Can You Use a Knife on a Blackstone Griddle?

A knife is a cook’s best friend. Without a knife, most dishes would be impossible to make. Knives deserve proper care, just like your griddle. So with that said, can you use a knife to cut food directly on a Blackstone griddle?

The short answer is:

Yes, you can use a knife on a gas-powered Blackstone griddle as it will not damage its steel surface. However, it is not wise to do it anyway because the knife will get dull quickly. Furthermore, cutting directly on the griddle could scratch or damage the precious seasoning layer.

It is best to use a cutting board instead to preserve your knife and keep your griddle It is best to use a cutting board for all your cutting needs while cooking on the Blackstone griddle.

Table of Contents

• Why You Should Avoid Using Knives on Blackstone Griddles
• Alternative Methods for Cutting Food Cooked on a Griddle
• Can You Use a Knife on the Blackstone E-Series Griddle?
• Wrap Up
• FAQ

Why You Should Avoid Using Knives on Blackstone Griddles

Although Blackstone’s support website says you can safely use a knife to cut on the griddle, it is really a bad idea due to a few reasons.

Knives are designed to cut things made of materials softer than their (usually) steel blades. Blackstone griddles, at least the gas ones, are equipped with steel tops. What do you think will happen if steel meets steel? The steel top will dull your knife quickly.

A sharp knife has a fairly thin edge which can easily get dulled if it meets something as hard as steel. Sometimes an even worse thing can happen – a piece of the knife’s edge could chip off. I guess that’s not a big deal when you are using a 10 bucks chef’s knife. However, if that happened to your shiny Shun Premier Santoku, tears will be shed.

Sure, you can sharpen your knives whenever they get dull. But in that case, you could as well take up knife sharpening as another hobby. Why put yourself through the hassle when you can just use a cutting board? A cutting board is much softer and won’t damage your knife.

Additionally, cutting directly on the griddle may ruin the seasoning layer. You are not likely to scratch the griddle top itself, but the damaged seasoning is bad news as well. 

The scratched spots will look like thin cut lines on the seasoned surface at first but will get worse over time. Once that happens, it will make the food stick to them and you’ll have a harder time cleaning the griddle after use. Eventually, you will have no choice other than to strip the seasoning and re-season it from scratch.

I would rather cook a hundred burgers than go through this process. So, let’s avoid it in the first place, shall we?

Alternative Methods for Cutting Food Cooked on a Griddle

Let’s check some alternative methods you can use to avoid ruining your griddle or knife.

Knife and a cutting board

Need to cut something that’s cooking or done cooking on your griddle? Then the best way to do it is by grabbing a knife and a cutting board. It’s the safest way for you, your griddle, and your knives.

There’s a Blackstone cutting board that has small feet that allow you to place it directly on the griddle’s surface for a short time. The board looks really nicely done but the reviews are so-so. Proceed with caution if you want to buy one.

There’s also a larger one with better reviews. However, it’s likely still not a good idea to place it on a griddle that’s scorching hot.

Of course, you can use any other cutting board you have. If you’ve got a Blackstone with a side table, you can place it there. If not, you will need to be a bit creative.

Metal spatula

I am sure you do have Blackstone metal spatulas in your griddling arsenal. The griddle experience is not complete until you have one or two. You can use a spatula to cut and chop food directly on the flattop.

Since the griddle spatula has an edge that is not nearly as sharp edge as a knife’s edge, it is much less likely to damage the seasoning layer. Don’t dig in too hard, though.

The spatula works perfectly for tender meat like chicken, burgers, fish, and most veggies. It’s not as useful for cutting something harder like thick steaks or perhaps a brisket.

Also, a spatula won’t make as clean a cut as a sharp knife so keep that in mind if you want your food to look perfect. But that’s understandable as the main purpose of spatulas is to flip and mix the food on a griddle.

That being said, a metal spatula is still one of the easiest ways to cut stuff directly on the griddle’s surface. I personally use it for most of my meals. It also works well as a scraper to clean the surface after cooking.

Can You Use a Knife on the Blackstone E-Series Griddle?

You cannot safely use a knife on the Blackstone E-Series griddle as it has a non-stick ceramic titanium cooking surface. Nonstick surfaces are much less durable than steel, so using a knife on them is out of the question. Knives, and in fact any metal utensils, can easily scratch and damage the griddle.

Is a scratched non-stick surface still usable? Sure, for a while. But there’s no way to fix it and the food will eventually start to stick. Furthermore, the coating may start to flake off once it’s scratched too much, which you definitely want to avoid.

If you are careful and don’t use metal utensils, the surface will last for a while. Use plastic or wooden utensils and you are good to go.

As for cutting, either try cutting whatever you are cooking with the plastic spatula or use a cutting board and your favorite knife. It is much safer and will ultimately save you time, effort and money.

If you want all things Blackstone, then know they have a 3-piece griddle tool kit for electric griddles. Included in the set are two spatulas and a pair of tongs. These tools are made of heat-resistant nylon and the spatulas can be used to cut stuff directly on the griddle. Of course, not good for slicing up thicker cuts of meat, but some tender pieces of food can be done.

Wrap Up

As you can see, it’s not wise to cut on a Blackstone griddle. Many people tend to do it anyway because it’s quick and easy. 

A knife is not going to ruin your steel griddle but the griddle may well ruin your knife.

If you don’t want to risk it, use a cutting board.

FAQ