Today, in this guide, I’ll let you know some of my flat top grill cooking tips and techniques to help you cook better-tasting food next time. Flat grill cooking is totally a different kettle of fish altogether, and I’m pretty much confident that these flat top grill tricks that I’m going to reveal today will definitely uplift your skills, particularly if you are a starting new. Let’s get started without ado.
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Flat Top Grill Cooking Tips and Techniques for Beginners
First and foremost, I need my readers to understand that, as I said at the beginning, if you are using a flat top for cooking, the techniques are not the same compared to a charcoal grill or any other. Still confusing, right? Start reading my flat top grill cooking tips and techniques list below; you will understand it.
1. Slow Preheating Is Crucial
It’s one of the main flat top grill cooking basics. Actually, preheating is something you should do whether or not you are using a flat top grill. I say this because I know the consequences of preheating on high. One of my previous grills got warped because I used to preheat my grill at high because I wanted to serve my invitees fast. That is not how grilling works!
The best way is to start the work a bit early and let the flat grill top preheat on low heat while you are preparing other stuff. The slow it comes to the ideal heat, the better results you get in terms of the taste of the meal. Also, as said, it will help your machine to last much longer.
Note: If you are using meat right from the refrigerator without leaving it at room temperature, you will have to preheat the grill on high for some time. This is because cold meat tends to lower the temperature on the surface. Again, this is not the ideal position to put your flat top grill in. Instead, plan your work well in advance and thaw your meat to protect your machine.
2. Oiling the Grill
There is a difference between oiling and seasoning when it comes to barbecuing. Seasoning is a thing that you don’t have to do after every cooking session but for a certain period of time. However, I would like to label oiling as a flat top cooking technique that you should do after every use.
Let the grill cool down for a while after your last recipe, and clean the surface. While the surface is still warm, I would apply a thin layer of olive oil using a paper towel and rub it all over the surface. This process is as important as the seasoning to prevent your grill from rusting.
In addition, doing so helps me cut down considerable work when I want to use the grill again. So, yeah, oiling the machine deserves second place in my flat top grill cooking tips and techniques guide due to this reason.
3. Different Temp Zones on the Surface
I thoroughly enjoy cooking different foods using different heat levels on the surface of my flat top grill. I think you also would love to play around with your machine. Yes, it is easy to create different heat zones on your flat top grill.
The easiest method to create various heat places on a grill is to adjust the burners as you would like. However, if it feels like a hassle for you, using a mesh or wire rack on the grill will provide you with the same results.
If you are a rookie, it is super important to quickly understand that not all food cooks in the same heat settings. Moreover, having a different size grill and different heat zones have more advantages than drawbacks if you are having a party and have to serve multiple heads once. The total cooking surface is yours; play with it!
4. Griddle Preparation Carts Are Awesome
If you are completely new to grilling, the chances are slim to come across these carts before. Grilling is a process associated with a wide range of accessories and tools. If the right tool is not at your fingertips when you need it, you will have to walk away from the cooking area to find stuff, leaving you unattended from the food for a brief period of time. The “brief” period that I explain here can play the spoil game, guys.
That is why you should buy a griddle caddy to organize your BBQ tools and accessories as I do. You will be amazed to see how many items they can hold and how easy it is to take them from point A to B. In addition, using a griddle preparation cart or a griddle caddy will keep your place clean and save space for other tasks.
5. Heat Setting Can Lie To You
Cooking at the right temperature always decides the fate of your recipe, and as far as I see, this is the area that every BBQ newbie should try to master. One would wonder why it is a demanding job when there are heat controlling knobs to guide them through. That is more or less the mentality of people who use ovens, not the pitmasters.
You literally cannot set the heat at 375° and wait half an hour to cook food on a flat top grill; it’s more than that. I’m not telling you to disregard the meter readings or such, as it is crucial to pay attention to those figures for better outputs. However, there are certain methods that suggest whether the grill is too hot or too cold.
As an example, when you put some butter on it, and you see the butter evaporates suddenly, you are dealing with a too hot flat top grill. If so, you will have to lower the heat to put the meat or eggs that you want to cook.
