How to Clean a Pancake Griddle

Pancakes are the best option for breakfast. They have a light sweetness to them and taste like heaven. Pancake griddles are now a staple in our kitchen. Unfortunately, the griddles get filthy quickly. As a result, the question of how to clean a pancake griddle in the simplest way possible arises, as it requires some physical strength if the food becomes burnt.

How to Clean a Pancake Griddle?

If you want to enjoy a perfect pancake, you must also have an ideal pancake griddle, and you must keep your pancake griddle in the best possible condition.

Why Is Cleaning a Pancake Griddle Necessary?

A crispy pancake is something that everyone enjoys. As a result, many people consider not cleaning the pancake griddle. But here are some of the reasons why cleaning a pancake griddle is important.

Oil and fat are released when making pancakes or sandwiches. If the pan is not cleaned, it will develop a gummy layer, lowering the pan’s quality.

If this is continued, the heat won’t reach the food, and it won’t get cooked properly.

Materials Required

Before you begin cleaning, you should be aware that there are two types of pancake griddles on the market: a stovetop pancake griddle and an electric pancake griddle.

If you have an electric one, please make sure you do not dip it in water.

The following are the cleaning supplies you will require:

• Soft sponge or dishcloth
• Paper towels
• Dish detergent (Mild)
• Lukewarm water
• Spatula
• Heat resistant gloves

Step 1: Start Heating Things Up

A pancake griddle might have some greasy build-ups or charred food accumulated on the pan that can be difficult to remove.

Thus, to make sure the pan gets cleaned up and save yourself from extra physical effort, start with heating things up a bit. Here are the following steps.

1. Switch on the pancake griddle and wait for a while to let things heat up a bit.
2. Cleaning a hot pancake griddle is relatively easier than a cold one as the greasy build-ups over the pan get hardened up and can be easily removed using a spatula.

Step 2: Getting Rid of the Debris

Dirt and debris become a part of the cooking utensils as they go through too much food, oil, a few spills, etc.

As a result, greasy debris and bits of burnt food accumulated. Getting rid of the debris is therefore critical to maintaining the griddle’s quality.

1. The greasy debris and bits will be charred as the pan heats up.
2. Take a spatula and begin gently scraping the debris and dirt from the pancake griddle.
3. To make the process easier, keep the pan hot, and don’t scrape too hard. Otherwise, it will cause scratches.
4. After scraping, sweep the bits and crumbs off the griddle.
5. Continue scraping until all of the debris has been removed.

When scraping, be patient. Make sure not to scratch the pan’s surface, as this may reduce the pan’s quality.

Here is the link to a video guide on scraping the debris from the griddle.

Step 3: Washing up the Griddle

Once the scraping is complete and the hard debris has been removed, it is time to begin washing the griddle.

Here are the steps that you need to follow:

1. Add some water to the surface of the griddle while the pan is still hot. You will see that the pan will cool down a bit, and the water will start bubbling.
2. Now add some mild detergent to that water to clean the stains from the pan.
3. Do not manually reduce the temperature of the pan. Allow a few minutes for the water to boil.
4. The preceding step will remove the hard debris and stuck batter from the pan.
5. You may need to repeat this step a few times depending on the amount of fat on the griddle.

Here is the link to a study about electric griddles, as you cannot go with the steps mentioned above in the case of electric griddles.

Instead, the study highlights the dos and don’ts in terms of cleaning an electric griddle.

Step 4: Finishing up the Cleaning Process

It is time to finish the cleaning process after repeating the above steps several times to remove the dirt and stains. Now that the dirt has been loosened, give the pancake griddle a good wipe down.

Here are the steps that you need to follow:

1. It is now time to remove the soapy water and any remaining residue from the pan. To absorb the liquid from the pancake griddle, use a kitchen towel or a paper towel.
2. Now take the spatula, place the napkin over it and start sweeping the pan to clean it up.
3. Repeat the steps mentioned above until the pan is thoroughly cleaned.

When wiping, make sure you don’t use any clothes. Here’s a link to a study that explains how bacteria accumulate and why they should be avoided.

Step 5: Drying the Pancake Griddle

After thoroughly cleaning the pancake griddle, it is time to begin drying it. If you have an electric griddle, be careful with the above steps because water will corrode the electric parts.

Here are the steps that you need to follow:

1. If your pancake griddle is still a little damp after cleaning, use a kitchen towel to wipe it dry.
2. You can also let the pancake griddle air dry.
3. If you are using a non-stick pancake griddle, make sure you do not use the metal spatula. A metal spatula might hurt the Teflon coating of the pan.

You can use a wooden spatula or a silicone spatula to remove the dirt.

Pancake Griddle Cleaning Tips

If you want to make your cleaning jobs process easier, you need to start a maintenance routine for your pancake routine.

The tips and tricks mentioned below will help you keep your pancake griddle in the best shape.

• After each use, clean the pancake griddle with a damp kitchen towel or napkin paper. It will prevent any greasy buildup or debris from accumulating on the griddle.
• Make sure you remove the burnt bits of batter instantly after use. If you have a stovetop griddle, you can directly put it under tap water to make the cleaning easy.
• If you have a griddle made up of cast iron, always use a damp kitchen towel to clean it up after use.
• Once you are done removing the dirt bits, make sure you give your griddle a quick-cooking spray. It will help in preventing the sticking of food bits on the pan.
• Cooking at high temperatures is not recommended. You’ll end up burning the griddle, and the food will stick to it as well.
• To remove stains, spray the pancake griddle with vinegar before cleaning with soap and water. This is also effective in cleaning aluminum pans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion 

Griddles are one of the best inventions in cooking, as they are not just limited to cooking pancakes for breakfast but allow you to experiment a lot when it comes to cooking. The only problem with griddles is that they tend to get dirty fast.

As a result, they require regular cleaning to stay in top condition. Metal griddles are simple to clean, but for a nonstick griddle, you must be cautious when scraping and gentle when cleaning.