Has anyone used a steelmade flat top? Would love to get a review. Looking at one for my grill
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I am curious to know as well. I have been looking for something exactly like this for a while with no luck. -
Wondering if anyone has it yet and will post a review. This looks like exactly what I want. I make a copy cat version of Benihana chicken fried rice at home in a couple of pans would be easier and more fun on a griddle. Also pancakes for my family of seven would be a lot faster than on my stovetop.Comment
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I have one, and love it. I’ll try to pull a review together this weekend.
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I've been tempted to get at Steelmade griddle for my Summit gasser ever since Uncle Bob tempted me with the suggestion last summer. Particularly impressive are these heat distribution photos from the Steelmade website.
Heat distribution with Steelmade griddle on on gasser:
compared to a Blackstone Griddle heat distribution:
KarchyBBQ do you have the drip tray accessory as well?
KathrynComment
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fzxdoc - I don't typically use a drip tray, but will occasionally use a foil pan on fattier cooks. (See below for more on this.)
So far I've cooked: cheesesteaks, smash burgers, bacon, eggs, pancakes, street corn salad (pictured above). I've seared (or "crispified" as my son would say): pork carnitas, tacos al pastor, and steaks. All have been great, and, most importantly, well received by family and guests. Fried rice is next and my son is preparing a plan for it (on teenager time - he's been talking about it for months and somehow his friends and video games seems to come first).
The heat distribution, in my experience, is not as uniform. I attribute this in part to the fact that my cheap gasser ($100 charbroil 5-burner "performance" model - same model as pictured on the steelmade website) has temperature variances between front and back of up to 200 degrees even after I've cleaned up all the burners and it's running clean. The Steelmade mitigates this somewhat and I see less variance between front and back when using the griddle but because (I believe) of how the burners are arranged, it's still on the order of 75-125 degrees. I'm considering getting a set GrillGrates that may more evenly distribute the temperature (with the griddle and without), but I balk at spending more money on a grill that I primarily use only for the griddle anyway and especially when I have my sights set on bigger and better (and smokier) cookers.
I have really two issues with the griddle's design itself. The temp variances are not that a big a deal to me and I understand that it could partly (mostly?) be driven by the grill I'm using.
1. The holes in the front are like geysers of hot air. (This is where Steelmade's drip tray would be most beneficial to me.) Especially, when I'm cooking at higher temperatures, because of the cross piece on the burner grid below (see bacon picture above), that hot air vents through those holes and has singed some arm hairs for sure. I'm making cheesesteaks this Friday for dinner and I'm going to try to experiment with a foil tray under those holes that is held in place by the griddle itself. Adding the Steelmade drip tray is probably in my future and at $35 it's a pretty low cost add.
2. The griddle typically does a really good job of holding temp without needing to crank the grill up too high. However, when the temp does get a little high, it does warp a bit. As the griddle cools, it will come back to shape, but that was more than a little disconcerting the first time it happened. I guess this isn't really a design "issue" so much as a reminder that "you need to understand the material". I think Steelmade says this temperature is 600 degrees and that seems right to me. I try to keep the temp 450-500 as that is plenty for my purposes.
Bottom line for me: if I get a new gas grill, one of my top priorities will be finding this griddle fits as neatly as it does on my current cheapo gasser. Seems crazy when I say/type it out loud, but I do really love using it.Last edited by KarchyBBQ; March 11, 2020, 07:21 AM.Comment
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Thanks for the nice review, KarchyBBQ . I wondered about the placement of those heat vent holes. Your experience is good to know. Also it's good that my expectations of uniform heat distribution might not be met. These are great things to be aware of going in to a purchase. Of course it's good to have hot areas and cooler areas when griddle cooking, so they may not be all bad. At least you don't appear to experience the large temp differential shown on that Blackstone photo. Or do you?
About Grill Grates paired with this griddle--you may want to email Brad about using this griddle with them. They have some warnings about putting things on top of the grates, like cast iron pots, that may trap more heat onto the GGs than they can withstand without warping.
Grill Grates sells a griddle, or more specifically, griddle sections, and I have two of them. They're great for smaller sears, but their best feature is that I can clean and hand wash them so they're as pristine as my pots and pans--not "grill clean" as I call it. I don't use them for, say, a breakfast cook, but many people seem to. Anyway, my point is that since the Grill Grates folks feature one of their griddles placed on top of the GGs , perhaps there won't be an issue with the Steelmade griddle. Still, it may be wise to check.
Kathryn
Last edited by fzxdoc; March 11, 2020, 07:32 AM.Comment
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I'll admit it's been a while since I tested the actual temperature variances. I will try to do that this weekend and answer your question regarding the Blackstone differential. I don't recall it being anywhere near 265 degrees difference though. I had it pegged at closer to 100 degrees. And I agree that it can be good to have cooler and hotter areas on any griddle. -
I don't think the Grillgrates folks would bless putting this solid hunk of steel on top of their aluminum grill grates. I would be afraid of warping due to the two metals heating and cooling at different rates, and definitely trapped heat that could exceed the 900F recommended max temp of the aluminums Grillgrates.
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I am looking at the website, and find the Steelmade flat top for my gas range in the house VERY intriguing, but also it seems like it would be a mess. It has a drip tray, but the front edge is straight, so it sure seems that if your stove or cooktop is even slightly out of level front to back, oil and grease could be dripping off the entire front edge of the griddle, and not just in the drip area where the holes are.
I am very intrigued by this for my grill though, and just bookmarked it for a future MCS purchase!Comment
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I'm really glad I asked. Thanks for the pictures and the review. How did the pancakes turn out?
