Warped Griddle

Hello Friends,

With the weather turning and being in the single digits here in Ohio I thought I'd go over warping. I still cook in this weather and I know a lot of you do too. I once warped my griddle by tossing a 5 lb frozen log of ground beef onto a scorching hot surface—it wasn’t pretty! I did a lot of research since then and here's what I discovered.

3 Tips

Why Griddles Warp

Warping happens when your griddle heats unevenly or experiences sudden temperature shocks. Here are the main culprits:

Heating too quickly: Cranking the burners up to high right away can stress the metal. Especially if it's cold outside.
Uneven heating: Only using part of the griddle while the rest stays cool can cause it to warp over time.
Temperature shocks: Pouring lots of cold water or placing lots of frozen food onto a hot griddle creates a rapid temperature shift that can bend the surface.

How to Fix Them

If your griddle warps, don’t panic. Manufacturers suggest these fixes:

Blackstone: Keep using it, as gentle heating over time might help it flatten out.
Camp Chef: Place heavy pots of near-boiling water on the griddle while heating it; the weight can help straighten the surface.
Traeger: Reignite the griddle and let it run for about 30 minutes—if that doesn’t work, they recommend contacting customer support.

While not all warping is reversible, reaching out to the manufacturer is always worth a try.

How I Cook Now to Prevent Warping

After my incident, I’ve made some changes that have kept my griddle in great shape:

Preheat gradually: I start with medium or low heat for 5–10 minutes before increasing the temperature.
Heat evenly: I turn on all the burners to warm the entire griddle before setting up hot and cool zones. So I do still turn off the outside burners occasionally, but that's after preheating.
Be cautious with water and frozen foods: I use water for cleaning and cooking, but only in small amounts from a squirt bottle. I’ve also learned to thaw larger items before cooking or use medium-low heat for frozen foods like burgers and fries.

Moral of the story is you don't want a large temperature jump. So don't put a bunch of frozen or cold food on a 400+ degree griddle. And don't crank the heat to high right away if it's cold outside.

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"She said you gotta do your fair share, now cough up half the rent. I treat my body like a temple, you treat yours like a tent."

—Jimmy Buffett

Cheers,
Johnny

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