Griddle - Cleaning & Maintenance

Cleaning & Maintenance

With the exception of chrome plated griddles, which have a specific cleaning process due to the unique material aspects of the coating, cleaning and maintenance of steel and cast iron griddles are very straightforward. When first used, and continuously thereafter, the griddle surface must be “seasoned” with oil to minimize sticking and optimize cooking performance. Seasoning a griddle involves applying a coat of vegetable oil, spreading it with a lint-free towel, and then removing it with a spatula or scraper. This process must be repeated several times until the surface maintains a slick, shiny coat of oil – indication that the porous steel or iron has absorbed the oil and is now ready for cooking. Since cooking and cleaning will tend to destroy the impregnated oil it is important to repeat this process whenever the griddle exhibits excessive sticking or carbon buildup - daily seasoning of the griddle surface is common.

Subsequent cleaning of griddles can be accomplished in a variety of ways, all of which involve non-toxic and non-caustic cleaning agents (caustic oven cleaners, for example, are expressly discouraged). Griddle surfaces are porous and the perimeter of the plate may have a small gap between the griddle plate and the splashes, so any cleaning agent used that is not food safe may contaminate food products placed on the plate after cleaning, resulting in sickness or injury. Proper cleaning will ensure even heating, keep food from sticking to the griddle, and helps protect the plate from damage.

Cleaning a griddle while it is hot is easier than cleaning a cold griddle with congealed grease and oil deposits, so the first step to cleaning a griddle is removal of bulk carbon and grease deposits with a razor scraper or steel spatula while the griddle is still warm (over 250 °F, 121 °C). Hot water and a mild dish detergent applied to the hot griddle surface are typically sufficient to loosen most cooking byproducts and allow them to be removed with a razor scraper. This process may need to be repeated, and is made easier on a griddle that has been consistently seasoned. Mild abrasive cleaning pads, combined with soapy water, will further remove grease and carbon deposits. Other techniques include oil with sea salt, abrasive mesh screens, pumice “griddle bricks”, and custom formulated high-temperature (and food safe) griddle cleaners.

It is also important to empty the griddles' grease troughs (grease drawers) regularly to prevent them from overflowing. Chefs and cooks will often clean their cooking spatulas on the back splash of the griddle, scraping off grease and food debris which then tends to accumulate in “flue” area of the griddle. The “flue” is the area of a gas griddle where the hot products of combustion are vented from beneath a gas griddle. Accumulation of these grease and carbon products can ultimately block the flue of the griddle, causing griddle performance and operation to suffer or result in a fire.

Griddle thermostats should be calibrated by a trained professional with the appropriate equipment - a high-quality digital surface thermometer is critical, and the process should be performed to the manufacturer’s specifications. An infrared thermometer, while useful to give a general indication of griddle temperature range, is not sufficient to perform precise calibration procedures due to their sensitivity to surface finish, incidence angle, and operator experience. Proper griddle operation, level, and gas supply pressure should be evaluated thoroughly before a calibration procedure to ensure that these variables to not negatively impact the calibration process.