As for the fried rice, I think this is a pretty decent recipe. The main thing I have done to improve upon my attempts from just watching them make the rice at Benihana's and trying to replicate the recipe was the garlic butter. For a long time I was just using butter (and saying "ice cream" as I put it on the rice). Using the garlic butter improved the results.
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Pancakes are a little tricky, depending on the thickness of batter, etc. So, took a few times to get the temperature right and I still struggle with it from time to time. But they're good. I tend to prefer the ones I make indoors better, perhaps because I really have the temps mastered on my range and non-stick pans.
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Also I'm a new Pitmaster Club Member. What is MCS?Comment
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Ok, so MCS is something I already suffer from despite being new to the pitmaster club.
In my possession at this time:
1. Weber Genesis E320
2. Weber Performer
3. Weber 22.5 Special Edition Red Kettle
4. Weber 22.5 Premium Kettle (in my possession at this time applies to this one, $20 for a dirty kettle missing front leg. Cleaned and standing ready to sell).
5. Weber Smokey Joe 14"
6. Pit Boss Pellet Smoker (Garbage day find, had a broken auger, and owner tried using it as a charcoal grill, just needed a good cleaning and to be un-jammed and is now working great.
7. Big Poppa Smokers EDS (55 Drum Smoker, built from a kit BPS sells)
8. A drum in my shed that is drilled out but not painted, intention is to make it look like R2-D2.
Wanted to buy...
26" Kettle, would be nice to not crowd my 22 when cooking for my family of 7.
Considering but waiting a bit, Weber Smoke-Fire.
If I do get this I would sell the Pit Boss. Also would consider selling the genesis if it would replace what I tend to use my gas for, quick weeknight cooks and pizza.
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I ordered my steel made flat top for the grill a couple days ago and it is supposed to arrive Wednesday. If anybody is considering I put it in my shopping cart filled out some of the customer and shipping info including my email address, but then did not pull the trigger on purchasing. The next day I had an email from them with a 10% off code that lasted 24 hours in order to complete my order. Not sure that this is something I always do but a nice way to save $12 bucks (I went with the bundle that included accessories starter pack). I did not do the drip pan but considered throwing it in there with that coupon. For now I'll see how it goes without.
These are some pancakes I made on my griddle pan from SNS grills. I used my Genesis as a warming oven. Hopefully the steelmade griggle gives me enough real estate to cook a much larger batch for my five kids.
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It has been pretty bad the past few months. Found 2 Daisy wheel 22s, fixed one up by making new handles out of some scrap wood and sold it. The other is missing a leg socket and is currently being considered as a fire pit. I purchased 2 Jumbo Joe's on the same day for a total of $45 clean them both up sold the lesser of the 2 for $30. I just picked up a 26" never been used, from a guy that was able to get the Glen Blue. And grabbed a trashed gasser replaced the burners for $37 and sold it $120
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I have just looked the Steel Made Griddle over and am very interested......I also have a question. I see one for my gasser @ 16.25D X23.88W X .94H ,,,,,,Would fit my 4 burner gasser perfectly! And only $89 and free shipping! Now.......The optional grease drain (at $35) mounts across the front beneath the griddle cooking surface. Seems the grease drain would cause the griddle to slant toward the back badly....it would have to be leveled....I assume the griddle sits atop the existing grill grates.........What am I missing????
EDITED TO ADD: ALL I CAN FIGURE IS THAT THE GRIDDLE MUST BE PULLED FORWARD TO EDGE OF GRILL GRATES SO THAT THE GREASE DRAIN MOUNTED ACROSS THE FRONT EDGE OF GRIDDLE WOULD EXTEND OUTSIDE THE INTERIOR OF THE GRILL???? ADVERTISING SEEMED TO INDICATE THAT THE LID COULD BE CLOSED THOUGH????Last edited by Alabama Smoke; July 22, 2020, 12:52 PM.Comment
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Tom, look at this page, and some of the pictures, for the grease catch for the grill-based griddle:
The grease pan is made to clip to the bottom of your stock grates, with ears at each end that fit through the bars of the grate and hook onto it. They show it with a center grate section removed. Then you set the Steel Made griddle on top of the stock grates.
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Jim, makes perfect sense, but I never envisioned that. Now if I have 1.25" clearance between my flavor bars and my grates..........I may just order this! Thanks for helping me see how it works!!
Jim, the grease pan would be awfully close to the hot gas and the gas burner in various places as the pan runs horizontally across the grill. What are your thoughts as to the likelihood of a grease fire???
But if only cooking for two, as I suspect I would be virtually always, there would likely not be that much grease anyway????(not sure really). Ideas on that anyone??
EDITED TO ADD: I just went out on the porch and measured my clearance between flavor bars at highest point to bottom of my cast iron grates and they are exactly 2" so it would fit! This may be the answer I have been searching for. My porch space is limited and one of my charcoal grills is just off the porch on the attached deck (but no roof over it). My PBC is down below on the back of my concrete driveway. So in heavy weather, I want to be able to cook on the porch. With this I can have a somewhat dedicated griddle with no additional floor space required on the porch as gasser would be doing double duty. I will think on it for a few days, but maybe this is my answer! I do appreciate all of you who have assisted me in my journey toward adding a griddle to my cooking arsenal!!
Any additional observations from any and all of you wonderful pitmasters who have assisted me would be most appreciated!! Tom
Last edited by Alabama Smoke; July 22, 2020, 04:22 PM.Comment
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I did not get the drip pan. I let it drip down to me Weber drip pan. It was about 1/3 full after the bacon. I figured that if I decided I needed it o would add it on later. I did go with the starter kit with two spatulas and third tool, I think s scraper but also can be used to cut I think with the spatula. They are pretty thick/heavy. I'm sure it could be found cheaper but I wanted them right away.
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