New griddles with new owners bring in new questions to be answered, I have compiled many of the common questions people have about griddles and share the answers here.
Having a griddle blog is an interesting thing. People are passionate about their cooking and rightfully so. We spend our hard-earned money on grills and griddles, buy good food, research how to cook it best, and then perfect this craft over years of trial and error.
When people are considering buying a new flat-top grill or a griddle, or even comparing them against a traditional grill, they take it pretty seriously, like getting a new spouse or something.
Because of their love for the backyard cooking life, that leads prospective buyers into a flurry of google searches about all their grilling and griddling questions. Below are the most common questions I get, a bit of a Griddle vs Grill FAQ if you will. Don’t hate me for the answers, your mileage may vary.
Why Did My Blackstone Griddle Turn Black?
If your the proud new owner of a Blackstone Griddle, you may be panicking that after your precise following of the seasoning instructions, your griddle ended up turning black.
I have some good news, that completely normal and means your griddle is seasoned as it should be. The cooking and seasoning oils have bonded to the cold-rolled steel cooking surface and due to this, your griddle has gone from a raw steel “greyish” color to a seasoned black griddle, much like your trusty cast-iron pan. No need to worry! Now you feast!
What Is The Difference Between A Griddle And A Flat Top Grill?
This is a VERY common question and it’s understandable as there isn’t a clear distinction between the two. Essentially, a flat top griddle IS a Griddle….and a griddle IS a flat top grill. I’m not sure when these two terms became interchangeable, but rest assured, it’s a common point of confusion.
The term “flat top grill” comes from the type of grill that has a flat top cooking surface rather than a grated grill as you would normally see on a BBQ grill. Conversely, the term “griddle” comes from
What Foods Can You Cook On A Griddle?
Without a doubt, its versatility. Griddles and Flat Top Grills have so much range in their cooking ability. From the common choices like steak, burgers, and veggies, all the way to the unique things like stir-fry, pancakes, biscuits, and pizza (yes pizza!).
The fact remains, sure, a grill can smoke meat (sometimes), and that’s about all it can do beyond your griddle. On the other hand, a griddle can do LOTS more.
I heard a phrase a bit back from some guy on YouTube that said “My Griddle can do everything your grill can do and about 100 other things your grill cant” and I feel like this sums it up pretty well.
How Long Does It Take To Season Blackstone Griddle?
Seasoning a new Blackstone Griddle is a must! Your griddles performance relies upon its seasoning and its ability to cook with a non-stick, well-seasoned surface. Seasoning the griddle for the first time takes about 30-45 minutes.
Take your time and get it right, this isn’t a step you want to rush through despite your mind racing with griddling delights. If you arent sure where to start, check out our Easy Griddle Seasoning Guide.
Can You Season A Griddle With Butter?
If you go around asking folks what you should season your griddle with, you will hear all sorts of wild ideas from a pound of bacon to a stick of butter. Unfortunately, seasoning with butter (or bacon) is wrong, and bad advice.
Your new griddle surface is fresh and ready for seasoning, while bacon will give it lots of fat and grease, it won’t give it a true seasoning as most modern bacon contains sugar, salt, and other additives that will corrupt the seasoning process and prevent your griddle surface from creating the true life-long bond that you want out of your griddle. Despite what you hear, you want to avoid bacon for your initial seasoning.
Can You Use Non-Stick Spray On The Blackstone Griddle?
Yes! You can use non-stick spray on a Blackstone griddle, in fact, Blackstone makes their own non-stick spray for cooking with your Blackstone griddle. However, do not confuse using non-stick spray when you cook with using the non-stick spray as a seasoning.
Non-Stick spray should NOT be used as an initial seasoning as it does not contain the correct value of fats that a true seasoning oil will have. If you skip the seasoning process thinking non-stick spray will work, your in for a baked-on nasty coating of cooking spray and a sticky flat top grill.
Should You Clean The Flat Top Grill After Every Use?
Yes, you should be cleaning your griddle or flat-top grill after every use. It’s important to understand that cleaning your griddle is not like you clean your other pots and pans. A griddle cleaning should not involve soap or chemicals.
When cleaning your griddle, you want to heat the griddle up, remove the excess food by scraping it off, then use the griddle bottles to squirt water on the hot surface that will create a boiling/disinfecting action on your griddle surface.
Repeat this until you are satisfied with the results and once done, leave your griddle stored with a very thin layer of oil on it to prevent rust and aid in the long-term seasoning of your griddle.
Can You Use A Blackstone Griddle In The Garage?
Yes! you can use a griddle in the garage. Keep in mind that anytime you are involving the combustion of propane, there is a possibility of the production of carbon monoxide. It doesn’t mean it will happen, it just could if your regulator isn’t giving the correct ratio of propane. Make sure you are cooking with good ventilation in your garage.
I would recommend leaving the garage door opens to the outside and keeping a fire extinguisher nearby. Familiarize yourself with the sign and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning here.
Blackstone does not endorse the use of a propane griddle indoors. As a result of demand, Blackstone has just released a new Blackstone E-Series 17 and 22-inch Griddle that are approved by Blackstone for indoor use. Read the review here.
Do Blackstone Griddles Rust?
Yes, a Blackstone Griddle can and will rust if left uncared for or in humid areas without frequent cleaning and oiling of the surface. When the griddle surface is left in a humid environment, iron and water naturally create rust.
Frequent use of the griddle and storing it with a fresh thin layer of oil will help reduce the rusting of your griddle. You can read more about this here in our Guide To Rusty Griddles.
What Is The Best Flat Top Griddle?
I gotta admit, this is a loaded question. Depending on so many factors like budget, space available, personal preference, etc, the “best flat top griddle” could mean many different things to many different people.
My advice would be to look around at the big retailers, compare reviews and specifications and then make a purchase that makes you feel like you got the right griddle. If you need some inspiration, check out our reviews and buyers guides here:
- Blue Rhino vs Blackstone: The Final Verdict
- Camp Chef 36 vs Blackstone 36: Which To Buy?
- Blackstone 36 vs Blackstone 28: Which is Best For You?
- Flat Top Grills: A Buyers Guide
Is Steak Better On A Grill Or Griddle?
Y’all trying to get me beat up? People are so partial to their own style of cooking, it would be tough for me to convince anyone otherwise. I will say this, a good steak (again subjective) needs a searing on the outside and mild temp raise on the inside for a good med-rare steak. I can almost hear you right now talking bad about med vs rare and rare vs well-done.
My Blackstone Griddle can sear a steak perfectly and that results in an awesome steak, but, I’m sure the grill guys are getting fired up, so again, personal preference.
Final Word
Again, your mileage may vary, but these are my findings to the most common griddle questions. Hopefully, this was helpful for you along your griddling journey.
What matters is what you ultimately decide, after all, it isn’t me in your backyard cooking up great meals, its you, so do what you like and forget the rest. Griddle King, out.
