The flat top grills or griddles are useful for individual kitchens, and also for outdoor caters. The grills and griddles range from small, portable versions suitable for small families to massive members with multiple burners capable of cooking many food items. If you wish to cook a range of foods without the fat and extra oil accumulating, they are worthwhile. Everything can be cooked without dropping through the conventional grill grates, including eggs and pancakes. The solid surface keeps small food items from falling into the flames.
Things Need To Know About Cooking On A Flat Top Grill
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Cooking on a flat-top grill or griddle is entirely different from cooking on an ordinary kitchen stove. Here you have to obey certain rules to make the perfect cooking vibe.
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Don’t Preheat On High
It is advised that you should never keep the grill or griddle or any such cooking surface in a high flame. You should use medium heat only while preheating before cooking. The cooking surface can be kept at high flame for some time when you keep cold meat (taken from the freezer) on the cooking surface. Otherwise, when the frozen item is kept on the cooking surface, the temperature will be reduced suddenly.
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Clean Your Griddle As You Go With A Scraper
It is better to clean the surface of the griddle after every cooking so that the griddle will not be sticky when you cook the next time. Along with the spatula, use the bench scraper to clean the cooking surface as soon as the cooking is over. Or you can clean the part of the griddle if that part is not used right now, thus the complete cleaning after cooking will be easy.
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Oil Your Gas Griddle Surface After Every Cook
Applying oil on the cooking surface is better to maintain the griddle. After cooking, clean the griddle surface when it is hot, using a paper towel coated with oil.
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Don’t Rely On Your Heat Setting Knobs Or Thermometer
Set your griddle between 350 and 375°F for a better cooking experience. Or try some other methods as you cannot rely on the heat setting knob all the time. If the color of the surface is becoming brown then you can make sure that it is hot enough. Or put a piece of butter on the cooking surface and see the result. If it immediately starts burning and becoming brown, then you can conclude that the griddle is too hot. Thus turn the flame low. Instead, if the butter doesn’t melt immediately, then the griddle is too cold. Thus keep it medium flame.
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Don’t Be Afraid To Put A Pot Or Pan On Your Griddle Surface
A griddle can be used for the preparation of a variety of dishes. Thus you can place a pot or a saucepan or anything that requires heat. Instead of keeping the pot or pan on the kitchen stove, you can use the griddle for making side dishes or sauce or broths.
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Create A Two-zone System
Basically, a griddle has two temperature zones. Different food items are to be cooked at different temperatures. The separate temperature levels allow all the items required for the entire meal to be cooked at the same time. A wire rack can be set on the cooking surface near the burner with low heat. Here you can place the items for warming. Likewise, you can cook food items in a batch-wise mode.
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Turn Off Your Flat Top Grill A Few Minutes Before Your Food Is Done
When the internal part of the food item has been completely cooked, the temperature remaining on the griddle will be enough for cooking the remaining part even though the nob is kept in the off position. The cooking will be continued with the residual temperature of the griddle surface. The turning off prevents the leftover sauce and food debris from being burnt on the griddle.
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Don’t Use Just One Burner
Turning only one burner may cause the griddle to warp or buckle. The temperature difference between the different sides of the griddle makes it difficult to complete the process. If you need to cook a small quantity of food, then keep the burners on the lowest flame.
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Pay Attention To Your Propane Tank
Maintaining the propane tanks with perfect care prevents potential accidents when outdoor cooking services are conducted. While making the grill off, do pay attention to the propane tank valve also. Switching the knob into the off position is not enough. You have to make the valve on the propane to be closed in order to prevent gas leakage. Keep another propane tank as a substitute for the connected propane tank. If any gas leakage is found, or if the gas got finished, then you have to run here and there to complete the cooking. Thus if a secondary propane tank is ready, then you can directly connect to it without much delay in cooking.
You have to take precautionary measures while using the propane tank for the flat-top grill:
- Do not smoke while cooking with the grill or standing near the propane tank while handling a cooking process using the flattop grill or griddle.
- Close the valve of the propane tank when the grills are not used.
- Keep the propane tank a little bit away from the heat sources, better to keep the propane tank outside.
- Keep the propane tank in a well-ventilated area and avoid those areas with excess heat while placing the propane tank.
- Avoid keeping the propane tank in an area where the temperature is 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If you are using the grill after a long period of non-use, replace the hose of the propane tank, or check the hose for any leakage.
- If leakage comes then it may cause an explosion while propane is mixed with oxygen in the air.
- Use the propane tank with a safety feature to control the flow of propane when it goes fast.
Flat Top Grill Tips And Techniques To Look Like A Pro
It is not easy to become a pro in using the flattop grill. You have to gain experience to become a pro. It takes time and patience. Do not expect that suddenly one day you can achieve such a credit. Once you get experience in using the flat top grill, then only you can say that you are a pro. Through work experience, you can prepare the three items given below using the flat top grill:
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The “Smash”
For preparing the perfect smash Berger, use two spatulas, keep them in an X shape, and press the meat with the X. Apply maximum pressure to shape the meat. Use some techniques like wax paper on the meat before smashing it to prevent it from sticking.
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The “Flip”
Use the spatula from the side with one swift movement. Your spatula is efficient to flip larger foods.
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The “Chop”
You can use the spatula to chop the food items directly onto the flat-top grill. You can use the scraper tool to make the food items into thin slices to cook on the flat-top grill. Simply make your scraper move up, and down quickly as the scraper is perpendicular to the griddle surface.
FAQs
Yes. You can cook the entire meal or items required for a guest dinner on the flat-top grill. Maintenance and keeping it clean are essential. Also, you have to take safety measures while using the griddle.
All the items can be prepared on the flat-top grill. Food items that needed smashing, chops, and flips were quickly done with the tools and a flat-top grill. These can be done directly onto the flat top grill and cooked perfectly.
Oil can be used after every cooking, leading to the cooking surface being non-sticky. Also, cleaning after the entire cooking is over is easy if you apply oil to the surface after each cooking process.
The burners are to be kept on. The cooking surface is to be preheated to medium flame. Place the items on the cooking surface. Follow the steps to complete the cooking process. After cooking, clean the griddle for subsequent use.
You can cook a Taco Smash Burgers, omelet, or even a full meal. Apart from these, you can use the griddle for preparing special items like Tacco balls, taco smashes, fried pickles, juicy marinated chicken breast, hashbrown casserole griddle cakes, and so on.
Conclusion
A flat-top grill is an asset for your kitchen to use for cooking the entire food item for a festive season or for outdoor cooking services. It is not so easy to use and maintain, but once you become an expert, it is easy to use and maintain the flat top griddle.
You need to follow the steps in order. Also, you can try new food items and dishes on the flat-top grill. So it is worthwhile to have the flat top grill or griddle. Safety measures are essential while using the flat-top grill.