Q: How do you make the best smash burgers?
A: We always use 80/20 ground beef for smash burgers and roll them out into 3–4-ounce meatballs. Turn your griddle to medium-high and apply a light layer of canola oil. Throw down the beef and use a burger press and a piece of wax paper to smash the burger as thin as possible. Remove the wax paper and season immediately with salt and pepper or another seasoning blend of your choice. Once the burger is very crispy on one side, use your spatula to scrape underneath the burger and flip. A smash burger should only take about 2 minutes to cook, any longer and you will overcook the burger and dry it out. Here is a great video showing how to make delicous smash burgers.
Q: After I am done cleaning my griddle and applying another coating of oil on it do I burn that off or put it on after the griddle is cold and then leave it be?
A: Just adding a light layer of oil will protect your griddle until the next cook. There is no need to smoke off the oil after each cook.
Q: Can/How do you cook a baked potato on a Blackstone?
A: Start with a few small Russet potatoes. Wash them and lightly coat them with olive oil and coarse salt. Wrap them in aluminum foil. Turn your griddle to medium heat and place the wrapped potatoes directly onto the griddle top. Cover with a basting dome and cook for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
Q: What is the best way to clean the exterior of my Blackstone?
A: The main things to remember when cleaning the exterior of your griddle are to use gentle cleaners and non-abrasive rags or paper towels. This prevents scratching or damaging your powder coat. You can use warm, soapy water and a rag to gently remove any dirt or grease from the body of the griddle.
For easy, everyday clean-up, we do offer a non-toxic Degreaser Cleaner Spray. It is safe on all surfaces of your griddle—including the griddle top!
Q: Best way to clean and maintain the titanium nonstick E-Series griddle surface?
A: Our E-Series griddle plates are designed to make clean-up easy. Frequently, cleaning is as simple as pushing any residue and debris to the grease cup and wiping it down with a paper towel. For more involved cleaning, the griddle top can be removed and hand washed using standard dish soap and a non-abrasive scrub pad or sponge.
For more cooking and care instructions for the E-Series models, please see here.
Q: What would cause my griddle to warm and how do I fix it?
A: Because our griddle tops are manufactured from sheets of steel only a few millimeters thick, they are influenced more by changes in heat than their thicker commercial counterparts. Due to how many BTUs our griddles can produce, the griddle top can warp slightly when it is getting used to the heat—especially if it experiences a substantial heat shock.
In most cases, continuing to use the griddle will help it flatten back out. Repeated heating and cooling cycles get the griddle more used to the heat, and it will flatten out naturally.
Some ways to prevent warping are:
- Do not add large quantities of very cold or frozen food to a hot griddle top
- Do not pour water over a hot griddle top. When you need to use water for cleaning, use small and concentrated amounts of water to prevent heat-shocking the griddle surface.
That's it for this week's "Ask Blackstone Anything" - we'll be back every Monday to share more tips and tricks from questions submitted by you.
