Hello from Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦 I just picked up the Blackstone 15” Griddle -BBQ combo on clearance for $50. This video is a perfect tutorial for novices like myself. I will enjoy cooking and cleaning my Griddle. Thanks so much for your expertise.
Table salt also works very good for scrubbing. Use it with the water and towels or oil and towel, you can also grab a potato, cut in half and grab that salt and work it around to get the stubborn stuff off if you have the need. Salt and potato are super cheap as a helper. Also, if you buy microfiber towels instead you'll have less lint. I use mine at least once a week and The Griddle Guys directions are spot on.
I felt really bad about my griddle when i saw the griddle at the beginning of the video. Then I saw the griddle being used and felt so much better about mine. Have had mine for over a year and it has not had to be reseasoned. No rust no build up and food doesn't stick at all. I use cotton towels from start to finish to clean. The soft scouring pads work great after scraping. I use a little more oil after cleaning to finish.
What did I do without this for so long?2 pieces of French Toast at a time ?20 minutes for 10 pancakes ?NO MOREthis griddle is awesomeTook some time to season before first use th-cam.com/users/postUgkxHM5jmQoi4dbb0hoWSBs9hPhSwXUbGVG_ did brunch and hibachi dinner on Mother’s Day and it worked like a charmSturdy, well built and heats up quick. burners2-4 were a little stubborn but then lit up.Great addition to my patio.Bought the cover and it’s great, also bought the accessories kit - scraper is good but the spatulas are flimsy to be honest that’s my only negative.
I have a 36" griddle and still looks very new. I clean it right after I use it. Its the best time to do so since the griddle is hot and leaving it for another day or week on most cast can be bad for your griddle. You want to treat it like a cast iron quick after you use it so it can last you for a long time. I do what your doing with the water and then after its clean I use canola oil for its high heat tolerant and let it cool off and then cover it. Looks like you may need to grind your top off soon. Thanks for sharing.
I'm an iron skillet aaffectinato...Let it cool completely, pour table salt on surface, work it around with paper towels and then rinse it off with cold water. Dry it well and lightly coat it back with oil. The salt turns black as it cleans and it will break down before it scratches surface. The surface never gets totally oil free. Your system works well but I try to use as little water as possible. Seams like you have more rust in the cracks at the edges than you should.
I don't use much water on mine either, unless it is a very stubborn buildup area, I use the coarse sea salt on mine then a light rinsing with water before drying and putting a light oiling on it. Holding up good so far.
I would agree and this process seems like it takes way to long to clean. Not sure I would use a metal scraper either as it would remove the seasoning of the flat top. Wooden spatula and salt works well
@Stan Edington wow Stan! That hurts! I will happily put my cooking ability against any other channel u can line up. And yah. This is NATE. We aim to have fun, spend time with family and share our experience with other griddle owners. Griddling is about community. Not technicality. Appreciate the comment and hopefully this helps you understand us a bit more.
Last reply.... I just can't stop thinking of a song by one of my favorite artist growing up as an angry kid. Here is a quote , see if you can guess. " I'm glad I inspire you, but Stan, why are you so mad, try to understand we do want you as a fan" .... I'm sorry. I love the song and it's the first thing I thought of. Hopefully you get the humor , either way ty for making me smile. -J
Im new to the Blackstone. But i always cook on the stove with family heirloom cast iron. And i have always been taught to never scrape it. You are taking your season off. I always heat my skillet hot and run under very hot water in the sink. With a scrub brush.
I bought the 36 pack of towels from Sam's and actually washed them like 5 times because of the mountains of lint in the dryer catch. Thanks for the advice of de-linting them first. I'm a paper towel-a-holic (even before my BS days) but I do like the final clean with the real towels after your video.
I use concentrated lime juice, nothing comes even closer. I heat up the griddle then spray some lime juice and scrape it up. Good as new. I buy it by the gallon at Restaurant Depot and last a long time.
I work in a restaurant and sometimes I will use the fry oil to clean the grill with a brick and then we use lemonade or lemon juice on top to take the rest of the access dirt off of it and it cleans it really well we don't use the paper towels we just use actual towel and he is right it does Staind the towels but it's way better than you wasting a whole bunch of paper towels
I am addicted to griddle videos! Good tips, and thanks for sharing! A couple of things I have picked up recently, I only use a wooden scraper to clean the griddle. I find a metal scrapper is too harsh and scratches the seasoning, and two, the Scott blue paper towels are way better than regular paper towels! I used upwards of a dozen paper towels to clean the griddle. Now I only use 2 of the Scotts blue towels! The Scott Blues clean way better, produce way less lint and dont burn as easy!
i started using cotton rags to wipe the surface down. I have some old sheets I've cut up into rags, wash them with my utensils after i wipe it down. ive found that it pulls the fat off the surface better, handles a hot surface better and doesnt leave paper crumbs.
Thank you for the link to the wash cloths and a bigger thank you for your hint on washing them first. I would have taken them from the bag and started cleaning. Instead, all of that lint (and there was a lot of it) was washed off in the washer. Great advice!
13 years we’ll you are the expert ok all griddle cleaning videos must now be cleared through Vaun Dinger cause 13 years at a roast beef place sets he/she apart from the rest of humanity
We used a similar process at a DQ I worked at in TX. Usually once an hour we would used hot water and a grill scraper to clean all the fond from the grilled burgers. At the end of the night it was a good way to get rid of the ice under the veggie trays. Then used a grill brick and grill butter basically ghee to scrup and season the grill.
I did grab a pic off the interweb when doing the thumb, I don't think I realized it was yours. Small world lol! I can remove it if you prefer or give credit? It looked so damned clean I had to use it! :-D Let me know and happy holidays! -n
Your video is really good, simple and it makes perfect sense. I still wonder like my cast iron grate on my grill (gas) never needs cleaning. When I turn it on to use I brush the grate well and start cooking. The grease from the last cooked food gets heated up enough to kill anything bad on there. Why couldn’t you do this with your griddle. 🤔.
