Anyone Else Having "Sticking" Issues With Their Pit Boss Ultimate Griddle?

[Panhead John]

I’m beginning to fall out of love with my Pit Boss Ultimate Griddle 🤬 For the last 3 or 4 cooks, this damn thing has gotten progressively harder to clean….as well as cook on! I thought long and hard about posting this, as I don’t want to alarm anyone else who has one. Here’s what I’ve been experiencing.

I’ve cooked on this thing maybe 8-10 times, I still haven’t emptied my first tank of gas yet. The first several cooks were great, no sticking while cooking and I could always clean up with a paper towel…not anymore! Last nights stir fry was the final straw for me, I just have to post this. The last 3 or 4 cooks have required vigorous scraping and soaking the residue first with water. I’ve got a hard plastic scraper recommended from Uncle Bob It works great, but I never had to use it in the beginning.

This is what my griddle looked like this morning, and I even used some cooking oil on it!




While cooking my stir fry last night, the chicken was sticking like hell, even with a little oil on the griddle. As I mentioned, it’s gotten worse with each successive cook. After soaking this crap in water for about 10 minutes, I was able to scrape it off, but it took a lot of elbow grease.





This ☝️ is as good as I could get it with scraping, soaking and paper towels. I still have residue on it which will require further cleaning. Am I asking too much from this thing maybe? Anyone else finding it harder to clean than when new?

This picture was after my first session of soaking and scraping. 👇

[Attjack]

Are you seasoning it after every use? I clean my griddle while hot with water, a scraper, and a scrubbing screen if it needs it. Then I apply oil and wipe it off and let it cool down.

[Panhead John]

This is cold rolled steel coated with some type of nonstick material, it’s not a typical griddle. I was under the impression it doesn’t require seasoning.

[Attjack]

Andrrr My understanding is that ceramic cookware requires seasoning.

[Andrrr]

Attjack Well I learned something today. Time for a Bloody Mary!

[Jim White]

Wait. This morning? You aren’t cleaning while it’s still hot? Spray with water right as you turn it off, scrape and then with high temp gloves, wipe down, maybe with more water.

Edit to add: Steam is your friend! I am maybe 5 cooks in with mine and it has never taken more than 30 seconds to get the surface back to new-looking while hot.

[Panhead John]

Let me edit to add this, most of the time I’ve cleaned it the next morning. But even in the beginning AND with a couple of stir frys like last night, I was able to just wipe it off with a few paper towels.

[bmillin]

This makes sense but when I take thing off the griddle it is time to serve and eat, I don't like to deal with cleanup at that point. To be honest it is often the next day.

[Panhead John]

bmillin I’m the same way. I don’t feel like cleaning the damn thing after eating and then cleaning the kitchen. I’m ready to plop down on the couch with a drink and watch TV.

[Andrrr]

Thanks for sharing and I’m wondering what would cause this. I’ve been seriously considering selling my blackstone for one of these which I still may but that depends on if this is an issue. This kinda defeats the whole purpose of the nonstick top.

[Panhead John]

Exactly.

[Jfrosty27]

No problems at all. Having said that, I hit with water and scrape/clean it while hot. Pull the food, turn off burners, then clean immediately. Light oiling before I close it up.

[Jim White]

Same, except I never oil after cleaning. Mostly don't even oil for cooking. I cook probably above the temps on the Blackstone temp guide people have posted here.

[Attjack]

https://www.evoamerica.com/cooktop-cleaning/

[Uncle Bob]

Brace yourself PJ..................what I'm seeing is operator error, not hardware deficiency.

While the ceramic is "non-stick" for the most part, it still will get stuck on schmutz, especially when sugars are involved, but also some proteins. And before we get in the typical whizzing contest about whether a conventional seasoned top vs. the ceramic is better, the conventional seasoned rolled steel can do the same thing though marginally different in cause and effect as well as clean up. The ceramic will be easier to clean, but still requires proper cleaning both in timing and technique.

