How to Clean a Brand-New Blackstone (First-Time Setup)

A brand-new Blackstone fresh out of the box is not ready to cook on. The factory applies a protective oil coating that smells, tastes, and looks bad — and the seasoning that ships from the factory is minimal at best. Before the first burger goes on, you need to clean off the factory coating and build a real seasoning.

This is the first-time setup that gets your new griddle from box to first cook. Plan on 90 minutes total, mostly hands-off during the seasoning passes.

Why the new-cooker setup matters

Three reasons to do this right rather than skipping ahead to cooking:

Factory oils contain industrial preservatives. They’re designed to prevent rust during shipping and storage, not to be eaten. Cooking on top of unremoved factory coating transfers chemicals into food.

Factory seasoning is one or two layers at most. Real seasoning comes from 4-6 owner-applied layers. Skipping this step means cooking on essentially bare metal that food sticks to and that can rust within weeks.

The first cook sets the tone. Food cooked on a poorly-seasoned new griddle can leave permanent uneven patches. Properly seasoned griddles develop more uniformly over their lifetime.

What you’ll need

• Bottle of high-smoke-point oil (16 oz is plenty — see the best oils for seasoning if you’re picking)
• Heavy paper towels (15-20 sheets)
• Tongs (you’ll need them — the plate gets hot)
• Heat-resistant gloves
• Dish soap and hot water (for the initial wash only, never again on the griddle)
• A scraper (the one that comes with the griddle is fine)

The first-time setup process

1. Assemble the cart per the instructions. This part you handle however the manual says. Don’t skip steps; the cart needs to be stable and the burner connections need to be tight.

2. Wash the cooking surface with hot soapy water. This is the only time soap goes on the cooking surface — to remove factory protective oils. Scrub with a non-metallic pad, rinse thoroughly with hot water, dry completely with clean rags. The surface should look bare-metal grey when done.

3. Connect propane and verify the burners light cleanly. Open the tank valve slowly, light each burner one at a time, watch for blue flames. Yellow flames out of the box usually mean a manufacturing-coating burning off — run the burners on high for 5 minutes to clear it. Persistent yellow flames after that warrant a deeper look.

4. Heat the griddle to maximum. All burners on high, lid open, for 10-15 minutes. The plate will turn from grey to a tan/light-brown color as the surface oxidizes — this oxidation is the foundation the seasoning will bond to.

5. Apply the first oil layer (very thin). Pour about a tablespoon of oil in the center. Spread edge-to-edge with a folded paper towel held in tongs. The plate should look dull-shiny, not wet. If you see oil pooling, wipe more off.

6. Let it smoke off completely. The oil will smoke heavily for 5-8 minutes. Wait until smoking fully stops before applying the next layer. Don’t try to speed this up — interrupting the smoke-off cycle leaves you with sticky, half-finished seasoning.

7. Repeat the oil layer + smoke-off cycle 4-6 more times. Each pass darkens the plate. By the fourth, you’ll see uniform dark brown. By the sixth, the plate is dark, smooth, and glossy. The seasoning is now solid.

8. Cool, oil one final time, store covered. A thin oil layer applied as the plate cools to ambient protects the seasoning until the first cook. Cover the cooker and let it rest at least 4 hours before any food contact.

What to cook first

The first 5-10 cooks on a new Blackstone matter for seasoning development. Some foods help build seasoning; others damage it.

Best first cooks (build seasoning):

• Bacon (the gold standard — fat polymerizes into the seasoning during the cook)
• Smash burgers (high heat, fat, simple cleanup)
• Sausage (similar — fatty, releases easily)
• Steaks with high fat content (ribeyes, NY strips)

Wait until cook 10+ for these (can damage young seasoning):

• Tomato-based sauces or marinades (acidic, etches young seasoning)
• Citrus-marinated foods (same)
• Heavy sweet glazes (caramelize aggressively, scrape damages seasoning)
• Eggs (delicate, will stick to incomplete seasoning, not worth the early frustration)

A new griddle’s first month should be heavy on bacon and burgers. Eggs, pancakes, and delicate items work better once the seasoning has matured.

The first cook checklist

When the day comes:

1. Light all burners on high for 5-10 minutes
2. Apply a thin oil coat to the cooking zone
3. Let oil heat until just smoking
4. Place food
5. Cook normally
6. Scrape after the cook (water-and-scrape is fine on day-one seasoning)
7. Wipe with paper towels
8. Apply thin oil before storing

Treat the first 5 cooks as continued seasoning development. Each one builds the seasoning further. By cook number 10, the plate behaves like a mature griddle.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cook on a new Blackstone without seasoning it? +

Technically yes, but the food will stick badly, the factory protective oil will deposit chemical flavors, and the surface will start to rust within days. The 90-minute initial seasoning is genuinely necessary, not optional.

How is initial seasoning different from re-seasoning? +

Initial seasoning is more passes (5-7 layers vs 3-5 for re-seasoning) and starts from clean bare metal vs. existing seasoning. The technique is the same — thin oil layers, full smoke-off between, repeat — but the foundation work matters more for a brand-new cooker.

Why does my brand-new Blackstone smell so bad during the first burn-off? +

Factory protective oils volatilizing. It smells industrial — vaguely chemical, sometimes like burning plastic. This is normal and goes away within the first 5-10 minutes of high heat. The smell shouldn't return on subsequent cooks.

Can I use the included Blackstone seasoning cream/spray instead of regular oil? +

It works fine for the initial seasoning. Most Blackstone branded seasoning products are essentially flax oil or similar pre-mixed for convenience. They cost more per application than buying a bottle of refined canola or avocado, but the result is comparable.

How long should I let the new griddle cool before the first cook? +

After the initial 5-7 seasoning passes, let the cooker cool to ambient (usually 30-45 minutes), apply a final thin oil layer, cover, and wait at least 4 hours before the first cook. Overnight is even better. The cooling and resting period lets the seasoning fully cure.

Related reading

• Griddle Care

  How to Re-Season a Blackstone Griddle

  Re-seasoning fixes sticky cooking, gray patches, and worn seasoning without taking the griddle down to bare metal. Here's the 60-minute process that restores most home griddles.

• Griddle Care

  The Best Oils for Seasoning a Griddle (Tested)

  Which oil makes the hardest, most durable griddle seasoning? Here are the realistic options ranked by smoke point, polymerization, smell during seasoning, and long-term performance.

• Griddle Care

  How to Restore a Rusted Blackstone (Complete Guide)

  A neglected Blackstone is almost always salvageable. Here's how to assess the damage, when to restore vs. replace the plate, and the step-by-step process to bring a rusted griddle back to a working seasoning.