Why Is My Blackstone Griddle Sticky After Seasoning?

You’ve bought a Blackstone griddle and seasoned it with some oil. But now, something seems wrong, the surface is sticky. What gives?

There are a few reasons why this might be happening.

The most common reason why the griddle may be sticky is that too much oil was used during the seasoning process. When seasoning the griddle, the layer of oil should be as thin as possible. If it’s too thick, it can cause the surface to become tacky.

Another possibility is that the griddle wasn’t heated enough during the seasoning process. The griddle needs to be heated to a temperature that causes the oil to polymerize – ie. the smoke point. If the oil didn’t smoke when applied, it likely didn’t reach the right temperature and may still be tacky.

A properly seasoned griddle will have a dark, almost black, patina and be smooth to the touch.

Table of Contents

• Why Are There Sticky Spots on My Griddle?
• Can You Cook On a Sticky Griddle?
• How To Fix a Sticky Seasoning?
• My Blackstone Griddle Is Sticky Even Before Seasoning!
• Other Causes of a Sticky Griddle
• Final Thoughts
• FAQ

Why Are There Sticky Spots on My Griddle?

This is another common problem with seasoning. Although most parts of your griddle may be perfectly non-stick, there may also be a couple of spots where the surface is sticky.

This is usually caused by an uneven application of oil during the seasoning process. The oil layer must be thin and even. If there are any spots where a higher amount of oil has accumulated, it may make the spots sticky.

It’s always the fault of the user. Sometimes there might be a dent or small dent in the griddle where the oil will pool. If you know there are such spots on your griddle, give them a good wipe so that the oil is evenly distributed.

Anyway, from my experience, the key to an even coat is to splash some oil on the top from the Blackstone bottle and then wipe the whole surface with a paper towel. Alternatively, vegetable shortening like Crisco works well for seasoning too.

Can You Cook On a Sticky Griddle?

Nothing is preventing you from cooking on a sticky griddle, but it’s not ideal. The food will tend to stick to the tacky spots and it’ll be harder to clean up.

If you must cook on a sticky griddle, you may overcome the stickiness by using more oil to cook. However, this will make the food greasier and unhealthier.

The best thing to do is to fix the problem at its source. If the griddle is sticky, most of the time, it needs to be re-seasoned.

How To Fix a Sticky Seasoning?

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if your griddle is sticky, you may need to strip the seasoning to bare metal and start from scratch.

Before going all in, you may want to try to fix only the sticky spots. Heat up the griddle on high and try to scrape away all the sticky bits with a spatula or grill stone. If this works, you will then only need to reseason the scraped spots. However, there’s still a chance that the result won’t be perfectly smooth.

If the above fails, you will likely need to do deep cleanup which involves removing the whole seasoning. This is can turn into a tedious and time-consuming process that requires some elbow grease.

Multiple ways to strip the seasoning exist, but the easiest you can try is to use oven cleaner. However, not everyone wants to put such chemicals on their cookware. If you are one of them, you can try using white vinegar. Vinegar is acidic and it will loosen the seasoning just like oven cleaner would.

Whichever way you choose, you will still need to remove the loosened seasoning with a scraper, wire brush, or perhaps a grill stone.

If you want to strip the seasoning quickly, just use a power tool such as an orbital sander or an angle grinder with a wire cup attachment. Don’t forget both eye and respiratory protection as there will be a truckload of mess flying about. You can also sand the griddle by hand, but it is as time-consuming as when using a scraper.

Once you’ve removed the seasoning, give your griddle a good wash with soapy water, let it dry and reseason it, this time making sure to keep the oil layer thin and even.

My Blackstone Griddle Is Sticky Even Before Seasoning!

This has nothing to do with the seasoning process. A new griddle may come with a tacky surface for a simple reason.

It’s usually a factory-applied coating that protects the griddle surface during shipping and storage. This is perfectly normal and the tackiness will go away after you clean the griddle. Yes, you should thoroughly clean the griddle before first use.

Don’t be afraid to use dish soap and a scrubber. The griddle must be completely clean and free of any residue before you season it.

Other Causes of a Sticky Griddle

Maybe the reason why your griddle is a bit tacky is not because of the seasoning. Other common causes may make a griddle sticky as well.

if everything was OK before a cooking session and then it all started to stick, the problem is probably with an inadequate cleanup. When too much gunk and grease build up on the surface, they can make things stick and also may feel sticky to touch.

A sticky buildup is fairly common when cooking sweet foods. Honey, syrup and other sugary substances can quickly turn into a sticky mess if not cleaned up right away. The same goes for any food that’s high in sugar or starch.

The solution is simple – clean your griddle after each and every use. Don’t wait until the surface is caked in gunk. Cleaning doesn’t take too long and it’s actually easiest when done with the griddle still warm.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it. The most common reason why a griddle may be sticky after seasoning is not keeping the amount of il in check. Unfortunately, the remedy often involves starting from scratch, although there is a chance to fix the sticky spots by scraping them as best as you can and then applying another layer of seasoning.

I hope this article was helpful and that your griddle will be non-stick in no time!

FAQ