I emphasize "clean as you go", which isn't the same as "clean after you cook whether after dinner or the next day". Depending on what's being cooked and how much surface space it takes, I'll begin cleaning while I cook by using the hard high temperature nylon scraper mentioned. Depending on how stubborn the deposit is I may or may not use a spritz of water to help. The thing is, it's easier to get most stubborn deposits to come up when the griddle surface is still hot. If I'm not able to have the space or time to do it while food is still on the griddle, I shoot a reasonable amount of water on the schmutz after removing the food and as soon as I turn the flame off. I then close the lid to retain as much of the steam and residual heat as possible. Then take the food in to eat. As soon as we finish eating and clear the table I go back out and finish the job on the griddle. Usually the deposit is fairly soft, and still warm though not hot. If the deposit is particularly stubborn I'll relight the burner(s) in that area and add more water for steaming. Usually that gets the majority of the deposit up. That faint residual stuff in PJ's post cleaning pics is not unusual, and if it needs to come up I'll use a kitchen sponge with a scotchbrite backing to work it off (the PB utensil package has a scotchbrite type pad with a handle to accomplish the same thing). Again, depending on how stubborn the deposit is I'll use something as mild as Dawn detergent, or get more aggressive with the use of a baking soda/water slurry (mildly abrasive which is plenty and doesn't need heavy scrubbing), or similarly effective commercial products such as Barkeeper's Friend or a glass cooking top cleaning product like Cerama Brite. Once I had a very stubborn deposit that I got up with a light spritzing of oven cleaner after letting it sit for a minute or so. As for the notion of "seasoning" similar to what experienced griddlers do with a rolled steel top, that's not particularly useful on the ceramic. If the person doing that is VERY disciplined to spread on an extremely (emphasis for a point) thin layer of seasoning oil it won't do harm, but most people don't seem to understand what thin means in this context which leaves too much oil that will cause a sticky build up of it's own (those who complain about paper towel lint are often guilty of this).

To type this out in detail makes it seem more tedious than it actually is in practice. Quite frankly, on my "normal" seasoned, rolled steel griddles, I follow almost the exact same process with good results.

[Panhead John]

Thanks Bob! I understand the cleaning process a little better now. But…..what’s kind of bothering me still is the issue of my food sticking while I’m cooking, mainly just the meat. Could I have my griddle too hot when I first put the meat on and maybe have it too hot while cooking it also?

[Uncle Bob]

PJ, could be you're too hot, I'm usually at low to medium for most cooks unless I'm purposely pushing for browning, e.g. hash browns where there's comparatively high moisture. But it could also be your marinade, e.g. teriyaki sauces will often have a high sugar content.

[Sid P]

This is from page 20 of the manual. I doubt any of us intend to season after every use, but this certainly indicates we may have to occasionally.

[Jim White]

Thanks, Sid. I haven't been oiling. Guess I will now the same way I do my carbon steel wok. I'll wipe on just a bit of peanut oil while warm and then wipe off as much as I can with a paper towel.

[Attjack]

Why wouldn't you though it's easier than the cleaning step. It takes 5 seconds and gives you a nonstick cooking experience. I would however recommend sparingly applying oil rather than liberally applying it.

[hoovarmin]

PJ I think this can all be solved by purchasing a Camp Chef FTG900 like me and jfmorris 's

[mnavarre]

But... But... Those require maintenance! I mean you gotta clean 'em, and oil 'em, and... oh.

[Mosca]

I’ve been oiling after each cook, but I really don’t think I have to. I just do it because the manual said to.

I get occasional sticking, and residue left on the griddle. If you let it cool, that’s not coming off easily. Think of it the same as indoor cooking. So you’re doing chicken thighs skin down on the stovetop, right? And after 20 minutes or so, you pull them, and there’s all that fond stuck to the pan. What do you do? Yeah, you pour about half a cup of water on there while it’s still hot, and all that stuff scrapes right off and makes a nice sauce for the chicken! But if you let it cool, you’re in for a good half hour with the scrubber.

Truth told, I let mine cool, too, because I’m hungry, and doing omelets in 45° weather and cold eggs suck, so I eat first. But then I go out and reheat it, and squirt either oil or water on it and it scrapes right off.

[jfmorris]

I think most stuff has been addressed. I'm with Uncle Bob here and think you should clean as you go as much as possible. If not, go back after dinner, turn the grill back ON, and once it is hot enough to start steaming some water from your squirt bottle, use water and rags to steam off the stuff as much as possible, then oil LIGHTLY as it cools down again.

It's hard to clean a cold griddle. And sticking means too hot and not enough oil, depending on what you are cooking. On my Camp Chef I usually preheat with two burners on Med-Low, and four on Low, then turn off the two end ones on low when I start cooking, to get a 3 zone setup. An exception would be if I want to do 30 smash burgers at once, in which case I run them all on Med or Med-Low. I never run the griddle on high heat, except for when I am seasoning or reseasoning, when you want to take it past the smoke point of the oil.

Sounds like you still need to put a little oil on that ceramic surface, just like I do on cold rolled steel. Even if its not needed to prevent rust, it should help make it even more non-stick over time.

[Attjack]

I often run my EVO at high heat. It's the only way to get enough heat for a proper stir fry and i've never had problems with anything sticking.

[jfmorris]

PJ, are you cooking stuff with a lot of sugars in it - I.e. sauces and such? I’ve learned with my stir fries to leave any sugary teriyaki or other thicker sauces to the end, as otherwise it burns and makes a mess on the griddle.

