Cast Iron Griddle - Temperature

[Murdy]

Was looking at buying BBQ Dragon Cast Iron Griddle for searing on my gas grill:

https://www.amazon.com/BBQ-Dragon-Re...89508278&psc=1

About a third of the way down the page, it says for cooking up to 480 degrees. My gasser will hit 700+. So would this be inappropriate for my intended use? Is all cast iron limited like this or is it just this particular product?

[Eggy72]

I've had cast iron skillets over an open fire in my fire pit which was way hotter than 480, so I definitely would say not all cast iron is created equal if that's the top out they are recommending.

Not sure how old your grates are on your gasser, but if they're close I'd recommend investing in the Grill Grates that are recommended by this site. I bought some a few weeks ago and they are awesome. Run way hotter than regular grates and provide a great sear if you have them on the flat side.

Otherwise, depending on how much you're planning on searing maybe just get a good, big cast iron skillet. I have a 10" and 14" and both have been on the grill and over the fire pit, even sitting on the wood in the pit to get a fantastic sear.

[Murdy]

Thanks for the response. I have a relatively new set of aftermarket stainless steel grates, so I hate to spend the money on Grill Grates, otherwise I would buy some in a second.

[klflowers]

I didn't know the answer to this, so I looked it up on the Camp Chef site (I have a Camp Chef stove and griddle). This is what it says:

Do I need to pre-heat my griddle?

Yes. For the best performance pre-heat your griddle to medium or medium-low for approximately 5 minutes. This should produce a griddle surface temperature of 350 – 400 degrees. Then turned heat to medium low to low for 2-3 minutes for uniform heat and you are ready to cook.

• Why did my griddle warp?
  
  If the heat isn’t even it will cause the griddle to warp. It is best to use a flame tamer—our newer griddles have this built in.
• How do I un-warp my griddle?
  
  You can put the griddle on your Camp Chef cooking system over medium heat. Put something heavy (pot with water or heavy rock) on the warped area. Heat it up until it lays flat, then turn the heat off (while leaving the heavy object on top.) Leave until it has completely cooled.
• How can I actively prevent warping?
  
  Adjust your heat up slowly and keep all burners at the same output setting for an even cook and to avoid warping. Do not heat your griddle on high.

SO while it doesn't directly answer your question, it looks like it will warp at really high heats. I guess it must be because they are thinner than cast iron skillets or maybe because they are flat. I know I have had my CI skillets way above 480 degrees.

https://www.campchef.com/frequently-asked-questions

[Mark V]

Lodge says 500 degrees F max.

[jfmorris]

Murdy I think the reason you are seeing temperature limits on cast iron is not due to the cast iron itself, but due to the fact that any and all seasoning will burn off at higher temperatures. 500+ is above the smoke point of all the oils used in seasoning, and is likely the reason they give these max temp ratings.

Cast iron itself should not warp or be damaged at 700 degrees. And I'll be straight up - I've been using a Lodge 14" CI pizza pan as my pizza "stone" on both my Weber Performer and now on my SNS Kamado. I got it up to over 700 degrees last time, and the seasoning turned from black to a dark gray, but it still worked just fine for making my pizza. I did not have any issues like that when I kept the kamado down around 600 degrees. I've not used that cast iron pan for anything other than pizza, but once it cooked down and I wiped it down with oil the next day it seemed just fine. I'm not too worried about seasoning on a pizza pan, but you will be on a griddle.

[Polarbear777]

Possible to warp it if it is thin and wide. Seasoning starts to burn off the surface around 750F (I can watch this happen on my carbon steel wok as it reached ~800F. I regularly take CI to 700F with no issues.

[Spinaker]

Honestly, if you are cooking with cast iron, you dont need to go up too 700. The surface of the iron will retain heat, and you will get a great cooking surface at around 400 F. Cast iron does not need to be blasted by temps to achieve a good sear. Many people forget that once the food is applied, it take very little energy to keep that pan hot. (Provided it is heat soaked) I will heat up a skillet, and will leave the heat alone or often turn the heat down to manage the temp of the iron.

[Spinaker]

It will be fine. The seasoning will just burn off, that is all. The iron itself will be just fine. Murdy

[klflowers]

Great advice. I regularly have problems cooking bacon on my griddle cause it gets too hot. I am going to try this next time. Thanks, Spin

[Spinaker]

No problem, just think of that flat top as a freight train, take a bit to get it going, but once it is going, it takes very little to keep it going. @kflowers

[Murdy]

Thank you all for the responses, you have assuaged my fears and I went ahead and ordered one.

[jfmorris]

Murdy a cheap IR is good to have. I've got the Maverick one that the Grillgrates folks resell, and it works very well for checking surface temperatures. You can also probably find an IR thermometer at your local hardware store, but those sometimes don't have the high end range of the ones specifically for cooking/grilling.

[Dewesq55]

Lowe's sells one branded Ames with a high end of 752°. Probably sufficient for most cooking applications except maybe wood fired pizza oven. I think I'm going to pick one up for my vacation house.