Have you ever tried to clean a Blackstone griddle but found it impossible? Did all you could do was throw the mess in the trash? The griddle is always one of the most used and abused kitchen equipment in any home. A Blackstone griddle can be painful to clean with many different parts and pieces.
I have seen some people go so far as to throw away the griddle after owning it for a year because of how hard it is to maintain. Well, don’t worry, we have all been there. This guide will show you how to clean the Blackstone griddle after cooking.
Tools You Need
- Cleaning brush
- Hot water
- Scouring pad or microfiber towel
- Cleaning solution (water and detergent)
- Scrub brush for hard-to-clean areas
- Sponge for cleaning the top of the griddle
- Disinfectant for hard-to-clean areas
- Baking soda
- Vegetable oil, olive oil, or canola oil
How To Clean a New Blackstone Griddle
Cleaning your Blackstone griddle is an integral part of maintaining the quality of your cooking tools. With proper care, this tool will last for years and years to come. Here’s how to clean your new griddle safely and effectively:
Step 1: Prepare Your Tools
Before starting, ensure you have all the tools needed for cleaning your Blackstone griddle. These include a rag or cloth to wipe away excess dirt from the grill’s surface and a brush for removing stains from the griddle and stainless steel surfaces. Have a bucket filled with a lot of soapy water.
Step 2: Gently Scrub the Griddle’s Cooking Surface
Grab a kitchen towel and scour the griddle’s cooking surface with soapy water to remove dust and sticky grime. Dry the surface using paper towels.
Once you’ve cleaned off all visible dirt, it’s time to give your grill a good scrub with warm soapy water. Hot water can damage the surface of your cookware and cause rust stains, so put cold water into your bucket first.
Step 3: Rinse and Dry off the Griddle
Rinse off the griddle with warm water and soap. This will help prevent the build-up of grease and food particles that may stick to your grill. Finally, dry off using a cloth towel or paper towel to remove any remaining moisture from the griddle’s surface.
Step 4: Apply Vegetable Oil to Season
Apply cooking oil to the grill’s surface and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before switching on the burners.
How To Clean Your Blackstone Griddle After Cooking
Step 1: Allow the Griddle To Cool Down
It is important to turn off the stove and let the griddle cool down before you start cleaning it. If you try to clean it when it’s still hot, you could burn yourself.
Step 2: Prepare the Cleaning Materials
You will need some soap, a microfiber towel or soft rag, a scrub brush, and water. Fill up a large bowl with water and add approximately 1/4 cup of baking soda dissolved in it.
Bring this mixture to a boil on medium heat for about five minutes or until the baking soda has dissolved completely in the water. Switch off the heat and let the cleaning solution cool for a few minutes before pouring it into your grill.
Step 3: Clean the Griddle
Cleaning a Blackstone griddle< is a reasonably straightforward process. To clean the griddle surface, start by removing any food particles using a metal spatula. If there are pieces of food stuck, dip a nonmetallic scrubber in warm water and use it to loosen the pieces.
You can use a scrubber or a dishcloth with soap and water to wipe down the griddle. Clean off any food residue or grease that might have been left behind from cooking with the cleaning solution you prepared.
Step 4: Gently Scrape off the Griddle
If there are any stuck-on food particles that won’t come off with just water, then you can use a metal scraper to scrape them off of the griddle’s surface. You should only do this if necessary because scraping will scratch and damage your griddle if done too often or too hard.
If small pieces of food are still stuck after that, you can use a pumice stone or an abrasive cleaner designed for copper or cast iron cookware. However, it’s advisable to avoid using these products on your Blackstone griddle’s aluminum surface.
Step 5: Rinse the Griddle
Once you’ve removed all traces of food from the griddle’s surface, it’s time to rinse off any residue from the nonmetal scrubber with hot water.
Pour dish soap into a bowl of hot water and dip a nonmetal scrub. Once the cleaning solution reaches room temperature, remove the scrub and use it to scrape the griddle carefully. Do it continuously until it’s clean, ensuring water isn’t dripping elsewhere in your kitchen. Continue scrubbing until no more debris comes off easily.
Step 6: Apply Oil to Season
Flip over your Blackstone griddle and apply a thin layer of canola oil or bacon grease evenly across every inch of its surface until it glistens like glass under the light. One caveat: do not let any puddles form at the bottom of your griddle while cooking, as these can lead to uneven heating and burning of food on both sides of your pan.
How To Clean a Rusted Blackstone Griddle
It’s no secret that Blackstone griddles are great for cooking. If you’ve ever owned one of these old-school griddles, chances are you’ve used it for years and years. These griddles may, however, get rust if not well maintained. Here’s how to clean a rusty Blackstone griddle.
Step 1: Wear protective gear
To get rid of rust on your Blackstone griddle, switch on the griddle to high heat and wear protective gloves to safeguard your hands.
Step 2: Scrape the Griddle
Turn off the appliance, let it cool, and gently scrape the corrosion with the help of a metal scraper.
Step 3: Apply Vegetable Oil and Scrub Again
For a griddle with a larger surface, add about five tablespoons of oil to the surface and use a pumice grill stone to scrub the surface.
Step 4: Dry the Surface With Clean Paper Towels
Wipe the griddle with clean paper towels, and repeat the process until you have a clean surface.
For severe corrosion, use 60-grit sandpaper to get rid of the stuck-on rust and grime from the griddle’s surface. Once you have removed all surface corrosion, wipe down your blackened grate with vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit overnight before attempting to use it again.
Even though there are many ways to remove rust from a Blackstone griddle, it’s important to remember that the process of removing it will change the way the surface looks. If the surface is badly rusted, it may look like a blank canvas once you’re done. But if you do it correctly, it can give your grill a new shine.
How Often Should You Clean the Blackstone Grill?
The Blackstone grill is a popular cooking appliance used for cooking meat, vegetables, and other meals. It has a great flavor and texture. It is vital to keep it clean to ensure the food tastes good and doesn’t get contaminated by bacteria or food particles.
It is recommended to clean the Blackstone grill after every use. This will remove any food particles that may have stuck on it while cooking and any bacteria and other contaminants.
The frequency you need to clean your grill will depend on how often you use it and what you cook on it. If you have a gas grill, you’ll not need to clean it often because there’s no ash residue from charcoal or wood. However, if you have a charcoal grill, then it will be necessary to clean your grill after every use, or the residue will accumulate and make your food taste terrible.
Conclusion
The Blackstone griddle is an outstanding appliance to own and serves many needs. It has many different components, but regardless of your specific model, all griddles are fairly simple to clean. All it takes is proper maintenance and cleaning regimen for your appliance to last for many years.
The griddle is designed to withstand heavy use and will do so if you learn how to clean it. The above guide has shown you that cleaning your Blackstone griddle is not as complicated as it seems, and with just a few simple steps, you can ensure that your griddle stays clean and ready for use for years to come.
Here is a quick summary of how to clean the Blackstone griddle after cooking
- Step 1: Allow the griddle to cool down
- Step 2: Prepare your cleaning solution
- Step 3: Clean the griddle
- Step 4: Gently scrape off the griddle’s surface
- Step 5: Rinse and dry the griddle
- Step 6: Season the griddle using vegetable oil
Do you have some more unique ways we can add to our list? Please leave us a comment or suggestion, and we will get back to you.