Hi ET, you could but unlike your grates the griddle is flat. Oil pools on it and it and when this oil gets to hot it burns onto the cooking surface. This is OK to a certain extent but over time it gets too thick and ends up flaking off into your food. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching! -N
I have have a black stone grill and griddle And I have two major problems.. the least of which is I am getting rust at the bottom of my griddle portion and need advice on how to get rid of the rust. My major problem is about at least a dozen mice chewed a few holes through my heavy duty cover that we bought with our grill just two summers ago (not cheap and I am very upset). Any advice and ways around avoiding this from happening again? And yes the grill was clean before we put it away for the season. Is there Any kind of cleaning stuff like vinegar they hate because it obviously has to be cleaned again thoroughly.
Mice really really suck don't they? It's amazing how much damage such little rodents can do! it's also amazing that they eat pretty much anything and still manage to stay alive. Like would you think eating a vinyl griddle cover would make you sick? Anyhow, sorry your dealing with this. Chris has had good luck using dryer sheets. He puts a few of them on the griddle before he stores it. Regarding the rust, without knowing what area of the griddle you have the issue with it's tought to suggest something. We have experienced that some of the griddle areas that do not get hot enough to make the oil smoke don't truly get "seasoned" on ours this is some fo the corners and the front edge near the drain. In these areas we have oiled them, heated up the griddle then used a handheld propane torch make sure the oil smoked, got good and black and bonded to the metal. This is of course after removing the rust. Hope this helps! -N
Something I'd like to add...when or if you wash the cotton towels, DO NOT put them in with the regular laundry or even in the wash machine. They will be covered in oil & grease. I wash them in the sink with Dawn. Also, If you do wash them in the machine, don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets.
Wash them with dishwasher detergent. It will get out more stains. I did that with my 3 boys’ jeans years ago, when they got greasy/dirty. Works like a charm.
Great job! Give seltzer a try instead of the water, it breaks down the grease better therefor quicker clean up. Let me know if you try the seltzer or club soda and if you see a difference.
I use to work at a Carl Jr back in my high school days I used carbonated water from the soda fountain it works awesome looks brand new, they made me clean the grill all the time.
What about before cooking? How do you clean the griddle before cooking? Do you just spray some water, boil the water, and then wipe the surface with paper towel?
Olive oil burns easier at high temps. So if you leave a thin layer for conditioning, is gonna smoke up next time you may grill at 375 or 400° . Use avocado oil, withstand high temps. Plus it is also almost as healthy as olive oil. Just an option.
Get the griddle hot to break up the residue scrape it while it's hot turn it on low heat wait for it to cool a bit then do these steps in the video. Also helps if you get a griddle stone
We agree with @hugo stiglitz ,,, get it hot, scrape the scum off, let it cool and when your using the cloth towel,,, it will get steamy hot,,, talking 212 degrees, Keep getting it that hot then using it to clean the food residue off, the heat will loosen up the grease and oil and get it back to a sanitary state. Good luck with it! -N
overseas ive seen the cooks clean the griddle every night by dumping a few inches of ice on it and use the scraper while the water is evaporating and the scrape the soup into the gutter
Great video the way you explain all the steps in detail with tips for a proper cleaning. I never thought that the hot, steamy water is actually boiling and sanitizing the griddle (my wife likes that part). My only comment (observation) is that in your final step of applying oil to seal and protect until the next cook, you didn't mention this, but it looks as though you let the griddle surface cool before applying the oil because it didn't smoke and burn off like it does when seasoning the griddle.
Seen these blackstone griddles in walmart and theyre nice, but id like to see 1 they design with a easy pop together base to store and take camping. Maybe where the legs fold down and extend
Your in luck Brice. Lol.. Here is a link for there "portable" version for camping. Cover fold up legs are separate, but you could build yourself I nice little set up if you'd like. Good luck www.amazon.com/dp/B076MFM8LX/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_YoBwEbTM8P535
I just got a 17" Blackstone griddle with the grease hole in the back. I am doing a unboxing/seasoning video and a cooking on it for the first time video this weekend.
To avoid steam burn, use a heavy leather cooking glove (with a long cuff), duh! A trick I learned from an institutional kitchen was to heat the grill up rather hot, then toss a handful of chip ice (not large cubes) onto the griddle. The phase transition to steam will lift a tremendous amount of debris from the surface, allowing it to "float" so you just push it away with the scraper while wearing the leather cooking glove. Be sure to push it off the griddle while the steam bubbling is still happening, otherwise it sticks back to the surface again. This process works great!
Many years ago worked the grill at McDonald’s and you sir are correct in your cleaning process. They wouldn’t allow us to say “rag,” it had to be “towel.” Of course I also cooked filet of fish and buns until zI got fired for talking too much. Went on to International speaking engagements-if a different sort.
I was wondering what that light brown mark are , I don't get that with my factory seasoned Expert Piomeer , they took all the weaknesses of the Blackstone and CampChef and made it better. My top still looks new and cooks very even , no hot spots , I should make a video on how awesome, the Expert Pioneer is.
The marks are from where his food stuck to it because of this silly cleaning method. Why remove all the oil just to add more? That is why it is rusting too.
Great video, thank you. I just purchased a stainless steal griddle top for my grill and last week I "tried" to season it. I added the oil, thin layer, 4 times, but didn't have the grill hot enough. Now the griddle top is sticky, and I haven't cooked on it. What is the best way to remove the oil and re-season?
Sorry to hear that Drew. Only 2 ways I can think of . A stripper like "Stera sheen" would probably be best and easiest or scrub it using an abrasive like "bar keepers friend" . Good luck
Tip: If you have ever found signs of little critters (mice), the next time you prepare to cook, use Avocado oil on that final wipe. Mice don't like avocado oil.
Walmarts has pk 18 bar towels for 10.00 we get them and throw them away if black and greasy but if washable wash and use them to wipe down outer shell and hood
Just did this and it was a huge help thanks for the video! I’m gonna start looking for videos on how to properly cook different foods like burgers and fish and hibachi style foods or even breakfast
Hi, what’s the difference between re-seasoning and and doing this step after using the griddle. I have a rusty griddle and I can’t get the rust off of it after many attempts. Please and thank you
Unfortunately once you loose the surface to any sort of rust , best and safest course of action is full sanding. If you head over to our channel you will find a griddle rehab video from about a year and a half ago. It will take you through the process. Pretty much just use sandpaper or a grinder with a flapdisc to get back to bare shiny metal. Always wear a mask, rust is pretty dangerous to be inhaling. Will take some elbow grease to get the corners but once that's done, reseason, then be sure to give really good scrape with 2 handed scraper after each use. Hopefully this helps. Ty-J
Good video. Whenever I clean the surface of my griddle or grill I protect my hands with a heat resistant glove, they are amazing, you can grab a burning wood log.
