So many people have asked this question in the past that it’s a wonder Blackstone hasn’t created a detailed FAQ response for it (notice how we said detailed here – but more on that later).
But fear not, because we’re going to create exactly that! There are many reasons why somebody might want to use a knife on a Blackstone griddle: to cut food open to check if it’s cooked, maybe to dice something up a little more after it’s already on the heat; or to save dirtying another area just to cut something up into edible pieces.
So now we know why somebody might want to do it, but can they?
Yes: You can cut on your Blackstone griddle, it won’t ruin your griddle, but it will dull your knife and make room to potentially re-season your griddle, here are some more considerations to take in when you cut on your griddle.
Can You Use A Knife On A Blackstone Griddle?
The main reason people ask this question without trying it for themselves, is because they’re scared that by doing so they’ll damage their griddle in some way, and in many respects, they have good reason to be concerned.
However, before we get into a more detailed explanation, let’s go back to the FAQ response that Blackstone gave when asked this very question. They said, and we quote, “Yes, you can. Cutting on the griddle top will not harm it”, and that was it.
Direct? Yes. Helpful? Well, that’s for you to decide. But what we can do is offer you a slightly more nuanced response than that.
In our experience it’s OK to cut on a Blackstone griddle, but be prepared for some potential damage. We know, Blackstone themselves said it was fine, and they’re absolutely right.
Technically, you won’t damage the griddle itself, but you may damage the seasoning on your griddle. We’ve spoken about seasoning a griddle enough times here to drive home the fact that having to re-season it for any reason can be quite an arduous task, so we take damaging the seasoning in any way a little more seriously than most.
Cutting on your Blackstone griddle won’t harm it, but it may leave thin cut lines on the seasoned finish. Do this enough times, and you’ll notice that those areas where you usually cut up food will be less nonstick than they were before.
They’ll also be less protected from rust and other damage. If you want to fix that, then you will need to season your griddle all over again. So whilst you can cut on a Blackstone griddle, we wouldn’t recommend making a habit out of it.
Will Cutting On A Blackstone Griddle Damage My Knife?
Blackstone decided to focus on their griddle when creating that rather short FAQ response, and rightly so, but we have a little more scope here to discuss why cutting on a Blackstone griddle might not be the best idea for your knife either.
Griddle tops are made of rolled steel, an incredibly powerful substance that is resistant to damage, but also quite capable of dealing some damage out of its own.
Even just using a knife once on a Blackstone griddle can leave the blade much duller than it was before. Use it frequently, and soon you’ll have a lovely blunt stick with a handle, but certainly not a knife that’s capable of doing any real cutting.
Of course, you can just sharpen your knife again, but doing this too many times will damage your knife beyond repair. Again, you can use a knife if you like, but try not to do it often.
What Alternatives Are There To Knives For Use On A Blackstone Griddle?
If we’re telling you not to cut on your Blackstone griddle often with knives, then the least we can do is offer an alternative that will work much better, and leave you without dull instruments to cut your food, and a griddle that’s in need of a reseasoning every other week.
A great little instrument to have whilst cooking is a griddle spatula. Notice how we said griddle there, not just any old spatula.
That’s because as well as being incredibly heat resistant and durable (so they’re much more suited to griddles than other spatulas) they also have sharpened edges for cutting food open to check if it’s done or not.
The beauty about these griddle spatulas though, is that whilst they’re sharp enough to check food, they’re not so sharp that they risk damaging the seasoning on your griddle.
They created them primarily to flip food on a hot griddle, but they also knew that sometimes when cooking meat, people prefer to check that they’re cooked to the correct degree before serving them.
A knife, on the other hand, was created to chop through many different things. Hard vegetables, tough meats, you name it, a knife has to be incredibly strong in order to do the job at hand.
Because a griddle spatula has been designed and created especially for use with griddles, they only have a limited use, and they’re perfect for that which they were designed to do.
Think about it, you could technically wash your dishes with your bare hands, but why would you when there are sponges available? The same applies here.
You can technically use a knife on a Blackstone griddle (and I do it all the time), but why would you risk damaging your seasoning and dulling your knife, when a griddle spatula has been created that will stop all of that from happening?
Take-Home Message
We’re not saying that you should never use a knife on a Blackstone griddle. Blackstone themselves say you can, and we’re not necessarily disputing that. What we are doing, though, is pointing you in a better direction.
Pick up a griddle spatula and you won’t run the risk of cutting thin lines into your seasoning on your griddle, and you won’t need to replace your knife sets all the time because you’ve dulled them on the hard steel of the griddle top.
If you ever leave your griddle spatula inside and you’ve just cooked one or two items on your griddle, then sure, reach for the knife nearby to check if it’s done. Just try not to make a habit of it and stick to our advice, and you’ll be absolutely fine.