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How to season a Blackstone griddle press
Whether you are throwing down ground beef patties for smash burgers or laying out strips of bacon for breakfast or to put on those smash burgers, you want that meat flat on your Blackstone griddle.
No curled bacon or puffed-up burgers need to apply.
Blackstone has multiple griddle presses available on their website to help keep your burgers smashed and your bacon flat.
They work well if you are searing steaks on your griddle, or making sandwiches or quesadillas, too.
You do want to make sure you take care of all your griddling tools well, including a griddle press.
Do you need to season a cast iron griddle press? Do Blackstone griddle presses come pre-seasoned?
How do you go about seasoning a griddle press?
How do you season a griddle press?
If you have a cast iron griddle press, the process is similar to seasoning a cast-iron skillet.
You can wash the press in soapy warm water, then after you let it dry, coat the bottom in a thin layer of cooking oil with a high smoke point.
If your press has a handle that is not oven-safe, you can either remove the handle and stick the press in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for an hour, or you can place the press in a preheated skillet for 20 minutes.
Not only will a well-seasoned cast iron griddle press keep your food flat for cooking, but you can also preheat it to help leave grill or sear marks on paninis.
If you did not properly season your griddle press, you could cause problems for whatever type of food you are cooking.
Just like if your griddle is not properly seasoned, you could be pulling food apart or leaving pieces behind rather than keeping food flattened properly.
Does a Blackstone griddle press need to be seasoned?
With any cast iron implement, you have to be aware of how well it is seasoned, so make sure your Blackstone griddle press is well seasoned before you put it on smash burgers or bacon.
Multiple users left reviews on Blackstone’s website for the extra-large griddle press saying that they seasoned their presses because food would stick otherwise.
Regardless of whether the press is pre-seasoned or not, you would be best off making sure the seasoning is up to the standards of cast iron.
Take the time to properly season your griddle press so you do not need to worry about pieces of bacon or burger sticking when you go to lift the burger press.
Should you season a grill press?
The last thing you want to happen when you place that press on a burger is bits of that burger sticking to the press, so take the time to season it well.
Regardless if the griddle press is pre-seasoned or not, you want to take care of your tools properly.
Food can stick to the press if you do not maintain a good nonstick surface.
Much like a cast-iron skillet or your griddle needs to be wiped down and receive a light coating of oil after every use, you should do the same for your press.
After all, you want smash burgers, not pulled-apart burgers.
Final Thoughts
If you are using a Blackstone griddle, the first thing you did, or at least should have done, after putting it together was properly season the cooking surface.
You should ensure that your griddle presses have the same nonstick surface as your griddle.
Thankfully, seasoning a cast iron griddle press is quite similar to seasoning other pieces of cast iron cookware, you just need good oil, heat, and patience.
If you get a Blackstone griddle press, you want to make sure it is well-seasoned before you flatten your first smash burger with it.
Proper care of your griddle press is important because poorly seasoned griddle presses can have food stick to them just like a skillet or your griddle.
If you find yourself unsure if your griddle press is properly seasoned, take the time to make sure. Wipe it down with good oil and heat it.
You can even heat it directly on your Blackstone griddle while waiting to cook.
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.