Glad you said something bout that rust....I go at a bit harder with high heat and Dawn dish soap mixed with water...the grease goes in one shot... then a couple rinses... I use spray on canola oil...wipe down and done.... oh ya I own stock in the paper towel company also....
Good video. I just reseasoned mine, the seasoning was flaking really bad. Sanded it down and started fresh. I think part of the problem is I was putting way more oil on then you, Im going to start putting a thinner coat. Do you do this after every cook?
When I was a kid worked for a burger chain. Burgers cooked on flat iron grills. To clean grill we just used a brass scouring pad, scraper and only used seltzer to clean. Still do it same.
Hi Lloyd, it is not easy. Basically you sand the heck out of it with anything you got, sanding clock, angle grinder, flap wheel, belt sander etc til you get it back to bare metal, then season it right away! You can't leave it bare metal for anytime at all or it will rust again. Hope this helps. -N
Question: your food is cooked and on the table. Your done eating and go to clean your griddle but it’s cold. Do you turn it on low for a few minutes to heat up , turn it off then start cleaning?
I actually scrape mine after it has cooled down during the meal and then fire it back up to clean it with the water and cotton towel method. Then, the last step is a light coat of avocado oil on high heat, let it stop smoking, shut off the burners and when it’s almost completely cooled off again, wipe another very thin coat over the surface and sides before covering. Also, if you have rodents, place a magnetic cover over the drip drain hole to prevent mice/rats from walking on your griddle surface. That hole is very inviting to them.
I recently bought a griddle and have seasoned it and cooked one time to the delight of my friends and myself. Thanks for the added tips for cleaning. While I cleaned the griddle pretty well, I was not totally satisfied. I loved the use of the putty type blade to move the towels around. Looking forward to my next cook out experience.
We have never used soda. One of the places I worked we used the left over pickle juice and it worked wonders but.... it was on a stainless steel commercial griddle. Not mild steel like the blackstone. I have tried white vinegar, and tried pickle juice on the blackstone and have found no difference with using just plain old water. If anything the higher acidity is harder on your patina. The right amount of scraping, heat, water and wiping seems to be the trick. Oh and maintaining your seasoning of course. Thanks for the comment and for checking out the video! Cook on bud! :D
Use the little foil tub liners BS sells. As you clean the grill, fold a couple of the used paper towels to fit inside the tub liner. The towel swill soak up the grease, etc. At some point the tub will be full. Toss old tub liner and replace with new. (or if really stingy, carefully dump the tub contents and re-use!)
Just letting you know.... I watched 5 how to clean the griddle videos and came back to watch yours again... great job !!! Really appreciate the training. One question... What specific oil to you recommend ?
You can definitely wait. I always scrape off the big stuff right away out of habit. If any part of your top looks dry or like you scraped through the patina I would do it right away just to avoid rust.
If I leave the griddle in the backyard, do you think it will attract bugs, insects, or even mouse going to the griddle surface since it is coated in oil?
So on my griddle the water evaporates almost immediately. Basic Q. I have 5 burners and have been running all 5. Perhaps why I am torching everything...?? What temp should the low setting be?
If you don't have face clothes use paper towel folded in half and just keep wetting it. You actually want the steam because it gets the baked on food to release and it also sanitizes the surface. Just be careful of the steam. It's hot. Lol. We also all now use a double handed scraper . Works great for before you wipe down. As far as temp, med should work. You just want it to be hot enough for the water to steam , not sit. Good luck and ty for reaching out
Nope, You def want to avoid rust if you can. At this time, the areas that had true rust on them are outside of the cooking area so I didn't reallyi care so much about them. Since making this video we have purchased torches and any area that does not get hot enough to bond the oil to the metal we use a torch to finish the job. That being said this isn't an issue with any of the newer griddle models. Also, liberally oil your griddle after every cook and oil will def not be an issue. griddle on Jake! -N
Check here under tools ......th-cam.com/users/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFdJSFBXR0o0VWdqOVJSNFBaZ1JVYVJuMjBIUXxBQ3Jtc0treEp1NG5ySGhDRUlQMkVuUlFMZkg1WE1EdDJzcVRIT0JZRVBzSXRibFVNcFJVbEJ5SHpVUnNzQnVnNmhHZXVPWkpOZHl1TVhjM0FoTXVJRGpVWGJXUnhUWEw3TFh5ajBpOHpLVWlCMXZ3RkZrSEF0WQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fshop%2Fthegriddleguys
I just watched a diff video on how to clean a flat top. This way you do it looks waayyyy harder. He just turned it on high and sprayed it with lemon juice, let it cool 10 min, scraped it, didn't remove anything, turned it back on high, 1C lemon juice in 4qt water, turn off, pour mix over grill and wash it off. The problem I see here is that there is no drain. Probably not the best design for that method, but I guess I will be buying one with a gap for drainage.
Just got my Blackstone griddle. I noticed upon opening it that there is a small spot of rust on the bottom (underneath) on the griddle. What is the best way to take care of that. Thank you in advance!
Congratulations on your new griddle. As far as rust on the bottom, Ignore it. Unfortunately the whole underside will rust because its not treated . Luckily it will take a couple years before you start to notice some rust "dust" falling onto the shelf below. At that point you can give it a heavy sanding to get it back to bare metal to get another couple years out of it. I wish we had a better solution, but spending its life over a direct flame really limits what coating you could put on it to stop that. Hopefully this helps . If you come across anything different we'd love to hear about it. Ty-J
I'm going on 3 years with my Blackstone, I have never used water one time since I purchased it. I was told by a chef friend that the water thing applies to stainless steel griddles only. I have zero rust and my stays very non-stick. I simply shut it down after cooking, before it cools completely I scrape the surface down and get as much off as I can, hit it with a little more clean oil and let it cool. Cover it, and whenever I use it I heat it up, tiny bit of oil, wipe with paper towel and good to go. Zero rust and never had to re-season. Works great for me, and a couple other guys I have helped with. Just like cast iron, keep the water and soap away.
