How to Get Rust Off Blackstone? (4 TIPS TO PREVENT RUST)

Blackstone griddle is one of the most versatile, easy-to-use, and highly rated flat-top grills out there. It is great for preparing a variety of foods, making it perfect for any outdoor setting.

Blackstone griddles are built to resist wear and tear to survive the longest.

If you live in an area where it is normally humid, is next to the sea, or if you don’t clean your griddle on a regular basis, rust may be a problem for Blackstone griddles. As they often corrode and turn a reddish-brown color.

So how to get rust off Blackstone griddle?

In order to clean rust off a Blackstone griddle, turn it on at high heat for at least 20 minutes. Now turn it off and scrub off any loose rust with a scouring pad and scraper. Next, you’ll want to coat or reseason your griddle with oil or fat so that any remaining rust doesn’t continue to build up in between cleanings. Don’t use too much oil because excess fat can cause smoke and flare-ups during cooking.

10 Blackstone Griddle Tips & Tricks (Hacks)

Don’t worry; we’re here to help you to find a way of getting rust off of your Blackstone griddle.

Cleaning a rusty Blackstone griddle is pretty easy and can be accomplished with a basic 10-minute deep cleaning.

Keep reading for more on how to clean Blackstone griddle rust.

Everything You Need to Know About Blackstone Griddle: A Complete Guide

What causes Blackstone griddle rust?

A griddle made of iron is the most likely to rust. Rust is the red oxide formed when iron reacts with water or oxygen. Rust is a common, often irreversible, metal corrosion.

When iron comes in contact with oxygen and water, the minerals react to form a red oxide called rust. The rust then weakens the metal by breaking down its molecules.

This causes the griddle to break easily and makes it more susceptible to other forms of corrosion, which is why it’s so important to treat your griddle before they get rusty.

The griddles are built to last longer while still being rust-resistant, great for outdoor kitchen use.

If the Griddle has come to the end of its life, you will start to notice rust accumulating. Note that this is rust, which is mostly the result of your griddle getting very old.

There’s no way you can grill up a delicious meal on a flaky, brown surface.

You can also check How to Stop Grill Grates From Rusting? 9 Quick Tips

6 Reasons for Blackstone griddle rust

There are many causes of Blackstone rust.

• The first cause of griddle rust is moisture. If you live in a place with access to moisture, such as near the beach or in an area with high humidity, or in morning dew, your griddle is more likely to rust.
• If you store your griddle outdoors, i.e. on your lawn or in your backyard, it will invariably absorb some of the humidity from the air. The griddle is usually coated with a protective coating to prevent it from rusting.
• But as griddles are made of iron and air contains oxygen. So all you need is some water to cause a decent griddle to rust.
• The accumulation of rust on Blackstone griddles can also be caused by the high acidity in the food such as tomatoes and citrus fruit, which interacts with the iron and causes it to corrode.
• If you keep your grill in the kitchen, then it is possible that it will start to rust due to all of the water and steam that is produced when cooking.
• Another reason for griddle rust is improper or incomplete cleaning methods. This usually means that the griddle doesn’t get dry enough, which leads to having water on it and then rust forming.

You can also check: Why is Blackstone Griddle Not Getting Hot? (6 Reasons)

How Hot Does A Blackstone Griddle Get?

How to get rust off Blackstone?

Cooking your meal on a rusty griddle is not very risky. But one thing is for sure: it certainly isn’t appealing! Nobody likes a rusty kitchen appliance, as it can be unsightly.

The rust on the griddle surface can cause the food to stick and ruin the flavor of the dish.

Step 1. Gathering the Things you need to clean rust off Blackstone Griddle

To start, gather everything you need to get the rust off of Blackstone griddle.

–A metal scraper or Blackstone cleaning brick

-Cooking oil

-Paper towels

-Grill stones or sandpaper or steel wool

–Heat-resistant gloves

-Paper Towels or griddle clothing rags

The oil you are using must be cooking oil. Sesame oil, palm oil, olive oil, etc. are examples of cooking oils that can be used. Regarding rags, clothing rags are often considered the best choice. Paper towels work as well.

Make sure gloves are heatproof because resistance to heat is needed when using them on a heated griddle.

You can also get this griddle cleaning kit. Here is a list of must-have 12 Best Griddle Accessories

Step 2: Prepare the Griddle to clean Rust

Put on a pair of sturdy heat-resistant gloves that protect against heat as well as your hands. Turn on the griddle to high heat. Leave it for 20 minutes. This will loosen up the Blackstone rust, so you can remove it more easily. You can then turn off the griddle & allow it to cool. The rust will not instantly harden, but cleaning Blackstone griddle sooner is still advised.

