Maintaining your Blackstone griddle’s cleanliness is essential to prolong its life, prevent corrosion, and enhance your cooking experience. Here’s some advice to ensure a spotless griddle:
After cooking, it’s best to clean your Blackstone griddle before it cools down. Doing so makes scraping away stuck-on food and residue much simpler.
Table of Contents
Scraping
It’s essential to clean a blackstone griddle after each use in order to keep it in excellent condition for future use. Furthermore, seasoning your pan properly prevents sticky food residue buildup.
The initial step to cleaning a blackstone griddle is scraping away food residue and drippings with either a scraper or metal spatula. This is an effective way to get rid of gunk that has built up over time and will prevent your stovetop from getting clogged.
Next, pour hot water onto the griddle and allow it to boil and steam. This will loosen any stuck food or grease, making it easier to wipe clean. If necessary, repeat this step two or three times until all residue has been removed from the pan.
After wiping away all remaining oil and debris with a damp paper towel, you can prevent them from accumulating again in the future.
You can also use a non-metal scrub to help get the griddle clean. Make sure it’s soft and can easily be wiped away with water, so as not to overscrub and damage the surface of the griddle.
Once the griddle has been cleaned, season it with a light oil that has a high smoking point. Popular options include olive oil, flaxseed oil, canola oil and ghee.
This will shield the griddle from external elements and protect it from becoming rusty. Furthermore, this helps minimize sticky food residue and buildup that could eventually ruin the griddle.
Another way to maintain the appearance of your griddle is by coating it with cooking oil before use. You can either go for a light oil such as olive or canola oil, or opt for bacon grease if you prefer a more greasy appearance.
Once your griddle has cooked, allow it to cool before storing away. Be sure to store your griddle in an uncontaminated area so that dirt and debris do not contaminate it. Doing this will keep it in excellent condition for future use and extend its life expectancy.
Scrubbing
For Blackstone griddle owners, routine cleaning is key to extending the life and performance of your appliance. Following these simple instructions can help ensure your griddle stays in top condition for many years to come.
After cooking, the initial step in cleaning your griddle is scraping away any food residue that has stuck to it. A metal scraper or spatula can help remove this buildup without scratching the surface.
Once you’ve scraped off all the food, wipe the griddle down to remove any oil residue. Doing this helps avoid sticky residue that makes cleanup difficult.
When cleaning the griddle, be sure to use non-abrasive scrubbers and water. Avoid using abrasives that could scratch up the aluminum surface of your griddle; instead, utilize a Blackstone scouring pad for gentle yet thorough scrubbing.
A good scouring pad can also help loosen any stuck-on food particles. You can purchase one with a flat end for scraping and replaceable sponge and stone combinations.
Another option is to spray the griddle with hot water, creating steam that helps loosen any trapped food particles. After this, use a scouring pad or non-abrasive scrubber to gently rub down the griddle surface.
Scrubbing the griddle after cooking is also an effective way to get rid of any built-up grease or residue that might have remained from previous uses. These substances can clog your burners and cause uneven flames.
Excessive residue on your griddle can be both an inconvenience and a source of unpleasant flavors in your food. Therefore, make it a priority to scrape away any accumulation after every cooking session and use warm soapy water for thorough cleaning afterwards.
Before beginning to scrub, be sure to turn off and unplug your griddle. Allow it to cool until the surface has reached a safe temperature.
Next, grab your griddle scraper or spatula and begin scraping away stubborn stains on the griddle. Focus on areas with stubborn spots and scrape them away; if you can’t completely scrape away all traces of soil, dampen a cloth with water before wiping down the griddle to eliminate any remaining marks.
Oiling
No matter if you use your blackstone griddle for grilling, sauteing or making an omelet, it needs oiling after each use. Doing this keeps the surface ready for future cooking sessions and prevents food from sticking.
Vegetable oils, canola oil and lard or shortening are all excellent cooking oils to choose from. Vegetable oils contain high monounsaturated fats which help lower bad cholesterol levels in the body and may lower your risk for heart disease and other related illnesses.
After cooking, use a paper towel to spread a thin layer of your preferred oil onto the surface. Gently rub in with tongs until all edges, corners and sidewalls are coated in oil.
Once the oil has dried, you can use a paper towel to wipe down your blackstone griddle. Repeat this process until there are no more food particles or grease left behind on the paper towels.
When cleaning the griddle, it is essential to avoid using corrosive cleaners or soap. Doing so could cause the surface to rust or degrade, while soap leaves chemical traces that will affect the flavor of your meals.
A reliable griddle cleaning solution involves hot water and a non-metal scrubber. The steam created by the hot water helps loosen stuck-on foods, while the scrubber removes stubborn residues.
Ideal timing to clean your griddle is when it’s still hot, as this makes it easier to remove grease and debris. A griddle scraper can also help you get the job done quickly.
Once your griddle is clean, you can season it. Seasoning a blackstone griddle is simple and takes only minutes to complete. For best results, use vegetable oil with a high smoke point and neutral flavor; other viable oils include canola oil, lard or shortening and peanut oil.
Rust Removal
Food particles and grease that get stuck to the griddle surface can cause rust to form. Not only does this ruin the flavor of your food, but it makes cleaning difficult as well. To help avoid this from occurring, regularly clean the griddle after cooking to remove food residue and excess grease.
Once you remove any hardened food and grease from the griddle, wipe it down with a dry paper towel to prevent re-rust. Now your griddle should be ready for your next meal!
Another essential step is to season the griddle surface before each use. This will not only create a protective coating that enhances food flavor and prevent sticking, but it’s also essential for safety reasons.
Begin by pouring 3 to 4 tablespoons of cooking oil onto the griddle top and wiping it down with a paper towel. Repeat this process until all traces of rust debris have been eliminated.
Once your griddle is clean and free of rust, reseason it with any cooking oil you have on hand – extra virgin olive oil or flax oil work especially well at adhering to metal surfaces and helping prevent rust from forming.
To prevent rust from forming in the first place, make sure your Blackstone griddle is well-seasoned after each use. Doing this will prevent rust from forming in any unseasoned areas of the griddle and also help keep it looking like new.
If your griddle has become too rusted to use, a griddle restorer can help remove the rust particles. This process involves applying the restorer with an applicator pad and may take several applications before all traces of rust have been eliminated.
Once all traces of rust have been eliminated, apply a thin coat of oil to the griddle top. This creates an airtight barrier between metal and air which helps prevent corrosion in the first place and also makes cleaning and maintaining your griddle easier.