Glad that's working for you so far. Issue is that with stacking your patina like that is it will eventually start to have an insulating effect and steal heat for the cooking surface as well as eventually start to chip off into your food because it's not truly burnt in. When forming that non stick surface we all look for its an actual chemical reaction that only happens at high heat. Either way, we appreciate your comment and best of luck with whichever way works best for you.👍👍👍
Thanks for the cleaning tips, specially the washing three times trick. Don't use any type of fabric softener on those towels, not in the washer or dryer, makes them more absorbent. Do the same for towels you use to dry your car after a wash job.
Yikes! Yes! I have never done it but the ultra high heat would likely dry out your seasoning /patina. If you do it I would plan to reseason after. My thought is the heat is so high it will literally burn everything off. If you test it please let me know! N
Do you clean the towels when finished or just throw them out? I'm a little worried about getting all that grease build up in my washer machine. Any advice?
Usually Nate just runs them through a hot cycle . Grease shouldn't be a problem for the machine but I would not combine with any other light colored or delicates in the same load
I have been getting my Blackstone hot.....and then taking a water soaked paper towel.....and running it around like I would with putting oil down.....I do the water first to get it super clean....and then put a thin coat of oil...let it smoke for a bit and then it's time to cook.......the wet paper towels do wonders....check it out!
Hello from Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦 I just picked up the Blackstone 15” Griddle -BBQ combo on clearance for $50. This video is a perfect tutorial for novices like myself. I will enjoy cooking and cleaning my Griddle.
Thanks so much for your expertise.
Excellent Video! Thanks for taking the time. No flash or convoluted drama for CLICKS, just proven, easy-to-follow instructions!
Table salt also works very good for scrubbing. Use it with the water and towels or oil and towel, you can also grab a potato, cut in half and grab that salt and work it around to get the stubborn stuff off if you have the need. Salt and potato are super cheap as a helper. Also, if you buy microfiber towels instead you'll have less lint.
I use mine at least once a week and The Griddle Guys directions are spot on.
Awesome suggestions Rhino Mite. I'm especially looking forward to trying out the potato trick. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
If you can go buy micro fiber cloths every time you clean your griddle, but I wouldn't try washing them in your cloths washer. Lol
Love salt for cleaningn used it for years on cast iron pans then whenningot griddle do same thing. Water and salt, let it sit then wipe
Instead of a potato try using an onion cut in half and some salt.. does wonders.
I felt really bad about my griddle when i saw the griddle at the beginning of the video. Then I saw the griddle being used and felt so much better about mine. Have had mine for over a year and it has not had to be reseasoned. No rust no build up and food doesn't stick at all. I use cotton towels from start to finish to clean. The soft scouring pads work great after scraping. I use a little more oil after cleaning to finish.
What did I do without this for so long?2 pieces of French Toast at a time ?20 minutes for 10 pancakes ?NO MOREthis griddle is awesomeTook some time to season before first use th-cam.com/users/postUgkxHM5jmQoi4dbb0hoWSBs9hPhSwXUbGVG_ did brunch and hibachi dinner on Mother’s Day and it worked like a charmSturdy, well built and heats up quick. burners2-4 were a little stubborn but then lit up.Great addition to my patio.Bought the cover and it’s great, also bought the accessories kit - scraper is good but the spatulas are flimsy to be honest that’s my only negative.
I have a 36" griddle and still looks very new. I clean it right after I use it. Its the best time to do so since the griddle is hot and leaving it for another day or week on most cast can be bad for your griddle. You want to treat it like a cast iron quick after you use it so it can last you for a long time. I do what your doing with the water and then after its clean I use canola oil for its high heat tolerant and let it cool off and then cover it. Looks like you may need to grind your top off soon. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comment and completely agree!
What do you mean "grind your top off?"
@Noe b ...translation please?
This is exactly how I cleaned the griddle where I worked and use the same technique on my Blackstone. Great to put this out. 👍
Glad it worked out Wolff Tracks and ty for commenting-J
I'm an iron skillet aaffectinato...Let it cool completely, pour table salt on surface, work it around with paper towels and then rinse it off with cold water. Dry it well and lightly coat it back with oil. The salt turns black as it cleans and it will break down before it scratches surface. The surface never gets totally oil free. Your system works well but I try to use as little water as possible. Seams like you have more rust in the cracks at the edges than you should.
I don't use much water on mine either, unless it is a very stubborn buildup area, I use the coarse sea salt on mine then a light rinsing with water before drying and putting a light oiling on it. Holding up good so far.
"seems like."
The instructions actually say to use salt to clean it
That sounds like a great way, too.
I would agree and this process seems like it takes way to long to clean. Not sure I would use a metal scraper either as it would remove the seasoning of the flat top. Wooden spatula and salt works well
Just brought home my Black Stone 28" flat top griddle. Your video's are epic.
I don't own a griddle, and yet here I am.
We are happy you stopped by our channel Hande! Cook on! -n
@Stan Edington Ouch, and yet here we all are.. lol
@Stan Edington wow Stan! That hurts! I will happily put my cooking ability against any other channel u can line up. And yah. This is NATE.
We aim to have fun, spend time with family and share our experience with other griddle owners. Griddling is about community. Not technicality.
Appreciate the comment and hopefully this helps you understand us a bit more.
Last reply.... I just can't stop thinking of a song by one of my favorite artist growing up as an angry kid. Here is a quote , see if you can guess. " I'm glad I inspire you, but Stan, why are you so mad, try to understand we do want you as a fan" .... I'm sorry. I love the song and it's the first thing I thought of. Hopefully you get the humor , either way ty for making me smile. -J
It is rusty at hell
I did not see a link for the cotton towel in the description below like you indicated? Am I missing something?
White vinegar works well and does a better job on the rust. Is also a lot cheaper than lemon or lime juice.
Im new to the Blackstone. But i always cook on the stove with family heirloom cast iron. And i have always been taught to never scrape it. You are taking your season off. I always heat my skillet hot and run under very hot water in the sink. With a scrub brush.
I agree! This guy hasn't the foggiest idea how to treat cast iron!