As I said, mastering temperature control doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time for sure, but you have to put some emphasis on that. The sooner you start doubting the temperature on the grill, the sooner you will start learning the art.
6. Propane Tank of the Grill
Just because the flames are not strong enough, don’t open the propane tank of your grill fast. There can be many contributing factors to low flame on a grill; opening the tank to the fullest right away would not going to help you solve the problem. Going low to high will surely provide the desirable blue flame you want to food your food.
I always keep a close eye on the gas tank of my grill as it is one of the main aspects of a grill. When you complete cooking, make sure to turn the valve off on your propane tank. Most people don’t do this and think it is enough to shut the grill from the knobs on the machine. This is a big NO as it can leak the gas.
If you are serious about your BBQ game, like me, having an additional propane tank would be a great investment. Having confidence knowing you are not running out of gas is excellent, isn’t it?
7. Get the Help of Water
Grills and oils are very much familiar to all, but how about grills and water? Sounds weird, right? Yeah, you can use water to soften food residue on the surface of your flat top grill before you scrap it. Remember I said that it is crucial to oil the surface? In order to get the maximum of that process, there should not be any substances on the grill other than the surface material. So, you can make water for yourself in that as well.
8. Preparation Time
Barbecuing is for perfectionists, not the people who want results in a jiffy. Keep everything you want in one place; a griddle caddy would be one great addition to your armory, as I said. Further, let enough time for the meat to come to its optimum condition before you throw it on the grill.
Running everywhere after you start cooking won’t allow you the luxury of concentrating on the food you cook. So, don’t blame anything other than you if the recipe’s authentic taste is not received.
9. Best Food to Cook on Flat Top Grill
As you now know some vital flat top grill cooking techniques, let’s take a minute and see what you can cook on it. When we talk about BBQs and grills, it’s always meat that comes into the equation. However, a flat top grill can cook you a wide range of foods.
Other than the meat, of course, you can cook pancakes, burgers, eggs and all kinds of seafood items in general. One great aspect of a flat top grill is that there are no grates to waste the juices or the fat that is generated by the meat you cook. They all are absorbed and cooked evenly.
So, don’t just stick to the options I gave; put the thinking cap on and understand the mechanism of a flat top grill; you can cook whatever you want!
10. Flat Top Grill Cleaning Tips
Before I end my post on “top flat grill cooking tips and techniques,” let me help you with some cleaning tips for your machine. If you don’t keep your grill in good shape, it will impact its lifetime and ruin the expected satisfaction of your recipe. Do these; you will be all good.
All the Components Are Equally Important
This was one of my main early days’ mistakes. Cleaning only the top or the surface of the grill is not sufficient to enhance the longevity of the machine. Components such as drip pans and grease drain also need proper maintenance. Don’t leave any food residue before you store your grill; that is the number one rule.
Seasoning the Grill
As I briefly explained early in the article, seasoning has an important role to play when it comes to the maintenance of a grill. If you are eager to learn about it, I would like to recommend you this blog post to get a firm grip on how to season a flat top grill.
Just keep in mind to season your grill before you use it for the first time and repeat the process once in a while, depending on the use.
The Right Method to Clean Your Grill
There are tons of methods available to clean a flat top grill. However, you have to pick one and stick with it rather than try and test everything. The best way is to read the manufacturer manual to see what they recommend to use to clean the grill and its components.
If such a thing is not in your hands, you better pick one after inspecting the materials of the machine. As an example, you should not use harsh materials to clean chrome tops. Instead, you will have to go with water and a piece of soft cloth to remove the food leftovers.
If you own a stainless steel product, you don’t have to face the hassle of chrome tops. They are hard enough to take most of your rough executions.
The substances you use to clean the grill can work against you to damage the grill. Even it can be poisonous and make you sick. That seems like a good topic to talk about in a separate blog, I guess.
Conclusion
If you have landed on this web page to read some flat top grill cooking tips and techniques, I think you got the result you wanted. However, I want you to try new things and come up with your own techniques. Just consider the points mentioned as basics.
When you maintain your grill in the correct way and you start loving it, you will find some unique flat top cooking techniques on your own. If you already have some and want to share them with the world, use the comment section below. Have a great day!
