Do Blackstone Griddles come pre-seasoned right out of the box? Do you even need to season a Blackstone griddle before it’s used?
These are fair questions and ones that should not be overlooked before using your griddle for the first time.
Let’s work through those questions right now and ensure your griddling adventures get off to the right start.
What is Griddle Seasoning Anyways?
Seasoning a metal cooking surface has been happening for hundreds of years.
Over 30,000 years ago, there have been scientific finds that show food was made on the first “griddles” which history shows to be cooking on hot, flat rocks that were heated by fire.
Over time, as cooking advanced, humans learned that cooking with animal fats increased flavor of the food, offered more nutrients for survival and a by-product of this was the repedidative cooking fats on the griddle surface led to a “non-stick” finish on the surface easing the cooking process.
You may remember back to your grand[parents cast-iron pans that could slide and egg around with ease.
I say “with ease” but if you ever went out and bought your own cast-iron pan expecting the same result you may have found it actually takes years of cooking and reinforcing the cooking surface with layers and layers of bonded oils and fats to create the non-stick finish, we now refer to “seasoning”.
Seasoning occurs when the repeditadive layers of cooking oils and fats bond to the griddle surface and build up a flavored, non-stick finish that keeps your griddle or cast-iron working better than most modern teflon pans (that often lose their non-stick properties within a few years).
The folks over at The Lodge are famous for their cast-iron pans and they know a thing or two about seasoning as well, check out their info here.
Your Blackstone griddle has a cooking surface made from cold-rolled steel, it isn’t the exact same as cast-iron, however, the seasoning process is the same, so don’t get too caught up in the “cast-iron vs cold-rolled steel debate”.
If you don’t know where to start with seasoning, check our easy seasoning guide here.
Does the Blackstone Griddle Come Pre-Seasoned?
No, none of the Blackstone griddles come pre-seasoned, and the new owner must season their new griddle before the first use if they ever expect to have a non-stick finish (or a good cooking experience).
Following the tips below will get you on track to a perfectly seasoned griddle and years of excellent griddle usage.
Also, if this is your first griddle, and you are trying to get started the right way, check out this helpful guide to 5 MUST-DO’s With A New Griddle.
Quick and Easy First Griddle Seasoning Process
It may be tempting to open your griddle and get started cooking your next tasty meal, but please spare yourself the headache now and just do a true seasoning process first, before you cook anything, you will thank yourself later.
Also, it should be mentioned, you need to wash your griddle with siap before you use the griddle for the first time as it comes from the factory and you want to remove any dust, grime or debris before bonding oil and fat to the surface with high heat. Ok, on to the quick and easy griddle seasoning process.
Wash the Griddle
This will be the ONLY time you use actual dish soap on your griddle for this first true cleaning, after today, the only time you are going to use soap is if you are completely re-seasoning the griddle surface due to damage or rust.
You don’t want to use soap on a seasoned griddle as it will strip the years of layered fat and oils and ultimately, kill off your seasoning. So, wash it once and get seasoning!
Crank Up The Heat
Turn the burners on to the “high” setting of heat and allow the griddle to start heating up.
Apply first Layer of Cooking Oil
Add a THIN layer of cooking oil. The word “thin” cant be stressed enough, only drop down about a “quarter” sized drop of oil and spread it evenly on all areas of the griddle surface, including side walls and outer walls, corners, etc.
Allow the High Heat To Smoke Off The Oil
As your griddle gets hotter, you will see the oil burn off, that’s ok, just let this happen and don’t lower the heat, this is the bonding process!
Repeat Steps 3 and 4
Repeat steps 3 and 4 by waiting for the smoking to stop, adding a new layer and letting it smoke off. Do these layer/smoke off process 3-5 times to ensure you have a good base layer built up.
Start Cooking!
That’s it! Now you can cook and as you do ,each time you cook, you will be adding a new layer of oil and fat that will ultimately just make your griddle better with time.
How To Maintain the Seasoning On Your Griddle
So, we’ve washed and seasoned our griddle, things are looking good, but you may be wondering, how do I keep this seasoning going and not lose it over time?
Well, the good news is you don’t need to do much, it truly does keep its seasoning on its own and it gets stronger over time.
You will want to avoid using any soap to clean your griddle, as mentioned above that WILL kill off your griddle seasoning and you will find yourself with a raw metal surface and everything will be sticking.
If the food you cooked is in-fact stuck and you need to get some burnt food off, use something easy like a griddle scraper or chainmail to clean your griddle.
These will remove the stuck food with ease and not harm your seasoning in the process.
Once you are finished cleaning the griddle, use a THIN layer of oil on the griddle surface right before walking away, this will bond and strengthen the griddle seasoning and it will be ready to roll the next time you fire it up.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this was helpful in understanding if your griddle comes pre-seasoned from Blackstone. Now that we know it does not, you know what steps to take to make sure you start your new griddle off with the right seasoning.
This will keep you moving in the right direction, making great griddled food for years to come!
If you’re still unsure on what to do with your new griddle, check out this helpful guide to 5 MUST-DO’s With A New Griddle, and you will be in good hands from here on out. Griddle King, out.