Step 3: Removing the Rust from Blackstone griddle

To remove rust from your griddle surface, you will need to use a metal scraper. While the rust is still soft and has not dried out, scrape the flat top surface of the griddle with a metal scraper.

The rust will start to come off easily. Repeat this process until you are sure that your metal griddle feels smooth when rubbed with a scraper and you can’t see any more corrosion.

Step 4: How to Clean Blackstone Griddle rust?

In order to clean Blackstone, use a grill stone. To scrub a griddle using a grill stone, you need to have the right type of stone. The stone needs to be rough on one side.

It is best if it isn’t too heavy and has a handle. You can also use the pumice stone to sand the griddle surface.

There is also no need for any kind of soap. Simply drizzle 3-4 tablespoons of oil over the whole surface of the griddle and scrub with a grill stone.

If you can’t find a grill stone, either uses steel wool or medium grit wet-or-dry sandpaper.

Start scrubbing the griddle by using slow and gentle circular motions to avoid damaging the metal surface. When you’re done, your griddle should be looking nice & shiny!

To clean the griddle, thoroughly wipe it down with a cloth, paper towels, or griddle rags.

After thoroughly cleaning the residue off, add another 3-4 tablespoons of oil and scrub with a cloth until the oil starts coming off like it is clean. Continue cleaning off rust from the griddle with oil until there are no traces of rust left behind.

Scrubbing a griddle surface with an abrasive scrubber after every use will only damage your griddle plate. So only use these scrubbers and stones when you need to remove rust. To clean griddle, use water and a Scouring Pad instead.

Step 5: Season the Blackstone griddle top to create a protective coating that avoids rust

As a final step, season the griddle once it is clean and rust-free. Seasoning is essential to prevent Blackstone rust.

It forms a thick, pleasurable coating that has a unique flavor and won’t scratch easily. This ensures that your food will taste the way it was meant to be tasted.

The seasoning process creates a protective coating on top of the griddle, which acts as a non-stick surface.

If done correctly, this coating prevents food from sticking to the surface and makes clean-up much easier.

A seasoned griddle is so easy to clean and does not corrode, which means it lasts longer and has better durability.

How To Season Your Blackstone Griddle

To season your griddle, you will need:

• Heat resistant gloves
• Vegetable cooking oil
• Griddle seasoning or cast iron conditioner
•  2 Squeeze bottles
• Paper towel or griddle rags
• Tongs
• Water

Once you have removed the rust from the griddle, it’s time to reseason it with the same process used for seasoning a new griddle.

1. To season your griddle, preheat it for 10-15 minutes until the surface becomes super dark and looks almost burnt.

A squeeze bottle is ideal for helping you manage both water and oil.

Wipe the griddle’s surface with a damp paper towel to remove any loose dust or dirt.

2. Now turn off the griddle and apply a thin layer of cooking oil to the griddle surface. You can use any type of cooking oil you want.

If you have a higher quality one, like flax or olive oil, that’s great! These types of oils will bind better to the metal surface.

3. Now turn the heat up again and let it smoke. That’s all you need to do. Let the oil burn in high heat to create a bond between the metal and the oil.

4. After about 30 minutes, the amount of smoke in the air will be minimal and you know it is time to turn off the griddle.

High heat will break down the oil and the fatty acids bind together to form a new layer of molecules.

This layer helps protect the griddle surface from the outside environment and acts as a barrier to moisture. Hence helps to prevent the Blackstone griddle from rusting.

Make sure to season the griddle sides too. It’s important for easier cleaning and preventing rust.

As you cook more on your seasoned griddle with oil, the better it will get. Not only does it enhance the flavor of food, but it also provides a good cooking experience.

Step 6: Apply another layer of oil to prevent Blackstone Griddle from rusting

When you’re done seasoning, drizzle another 3-4 tablespoons of cooking oil. This will create a protective layer against rust and tarnishing.

The thicker the protective layer is, the harder it gets for water or air to reach the iron part of the griddle. That way, rust won’t form so easily, either.

You can also use Cast Iron Conditioner to season the Blackstone griddle, as recommended by Blackstone.

If you ever encountered mold on the grill check this How To Clean Mold Off My Grill – Best Way

Using Baking Soda And Vinegar To Clean Rust From Griddle

To remove rust stains and to minimize scrubbing time, vinegar, and baking soda paste can also help. Entirely mix 2 parts baking soda to 1 part vinegar into a thick paste, then pour it on a still-hot griddle surface as quickly as possible.

The baking soda and vinegar work together to loosen and lift stubborn grease and rust stains from the griddle.

Scrape the griddle surface with your griddle brick/pumice stone, making small concentric circles until the surface is clean.

Now clean it with a cleaning cloth and you can easily reseason the griddle by rubbing it with a rag soaked in cooking oil.