I bought the 36 pack of towels from Sam's and actually washed them like 5 times because of the mountains of lint in the dryer catch. Thanks for the advice of de-linting them first. I'm a paper towel-a-holic (even before my BS days) but I do like the final clean with the real towels after your video.
Could not agree more Robert! Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment! -N
I use concentrated lime juice, nothing comes even closer.
I heat up the griddle then spray some lime juice and scrape it up.
Good as new.
I buy it by the gallon at Restaurant Depot and last a long time.
Tyler Leyden like $8 at Restaurant Depot.
I work in a restaurant and sometimes I will use the fry oil to clean the grill with a brick and then we use lemonade or lemon juice on top to take the rest of the access dirt off of it and it cleans it really well we don't use the paper towels we just use actual towel and he is right it does Staind the towels but it's way better than you wasting a whole bunch of paper towels
The brick is called Blackstone I believe if y'all were curious what I was talking about
Stainless steel griddle care and cleaning is different from a cold rolled steel griddle.
I am addicted to griddle videos! Good tips, and thanks for sharing!
A couple of things I have picked up recently, I only use a wooden scraper to clean the griddle. I find a metal scrapper is too harsh and scratches the seasoning, and two, the Scott blue paper towels are way better than regular paper towels! I used upwards of a dozen paper towels to clean the griddle. Now I only use 2 of the Scotts blue towels! The Scott Blues clean way better, produce way less lint and dont burn as easy!
i started using cotton rags to wipe the surface down. I have some old sheets I've cut up into rags, wash them with my utensils after i wipe it down. ive found that it pulls the fat off the surface better, handles a hot surface better and doesnt leave paper crumbs.
I'll never look at the paper towel shedding as anything other than "paper crumbs" again. 📌
Thank you for the link to the wash cloths and a bigger thank you for your hint on washing them first. I would have taken them from the bag and started cleaning. Instead, all of that lint (and there was a lot of it) was washed off in the washer. Great advice!
I worked at pizza/ roast beef place for 13 years....i clean my camp chef griddle the same way!!! It's quick ,easy and always ready to use
Vaun Dinger How do you do it different?
13 years we’ll you are the expert ok all griddle cleaning videos must now be cleared through Vaun Dinger cause 13 years at a roast beef place sets he/she apart from the rest of humanity
You know what I see most in griddle related videos and the comments? People overthinking it. It ain’t rocket science.
No kidding. High heat, scrape it, spray it with water, spread it around, kill it... coat of oil. Done
We used a similar process at a DQ I worked at in TX. Usually once an hour we would used hot water and a grill scraper to clean all the fond from the grilled burgers. At the end of the night it was a good way to get rid of the ice under the veggie trays. Then used a grill brick and grill butter basically ghee to scrup and season the grill.
Wow! What an honor! You used the picture of my Blackstone 28” in the beginning of your video
I did grab a pic off the interweb when doing the thumb, I don't think I realized it was yours. Small world lol! I can remove it if you prefer or give credit? It looked so damned clean I had to use it! :-D Let me know and happy holidays! -n
The Griddle Guys Just honored to have it used by someone else. It’s all good, Thank you!
Your video is really good, simple and it makes perfect sense. I still wonder like my cast iron grate on my grill (gas) never needs cleaning. When I turn it on to use I brush the grate well and start cooking. The grease from the last cooked food gets heated up enough to kill anything bad on there. Why couldn’t you do this with your griddle. 🤔.
Hi ET, you could but unlike your grates the griddle is flat. Oil pools on it and it and when this oil gets to hot it burns onto the cooking surface. This is OK to a certain extent but over time it gets too thick and ends up flaking off into your food. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching! -N
Thanks for the informative video. My 2 burner Blackstone will be here Tuesday. I can't wait. Camp food is going to take on a whole new level .
Congrats on your purchase
Makes camp cooking much easier and opens up your options. Cook on and thanks for commenting! 😁. N
I have have a black stone grill and griddle And I have two major problems..
the least of which is I am getting rust at the bottom of my griddle portion and need advice on how to get rid of the rust. My major problem is about at least a dozen mice chewed a few holes through my heavy duty cover that we bought with our grill just two summers ago (not cheap and I am very upset). Any advice and ways around avoiding this from happening again? And yes the grill was clean before we put it away for the season. Is there Any kind of cleaning stuff like vinegar they hate because it obviously has to be cleaned again thoroughly.
Mice really really suck don't they? It's amazing how much damage such little rodents can do! it's also amazing that they eat pretty much anything and still manage to stay alive. Like would you think eating a vinyl griddle cover would make you sick?
Anyhow, sorry your dealing with this. Chris has had good luck using dryer sheets. He puts a few of them on the griddle before he stores it.
Regarding the rust, without knowing what area of the griddle you have the issue with it's tought to suggest something. We have experienced that some of the griddle areas that do not get hot enough to make the oil smoke don't truly get "seasoned" on ours this is some fo the corners and the front edge near the drain.
In these areas we have oiled them, heated up the griddle then used a handheld propane torch make sure the oil smoked, got good and black and bonded to the metal. This is of course after removing the rust.
Hope this helps! -N
Get a cat 🐈
Something I'd like to add...when or if you wash the cotton towels, DO NOT put them in with the regular laundry or even in the wash machine. They will be covered in oil & grease. I wash them in the sink with Dawn. Also, If you do wash them in the machine, don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets.
Great tip!
Wash them with dishwasher detergent. It will get out more stains. I did that with my 3 boys’ jeans years ago, when they got greasy/dirty. Works like a charm.
A heavy grill glove protects my hand from the steam burn. The towel trick is a great tip. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching Mike! Good tip on the grill glove! Happy Holidays! -N
Great job! Give seltzer a try instead of the water, it breaks down the grease better therefor quicker clean up. Let me know if you try the seltzer or club soda and if you see a difference.
I have used club soda in the past and have noticed it does work better than regular water. Good call Jack!-C
@@TheGriddleGuys Even cheaper is just add salt.
I use to work at a Carl Jr back in my high school days I used carbonated water from the soda fountain it works awesome looks brand new, they made me clean the grill all the time.
We have been using soda water and works great! Thanks for the tip!!
