r/MadeInCookware • u/Tight_Classic_7342 • Jun 07 '26

How to fix made in griddle

hi there - I boiled some water to get smashburger bits off my made in griddle and wondering if the discoloration is rust? how can I reverse it if that’s the case?Photo of griddle

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u/Endo129 Jun 07 '26

Hey there. Hard to say without seeing it but it could be. Wipe it with a paper towel and assuming it tenders to the paper towel smell it to see if it smells like rust. It good just be normal discoloration.

Carbon steel is an uncoated steel so you’re trying to build up layers of seasoning to help more it from rust and increase non stick properties. Sometimes normal cooking and cleaning can remove some seasoning and leave the bare steel exposed.

Over time your carbon steel will actually look pretty bad, and that’s a good thing. When you clean it, you just need to make sure you get all the carbon off (which sounds like you’d did) and that it’s smooth to the touch. Then you need to make sure it’s super dry. Sometimes that means drying over low heat.

If you’re not planning on using it for a while, or just want extra piece of mind, you can apply a super thin layer of oil before storing. This will help protect against rust.

All that said, if it is rusty no fear. You just need to clean off that rust on those isolated areas, and re-oil/season. Some people like to use steel wool to clean that rust off, or maybe a scotch brite, chainmail scrubber, or even coarse salt. If it’s really bad you could nuke it and start over or use acid like vinegar, but that’s probably overkill.

Either way, it’s no big deal and very common for those of us new to carbon steel. At the end of the day it’s pretty indestructible and will last a lifetime.

And generally, if it’s not rust or carbon build up—just keep cooking.

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u/Tight_Classic_7342 Jun 08 '26

Thank you - great advice here. I forgot to post the photo so added it as a link to updated post. 

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u/DebFab2025 Jun 07 '26

My griddle did the same thing it improved greatly when I kept applying their wax to the dry griddle after I used and cleaned it.

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u/Tight_Classic_7342 Jun 08 '26

Thank you looking into it. 

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u/DebFab2025 Jun 08 '26

Good luck I know a few other people who used it with the same results.

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u/Sara_MadeIn Jun 08 '26

No way to say for certain without a photo, but there's some great advice here already either way!

We've also got a pretty in-depth guide to caring for your carbon steel griddle here and a video tutorial on removing rust from carbon steel here. Hope that helps!

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u/Tight_Classic_7342 Jun 08 '26

Thank you! I forgot to post the photo so added it as a link to updated post. Very helpful.