New Blackstone 36" Griddle, tips on seasoning it?

michigan_jason

Ok, as I posted before, I got a new blackstone griddle. I am super surprised how fast it got to me (thanks to my wife's contact.) Either way, I want to cook on it now, ya know...to test it. So, what do I do to season it really quick? I know how to season cast iron, never really done it with one of these. Thanks fellas. I will continue to drink as I watch my Detroit Tigers beat the Sox.  

Jeremiah

For your reading pleasure:  http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1182676/ot-blackstone-36-griddle-is-legit

Hntnhrd

Quick answer would be bacon for BLTs

Rte1985

BBBAAACCCOOONNN!!!!

bgebrent

You'll get 100 different opinions on this.  I'm no expert but mine seasoned up nice first with just vegetable oil and then the bacon cooks.  It really didn't require any calisthenics and its kept a great seasoning on it.  Don't miss the outside sides.

epcotisbest

Wow, you got that thing fast. Congrats. I looked all over for one of the 28s when they were on clearance awhile back but never could find one within driving distance. At $110 for the 36 I would have been positively giddy. Hope you will post some pics of your upcoming griddle cooks.
I have been using a Lodge cast iron platter on an old gasser in my attempt to try griddle cooking. It works OK, but somehow just not the same.
My wife and I are trying to do the Dave Ramsey, get out of debt, debt snowball stuff and watching the budget closely with the goal of being debt free in a few years, so after that happens, I am going to be all over a Blackstone.

RRP

Mind another opinion? LOL

Today I started the 4th seasoning effort of my carbon steel skillet. All 3 previous seasonings have been sorry failures with WAY TOO much time and effort exerted! Thanks to encouragement from @SpringChicken I dug that skillet out of my trash can on the last failure!

 I have used EVOO once (stupid!) and grape seed oil twice. After that 3rd failure and once again Easy Off clean up I finally went to a health food store today to find liquid fax seed oil, which supposedly has the highest rating of all. Spending $10 for 6 oz of that particular oil means I will die long before using the "dime size" needed! 

BTW I will be using this flax seed oil to season my new 17" BS which is supposed to arrive Friday...since I have that oil to waste, burn or p*ss away LOL!

Carolina Q

RRP said:

Mind another opinion? LOL

Today I started the 4th seasoning effort of my carbon steel skillet. All 3 previous seasonings have been sorry failures with WAY TOO much time and effort exerted! Thanks to encouragement from @SpringChicken I dug that skillet out of my trash can on the last failure!

 I have used EVOO once (stupid!) and grape seed oil twice. After that 3rd failure and once again Easy Off clean up I finally went to a health food store today to find liquid fax seed oil, which supposedly has the highest rating of all. Spending $10 for 6 oz of that particular oil means I will die long before using the "dime size" needed! 

BTW I will be using this flax seed oil to season my new 17" BS which is supposed to arrive Friday...since I have that oil to waste, burn or p*ss away LOL!

Good luck, Ron. I've read far too many complaints of flaking with flax. Even though the time consuming, tedious directions for multiple heating/cooling cycles were supposedly followed.

Peanut oil seems to work well. High smoke point too. Followed by stir frying some green onions. Worked on my last wok and that's what I plan to use on my Blackstone. If I ever get around to it.

Fred19Flintstone

I bought a 28" in jan.  In a couple of weeks when I finally get a space in the garage carved out for it, I'm going the Crisco route followed by plenty of bacon.  It's still in the box.

Focker

RRP said:

Mind another opinion? LOL

Today I started the 4th seasoning effort of my carbon steel skillet. All 3 previous seasonings have been sorry failures with WAY TOO much time and effort exerted! Thanks to encouragement from @SpringChicken I dug that skillet out of my trash can on the last failure!

 I have used EVOO once (stupid!) and grape seed oil twice. After that 3rd failure and once again Easy Off clean up I finally went to a health food store today to find liquid fax seed oil, which supposedly has the highest rating of all. Spending $10 for 6 oz of that particular oil means I will die long before using the "dime size" needed! 

BTW I will be using this flax seed oil to season my new 17" BS which is supposed to arrive Friday...since I have that oil to waste, burn or p*ss away LOL!

Ron, there was a guy on here I helped, who bought some high dollar flax from the store, thought his griddle was next level, burned through two 20lb tanks, and had to strip his 36.  The seasoning flaked off in chunks.

Please do yourself a favor, DO NOT use flax, return it to the store.

