Cleaning and Seasoning Tips for Blackstone Griddle

A griddle is necessary if you want to go beyond grilling for outdoor cooking. Cooking burgers, bratwurst, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and hash browns can be done at the snap of a finger with a Blackstone griddle’s iron-and-carbon steel cooking surface. These Griddles can serve  15-20 people, it’s powered by portable gas stoves or propane tanks.

Steel griddles, like cast iron grills and cookware, can be maintained in the same way. The steel must be cleaned and well seasoned to avoid rusting. Fortunately, cleaning up is a breeze. In addition, you may already have the materials you need on hand.

First, let us get to know the history of griddles.

A Brief History of the Griddle

An ancient griddle was a cooking tool used by people all over the world to prepare foods that needed to be cooked on a flat surface. Making tortillas on a griddle was initially popularized in Latin America. Pancakes, scones, and oatcakes are made using a belt, a flat disc suspended over an open flame in Scotland.

Steel or iron are the most common metals used in modern griddle construction. The consistent heat distribution and flat surfaces make them ideal for use in restaurants.

Instead of food dropping off the grate, this is the best technique to cook battered items like pancakes. However, the exposed flame of the grill can spoil certain seafood. So, restaurants prefer flat tops.

Now that we know about the history of griddle let us know about their types!

What Are the Types of Griddles?

Blackstone Griddle

It is a flat top with up to 36″ of the cooking surface, used to prepare steakhouse-style meat, Asian-style vegetables, and pancakes for breakfast, among other items. People all across the globe use them in their backyards, at tailgating parties, on vacation, and in the great outdoors.

 

Comal

It is a flat griddle made of clay or cast iron and is commonly used in Central American cooking traditions.

 

Tava

In India, the Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Georgia), and Southeast Asia, this griddle is common.

 

Teppanyaki Griddle

It is a flat steel top mainly used for Japanese-style cooking.

Now that we know about the history and the types of griddles, let us jump right into cleaning and seasoning a Blackstone griddle.

 

How Often Should You Clean Your Blackstone Griddle?

Cleaning Blackstone griddle is common among grill novices. Before and after each usage, most experts suggest a thorough cleaning. The crucial difference between the two is how much work you can put in. Before cooking, for example, you can wash and clean the grill. However, removing any dirt, food debris, and probable greases from it after cooking is required.

Cleaning Process

Remove Stuck Food

Whatever you do, there appears to be a more defined food. It is possible to get rid of food materials even if you use all the elbow grease. Try drizzling some water over the grill while the blister is still heated for meals. Remember, if you allow the water to become too hot, it will evaporate before it has a chance to act against the food particles.

The hot water makes it simpler to remove that stubborn residue. In some instances, you may have to repeat the process many times, but it should at least remove the stains so that you can clean them.

Scrape It

Blackstone’s griddle is quite simple to clean if it is done every few months, so long as you do not let it stay uncleaned for months. When you are finished cooking, unplug it for additional safety and let it cool down. You do not want to burn yourself when you are cleaning.

Use a scraper or metal spatula to remove the old leftover food when it has cooled. The grill’s surface will benefit from its firm edge when removing food stuck on it. Do not stress about the little things; you will have time to deal with those later on. Before going forward, ensure that most of the food remnants have been removed.

 

Give a Quick Wipe

After removing the debris, the first step is to clean up. Just a few damp tissues will do the trick. It is possible to use a dish towel, even though it can leave the cloth oily but will make cleaning easier. Paper towels can also be used and later discarded.

The objective is to remove any food particles accumulated on the grill’s surface. During this stage, some will come out and cling to your scraper. To get rid of the others, you will have to wipe them down.

 

Scrub It

Blackstone’s scouring pads can be purchased directly from the manufacturers. The pad’s smoothness will aid in the removal of food debris from the grill’s surface. This should be fine because you do not want to damage the grill’s surface. However, as the bristles of a wire brush are overly stiff and abrasive, they will scrape the grill’s surface while cleaning, making the scrapers less efficient.

 

Rinse and Wipe

It is time to get rid of the water and food crumbs using a paper towel, then rinse them off. If you want to save time, use a damp paper towel. It will clean up most of the remaining wastes.

Using a dry towel, carefully wipe the grill’s surface once most of the water has evaporated. After the mopping, any remaining water and loose particles will be removed by scrubbing the grill’s surface.

 

Clean the Burners

There is a burner underneath your grill’s surface, which provides heat. A cooking surface usually sits on top of most burners, shielded from view by a guard. As a result, they are relatively resistant to wear. But, they are not impervious to the accumulation of oil and grime that comes with regular usage.

So, first, remove the grill cover from the top of your Blackstone. This can be done with the help of a latch. Next, remove the burner guards and soak them in warm water before wiping them off with a sponge. They should be left to dry once they have been wiped with a clean cloth.

 

Removing Rust

It is normal if the surface of the grill begins to rust. Most of the rust can be removed. When the grill has warmed up a little, begin by scraping the rust off. Proceed by spraying some oil and lemon juice on the surface and sanding any remaining rust with sandpaper. Water and vinegar can be used to clean the rest of the pan. Removing oil is very effective. Wipe everything down with a sponge in the end.

 

Preventive Measures

Preheating the grill for 7-10 minutes before each usage is highly recommended. This facilitates cooking, but it also lowers the likelihood of meat adhering to the grill when you remove it. You will also have an easier time cleaning up afterward. For the same reason, use a lot of oil while cooking. This will prevent the meat from attaching to the grill and further safeguard the surface.

 

Seasoning Process

Using a mild soap and a little water, gently scrub the griddle’s surface. This step calls for the use of paper towels. Soak a damp cloth in soap and water and then wipe it off. After each usage, rinse to eliminate soap residue. There is a fine line between using too much and not enough water. You need a little to clean your griddle.

 

Oiling

Once the Blackstone is cleaned,  switch on the propane and light up the griddle. Let the temperature rise a little before turning it down. Next, pour a little conditioner oil into the grill or soak a paper towel in the oil. While the griddle is heated, rapidly but carefully apply a thin coating to the whole surface. Clean the griddle’s edges and sides as well.

 

Curing

After that, let the oil mixture be applied earlier to burn off. It will take between 10 and 20 minutes of smoking to get the desired effect. Do not be frightened if it starts to smoke a lot. Let it do what it has to do; the process is called bonding and oxidizing. Let it cool down for around 10 to 20 minutes before putting it back on the stove. Before moving on, let it cool down for a few minutes.

 

Repeating the Process

Turn on your griddle to high, apply your oil conditioner in an equal layer, and let it smoke for 10 to 20 minutes. You should repeat the oiling, smoking, and cooling procedure maybe 4 to 5 times.

The seasoning process is quite similar to cast iron seasoning. You can use the aforementioned tips to clean and season other types of griddles as well.

Conclusion

 

Clean and season your Blackstone griddle with ease now that you know how to do it. Cooking is so much simpler and quicker when you have a well-seasoned griddle.

You will be surprised to see how little oil it takes to cook the food.. Your Blackstone griddle will last longer if you season it. Even if it takes a bit of time, the additional effort is worth it.