Common Problems With Blackstone Griddles (And How To Fix and Prevent Them)

Blackstone griddles are some of the most popular on the market today. They’re durable and affordable and cook food evenly and efficiently.

However, like all products, they can have their problems. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most common issues people have with Blackstone griddles-from sticking food to the griddle surface, griddle top warping, rusting, or lack of heat.

But don’t worry, we also have solutions for each of these problems so that you can continue to enjoy your delicious grilled foods!

Table of Contents

• My Blackstone Griddle Is Rusty
• My Blackstone Griddle Is Flaking
• My Blackstone Griddle Is Warped
• My Blackstone Griddle Is Not Getting Hot
• Food Is Sticking to My Blackstone Griddle
• My Blackstone Griddle Is Scratched
• Final Thoughts
• FAQ

My Blackstone Griddle Is Rusty

If your Blackstone griddle is starting to rust, don’t worry, this is a common issue that is affecting pretty much all griddles with cold-rolled steel flattops.

Why is my Blackstone griddle rusting?

Rust can occur for a few reasons, but the most common is simply exposure to moisture. When water or even air moisture comes into contact with the cold-rolled steel surface, it can cause rust to form.

One of the reasons your Blackstone griddle might be rusting is that you’re not properly seasoning it. Seasoning your griddle is important because it creates a barrier between the metal and the food you’ll be cooking. This barrier not only acts as sort of a non-stick surface, but it also protects the metal from moisture and other elements that can cause rust.

Even with proper seasoning, rust can still occur over time if your griddle isn’t properly cared for or stored. For example, if you leave your griddle outside, even when it’s not in use, it can rust.

How do I stop my Blackstone griddle from rusting?

To prevent rust, make sure you’re cleaning your griddle after every use. After cleanup, don’t forget to season your griddle. You don’t need to season it like when you first got it, but a light coating will help keep the surface protected.

If you notice any rust starting to form, make sure you remove it immediately. Otherwise, the rust will continue to spread and will be even more annoying to remove.

In an ideal world, you wouldn’t store your griddle outside at all, but if you must, make sure it’s covered. A combination of softcover and hardcover is best, but even a tarp or plastic cover will do.

How do I fix a rusty griddle?

If your griddle is already rusting, don’t despair, there are a few things you can do to get your griddle looking like new again.

First, you cannot fix rust. You can clean rust off a griddle and try to better prevent it from reappearing in the future.

To remove rust, you can use several different tools, including:

• Grill stones: these are special stones designed for cleaning grills and griddles. You can find them at most stores that sell grills.
• Sandpaper: You can use medium or fine-grit sandpaper and sand away the rust. Just make sure you’re not sanding too hard or you could scratch it badly.
• Steelwool: This is a great option if you don’t want to use sandpaper. Steelwool itself does rust, so make sure to wipe off all the particles after you’re done to prevent them from rusting.

If the griddle is heavily rusted with pieces of rust flaking off, you can heat up the griddle to make the rust easier to remove. Let it cool down afterward and scrape off the rust with a scraper.

Once you’ve removed all the rust, make sure to season your griddle again before cooking on it.

Read more: Are Blackstone Griddles Made in the USA?

My Blackstone Griddle Is Flaking

Flaking or peeling is another common issue with not only Blackstone griddles. It is again very easy to fix and nothing to be worried about. Your griddle is certainly not ruined.

Why is my Blackstone griddle flaking?

The stuff that’s flaking away is the seasoning, and it’s likely due to improper seasoning or harsh cleaning. If you didn’t season your griddle correctly when you first got it, the seasoning will be weaker and more prone to flaking.

If you use harsh chemicals or scrub too hard when cleaning your griddle, it can also remove or damage the seasoning, causing it to flake off.

How do I stop my Blackstone griddle from flaking?

To stop your griddle from flaking, make sure you’re seasoning it properly after every use. When you first season your griddle, make sure to use appropriate cooking oil such as avocado or coconut oil, and coat the entire surface of the flat top.

