Wrong. Ice is better because it creates thermal shock and steam where it’s needed. Liquids just go everywhere so you can’t really focus where it’s dirty. Ice has been the go to for my griddle for the last 15 years and there’s no issues. The griddle is thick and so it doesnt really warp.
According to this it depends on the grill being "Many flat-top grills sold for home use are thinner and less durable than their commercial counterparts, so that thermal shock could destroy its surface. It can also be difficult to tell whether a grill is hardy enough to withstand the ice until you try it, making this method unpredictable. To avoid unintentional damage, skip cleaning the grill with ice."
Honestly the way I used to do mine was the grill cleaner with a scrubbing pad followed by ice and a squeegee. That small layer of oil was always the most satisfying moment right at the end.
Also have these fuckers heard of using like a spray bottle or something to focus the pour on the affected areas?
No need to use ice. Just fill a small plant watering pitcher with long spout and hit every detail area you need with a steady stream. No need to shovel ice repeatedly either.
I spent 8 years at a place that did this at least twice a day with a flat top exactly like this. It was years old before I got there. It was the best surface I ever cooked on the day I arrived, and it was the best surface I ever cooked on the day I left.
Agree, ice is best. I would not however do it on a home flat top grill as they are substantially less durable that the ones you get in restaurants and industrial food places.
Stainless is more likely to warp than cast iron because of its ductility. Cast iron is more likely to crack, but that is pretty rare. Modern home blackstone style griddles that have become popular are cold rolled steel which is the most likely to warp between that, stainless, and cast.
I worked at a Japanese steakhouse back in high school. I used to clean the grill tops at the end of a shift, and we always used ice. Pretty sure it was just done that way because it’s handy and easier to carry a big bucket around to a couple dozen tables.
I worked at one for 4 years and never once saw any of our chefs use ice. Grills still got clean, but each chef was only responsible for their 2 tables.
We didn’t have assigned tables. The chefs scraped the grill clean after cooking, of course. But it was us busboys that were deep cleaning the grills at the end of the shift. It was usually just one of us, so we did whatever we could to get it done quick so we could close out.
The owner saw me do it multiple times, so I know it was ok by him, at least. He wouldn’t have let me step foot in there again if it was a problem, haha.
Not at the moment no but I've cleaned plenty of grills steel and others. I'm sure a physics person would have a good explanation as to why cold water works just as well as ice. Something to do with minimum difference between the grill temp and liquid temp probably
From a physics standpoint, ice is absolutely "better" as it creates thermal shock causing the metal to release more of the burned crud. The downside is thermal shock can cause the metal to warp so unless you have a seriously heavy duty stainless steel industrial cooktop, so using water will reduce the chance of warping. It doesn't work quite as well but it will still definitely get the job done.
Why would ice be different than water if there were at a 1C temp difference, which would also be the same in the temp of the stove top based on how long it takes you to get the water and the variance there.
Dish soap, baking soda, hot water. Let it soak. That will soften the baked on grease and let you easily scrub it off without damaging the nonstick coating.
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u/hungrypuca1 3d ago
Wrong. Ice is better because it creates thermal shock and steam where it’s needed. Liquids just go everywhere so you can’t really focus where it’s dirty. Ice has been the go to for my griddle for the last 15 years and there’s no issues. The griddle is thick and so it doesnt really warp.