How to Clean Blackstone Griddle After Cooking

The best way to clean a griddle is to do it after each cooking, which will keep the surface of the griddle clean and prevent any build-up.

Doing this also means that you’ll never have to scrub off caked-on food from the griddle’s surface, which can be a very time-consuming process. Here is a step-by-step process to Clean Blackstone Griddle After Cooking (5- Steps)

Deep Cleaning Blackstone Grill

When oil seasoning on the griddle plate changes color, flakes off in more used areas, or gets coated with grease, or burnt food it’s time to deep clean the griddle

Deep cleaning a griddle is a labor-intensive and difficult process. The most time-consuming part of cleaning the griddle is removing the griddle seasoning from the top surface.

If you need to deep clean your griddle, there are some eco-friendly ways to do it: lemon juice and vinegar.

Lemon juice and vinegar have powerful acids which can break down stubborn fats and oils, making them a much more eco-friendly solution than using chemicals.

What you’ll need:

• Vinegar or lemon juice
• A griddle Scraper
• Water
• Cooking oil in squeeze bottle
• Grill Stone or pumice stone
• Paper towels

Steps to Deep Cleaning Blackstone Griddle

1. Heat the griddle on the high setting.

2. Mix lemon juice or vinegar solution in water and pour it on the griddle plate.

3. Start swirling the mixture around on the griddle’s surface for about 5 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape down the surface and break up any leftover crusty bits of seasoning.
4. Soak it for 20-30 minutes.
5. After soaking, now turn off the griddle and wait for everything to evaporate away.
6. The griddle seasoning has softened. You should be able to scrape it off into thin strips with a scraper now.
7. The soaking and scraping steps need to be repeated until the grill plate is smooth and metal starts to appear.
8. After most of the seasoning is gone, rub oil onto the griddle using a grill stone to make it smooth & remove any loose bits.
9. Now clean the grill plate with paper towels or griddle rags until they come off clean.
10. After the protective seasoning layer has been removed, you can begin to reseason your grill.

How to prevent Blackstone Grill from Rusting

Below are a few tips to stop griddles from rusting.

1. Season the griddle before each use and it can prevent Blackstone griddle from rusting. A protective layer of seasoning is all it takes to protect your griddle from the elements. Apply a thin layer of oil after cooking each time on the griddle. Keep it simple by adding 3-4 tablespoons of oil and wiping it with a paper towel.
2. You should store your griddle in a dry place. If you live in an area with a lot of moisture, consider keeping your griddle somewhere that’s well-ventilated. Keep it away from bathrooms.
3. Getting a heavy-duty canvas cover for the griddle -, will keep it safe from any humidity and give you peace of mind knowing that it will be protected from wear and tear.
4. After cooking, make sure to store your griddle in a nice and safe place, until you will use it again. Don’t pile anything on the plate or keep any pointy metal objects nearby – this might cause scratches.
5. If you haven’t used your griddle for a week+ it’s a good idea to have a quick inspection at the beginning of the following month. When rust is at its beginnings, it’s easier to remove. On the contrary, when it has already gone too far into the metal, you will need to take special care.

For all griddle owners having rusty griddles, this article “How to keep Blackstone from rusting” will help you eliminate that pesky rust for good.

How To Take Care Of A Blackstone Griddle?

A griddle is a heavy-duty cooking surface. It is made of cast iron and can be used for a variety of purposes, such as searing, pan frying, deep frying, and griddling. A griddle is an investment in quality cooking.

Maintaining it properly will ensure that the food you are cooking on it is cooked well.

It’s not hard to take care and maintain the Blackstone griddle. To maintain a griddle, you usually don’t need to scrub or even wash it. All you’ll want to do is season, and that’s about it –

Seasoning a griddle will make the surface nonstick and your food won’t get stuck to it. The secret is to make sure that you oil it for seasoning and store it properly.

So that it will last for a long time.

The Griddle will last for generations with proper care. The idea of your sweet grandson or even HIS grandson griddling it up on a Blackstone is amazing.

Final Words: How to clean rust off Blackstone

A griddle is an incredibly versatile kitchen appliance. To prevent Blackstone griddle rust, it should be taken care of regularly.

Different vehicles & vessels are usually made of iron, just like the Blackstone griddles are.

They are given a coat of paint to help them resist rusting. But you can’t actually paint the griddles since they’re meant for cooking food. The chemicals in the paint could mix with the food and pose a danger to human lives.

That’s why you need to know how to clean Blackstone rust. Also, prevent the griddle from rusting by following the tips above.

Comment below to let us know how our tips helped you in protecting your griddle from rusting.

FAQ’s

References:

My Griddle got rusted, is there a fix?