Killit_and_Grillit

Think Waffle House. 

Bacon and cheap oil will keep it in business long after it's prime. 

RRP

Focker said:

Please do yourself a favor, DO NOT use flax, return it to the store.

Too late - seal already removed and used a dime sized drop. Guess I'll have to do some reading and see why that liquid fax seed oil is sold in the health food stores - either that or use it to oil my skis. 

Aviator

Use any hi temp oil with a high smoke point, like avocado or canola oil. 
Cook as usual daily for a few days, oiling it frequently and heating it up. 
Eventually, you will have it seasoned. Its the use and cool/hot cycles that seasons it, not the flax seed or any "stick" oil.

mtasker

I used grape seed oil.  I also scrap it clean and apply more oil after every cook.  works good for me.

Hub

I've spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how to season cast iron.  Finally, I figured out that the initial seasoning is only the first step.  The real key to seasoning cast iron is to do VERY high fat cooks the first 5-10 times you use your cast iron.  Bacon, ground beef, etc.  Each one of these high fat cooks will leave a very thin layer of non-stick goodness.  Those very thin layers stack onto each other and form that non-stick seasoning you are looking for.  Those 5-10 first time high fat cooks are far more important than the initial seasoning, in my opinion.

fishlessman

go to aldis and buy the fattiest bacon pack for cheap and cook it on the griddle til its almost burnt, thats it bacon

RRP

fishlessman said:

go to aldis and buy the fattiest pack for cheap and cook it on the griddle til its almost burnt, thats it

is the missing word "bacon"?

fishlessman

RRP said:

fishlessman said:

go to aldis and buy the fattiest pack for cheap and cook it on the griddle til its almost burnt, thats it

is the missing word "bacon"?

i missed that and pick up the cheap dill pickles for burgers

blasting

Friends don't let friends use flaxseed oil.

And to the op - I'd avise keeping that new flat top nice and slick.  That will preserve the finish you are building.  Oil before and after a cook.  Have fun.

Carolina Q

Well, I finally lit my 17. Bought it in November, but somehow never did anything but take it out of the box. Cooked a smashburger on the stovetop a couple of days ago and that was the last straw. Smoke everywhere!! Gotta move outside!

Washed the steel top, wiped on some peanut oil (all over, top and bottom) and fired it up. Added more oil, finally cooked some scallions until crispy as with seasoning a wok. Seems to be off to a good start.

A bit of salmon for lunch, I think. I have a few slices of bacon too. And some onion. Interesting combo, clean out the fridge. With salmon and bacon, how bad can it be?!

Focker

Carolina Q said:

Well, I finally lit my 17. Bought it in November, but somehow never did anything but take it out of the box. Cooked a smashburger on the stovetop a couple of days ago and that was the last straw. Smoke everywhere!! Gotta move outside!

Washed the steel top, wiped on some peanut oil (all over, top and bottom) and fired it up. Added more oil, finally cooked some scallions until crispy as with seasoning a wok. Seems to be off to a good start.

A bit of salmon for lunch, I think. I have a few slices of bacon too. And some onion. Interesting combo, clean out the fridge. With salmon and bacon, how bad can it be?!

Have fun with it, love all of my Blackstone products.  And when the H burners kick the bucket years from now, the CS flat top fits nicely on the kettle.  

You should take a long, hard, look, at the oven Michael.

Focker

blasting said:

Friends don't let friends use flaxseed oil.

Man b, truth. 

Some prefer the hard way.

SciAggie

Are the flax seed oil comments specific to the BS or to all CI/CS in general? I have never used it.

JohnnyTarheel

Canola oil works perfectly... I seasoned it 3 times just like your instructions tell you to do. Then I cooked a pound of bacon. Now after every use after cleaning and letting cool I recoat with thin coat of Canola and it's ready for next time. It's so dang quick to cook and clean we hardly use our stove... 

Focker

SciAggie said:

Are the flax seed oil comments specific to the BS or to all CI/CS in general? I have never used it.

All of it.  

SciAggie

@Focker Thanks

Focker

If you do it right on most cooks, just enough of the fat will remain in the trough.  After scraping, and warm, take a fresh paper towel, and soak the clean grease and wipe it up, coating the entire surface

oldgeezeystax

BS arriving tomorrow, so pumped assemble and get it seasoned on Saturday.

Quick question, has anyone found any cheapish lint-free rags to use to season/clean the BS?  I'd rather not rip through rolls of paper towels if it can be avoided.