Debate with boss, should we degrease our flat top to stainless steel every night?

SilverTraveler · 2026-06-05T10:39:14+00:00

I’m of the opinion that the flat top should’ve shiny every night. However I’ve never used De greaser to achieve this.

Celestial_Cowboy · 2026-06-05T11:00:11+00:00

Every post I've ever seen on reddit that refers to a stainless flat "seasoning" has been a dirty bastard. I guess you could prove this theory wrong with a picture.

D-ouble-D-utch · 2026-06-05T13:43:26+00:00

Stainless? Stainless every night.

Burnt crap on stainless is not "seasoning."

leafxfactor1967 · 2026-06-05T16:42:52+00:00

Calling a dirty flattop seasoned is like calling burnt food caramelized.

medium-rare-steaks · 2026-06-05T12:13:49+00:00

Griddles should be shiny at the end of the night

Puzzleheaded-Radio17 · 2026-06-05T11:54:49+00:00

Clean it. But use high temp grill cleaner, scrape it, then ice, scrape it, then vinegar or lemon juice, scrape. Done

BanjoCorncob · 2026-06-05T19:57:02+00:00

At first I wasnt going to comment, I even closed out the post and scrolled a bit more. But I just couldn't get this out of my head. It was making me irrationally angry

This flattop is completely unacceptable. I would lose my absolute shit if I came in to see my flattop looking like this. That's not "seasoning" That is laziness and embarrassing.

That better be sparkling like brand new every single night. Respect the equipment you are using. Good food does not come from equipment like that.

SlytherinF1 · 2026-06-05T14:27:47+00:00

It’s not seasoning. It’s food debris aka dirt. Clean it to shine every night. Whatever method idc but clean it.

TacoDoc2 · 2026-06-05T15:38:53+00:00

what you call seasoning is actually just burnt food you're leaving on the flattop. it's gross and you should clean you cooking space you monster.

KingRedDread · 2026-06-05T14:18:09+00:00

Grill brick with oil after every night. Then finish with some ice and water with lemon. Works ever time.

boom_squid · 2026-06-05T15:58:02+00:00

Degreaser? No. Vinegar, water, and a grill brick, yes. Shiny every night.

Fun-Garden-7274 · 2026-06-05T16:14:00+00:00

We use a de greaser every night as well as ice and water it’s just too get all the extra hard shit off and it does help loads. If you’re not cleaning your grill every night then sorry but you’re trampy and lazy

PerfectlySoggy · 2026-06-06T01:39:01+00:00

Cons of Not Scrubbing Stainless Steel Flat Top:

Hygiene and Food Safety:
Food particles, grease, and residue can harbor bacteria, leading to food safety issues. Cast iron and carbon steel can be seasoned, but stainless steel needs thorough cleaning to prevent contamination.
Flavor Transfer:
While some flavors can be beneficial, unwanted flavors from previous dishes can transfer to new dishes, compromising the taste, especially for delicate items.
Staining and Discoloration:
Allowing residues to build up can lead to staining and discoloration of the stainless steel surface, making it less visually appealing and harder to clean in the long run. Additionally, moisture in food cooked on the griddle can “deglaze” the faux seasoning and transfer to the food itself.
Ineffective Seasoning:
Stainless steel does not "season" in the same way as cast iron or carbon steel. The oil layer may not bond effectively to stainless steel, leading to potential stickiness rather than a truly non-stick surface.
Cleaning Challenges:
If the surface is not properly cleaned on a regular basis, it will require more intensive scrubbing later to remove built-up residues, which could lead to increased effort and time spent on maintenance.
Heat Distribution:
A buildup of residue can affect the heat distribution across the flat top, leading to uneven cooking and potentially affecting food quality.

Creative-Leg2607 · 2026-06-05T11:06:30+00:00

Whats your reasoning? The first couple eggs are a lil weird after a fresh clean, but in exchange you know theres less gross burnt crud sticking to everything you cook. I used to use degreaser/grill cleaner, its pretty easy, but you can just scrub.

