How to clean your griddle

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Griddles have had a resurgence in the past few years, thanks in large part to the brand Blackstone, and are becoming a go-to cooking option for many. While these flat-top cooking tools aren't new, the simplification of use, new features and lower costs have made the option to cook nearly any meal you'd want on a flat surface very appealing. No matter if you have the best grill around, there are things that aren't going to cook on a grate, like pancakes.

The material used for the cooking surface is often cast iron, but stainless steel is also fairly common. The steps for cleaning the surface of you griddle is largely the same regardless of the material used, but cast iron does require more general maintenance and work to get it ready to use. I'll be covering that process in an upcoming piece. For now, let's get your griddle cleaned from the last meal and ready for the next.

Starting with the right tools

As with many other tasks, cleaning your griddle is much easier and will be completed more thoroughly if you have the right tools. This applies to cleaning your grill, too. Regardless of what you cook on your griddle, residue will remain afterward. So, much like cleaning a grill after use, removing the remnants of your previous meal is essential for the safety, taste and longevity of your griddle.

There are a few relatively basic tools that you should have on hand if you own a griddle to get your cooktop cleaned and ready to go. For starters, you'll want a good scraper. It doesn't have to be anything extravagant, and it could simply be a good spatula. But I would recommend getting something to be your dedicated scraper. I use this tool from Cuisinart for my cleaning, but if it's just a small area I'm cleaning I'll use a scraper like this from OXO.

Next, you should have some rags on hand for cleaning your griddle. I buy bulk white 100% cotton towels for this purpose and as general-use rags. You don't want to use any colored towels, as the dye could damage your griddle's surface.

Lastly, you'll want a squeeze bottle, like the ones used for condiments at a concession stand. I like these bottles because of the twist-lock lid to keep the contents from spilling. Of course, you don't need this bottle, since all you'll be doing is putting water in it, and you could use a regular cup. But these squeeze bottles are great when you need to add some water to your griddle for steaming veggies or rice.

Getting things cleaned up

Once you've removed your meal from the griddle, you'll start the cleaning process while the top is still warm. This helps to ensure that the food remains are still soft and not fully adhered to the griddle surface.

1. Using your scraper, push the tool across the griddle surface with light downward pressure to remove the food remnants. Be careful to keep the scraper flat on the surface to avoid scraping the griddle seasoning off.
2. You can push the smaller pieces into the griddle grease trap and dump the larger pieces into the trash.
3. Now warm your griddle surface and squirt some water onto the cooktop and one of your folded white rags.
4. Once the water begins to bubble and steam, place your rag onto the griddle and gently scrub it with your scraper.
5. With the heat off, put a thin coating of your seasoning oil of choice, I prefer avocado or grapeseed oil, onto your griddle.

Your griddle is now clean and ready for your next meal. While Blackstone may be the most widely known brand when it comes to griddles, there are plenty of other brands that offer these multi-use cooking devices. For example, Traeger Flatrock, the brand behind some of the best pellet grills on the market, has a griddle. Regardless of which brand you own, the cleaning process is largely the same. However, checking your griddle's manufacturer's recommendations before cleaning is wise.