Cleaning a Viking griddle is a little different to other griddles I’ve talked about here in the past.
Viking actually makes some interesting recommendations for their griddles, so of course I’ll be including their tips and tricks throughout this article.
I’ll also cover what to do when you first get your Viking griddle, because they usually arrive with that chalky, white glaze over the top of it to prevent rust, but this needs to be cleaned before you can use your griddle, anyway.
In short, today I’ll take you through how to clean Viking griddles and talk some more about proper care and maintenance, so your Viking griddle stays looking as great as it did when you first got it out of the box!
First, a quick note, you don’t need a griddle cleaning kit, but having one will make your life a bit easier. Something like this one is an affordable option and works great.
How To Clean Viking Griddle When You First Take It Home
As I just said, all Viking griddles have that rust-resistant glaze on top of them when you first get them out of the box to keep it looking great when it’s sitting in a factory somewhere waiting to be shipped to your home.
And that’s great, but it also needs to be cleaned before you can use the griddle, so you need to get to grips with how to clean Viking griddles pretty early on in your new griddle relationship!
But don’t worry, the advice below is easy to follow, and it comes right from Viking themselves (with a sprinkle of my own recommendations mixed in):
- Take a non-abrasive pad and a vinegar solution made up of a 1/4 cup of white vinegar mixed with a quart of warm water
- Gently use the mixture to remove the coating
- Take some warm soapy water and rinse the griddle
- Dry it thoroughly with paper towels
- Once dry, season your griddle with the oil of your choosing (Viking recommend vegetable oil)
- Viking recommend soaking the oil on the griddle for one hour
- But you can also turn the griddle on high, coat it in oil, and wait for it to smoke before turning it down to cool again
- You may wish to repeat this up to four times for best results
After doing this, cleaning your griddle after every use should be easy because the seasoning on the griddle makes it non-stick and helps protect the surface of the griddle from damage, sticky food, and hardened grease.
Cleaning Your Viking Griddle After Each Use
However, just because you’ve seasoned it doesn’t mean you won’t have to clean it after every use. It simply means it’ll be much easier to do it.
Unlike other griddles, Viking doesn’t actually recommend using a little soap and water after each use because it isn’t necessary and it will eventually wear down the seasoning quicker, so you’ll have to re-season the griddle much sooner than you would ordinarily.
Instead, Viking recommends using this method:
- Allow the griddle to cool slightly after use, but make sure it is still a little warm
- Wipe any debris away with a paper towel
- Then use a small amount of club soda to sprinkle over the surface of the griddle
- Use a metal scraper to GENTLY (this is key so you don’t damage the griddle’s surface) remove the excess grease and debris down towards the grease trough or drip tray
- You can then wash the grease trough separately in hot soapy water
- Then take a paper towel again and simply wipe away any of the remaining club soda, grease, or food
- Viking then recommend applying a fresh coat of oil on the surface of the griddle to help maintain its look
I’ve seen online a few people complaining that the Viking griddle starts to discolor after a while, but this isn’t something you can prevent. After a few uses, the surface of the griddle will darken anyway as the seasoning darkens.
This is actually a good thing, not a bad one.
Yes, it can seem a little dull after the shine of your fresh-out-of-the-box griddle, but the darker the griddle the more you can be confident that the seasoning is working, and the griddle is performing better than before.
Viking admits the griddle may discolor at different stages too, with some patches getting darker than others. This is perfectly fine as well, and it isn’t a cause for concern.
It won’t affect the performance of your griddle in any way. I think the important thing to remember is that a darker griddle doesn’t mean an unclean one, so there’s no need to take any further steps other than the regular daily cleaning advice recommended above.
When Deep Cleaning Your Viking Griddle Is Necessary
Sometimes though, the club soda method by Viking just won’t cut it. If you’ve left your Viking griddle for a while without cleaning it, then grease will harden, food will burn, and the club soda technique won’t be nearly enough to help you.
You could try using the baking soda trick I’ve outlined in a previous post if things are really bad, but if it’s just a little dirty, then it’s time to break out the dish soap, hot water, and sponges again.
Yes, Viking says water and soap will break down the seasoning quicker on a Viking griddle, but that’s OK, because you can also re-season it after cleaning it using this method:
- Allow your griddle to get cold
- Pour a little dish soap onto the griddle’s surface
- Use hot water to rinse the griddle and cut through the stubborn grease and burned on food
- If you have a portable Viking griddle or a Viking griddle whose griddle top can be removed, you may need to soak it in hot soapy water for half an hour to remove the difficult bits
- Use the soft side of a sponge to remove the debris, food, and grease
- Rinse thoroughly with hot water
- Dry the griddle thoroughly with paper towels
If you feel as though the seasoning has been damaged by the soap and water, simply apply another layer of oil and heat it until smoking again. Repeat this up to four times again for best results.
Once you’ve done that, you essentially have just completed the first section of this article again, and you can continue using the cleaning method Viking recommends after each use – the club soda and oil afterwards technique – to stay on top of it so you don’t need to deep clean it again.
Whatever stage of ownership you’re at, I hope I’ve been able to teach you how to clean Viking griddles properly so you know how to care for them in the future!