How to clean a cast iron griddle
Clean a cast iron griddle like a skillet: wash it, dry it completely and rub on a light coat of oil after every use. No soaking and no dishwasher.
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Clean it after every use
- Let the griddle cool enough to handle, then scrape off stuck food with a pan scraper or a flat wooden spatula.
- Wash it in warm, soapy water with a stiff brush or scrubbing pad. Ordinary dish soap is fine.
- Dry it completely, then set it back over the burner on low for a few minutes to drive off the last of the water. A double-burner griddle goes back across both burners.
- While it is still warm, rub a light coat of cooking oil over the cooking surface with a paper towel and wipe off the excess.
What to avoid
- Soaking it in the sink.
- The dishwasher: Lodge says it removes the seasoning and will likely cause rust.
- Putting it away damp or storing it somewhere humid.
- Steel wool for everyday cleaning. Keep it for rust.
Seasoning a griddle
Lodge griddles come seasoned, and the coat of oil after each wash keeps the seasoning going. For a fresh layer, season it in the oven like any cast iron: a very thin coat of oil all over, upside down on the center rack at 450 to 500°F for an hour, with foil on the rack below. Measure a double-burner griddle against your oven first; if it does not fit, keep to oiling it after every use.
What wears the seasoning
Lodge names acidic food, very high heat and scrubbing with abrasive tools or scouring pads. None of them ruins the griddle; they are the reason for the coat of oil after each use. Rust can be scoured off and the griddle seasoned again.