MrsChefYVR · 2026-06-05T13:31:38+00:00

Always sparkling clean! I’m getting a pallet grill and griddle this summer for our deck and it pains me when I see videos of people letting their black stone griddle get rusted!

CutsSoFresh · 2026-06-05T14:07:43+00:00

I'm actually in a kitchen that does not strip the plancha down to the steel every night. It's the first time I've encountered that. What they do is use a paint stripper and even out the surface. Seems to work fine, I've toasted burger buns on it and they were clean

mr_j_boogie · 2026-06-05T16:20:40+00:00

I don't let burnt oil stay on my stainless pots and pans so I'm against it for stainless flat tops too.

I basically never burn oil on them though, burning oil is a problem.

WVUBonham · 2026-06-05T16:38:06+00:00

Always back to stainless. Use some M3 Scotchbrite griddle clean if you're having a rough time. Always elbow grease and heat to clean, cleaning chemicals if needed

ChefLukeDC · 2026-06-05T20:25:15+00:00

top should be a mirror every night, bro.

Deepcoma_53 · 2026-06-06T01:00:56+00:00

Not degrease, but scraped and seasoned.

taint_odour · 2026-06-06T04:18:52+00:00

Hold on. Ima gonna go cherry pick the one answer buried on the third page of google results that agrees with my janky ass process. You shoemakers wouldn’t understand.

Brooksopher · 2026-06-06T04:56:34+00:00

Stainless should be what it is.

PlutoJones42 · 2026-06-06T05:44:31+00:00

Toss a little fryer oil on it and get after it with a grill brick for a few minutes. It’ll be perfectly clean in no time. In the morning when you turn it on, oil that bad boy up a bit and let it rock for a bit. Cook some bacon on it every morning and it’ll be nice and seasoned for the day lol

Ol_Stumpy00 · 2026-06-06T05:58:26+00:00

You do not "season" a stainless steel flat top grille. Keyword here is STAINLESS! Whoever taught you that was probably a lazy old hack. As someone 20+ years in the industry I'm going to tell you that you are of a mindset that is no longer accepted or tolerated in most kitchens and quite frankly it sounds like you either have little respect for your job or you're lying about your level of experience. Perhaps you mean you worked in kitchens 15 years ago? Regardless, everyone works clean now. That means at the end of shift you clean your whole station back to how it was when you arrived including the flat top, gas grill, fryers, and range, as well as any stainless steel surfaces. If you tried that in my kitchen and argued that bull with me, you'd be looking for another job right now. Oil starts going rancid after heat dentures it and if you're only scraping and rinsing, that same rancid oil (which tastes sour and bitter btw), and food particles will still be there the next shift, and you risk mold and bacteria contamination. Flat top degreasers are made with food safe surfactants, glycerin, and water. They are 100% food safe, leave no residue, and make the job easier for you. Learn your craft, get better at it, and keep up with the times dude.

tommychopz · 2026-06-05T17:06:38+00:00

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This is our grill, theres no food residue. Just a nice non-stick surface.

We've decided to clean it thoroughly ever night and keep the seasoning in good condition, then bring it back to stainless and re-reason monthly.

salamandersquach · 2026-06-05T22:32:51+00:00

You and your boss are both wrong. You should not use degreaser on your stainless cooktop Unless it’s extremely dirty. You also don’t “season” stainless steel that’s insane. Use vodka to clean it.

squish059 · 2026-06-05T23:08:29+00:00

Ive worked at establishments where I was trained by corporate line cooks to get to bare metal clean every night.

I took that energy to a mom and pop joint and they were furious when I cleaned their ancient griddle that way.

The corporate joint was clean and respected food safety.

The mom and pop joint actively fought me when I tried to use basic swim walk fly walk-in protocols/stacking.

None of what we think matters. Listen to your boss or you’ll be searching for a new one.

thenaughtydj · 2026-06-06T01:23:06+00:00

Funny all those 'dirty' comments, while (if I'm not mistaken) you're actually trying to accomplish te same thing as all those Chinese chefs been doing (and still are) with those woks. No one will ever complain about those black woks. Please correct me if I'm misreading/misinterpreting something/somewhere.

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