[Panhead John]

Jim, I always put my stir fry sauce on at the end of the cook, which includes either soy or teriyaki sauce. After reading all the comments, my problem could be 1. Too hot of a grill for the beginning of the cook. 2. Not seasoning with a thin coat of oil between cooks. I’m gonna give it a good and thorough cleaning next week and keep it lightly oiled between cooks. After a few cooks with lower temps I’ll report back here. Wouldn’t be the first time I’m doing something wrong….

[Attjack]

Same here the sauce is typically the final step. I also don't often use super sweet sauces.

[GolfGeezer]

PJ, I'm pretty much in the "clean as you go" camp. However, when the cook is finished, I'll serve immediately. After cleaning up the dinner/lunch dishes and stuff, I'll reheat the griddle for a few minutes, then spritz with water and scrape with the hard thingie Uncle Bob posted about in his other thread, then wipe. I've always noted some "crud" sticking, but it comes up with the water/scraping treatment. Caveat: I have not cooked on it as much as you have, so maybe that is a factor.

As for temp, I actually am disappointed the 2-burner does not get super hot. My IR meter shows the hotter side gets around 480* max - my 2-burner Blackstone got to 600*+. Now I have a bit of buyer's remorse about not getting the 3-burner. This is noticeable particularly with burgers - they just don't get the crust I really want. And I do think the lower temps contribute to "crud" build-up, although I have not experienced meat sticking - the food slides around pretty easily still. The folks who have the 3-burner and 4-burner have noted that they get much higher temps than we do with the 2-burner.

[realdocBBQ]

This is disappointing to hear, Panhead John. I have been intrigued by these griddles and have wondered about trading off my Blackstone, too.

But honestly, given the higher pricetag, and how much I love my Blackstone, I just don't see the point. I did fried rice on my Blackstone just last night - While I didn't use too much high sugar stuff, I did use some mirin with soy and sesame, so it made a bit of a mess, but cleaned up wonderfully and with no effort. Just a little water on a hot griddle, scrape it off, lightly oil and wipe it and shut it down. For all the hoopla about how easy these griddles are to clean, I have little trouble with mine, and touching up the seasoning here and there isn't any real effort - I've never stripped it, in about 16 months or so of cooking.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bagging on the Pit Boss ones - I just have very little trouble with my Blackstone, and I like the hard surface, I don't have to worry about it. I can beat it up, smack the edge of my metal spatulas, bang and scrape and use essentially anything I want with absolutely no worried.

So far.

[Mosca]

I think this is a good griddle, and I’m happy with it. But I also think that if I had a Blackstone, I’d be happy with that, too. After I bought mine, while searching YouTube for tips and tricks and recipes, I watched a couple comparison vids. Each has trade-offs. I’d say that once you learn your trade-offs, don’t look back.

My 3 burner Sierra hits 500°-ish on the center and left burners, and about 275° on the left burner.

[jfmorris]

Yeah, I don't think there is enough difference to warrant trading in your Blackstone, unless you are just having trouble with it rusting up and need something with the ceramic coating. My Campchef lives out in the elements under a canvas type cover, and if I use it and oil it at least once a month, stays in good shape.

[Panhead John]

GolfGeezer If I remember correctly, I believe mine had a few areas of 550* when I tested the surface temps. That was done after about 10 minutes of both burners on high. To elaborate on my comments to jfmorris above, I believe my problems might be self induced. I’ve usually heated my griddle with both burners on high for 5 minutes or so, then applying the food, then turning the burners down some. With the exception of smash burgers, I’ll now start with lower temps. The cleaning yesterday was done on a cold griddle after soaking in water from a spray bottle. I have warmed up the griddle first for a couple of cleanings and yes, it’s easier with a hot griddle for cleaning. I’ll never clean my griddle the night of cooking, no way. So I’ll definitely clean from here on out with a hot griddle, the next day. The reason I didn’t do that previously was because most of my cooks had always wiped up with just paper towels, even the day after.

It’s possible my cooks were getting progressively "stickier" because I’ve never seasoned it between cooks, didn’t think I needed to, being a ceramic non stick griddle. I will keep a thin coat of oil on it between cooks from here on out. As far as clean as you go, I do that "most of the time" depending on how much crud is on the griddle. I appreciate everyone’s advice, this is my first griddle to ever use, so all of y’all’s tips will come in handy. After a few more cooks on it in the next few weeks, I’ll report back here with an update.

[Attjack]

Stir frying is a higher heat endeavor.

[GolfGeezer]

Panhead John I'll have to watch for stickiness as I do not "season" or oil after I clean. After scraping and hot water, I just wipe with paper towels. I figure this ceramic coating is similar to what I have with my Le Creuset dutch oven - ceramic coated cast iron in that case. The LC now develops stickiness, but also easily cleans with hot water and wiping. Had that thing for 25 years now.