How do I fix a flaky Blackstone griddle?

First, make sure it actually needs to be fixed. If only a small amount of the seasoning has flaked off and the rest is staying in place, you may get away with just seasoning it again.

To test that, you can try scraping the seasoning with your fingernail. If it scrapes off easily, it definitely needs to be fixed.

If a large amount of the seasoning has flaked off or it keeps flaking off, you’ll need to remove the rest of it and start from scratch.

Fortunately, removing the seasoning is easy enough. The easiest way is just to heat up the griddle and scrape the seasoning off with a metal scraper. Some bits may be stubborn though. Steelwool or chain mail scrubber can help with that.

Don’t forget that you’ll need to season your griddle again after removing the seasoning.

My Blackstone Griddle Is Warped

Warping is not an uncommon sight when it comes to flattops, and it’s not just Blackstone griddles that are susceptible.

A warped griddle is when the surface is no longer flat, which can make cooking on it more difficult because all the fluids will run to one side. Most of the time, the warping is minor and doesn’t affect the performance of the griddle too much.

One important thing – Sometimes it may happen that the griddle you bought might have been warped from the start. For example, someone did a poor welding job at the factory. In that case, you should return the griddle or contact Blackstone support and they will help you. Don’t try to flatten the warped griddle top.

Why is my Blackstone griddle warping?

Warping is often caused by exposure to extreme heat or by extreme temperature changes. Griddle tops are made of steel, which is an iron alloy that expands when heated and contracts when cooled.

So, if you heat up your griddle too quickly or to too high of a temperature, it can cause the steel to expand unevenly, causing the surface to warp.

Conversely, if you cool your griddle too quickly or expose it to extreme cold, it can cause the steel to contract unevenly and warp too.

This can happen for example when you throw frozen food on a sizzling hot griddle. However, you’d have to put large amounts of frozen food on a hot griddle for this to happen.

How do I stop the Blackstone griddle from warping?

To prevent your griddle from warping, make sure to heat it up gradually. Also, avoid heating the griddle to too high of a temperature. Sure, some of the Blackstone griddles can reach up to almost 600 degrees Fahrenheit or over 300 degrees Celsius. But do you really need that kind of temperature?

When cooking frozen food such as frozen pizza, try to avoid putting large amounts of frozen food on a hot griddle all at once. A couple of frozen burgers at once won’t harm the griddle, so there’s no need to get scared. It’s better to start cooking on lower heat and then turn up the heat as needed.

If your griddle has multiple burners, make sure to use them all when cooking. This will help distribute the heat more evenly, which will prevent warping.

How do I fix a warped griddle?

Slightly warped griddles are not a big deal and can still be used without any problems. However, if the warping is severe, it can make cooking difficult.

Unfortunately, once a griddle is badly warped, there’s usually not much you can do.

My Blackstone Griddle Is Not Getting Hot

You’ve been looking forward to cooking up a delicious lunch on your new Blackstone griddle all week, but when you try to turn it on, nothing happens. Or, you turn it on and it doesn’t get hot enough.

Why is my Blackstone griddle not getting hot?

Several things can cause a Blackstone griddle to not heat up properly or not get hot at all.

• Regulator issues – One of the most common issues is with the regulator. The regulator is what controls the flow of propane to the griddle. If there’s an issue with the regulator, it can cause the griddle not to heat up properly due to insufficient propane flow. You can try resetting the regulator or replacing it if necessary.
• Air gate issues – Another part that can cause the griddle not to heat up properly is the air gate. The air gate is located under the griddle behind the front panel. It controls the amount of air that flows into the burner. If the air gate is not open enough, it will restrict the flow of oxygen to the burner, which can cause the griddle not to heat up properly. You can try opening the air gate a bit more to see if that solves the problem. Check out this video to see how to adjust the air gate.
• Igniter issues – Another common issue is with the igniter. The igniter is what lights the burner. If the igniter is not working properly, it can cause the burner not to light, which will prevent the griddle from heating up. Depending on the type of igniter, the fix may be as easy as replacing the battery that’s powering the igniter.
• Cold weather – Although it is perfectly fine to use your Blackstone griddle in winter, the colder weather can cause the griddle not to heat up as well as during warmer months. This can be caused partly by the cold air cooling down your flattop and partly by propane which is more difficult to vaporize in cold weather.
• Wind – If you’re cooking outdoors and there’s a lot of wind, it can blow the flame out and prevent the burner from staying lit. This will obviously prevent the griddle from heating up. Wind will also blow away the hot air from below the flattop making it harder to maintain a consistently high temperature.

