Easy methods to Winterize a Blackstone Griddle With out Ruining the Seasoning

To winterize a Blackstone griddle, clear the highest, dry it, and wipe on a skinny coat of oil. Then flip all the pieces off, disconnect the propane, cowl it, and preserve it someplace cool and dry. Test it for rust about as soon as a month till spring. That’s the entire job, and each step beneath comes from Blackstone’s personal care guides and proprietor’s manuals.

The seasoning is what you’re defending. It’s the baked-on layer of oil that retains meals from sticking and retains water off the metal. Three issues break it over a winter: moisture that turns into rust, harsh cleaners that strip it, and oil laid on so thick it goes gummy.

Planning to maintain cooking via the chilly as a substitute? Our ideas for grilling in chilly climate cowl that facet.

1. Clear the Prime Whereas It’s Nonetheless Heat

Begin with a final cook dinner, or simply warmth the griddle for a couple of minutes. Blackstone’s routine is easy. Scrape off any meals and grease, pour a bit of water on the nice and cozy prime, and preserve the burners on low to medium whilst you push the water round with the scraper. The water lifts the gunk because it steams off. Repeat till the metal is clear, then wipe it dry.

For stuck-on spots, Blackstone suggests its scouring pad, used gently. Skip abrasive scrubbers on a seasoned prime (Blackstone saves these for rust), and skip detergents and oven cleaners fully. Blackstone says they’ll break the seasoning layer and might even trigger corrosion.

Don’t overlook the grease cup. Blackstone’s cleanup guidelines has you empty and clear it, and grease left sitting all winter is the very last thing you need to discover in March. Its manuals add one rule earlier than something will get moved or saved: let the griddle cool to 115°F first.

Our 8 ideas for conserving a Blackstone working nice go deeper on the on a regular basis clear.

2. Wipe On a Skinny Coat of Oil

That is the step that protects the seasoning all winter. As soon as the highest is clear and fully dry, add a few tablespoon of oil and unfold it with paper towels held in tongs. Blackstone’s phrase is “thinnest.” Wipe up any drips or puddles, then let it cool.

Skinny issues greater than it sounds. Blackstone warns {that a} thick coat results in chipping and a sticky buildup on the plate. You desire a sheen, not a slick. Should you stay someplace humid or close to the coast, the manuals say your griddle may have seasoning extra typically between makes use of.

Any plant-based cooking oil works, based on the manuals. Blackstone’s personal decide is its Griddle Seasoning & Solid Iron Conditioner, a mix of coconut oil, soy shortening and beeswax that it says protects towards sticking and rust between makes use of.

Seasoning a griddle from naked metal is an extended job with a number of rounds of oil and warmth. If yours wants that, our information to Blackstone errors to keep away from walks via it.

3. Flip Off and Disconnect the Propane

Blackstone’s manuals give the order. Be sure that each knob is off. As soon as the griddle has cooled, unscrew the regulator collar from the fuel line, then unscrew the cylinder from the regulator. On a 1-pound cylinder, put the mud cap that got here with it again on the valve.

The manuals are agency on two factors. The cylinder needs to be disconnected every time the griddle isn’t in use. And don’t retailer a spare cylinder below or close to the griddle.

The place the tank itself ought to spend the winter, Blackstone’s pages don’t say, however propane suppliers do. Ferrellgas says to retailer tanks outdoor in a well-ventilated spot, upright and steady, and by no means in a storage, shed, basement or storage unit. A valve that isn’t totally closed can let vapor accumulate in an enclosed area.

4. Pull the Ignition Battery

Many Blackstones gentle with a push-button igniter that runs on a AA or AAA battery. Blackstone doesn’t say to take it out for winter. Loads of homeowners do anyway, so a battery can’t leak or corrode within the chilly, which is widespread follow slightly than a Blackstone rule. Blackstone does recommend a contemporary battery at the beginning of the season if yours has been shortly.

5. Cowl It

“All the time cowl your equipment when saved outdoor” is how Blackstone’s manuals put it. A heavy-duty cowl retains out rain, mud and the humidity that begins rust. Blackstone sells smooth covers with buckle straps that maintain them on within the wind, and exhausting covers that sit proper on the griddle prime. Its help web page has a canopy finder by mannequin.

No matter cowl you utilize, don’t stack issues on the griddle prime. Blackstone says something piled on it, particularly pointy metallic, can scratch the floor. For different gear value having, see our Blackstone griddle equipment.

6. Decide the Spot: Storage or Exterior

Blackstone’s rule is cool and dry. It desires a spot that doesn’t get damp, has some air flow, and stays at a light temperature, away from loos and the kitchen.

A storage or shed works, with one situation from the manuals. Solely retailer the griddle indoors if the propane cylinder is disconnected and faraway from it. Blackstone additionally suggests checking on a garaged griddle at times to wipe off mud. Our 8 ideas for conserving a Blackstone working nice cowl the year-round storage fundamentals too.

Staying exterior all winter? That’s effective too, so long as it’s coated and you retain up the rust checks beneath.

7. Test for Rust As soon as a Month

Blackstone’s security information says to have a look at your griddle at the very least as soon as a month, particularly in winter. Raise the quilt, look excessive, and wipe on a lightweight coat of oil with paper towels. Blackstone says there’s no want to fireside it up for that.

Should you do spot rust, don’t panic. Blackstone factors out that rust solely varieties on the floor. Its repair is to warmth the griddle on excessive, scrape the rust off, scrub with oil and a grill stone, wipe it clear and season once more. The manuals additionally permit metal wool or low-grit sandpaper earlier than re-seasoning. Catching it early is way simpler than taking up an entire rusty prime in spring.

8. Spring Begin-Up

When cooking climate comes again, give it a once-over earlier than the primary burger. Blackstone’s guidelines, so as:

• Look beneath. If it sat for greater than a few months, verify below the highest for nests and spider webs. Blackstone warns they’ll block the burners, and suggests blowing them out with compressed air.
• Test the fuel components. Look over the hose for cracks, the crimped finish on the regulator, and the nut below the griddle the place the hose meets the burners.
• Leak take a look at. Brush soapy water on the connections and open the tank valve slowly. Rising bubbles imply a leak. Shut it and exchange the half earlier than cooking.
• Recent battery, full tank. Blackstone suggests a brand new ignition battery if the previous one has been shortly, and a full tank earlier than the primary cookout.
• Clear and season the highest. Scrape off something that settled on it and wipe off gentle floor rust. Then season with oil, wipe it clear, and season once more.
• Set it up safely. Preserve it away from the home wall, furnishings and something plastic, and ensure it sits stage so grease doesn’t pool in a nook.

Sources

All learn 2026-10-22: Blackstone’s personal website and assist pages, plus one propane provider on tank storage.

• Blackstone, Easy methods to care for your griddle: full information
• Blackstone, Griddle seasoning full information
• Blackstone, How typically does a griddle have to be seasoned?
• Blackstone, Easy methods to take away rust from a griddle
• Blackstone, Griddle security information
• Blackstone, Griddling pre-season guidelines
• Blackstone, Griddle 101
• Blackstone, Griddle care assortment
• Blackstone, Griddle Seasoning & Solid Iron Conditioner
• Blackstone, Authentic 36″ Griddle Cowl
• Blackstone, Griddle Prime Restoration Equipment
• Ferrellgas, Easy methods to safely retailer and transport a propane tank
• Blackstone, proprietor’s manuals for fashions 2142 and 1650 (Equipment Storage, Disconnect the LPG Cylinder, Storing LPG Cylinders, Stopping Rust), by way of the manuals web page