Watched a new hire try to clean a flat top with cold water and a scraper

I was helping open a pop-up kitchen in Austin last month and saw a guy go straight at the grill with a metal scraper while it was still hot. He said his old boss taught him that. The problem is you need to deglaze it with a splash of water first to loosen everything, or you're just grinding carbon into the surface. It leaves micro-scratches that make it rust faster and food stick worse. Anyone else have a simple trick they drill into new staff for basic equipment care?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark7233mo ago

Yeah the micro-scratches thing is real. I read a kitchen manual once that said a dry scrape on hot steel is basically like sandpaper, it ruins the seasoning. Always hit it with a little water or grill cleaner first to steam the gunk loose. Makes the whole job faster and saves the equipment.

mila_king222mo ago

Exactly, that "sandpaper" comparison is spot on. I tried dry scraping once and it left these tiny marks that new grease just stuck to. A quick splash of water first keeps the surface smooth and the gunk comes off way easier.

ellis.susan3mo ago

Seriously? That sounds like way too much work. I've been dry scraping my grill grates for years and the seasoning is fine. @mark723, that manual sounds like it was written by someone who's never had to clean a real grill after a big cookout. Sometimes you just need to get the burnt stuff off fast. A little metal on metal action never hurt anything that was seasoned right in the first place. All that steaming just makes a soggy mess and takes longer to dry.