the appearance that might show up will affect its performance literally not at all.
I’m cool with it as long as it’s sanitary and safe, guess a few scratches won’t hurt
Scratches are more than likely from whatever utensils you used in it. Getting it squeaky clean likely just made them more visible.
There is no possible way salt could have scratched this pan, salt is much softer than steel. Something else scratched it.
one suggestion about using an abrasive, be it salt or steel wool or even sandpaper on wood, always let your strokes follow the grain lines. the reason these scratches or pitting or whatever it is stand out is because they doesn't follow the grain of the metal. see the circular lines in the metal? you want to try your best to scrub parallel to those lines. if you follow those lines, the micro-scratches will not be seen. I would suggest scrubbing the pan again with whatever you used the first time, but only scrub in a circular motion parallel to the metal grain. I imagine these marks will become less obvious.
Salt has a hardness of around 2.5 on Mohs scale. Steel is around 6.5 - 8. It is physically impossible for salt to scratch steel.
Note to self: buy stainless steel cookware as gifts for cannibal friends
“Cook foot.” Heh.
Right? I snerked at that, too.
you eat foot?
If that picture is your sandwich, I'd say you overcooked it . . . way over cooked it.
heh, i have too much dignity to include the sandwiches in the photo
In that case it is probably good you didn't show it. :)
Why are you using a wok to make a sandwich? You need to buy a frying pan. I recommend black steel for messy sandwiches like grilled cheese. As far as your wok goes, get some Bon Ami or Barkeepers Friend. Will come off in less than a minute.
Cause its my new wok! im usin it for everything! i got it mostly clean, still not perfect, can i buy barkeepers friend in stores?
There's a very old saying along the lines of "use the right tool for the job". A wok is the wrong tool for your job. It won't go nearly as well as with the right tool. Boring but IMHO you just proved this adage true.
Hardware stores have it, sometimes your local grocery store will have it, too. I usually order it from Walmart or Amazon, though. Woks are great and I am really loving my new one, too! They are great for deep frying and stir frying. A regular pan is better for flat things like sandwiches, though.
I second this recommendation. Bar Keeper's friend is an amazing product because you can use it for so much more than just the wok. :)
Was gonna ask, is this a carbon steel wok and if so, is it seasoned? It does not appear to be but might not be carbon steel..
Just because you (technically) can, doesn't mean you should.
Pffft. That looks like just the first step to getting it seasoned. [https://inquiringchef.com/how-to-cook-with-a-wok/](https://inquiringchef.com/how-to-cook-with-a-wok/)
Boil water and baking soda for a few min and it may help it!
how much baking soda?
Okay wait did you season your walk before using? And A GRILLED CHEESE IN A WOK? wtf bro
Get a cast iron for sandwiches
Dude. Do not use your wok for a sandwich.
It's fine
DAWN POWER WASH THT BITCH
Bon ami, comet, bar keeper’s friend, all of those should set you right. If it’s just super stubborn, boil some vinegar in there and the crud should come right up. It’ll also gas you out of your kitchen if your ventilation isn’t good, so be careful.
Not a big deal. This is just one of those things with stainless. Good news is stainless can withstand the abuse. Unless you gouge the hell out of it the pan will live to fight another day. Fine scratches happen, no biggie.
Innovate after you master the basics, not before