NFT: Griddle tips

a month and a half ago and really like it.

Season the cooking surface will pay off in the long run. I happen to bake my bacon and then retain the grease. I used the saved bacon grease to season the grill. Did that for about 30 to 40 minutes.

I than went and got a food grade spatula, which works great. I got a hood for the griddle and a 4'-0" hose to connect to a 5 lbs propane tank. All three extra have been worth it.

I watched a video or two on Youtube on how to clean the griddle and try to follow those recommendations. It is working great thus far.

I would also suggest a met thermometer and maybe a digital thermometer. The digital, so you can tell how hot the cooking surface is and the meta so you can tell the internal temp of the food you are cooking. I use both regularly and they help greatly.

Have fun with your griddle and just use it. It will only get better with use.

get the hard top.

I did not and I got the soft top/cover for it, and if you leave it outside (like I assume many people do) it rains right through that cover and rusts your grill surface (like mine).

Other than that - I love it - I have the 36 inch and it's awesome for large crowds (I like to imagine I'm outside Fenway Park and I'm one of the sausage vendors so I load up the griddle with peppers, onions, brats, or italian sausage and the side tables are awesome.

or if you want to make breakfast - it's perfect for a ton of pancakes at once with bacon and eggs on their too.

A lot of the ads I see for it have people making hibachi - I want to do that but I haven't yet - though it gets plenty of use.

In comment 14914025 pjcas18 said:

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get the hard top. I did not and I got the soft top/cover for it, and if you leave it outside (like I assume many people do) it rains right through that cover and rusts your grill surface (like mine). Other than that - I love it - I have the 36 inch and it's awesome for large crowds (I like to imagine I'm outside Fenway Park and I'm one of the sausage vendors so I load up the griddle with peppers, onions, brats, or italian sausage and the side tables are awesome. or if you want to make breakfast - it's perfect for a ton of pancakes at once with bacon and eggs on their too. A lot of the ads I see for it have people making hibachi - I want to do that but I haven't yet - though it gets plenty of use.

*there - plus pretend I fixed any other typos

That works wonderfully. I had to go through a somewhat lengthy process to season it originally, but now after a number of years of use its basic maintenance to keep it seasoned properly. What I like about cast iron is the equal heat distribution

thanks guys. I got the 36" Blackstone with the hard cover. really like it so far.

cant wait till I can have the guys over and load it up.

Nice tip on the saved bacon grease!!!

If you do get the hard top the unit will no longer fit in the carrying bag. I did not get the bag so no big issue for myself. The 17" is pretty portable and has ample cooking surface for my families needs.

In comment 14914143 SCGiantsFan said:

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If you do get the hard top the unit will no longer fit in the carrying bag. I did not get the bag so no big issue for myself. The 17" is pretty portable and has ample cooking surface for my families needs.

Yeah, the 36" isnt very portable!! The griddle is actually quit heavy itself!!

I was unsure what size to get, and this was the only model at the Walmart I was at

the 36" isn't portable. I can see maybe loading it in a truck and bringing to a tail gate like you would with a grill, but not camping or something.

Have the 36 black stone. Love it. This is the video that I use to clean mine. Have had it over a year. No rust.
Link - ( New Window )

the rust happened because i had it out unprotected (just covered with the soft cover) from maybe November to April the first year I got it. It snowed, rained, etc. and all the snow and water pooled on the griddle and rusted it. The griddle surface looks fine now but the griddle legs and other areas still show rust.


but one other thing I should mention, is the heat that thing throws off is intense (captain obvious?). When I first got it and was following the directions to season the griddle I had it too close to my house and it melted some of the vinyl siding.

I became a vinyl siding repair expert, but just thought I'd mention in case it wasn't obvious. I warned my neighbor (he got one after seeing mine in action at a couple cook outs) and he didn't listen and put it on his deck and first use he melted two posts on his deck railing.

Love it. I'd rather make burgers or steaks on it than the grill. It is a little fussier to maintain than a grill but it is great to cook on.

Makes great hibachi.

I used to destroy my kitchen cooking inside.

I just wish I could figure out a nice way to incorporate it into my outdoor kitchen.

In comment 14914162 mitch300 said:

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Have the 36 black stone. Love it. This is the video that I use to clean mine. Have had it over a year. No rust. Link - ( New Window )

Thanks for that video link!

In comment 14914228 OBJRoyal said:

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In comment 14914162 mitch300 said: Quote: Have the 36 black stone. Love it. This is the video that I use to clean mine. Have had it over a year. No rust. Link - ( New Window ) Thanks for that video link!

Your welcom. Enjoy.

In comment 14914200 oghwga said:

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Love it. I'd rather make burgers or steaks on it than the grill. It is a little fussier to maintain than a grill but it is great to cook on. Makes great hibachi. I used to destroy my kitchen cooking inside. I just wish I could figure out a nice way to incorporate it into my outdoor kitchen.

I don’t do steaks on it. However, I find burgers better on it than the grill. Also easy to cook up some onions at the same time.

something like this on Amazon

Any experiences with similar?

P.S. I prefer SS because I cooked on one years ago in a restaurant I managed. Easy to clean and maintain

In comment 14914378 TXRabbit said:

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something like this on Amazon Any experiences with similar? P.S. I prefer SS because I cooked on one years ago in a restaurant I managed. Easy to clean and maintain

that's pretty cool, and the fact you can use charcoal, even better.

This was in my Youtube feed yesterday
Hibachi on a blackstone - ( New Window )

Have the 36 black stone. If you have the newer model as I do, the drip spout is in the back in the middle. I bought these mini aluminum loaf pans that fit perfectly in the drip pan. When it fills up, just throw it out and replace. Easy clean up.

In comment 14914675 mitch300 said:

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Have the 36 black stone. If you have the newer model as I do, the drip spout is in the back in the middle. I bought these mini aluminum loaf pans that fit perfectly in the drip pan. When it fills up, just throw it out and replace. Easy clean up.

I've seen those, a must have for sure. On my next shopping trip