How can I prevent rust on my griddle top?
Rust can form on your griddle top if the steel is able to interact with oxygen and water. This is also known as oxidation.
The best way to prevent rust is to have a good seasoning layer on your griddle top. When you season your griddle, you bake oils into your griddle cooking surface, which creates a new polymer on the steel to lock out oxygen and water. For information on the best practices on seasoning your griddle, please see here: https://blackstoneproducts.zohodesk.com/portal/en/kb/articles/how-do-i-season-my-griddle
Past seasoning, it's important to make sure your griddle is protected from the elements. If water is able to pool on your griddle top while not in use, this can start to eat through your seasoning and cause rust. A few tips are:
- Use your griddle frequently! Every time you cook, you are adding to the seasoning, which makes rust less likely.
- If possible, store your griddle out of the elements, like under awning or in a shed. If you don't have a good place to store your griddle, you can also remove the griddle top and store it inside if you won't be cooking for over a month.
- If you are using a soft cover on a unit that doesn't have a hood, make sure to tent your cover in the center. This will allow water to drain over the cover. If the cover gets beaten down, water can pool on top of the cover and start soaking through onto your griddle surface.
- Consider pairing your soft cover with a hard cover. This will give your griddle top the best protection.