Thank you for the support and the comments! - N
What about before cooking? How do you clean the griddle before cooking? Do you just spray some water, boil the water, and then wipe the surface with paper towel?
Exactly! - C
Olive oil burns easier at high temps. So if you leave a thin layer for conditioning, is gonna smoke up next time you may grill at 375 or 400° . Use avocado oil, withstand high temps. Plus it is also almost as healthy as olive oil.
Just an option.
Good call. We posted this video a ways back. For the most part we use canola now. High temp and cheap😁👍🍻
What do I do if my griddle hasn’t been used in a while and has a layer around the sides of food residue that’s dry and hard?
Get the griddle hot to break up the residue scrape it while it's hot turn it on low heat wait for it to cool a bit then do these steps in the video. Also helps if you get a griddle stone
We agree with @hugo stiglitz ,,, get it hot, scrape the scum off, let it cool and when your using the cloth towel,,, it will get steamy hot,,, talking 212 degrees, Keep getting it that hot then using it to clean the food residue off, the heat will loosen up the grease and oil and get it back to a sanitary state.
Good luck with it! -N
Agreed! :-)
overseas ive seen the cooks clean the griddle every night by dumping a few inches of ice on it and use the scraper while the water is evaporating and the scrape the soup into the gutter
That's a good call. I'll have to try it. Ty zib
Great video the way you explain all the steps in detail with tips for a proper cleaning. I never thought that the hot, steamy water is actually boiling and sanitizing the griddle (my wife likes that part). My only comment (observation) is that in your final step of applying oil to seal and protect until the next cook, you didn't mention this, but it looks as though you let the griddle surface cool before applying the oil because it didn't smoke and burn off like it does when seasoning the griddle.
Excellent video very helpful for all us new griddlers.
Awesome Tips! The only thing I do different is, I use a cast iron press with a towel instead of a scraper on the final pass.
Thanks for the cleaning tips. Will give this a try today. But why not use microfiber towels? The kind you would use to wash your car?
Found the answer to my own question; microfiber is synthetic and will melt on contact with hot surfaces.
Seen these blackstone griddles in walmart and theyre nice, but id like to see 1 they design with a easy pop together base to store and take camping. Maybe where the legs fold down and extend
Your in luck Brice. Lol.. Here is a link for there "portable" version for camping. Cover fold up legs are separate, but you could build yourself I nice little set up if you'd like. Good luck www.amazon.com/dp/B076MFM8LX/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_YoBwEbTM8P535
Thanks for the tutorial! I just bought the 3 burner 1501 model and cooked stirfry. Was wondering how I should clean it! Cheers!
Nice video. I got the black stone with grease whole in the back.
I just got a 17" Blackstone griddle with the grease hole in the back. I am doing a unboxing/seasoning video and a cooking on it for the first time video this weekend.
Scrub with soapy hot dawn and a steel wool rinse dry then oil
This method is shit
To avoid steam burn, use a heavy leather cooking glove (with a long cuff), duh! A trick I learned from an institutional kitchen was to heat the grill up rather hot, then toss a handful of chip ice (not large cubes) onto the griddle. The phase transition to steam will lift a tremendous amount of debris from the surface, allowing it to "float" so you just push it away with the scraper while wearing the leather cooking glove. Be sure to push it off the griddle while the steam bubbling is still happening, otherwise it sticks back to the surface again. This process works great!
I never get steam burned boy
@@Mysticalwarlock89 I didn't say you did, "boy". The comment was for anyone who was concerned it might happen.
I went for the the full on 16” welding gloves! One steam burn was enough for me! 😂
Can you put link in regarding the white towels you used
Good tips! thanks. What is that table you have around your griddle and where can I get one?
Thanks and here you go!
www.amazon.com/shop/thegriddleguys/list/1041GBTQFLYVP?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d
Many years ago worked the grill at McDonald’s and you sir are correct in your cleaning process. They wouldn’t allow us to say “rag,” it had to be “towel.” Of course I also cooked filet of fish and buns until zI got fired for talking too much. Went on to International speaking engagements-if a different sort.
I was wondering what that light brown mark are , I don't get that with my factory seasoned Expert Piomeer , they took all the weaknesses of the Blackstone and CampChef and made it better. My top still looks new and cooks very even , no hot spots , I should make a video on how awesome, the Expert Pioneer is.
Very cool David. Sounds like a nice griddle. Ty and Cheers-J
The marks are from where his food stuck to it because of this silly cleaning method. Why remove all the oil just to add more? That is why it is rusting too.
Where did you get your shelving around the perimeter of your griddle?
Amazon has the surround for the 36" Blackstone. Be careful though, they will NOT fit the new model with the rear grease trap without modifications.
@@hamanjam Thank you Jim
Great video, thank you. I just purchased a stainless steal griddle top for my grill and last week I "tried" to season it. I added the oil, thin layer, 4 times, but didn't have the grill hot enough. Now the griddle top is sticky, and I haven't cooked on it. What is the best way to remove the oil and re-season?
Sorry to hear that Drew. Only 2 ways I can think of . A stripper like "Stera sheen" would probably be best and easiest or scrub it using an abrasive like "bar keepers friend" . Good luck
Stainless steel and cast iron are two different things.
Thanks again for a very enlightening video. Do plan on making a video on how to clean a Camp Chef Side Kick? Anyone have any thoughts?
Great suggestion and I'm sure it will be a video soon! - C
@@TheGriddleGuys thanks! That'd be great.
what finish oil do you use? Vegetable or olive? thank you for your video!
Tip: If you have ever found signs of little critters (mice), the next time you prepare to cook, use Avocado oil on that final wipe. Mice don't like avocado oil.
Walmarts has pk 18 bar towels for 10.00 we get them and throw them away if black and greasy but if washable wash and use them to wipe down outer shell and hood
New follower here. Researching whether or not I want or need a griddle. I’m sold. I’m getting one. Thanks for your video and advice.
Awesome! Thank you! And Welcome to The Griddle Guy family!- C
Just did this and it was a huge help thanks for the video! I’m gonna start looking for videos on how to properly cook different foods like burgers and fish and hibachi style foods or even breakfast
Sounds awesome and ty for commenting-J
The Blackstone grills of yesteryear, like this one, looked much better than today’s. They turned the grill into a billboard.