How can I make my Blackstone griddle hotter?

If your Blackstone griddle is not getting hot enough, there are a few things you can try.

First, make sure that all the burners are turned on. If only one or two burners are turned on, it will be more difficult to reach high temperatures.

Next, check that all the griddle components are working as they should. This includes the regulator, igniter, and air valve.

If everything is in order, you can increase the griddle temperature by using a proper griddle lid. This will help trap the heat and make it easier to reach high temperatures.

In windy conditions, it’s best to use a windshield which will help prevent the wind from blowing out the flame and will also help keep the heat from escaping.

Food Is Sticking to My Blackstone Griddle

Yes, I get it. No one likes dealing with stuck-on food. It’s a pain to clean and it can ruin your perfectly good meal.

Why is food sticking to my Blackstone Griddle?

The number one reason why food sticks to a Blackstone griddle is because the cooking surface is not properly seasoned. Seasoning your griddle will create a non-stick surface that will make it much easier to cook on.

Keep in mind that food high in sugar content is more likely to stick to the griddle. This is because sugar caramelizes when heated and can create a sticky mess. Apart from using more oil or grease, there’s not much you can do to prevent this from happening. Luckily, the sticky residue is usually easy to remove either with a scraper or by de-glazing the griddle with a bit of water from a squeeze bottle.

How do I keep food from sticking to my Blackstone griddle?

Cold-rolled steel griddles have to be seasoned. Some of them come preseasoned from the factory, but it’s not the case with Blackstone griddles. All their outdoor gas griddles have to be seasoned by the user.

If done properly, the seasoning process will create sort of a non-stick surface. It may not be 100% effective during the first few uses, but it will get better with time once the layer starts building up.

My Blackstone Griddle Is Scratched

If your Blackstone griddle’s cooking top is not smooth and showing signs of wear, it’s usually nothing to worry about.

Most of the time, the scratches that may appear on the surface are just in the seasoning layer and will not affect the performance too much.

Dealing with scratches in the seasoning layer is quite easy and quick. Just season the griddle like you would after each use, and the scratches will quickly disappear. If they are deeper, it may take a couple of rounds of seasoning to fix them, but even the first repairing coat should prevent the food from sticking to the scratched areas too much.

I will be repeating myself but if you received a new griddle that is badly scratched or dented, you should return it or contact the support. Although scratches and small dents and chips are not a big deal and the seasoning process may make them disappear, that is not an excuse for receiving a damaged product.

How do I prevent scratches on my Blackstone griddle?

Scratches in the seasoning layer can happen even if you’re using the proper utensils. The best way to prevent them is by being careful and not using too much force when scraping the surface with metal spatulas or scrapers. Avoid cutting on the griddle as well.

Avoiding abrasive detergents, pads, and brushes is also a good idea when cleaning the griddle.

Final Thoughts

So, those were some of the most common problems with Blackstone griddles and their solutions. By following these tips, you should be able to enjoy your grilled foods without any trouble.

Remember to season your griddle properly and to be careful when scraping off food residue-this will help keep your cooking surface in good condition and reduce the likelihood of rust formation.

Also, remember that Blackstone has pretty good customer support, so if you encounter any problems that are not covered here, make sure to contact them. They should be able to help you out quickly.

FAQ