So, you’ve invited around your friends and family and you’ve cooked up a real feast. I imagine there are sore overfull bellies all round. You’ve tucked into succulent sausages, chomped down on juicy burgers, and chargrilled chicken skewers, and everyone has deemed you the best griller in town.
And that’s a pretty great feeling, right? But as time goes by and the sun goes down, your guests dwindle down to the final few.
They’ve kindly offered you a hand and rounded up those discarded paper cups and placed all those licked-clean plates in the trashcan, giving you a hug or a handshake for your excellent cooking skills, said their final goodbyes, and bid you adieu.
The fun is finally over and you’re debating whether it’s worth just cleaning the grill now, or if it’s a job for another time. Spoiler alert, it’s the first option. I promise you it doesn’t take all that long to clean and will keep the quality of both your grill and your food top-notch.
So before you get into those PJs and call it a night, give your grill that TLC it needs to ensure that the next grill out will be just as successful as your first.
Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through exactly how to do so.
Tool Checklist
To get your grill squeaky clean again, you’ll need a few different items. So I’ve created a quick checklist for you. Once you have all the following items you’re all set to get cleaning.
- A Bucket
- Warm Water
- A Metal Scraper/Spatula
- Cleaning Solution (Nothing Harsh, Dishwashing Liquid Works Best)
- Paper Towels
- Microfiber Towel
- Non-Metallic Scouring Pad/Brush
- Pumice Grill Stone
- Cooking Oil
- Heat-Resistant Gloves
Step-By-Step Cleaning Guide – The Very First Time
1. Fill The Bucket – Fill your bucket with warm water and add your cleaning solution. Mix together fully.
2. Wet The Towel – Plae your microfiber towel in the soapy water to soak. Then wring it out until it is no longer dripping with water and is damp.
3. Wipe The Grill – With your damp towel wipe the surface of your grill and remove any loose debris and residue on the cooktop surface. Remember to rinse the towel and repeat step two as necessary.
4. Empty & Refill – Once the cooktop has been wiped entirely, pour out the water from your bucket and refill it with warm water without any cleaning solution. Then soak, wring, and wipe with the towel to rinse away the cleaning solution.
5. Dry – Using paper towels dry the cooktop. Let it also air-dry for a couple of minutes before you begin the seasoning process.
6. Up High – Once the cooktop is dry, you’ll want to turn the Blackstone grill up to high heat. Wait approximately 15 minutes. You’ll know it is time to move on to the next step once the cooktop changes to a darker color.
7. Add Oil – Once you’ve noticed the change in color, you can begin to add around 2-3 tablespoons of oil to the cooking surface. Make sure that you do not go too generous with the amount of oil you use as this can cause the grill to become rather sticky.
8. Spread The Oil – Making sure you’re wearing your gloves so as not to burn yourself, gather some paper towels and use them to spread the oil across the entire surface. Be sure to get every last part of the surface covered in oil. Don’t forget the sides and corners that can be tricky to reach.
9. Let It Burn – Once it’s covered in oil, you’ll want to keep the heat up high until it burns all the oil and all the smoking ceases.
10. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat – Repeat this process two, three, or even four times to ensure that you have a truly seasoned cooking surface.
Step-By-Step Guide – After Cooking
1. Let It Cool – You want to make sure that your grill is still warm, but not boiling hot. So let it cool down some before you begin cleaning.
2. Scrape Away – Using a metal scraper, you want to get rid of all those juices and bits of food that are stuck on. Scrape in the direction of the drip tray and then wipe off any remaining grease with a paper towel.
3. Stubborn Food – If some food really just doesn’t want to part with its new home, you may need to spray some hot water on that area to help loosen it up a bit.
4. Rub A Dub Dub – Now, you’ll want to gently rub the surface with a scouring pad or a non-metallic scrubber. Don’t use a wire brush or soap.
5. Rinse Away – Using a paper towel, or a microfiber cloth, rinse away any final water or residue.
6. Thinly Does It – With a paper towel, coat your griddle with some oil. Make sure that there is only a thin layer of oil so that you don’t make the grill sticky
7. All Done – And as easy as that, your grill is clean and you’re off the clock.
Step-By-Step Guide – Rusty Griddle
Ah, rust. The killer of griddles. A mortal enemy of mine. Let’s look at how to defeat it.
1. High Heat – Get your grill nice and hot on full heat, this will help loosen that stubborn stuff.
2. Scrape Away – Don your heat-resistant gloves and get scraping away at the rust with a metal scraper. Just be sure that the surface is dry and that you don’t scrape too hard.
3. Cool Down – Once you’ve scraped at the rust, give the grill time to cool down. Once it has you can use paper towels to wipe away the rust.
4. Oil It Up – Add around 4-5 tablespoons of oil to the grill and then scrub with your grill stone. This may take some patience.
5. Wipe Away – Using paper towels, wipe away the rust debris.
6. Repeat 4-5 – Repeat steps four and five until the rust is completely gone.
7. Season – Then season your grill with fresh oil to protect it from more rust. Store in a cool, dry place when not in use.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, it really doesn’t take all that long to clean your grill, especially after cooking. So don’t be tempted to leave it for another day as this can lead to rust which is a whole lot worse to clean. Regular cleaning will ensure that it stays at its optimal level and will ensure you still hold the title as best grill cooker in the entire town!