Griddle 101: Spring Cleaning, Rust Removal and Low Flame

Published 18 days ago • 2 min read

Hello Friends,

It’s that time of year again. The weather is finally warming up and we can break out the griddles!

If your griddle has been stored away all winter, you might run into a few common issues like general cleaning, removing rust, low flame, or uneven flames caused by spider webs in the burners.

Below I’ll briefly go over each one, along with a link to the full blog post if you want more details.

Quick Spring Cleaning

If your griddle has been sitting for a while, start with a quick clean.

Steps:

  1. Heat the griddle on medium for a few minutes
  2. Scrape the surface to remove grease and debris
  3. Squirt some water and scrape away anything that comes up
  4. Wipe dry and apply a thin layer of oil across the surface
  5. If you'd like you can also burn off 1 coat of oil just to get it ready, or just start cooking

Full guide with pictures: https://www.johnnybrunet.com/how-to-clean-a-griddle/​
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Removing Rust

Sometimes moisture over the winter can cause rust on the cooking surface. It looks worse than it is and is usually easy to fix. You just need a pumice stone or you can get a full Blackstone Cleaning Kit.​

Steps:

  1. Heat the griddle on high – Let it run for 20 minutes to loosen rust and open the metal pores. The turn your griddle off.
  2. Scrape the surface – Use a metal scraper to remove as much loose rust as possible. Push debris into the grease cup.
  3. Oil and scrub – Then add a few tablespoons of cooking oil and scrub with a grill stone, steel wool, or sandpaper until you’re down to clean metal.
  4. Wipe clean – Use paper towels to remove rust residue and excess oil. Continue adding oil and wiping it off until all the rust is gone.
  5. Re-season the griddle – Once the rust is removed, follow my full step-by-step seasoning guide here.​

Full guide here: https://www.johnnybrunet.com/cleaning-a-rusty-griddle/​

Low Flame Across All Burners

If your griddle won’t get hot and every burner has a weak flame, the regulator safety valve was probably triggered.

Steps to reset it:

  1. Turn all burner knobs OFF
  2. Turn the propane tank OFF
  3. Disconnect the regulator from the tank
  4. Wait about 30 seconds
  5. Reconnect the regulator
  6. Slowly open the propane tank valve
  7. Light the griddle

Full guide here: https://www.johnnybrunet.com/blackstone-low-flame-fix-how-to-reset-the-regulator/​

Large Yellow or Uneven Flames

If the flames are big, yellow/orange, or uneven, the burners are usually partially blocked (most often spider webs).

Steps to fix it:

  1. Turn off the griddle and propane tank
  2. Remove the griddle top
  3. Remove the screw holding the burner in place
  4. Slide the burner out
  5. Clean inside the burner tube with a pipe cleaner or small brush
  6. Reinstall the burner and screw
  7. Light the griddle and check the flame

Full guide here: https://www.johnnybrunet.com/why-your-blackstone-has-yellow-or-uneven-flames/​

Once everything is cleaned up and running properly, you’re ready to start cooking again! Why not go big with some Chicken Fried Rice!​

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Thanks for reading,
Johnny

I'm searching for the top 101 griddle recipes and I document this process in my weekly newsletter.