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Blackstone Griddle Not Flat
Blackstone griddles need a reasonably flat cooktop to work properly. Significant deviations in the level or flatness of the griddle’s surface can cause grease to pool up rather than flow smoothly into the grease management system. This can lead to smoking, burned food, and even the risk of a serious grease fire.
Minor warping or crowning in the cold-rolled steel griddle top can occur in the first dozen or so cooks.
Though these deviations are typically minor. More significant warping is often related to excessive heating and rapid cooling from placing frozen meats on a ripping hot griddle top.
To understand what is causing your Blackstone griddle to warp, and how to prevent it, we are going to have to take a closer look at the physics of cold-rolled steel.
This includes factors that may or may not be able to control, and how to safely address them.
Why Would a Blackstone Griddle Not Be Flat?
Excessive overheating and cooling can cause warping or crowning on a Blackstone griddle’s cold-rolled steel cooktop. Especially in the first few cooks.
Early on, a minor amount of warping isn’t necessarily a cause for alarm. Things should normalize in 10 to 12 cook sessions.
If you have more significant warping after that point, you might want to contact Blackstone’s customer service department.
How Do You Prevent Warping on a Black Stone Griddle?
Avoiding excessive heating and rapid cooling can help prevent warping or crowning on a Blackstone Griddle’s cold-rolled steel cooktop.
Once your griddle is properly preheated, place the food without letting it overheat.
You should also avoid putting frozen foods on the griddle top. If possible try to thoroughly thaw all foods before placing them on the cooktop.
This will reduce the kind of rapid cooling that increases the risk of warping, crowning, or developing localized deviations in the cold-rolled steel.
Should a Blackstone Griddle Always Be Flat?
A Blackstone griddle likely won’t be perfectly flat from day one through the course of its long life.
Minor deviations in the plane of the cold-rolled steel, like bowing, warping and crowning can occur. Especially in the early days when the griddle top is still getting conditioned to rapid heating and cooling.
How Do You Flatten a Warped Blackstone Griddle?
You might be able to reduce the degree of warping or crowning on a Blackstone griddle’s cold-rolled steel cooktop.
Though you probably won’t be able to make it perfectly flat. The following procedure can be used to try to restore some of the griddle top’s flatness. Just remember, safety first!
What You Need
A large piece of hardwood lumber such as oak, ash, or hickory
A rubber mallet
Weight plates or something very heavy
Welding gloves & safety glasses
A fireproof, hard level surface
Step One: Preheat your griddle for 15 to 20 minutes on high heat
Step Two: Wearing welding gloves and other safety equipment carefully remove the griddle and lay it on a flat, firm, fireproof surface.
Step Three: Place the piece of hardwood on the griddle and hit it in the warped areas with a rubber mallet.
Step Four: Place weight plates or something heavy, around 100-pounds or more on the board and leave the heated griddle to cool for an hour or more.
This might reduce the warping or crowning effect, but it won’t completely eliminate it.
Is Blackstone Griddle Supposed to Be Level?
A Blackstone griddle needs to be level for the grease management system to worry effectively. When the griddle top isn’t properly level, grease can start to pool.
This can lead to smoking, uneven cooking of the food, and even a risk of a grease fire.
Ideally, you want to level the cart base or stand of the griddle before you fire up the burners.
This might mean adjusting the feet of a stand or placing a piece of wooden shim under one or two of the locking casters.
If you can’t get your Blackstone griddle reasonably level in one location, you should consider moving it to somewhere you can.
Otherwise, you will need to constantly tend it, scraping away any pooled-up grease or rendered fat before it reaches the smoke point.
Does A Blackstone Griddle Warranty Cover Warping?
Blackstone griddles come with a 1-year warranty against manufacturer defects and damage to the finish. They also have a strong reputation for customer service. If you have significant warping or crowning on your Blackstone griddle’s cooktop after the first 10 to 12 cooks, you should contact their customer service.
They ask that you take pictures and have them ready.
Final Thoughts
A lot of Blackstone griddles are not perfectly flat. Minor deviations are to be expected. Especially in the first dozen or so cooking sessions.
Though they should not be so severe as to leave significant pools of grease on the cooktop surface.
You can prevent warping on your Blackstone’s griddle top by placing food as soon as the cold-rolled steel is properly preheated. Do your best to make sure you are not placing frozen foods on the griddle, or make sure that all foods are at least partially thawed.
If you do have a significant warp or crown in the steel griddle top, you might be able to reduce the deviation.
Though the griddle is still covered by the manufacturer’s 1-year warranty, you should contact Blackstone first.
They might be able to send you a replacement griddle or advise you on how to deal with the problem.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.