Agreed 👍. On the other end some of the features are really convenient but seem to come at the cost of quality
whn you apply the final thin coating of oil on the griddle is the heat still on?
Very low or off. - C
Hi, what’s the difference between re-seasoning and and doing this step after using the griddle. I have a rusty griddle and I can’t get the rust off of it after many attempts. Please and thank you
Unfortunately once you loose the surface to any sort of rust , best and safest course of action is full sanding. If you head over to our channel you will find a griddle rehab video from about a year and a half ago. It will take you through the process. Pretty much just use sandpaper or a grinder with a flapdisc to get back to bare shiny metal. Always wear a mask, rust is pretty dangerous to be inhaling. Will take some elbow grease to get the corners but once that's done, reseason, then be sure to give really good scrape with 2 handed scraper after each use. Hopefully this helps. Ty-J
Treat it like a cast iron skillet. High heat and HOT water ....then oil.
Use the T-shirt material. It can also be purchased at hardware store or use an old one that was washed and cut to pieces. White one only
Good video. Whenever I clean the surface of my griddle or grill I protect my hands with a heat resistant glove, they are amazing, you can grab a burning wood log.
Good call. I think we have all been bitten by that steam at least a few times. Thanks again-J
Glad you said something bout that rust....I go at a bit harder with high heat and Dawn dish soap mixed with water...the grease goes in one shot... then a couple rinses... I use spray on canola oil...wipe down and done.... oh ya I own stock in the paper towel company also....
Good call on the dawn and yes, no doubt, if you own a griddle, you are going to be buying paper towels in bulk
Good video. I just reseasoned mine, the seasoning was flaking really bad. Sanded it down and started fresh. I think part of the problem is I was putting way more oil on then you, Im going to start putting a thinner coat. Do you do this after every cook?
Well to the point and well explained. Very helpful. Thank you.
the towels you got, is it best to wash them before using them
yes! Wash them without fabric softener and machine dry them, they work better this way. -N
Great video. Your tip on the towels was great, thanks, bought the towels and they ARE great!
Glad you like them! Definately feels like a cleaner griddle when you finish up with them. Cook on Debbie! -N
Have you ever tried using seltzer water for a final wash?
Yes and it works pretty good! - C
I got my Blackstone for Father's Day and I love it.
AND NOW I KNOW HOW TO ACTUALLY CLEAN IT.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Great video
Do u have. A re season vid that shows getting rid of the rust please
When I was a kid worked for a burger chain. Burgers cooked on flat iron grills. To clean grill we just used a brass scouring pad, scraper and only used seltzer to clean. Still do it same.
Sounds like a good system and ty for sharing. Cheers-J
How do you clean it if it gets rusty
Hi Lloyd, it is not easy. Basically you sand the heck out of it with anything you got, sanding clock, angle grinder, flap wheel, belt sander etc til you get it back to bare metal, then season it right away! You can't leave it bare metal for anytime at all or it will rust again. Hope this helps. -N
Water and 🍋 lemon work really good
Question: your food is cooked and on the table. Your done eating and go to clean your griddle but it’s cold. Do you turn it on low for a few minutes to heat up , turn it off then start cleaning?
I actually scrape mine after it has cooled down during the meal and then fire it back up to clean it with the water and cotton towel method. Then, the last step is a light coat of avocado oil on high heat, let it stop smoking, shut off the burners and when it’s almost completely cooled off again, wipe another very thin coat over the surface and sides before covering. Also, if you have rodents, place a magnetic cover over the drip drain hole to prevent mice/rats from walking on your griddle surface. That hole is very inviting to them.
I have never used mine had it 2 years real real rusty. Could you give me advise to clean off the rust . Got a grill brick
I recently bought a griddle and have seasoned it and cooked one time to the delight of my friends and myself. Thanks for the added tips for cleaning. While I cleaned the griddle pretty well, I was not totally satisfied. I loved the use of the putty type blade to move the towels around. Looking forward to my next cook out experience.
Thanks James, congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the club! :-)
Buy a stainless steel putty knife from your local hardware store
I seen people use clear color soda like sprite. Does that make it easier?
We have never used soda. One of the places I worked we used the left over pickle juice and it worked wonders but.... it was on a stainless steel commercial griddle. Not mild steel like the blackstone. I have tried white vinegar, and tried pickle juice on the blackstone and have found no difference with using just plain old water. If anything the higher acidity is harder on your patina. The right amount of scraping, heat, water and wiping seems to be the trick. Oh and maintaining your seasoning of course. Thanks for the comment and for checking out the video! Cook on bud! :D
It is club soda. It works awesome. Pls do yourself a favor a try it.
Just plain soda for cleaning. Sometimes good to cook things with a little cola or beer though.
Great video, what's a good way to dispose of the grease tray?
Use the little foil tub liners BS sells. As you clean the grill, fold a couple of the used paper towels to fit inside the tub liner. The towel swill soak up the grease, etc. At some point the tub will be full. Toss old tub liner and replace with new. (or if really stingy, carefully dump the tub contents and re-use!)
New to the griddle world 🌎 thanks for the towel link, wandered if people washed the towels or tossed them.
Definitely can wash them Matt! Thanks for watching! - C
which model is this griddle? i'm buying one used this weekend and want to see what accessories/options are available. thanks.
The original 36" from Blackstone! - C
Just letting you know.... I watched 5 how to clean the griddle videos and came back to watch yours again... great job !!! Really appreciate the training. One question... What specific oil to you recommend ?
He said, Olive oil.
@@kenneth0795 Yep He sure did!
coconut oil takes much longer than olive oil before going rancid.
Avocado oil has the better heat temp ceiling. Works great.
After cooking a meal, can you wait until next day to clean the griddle surface or do you need to clean it right away after cooking?
You can definitely wait. I always scrape off the big stuff right away out of habit. If any part of your top looks dry or like you scraped through the patina I would do it right away just to avoid rust.
If I leave the griddle in the backyard, do you think it will attract bugs, insects, or even mouse going to the griddle surface since it is coated in oil?
Yes. You should clean it after you're done cooking. It takes like 2 minutes and you're done.
