The Rock Griddle is a really accessible griddle for anybody.
It’s great as a gateway griddle for those who don’t want to invest in a full standalone griddle just yet, and instead, prefer to cook indoors using a griddle that can be used year-round.
But if there’s one overarching complaint I’m hearing online, it’s that The Rock griddle is difficult to clean.
Now, I’ve done my research and looked back on my own experiences with cleaning different griddles in the past, and I’d argue that this griddle is no more difficult to clean than others.
In fact, it’s much easier than some of the large standalone griddles I’ve covered lately because of how The Rock griddle is manufactured. But I’ll talk more about that below.
For now, if you’re looking for how to clean The Rock griddle, then just know you’re in the right place, and it’ll be much easier than the rest of the internet will have you believe.
So, here’s everything you need to know about cleaning The Rock griddle!
How To Clean The Rock Griddle
Now all that information above is out of the way, I can finally just talk to you about cleaning the Rock Griddle without you wondering why I’m recommending soap and water and abrasive cleaning pads all the time.
After all, I typically tell you to avoid these unless absolutely necessary or doing a deep clean. So, here’s how to clean The Rock griddle:
- First, turn off the heat source and allow the griddle to cool a little bit
- You only need around 10 or 15 minutes for the griddle to be cool enough to do the next steps safely, but warm enough to help remove any food or grease that’s stuck on the griddle’s surface
- Then pour on some dish soap and hot water
- Use either a soft sponge if there is little debris leftover on the griddle’s surface, or an abrasive cleaning pad or similar product such as steel wool if the griddle is in need of a more thorough clean
- Remember, you can use more abrasive products than usual because the product’s RockTec surface treatment is so hardy
- Scrub the pan clean, using fresh water and more soap if necessary
- If the stains and debris are really burned on and refusing to budge, you can also soak the griddle top in hot soapy water for a while before attempting to scrub off using an abrasive cleaning product
- After cleaning in this way, you don’t need to season your griddle again like you would usually, because you’ll use oil as you cook and the surface of The Rock griddle will still be non-stick
- Simply dry the griddle thoroughly and store away until you need to use it next
I’ve not noticed anybody online who hasn’t been able to clean up The Rock griddle well using these sorts of methods.
Sometimes the burned food or hardened grease can be more difficult to remove.
However, with just a little patience, elbow grease, and soaking time, I’ve never known the griddle not to come up looking great.
Explaining The Rock Griddle
In many ways, the Rock Griddle can be treated like any pot or frying pan.
Sometimes it’ll be harder to clean than usual if something has stuck to it quite badly, but it can always be rescued with just a little effort.
OK, so I just want to make clear that The Rock griddle is manufactured in a very unique way using materials that don’t rust or damage easily.
That makes cleaning it much easier, because you don’t need to worry about soap and metal utensils etc damaging or scratching the non-stick surface.
The Rock griddle can have a lot thrown at it, and still work brilliantly.
Basically, The Rock griddle is treated using a RockTec surface treatment.
And while understanding the exact details about this isn’t essential, it just means that the griddle is made of aluminum.
However, aluminum with steel pellets inside which harden the aluminum and create a rocky surface with peaks and hollows.
Why is that important?
Because it helps keep the surface naturally non-stick, and the surface is incredibly strong and scratch resistant.
This is so you can use more powerful cleaning utensils and products to get your griddle looking great.
That’s something you can’t do with all griddles.
So if it’s so much easier to clean than others in theory, why are so many people complaining about how hard it is?
Well, I think it’s because nobody knows that The Rock griddle isn’t as delicate as some of the other griddles on the market.
For years, we’ve been told not to use soap on a griddle unless absolutely necessary, or else it’ll destroy the non-stick seasoning and you’ll be unable to use the griddle effectively.
Heck, I’VE been saying that for a while myself.
But The Rock griddle is different to other ones, and so you can use soap, water, and abrasive cleaning pads to get it clean.
It’s also important to remember that you’ll need a little cooking oil, butter, or similar product to prevent the food from sticking on The Rock griddle too.
It’s not seasoned in the traditional sense (although it is non-stick still), which means it still needs cooking oil etc in the griddle to prevent food from sticking.
This might be another reason why people find it more difficult to clean, because they forget to use cooking oil and the food sticks and burns more easily as a result.
Whatever the case, now you know the process behind creating the Rock Griddle, you know you can be a little less careful with it than other griddles I’ve spoken about here in the past.
That should hopefully make things easier for you.
So read on to the section below to hear all about the best ways to clean The Rock griddle after each use to make it perfect for your next meal!
Final Word
So, although you have to treat The Rock griddle a little differently to other griddles I talk about around here, I wouldn’t say it’s difficult to clean.
Just remember that The Rock griddle can handle more than other griddles can, so don’t be afraid to use dish soap and water, or abrasive pads when necessary to make it perfect!