For all my cast iron, For my initial season i use flaxseed oil on high then i maintain with crisco.
Seasoning techniques are a very sensitive topic for some. 😁
@@TheGriddleGuys definitely lol. Just gotta do what you know I just find the flax seed oil gives a good solid super black base to build on.
So on my griddle the water evaporates almost immediately. Basic Q. I have 5 burners and have been running all 5. Perhaps why I am torching everything...?? What temp should the low setting be?
If you don't have face clothes use paper towel folded in half and just keep wetting it. You actually want the steam because it gets the baked on food to release and it also sanitizes the surface. Just be careful of the steam. It's hot. Lol. We also all now use a double handed scraper . Works great for before you wipe down. As far as temp, med should work. You just want it to be hot enough for the water to steam , not sit. Good luck and ty for reaching out
Is rust spots normal?
Nope, You def want to avoid rust if you can. At this time, the areas that had true rust on them are outside of the cooking area so I didn't reallyi care so much about them. Since making this video we have purchased torches and any area that does not get hot enough to bond the oil to the metal we use a torch to finish the job. That being said this isn't an issue with any of the newer griddle models.
Also, liberally oil your griddle after every cook and oil will def not be an issue.
griddle on Jake! -N
@@TheGriddleGuys 20 years later….. lmao thanks for the reply buddy
What is the link for your cleaning scraper and towels?
Check here under tools ......th-cam.com/users/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFdJSFBXR0o0VWdqOVJSNFBaZ1JVYVJuMjBIUXxBQ3Jtc0treEp1NG5ySGhDRUlQMkVuUlFMZkg1WE1EdDJzcVRIT0JZRVBzSXRibFVNcFJVbEJ5SHpVUnNzQnVnNmhHZXVPWkpOZHl1TVhjM0FoTXVJRGpVWGJXUnhUWEw3TFh5ajBpOHpLVWlCMXZ3RkZrSEF0WQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fshop%2Fthegriddleguys
I just watched a diff video on how to clean a flat top. This way you do it looks waayyyy harder. He just turned it on high and sprayed it with lemon juice, let it cool 10 min, scraped it, didn't remove anything, turned it back on high, 1C lemon juice in 4qt water, turn off, pour mix over grill and wash it off. The problem I see here is that there is no drain. Probably not the best design for that method, but I guess I will be buying one with a gap for drainage.
Ty for commenting. I agree lemon juice def works good as well. Cheers-J
Just bought a griddle with air fryers just because and tossed a generator while at it. I'm currently seasoning the 29" griddle.
Welcome to Griddle Nation Jorge! Look forward to you sharing your cooks with everyone! -N
Do you clean after every cook project?
yes!
What size is this blackstone?
36"
Just got my Blackstone griddle. I noticed upon opening it that there is a small spot of rust on the bottom (underneath) on the griddle. What is the best way to take care of that. Thank you in advance!
Congratulations on your new griddle. As far as rust on the bottom, Ignore it. Unfortunately the whole underside will rust because its not treated . Luckily it will take a couple years before you start to notice some rust "dust" falling onto the shelf below. At that point you can give it a heavy sanding to get it back to bare metal to get another couple years out of it. I wish we had a better solution, but spending its life over a direct flame really limits what coating you could put on it to stop that. Hopefully this helps . If you come across anything different we'd love to hear about it. Ty-J
Where did you get the counter area over the griddle
Here you go Greg! BS Griddle Surround amzn.to/2F1kzau - C
I'm going on 3 years with my Blackstone, I have never used water one time since I purchased it. I was told by a chef friend that the water thing applies to stainless steel griddles only. I have zero rust and my stays very non-stick. I simply shut it down after cooking, before it cools completely I scrape the surface down and get as much off as I can, hit it with a little more clean oil and let it cool. Cover it, and whenever I use it I heat it up, tiny bit of oil, wipe with paper towel and good to go. Zero rust and never had to re-season. Works great for me, and a couple other guys I have helped with. Just like cast iron, keep the water and soap away.
Glad that's working for you so far. Issue is that with stacking your patina like that is it will eventually start to have an insulating effect and steal heat for the cooking surface as well as eventually start to chip off into your food because it's not truly burnt in. When forming that non stick surface we all look for its an actual chemical reaction that only happens at high heat. Either way, we appreciate your comment and best of luck with whichever way works best for you.👍👍👍
Thanks for the cleaning tips, specially the washing three times trick. Don't use any type of fabric softener on those towels, not in the washer or dryer, makes them more absorbent. Do the same for towels you use to dry your car after a wash job.
I stopped using all fabric softener years ago. The chemicals are not healthy.
amazing information, fyi avocado is a neutral tasting oil with a much higher smoke point than the lite olive oil used
Can you use a oil from a spray can for the oil st the end
Great call . Cheers bud-J
Can you tell me what you're using with your drip tray
any harm in putting my griidle top in self cleaning oven like i do with cast iron pans to season from fresh start? thanks
Yikes! Yes! I have never done it but the ultra high heat would likely dry out your seasoning /patina. If you do it I would plan to reseason after. My thought is the heat is so high it will literally burn everything off. If you test it please let me know! N
Do you clean the towels when finished or just throw them out? I'm a little worried about getting all that grease build up in my washer machine. Any advice?
Usually Nate just runs them through a hot cycle . Grease shouldn't be a problem for the machine but I would not combine with any other light colored or delicates in the same load
@@TheGriddleGuys thanks for taking the time to reply.
I have been getting my Blackstone hot.....and then taking a water soaked paper towel.....and running it around like I would with putting oil down.....I do the water first to get it super clean....and then put a thin coat of oil...let it smoke for a bit and then it's time to cook.......the wet paper towels do wonders....check it out!
Great technique! thanks for watching and for sharing! -N
Where’s the link for the scraper??
If you follow the link to our Amazon storefront we have it in there. Definitely great to have even if you don't buy through us.
Thanks for the tips! I will be doing this for sure this weekend! I love our Blackstone. Best investment ever!
Hope you enjoy it!
which model is this blackstone with the corner grease trap? i'm buying a used one this weekend and would like to research accessories/options. thanks.
The original 36" from Blackstone! - C
Hey what’s going on you guys thank you Jeff for the video ❤️🙏💪👍☮️✌️