# Flat top advice



## wbusby1 (Dec 9, 2015)

I am working a station that is kind of an amalgam of garde manger, sauté, and flattop. No one at my work has much experience about how to use the flattop or maintain it-- it's become my baby. I'm doing a good enough job using it but would like to get better. Does anyone here have a lot of experience working them? Or are there any good videos about using them? 

W/r/t cleaning I just scrape, oil, and wipe down as needed during service and then scrape back down to the metal every week or two (once there is a considerable layer of buildup). My chef had me using degreaser and a grill brick for a little while but they didn't really seem to work. What do y'all do?


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## JLaz (Dec 9, 2015)

Interesting mix of tasks for a station.

When you say flat top, you mean the thick griddle with a huge burner underneath?


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## Chef Andy (Dec 9, 2015)

I have quite a bit of experience with flat tops. Ours gets deep cleaned every night (it sees heavy use), and we use a grill brick with oil, and lots of elbow grease. There's no need for a chemical at all, but the grill brick will make a huge difference. You should be able to make it look like new with one.


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## JLaz (Dec 9, 2015)

I worked two french iron flat top for a while. Sanded down to all clean every after service using 1000grit sand paper with a block of wood and a towel between. I would attribute my now more defined arms to that task.

It help a lot to make sure there are little to no splatters during service to reduce the already tough workout when cleaning them. If something does spatter, try to get rid of them ASAP for it not to burn and become a stubborn sucker to scrub off.


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## Cashn (Dec 9, 2015)

I have some experience on them. Ours has 2 burners so we'd have a hot side and a cooler side, sear fish on hot side and sunny side eggs/toast bread on cooler side just for example. The food truck I worked on had a huge one that was on full blast for 15+ hours a day, that thing sucked to clean. Either one we cleaned every night with some oil and a grill brick. Can use some ice or water while scraping for a little deglazing action to get ready for the grill brick, just watch the grease trap with the extra liquid.


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## ThEoRy (Dec 9, 2015)

[video=youtube;KXhh4m7cCkQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXhh4m7cCkQ[/video]


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## CoqaVin (Dec 9, 2015)

lemon juice and ice works great in my experience


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## JLaz (Dec 9, 2015)

Oh, if that's the kind of flat top you were talking about, please disregard what I said in my previous reply.

I've had experience using a griddle like that but I wasn't cooking anything really messy. Scallops, steak, fish but that's about it.

I kept a scraper with a metal brush in a tall gastro half-filled with water on the side. Scraped after every product during service (this prevents 1. Juices or small particles from burning, 2. Developing color prematurely before getting a nice crusty sear). After service, I deglaze with ice cubes while brushing then scraping towards the hole.


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## Cheeks1989 (Dec 9, 2015)

I also found that seltzer water really helps when cleaning. It could be in my head but I still do it. At the end I always wipe it down first with some vinegar (for shine) and then a coat of oil.


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## wbusby1 (Dec 9, 2015)

Wow, thanks for all the tips! I'll try some out tonight and report back.

Any more advice regarding cooking.technique? Mine is 3 burners I keep on high at all times for service.


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## Chef Andy (Dec 9, 2015)

wbusby1 said:


> Wow, thanks for all the tips! I'll try some out tonight and report back.
> 
> Any more advice regarding cooking.technique? Mine is 3 burners I keep on high at all times for service.



Depends how busy you are. I'd keep the least amount of flat top on high as you can, the parts with lower temperatures will be easier to clean. If you need the heat then you need the heat, but even then I'd probably not set it all to max, but like medium high. Also depends what you're cooking .


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## JLaz (Dec 9, 2015)

Depending on your cooking needs, the gradient heat in a flattop might prove useful. It is quite nice to have a low heat spot to hold items warm, gentle heat for specific items like sauces, thick cuts, etc.


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## wbusby1 (Dec 10, 2015)

OK the grill brick slowly works but isn't really easier than just scraping with.a.metal spatula and I used almost half a brick and its.still not perfectly clean.. Also the deglazing didn't seem to do anything for the buildup that was a.smooth layer and the real problem.

I will try a metal brush next but I have to go buy one first.

Theory: that video is inspiring.


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## ThEoRy (Dec 10, 2015)

I'm telling you guys. It's Scotch Brite Quick Clean or nothing in my kitchen.


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## spoiledbroth (Dec 10, 2015)

Yeah ScotchBrite is what I always used, I'm not sure if you can use a brick with it I always just use the little scrubbies that come with the cleaner.

I would be very wary of metal brushes and ESPECIALLY sanding down a stainless flattop... Those seem like really serious health concerns to my mind.


(seriously, those metal bristles can kill people if ingested -- well maybe not kill, but AFAIK if one of my customers ends up in traction because they patronized my restaurant, as far as the restaurant is concerned they might as well bed dead, they ain't coming back)

Here is a recent news story about metal brush injury, however there are many others where people have swallowed them and ended up in very very rough shape. Please, if you're working in a kitchen talk to your superior or if you are that superior have a think about using something different. You can get nylon bristles or we use grillstones which are sort of like pumice (supposedly foodsafe).


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## Chuckles (Dec 10, 2015)

+1 for scotch brite. I remember a sales rep of some kind trying to sell me a food safe chemical cleaner that could be used during service but it still gave me the creeps. When working a flat top station I always keep a metal bench scraper to use for cleaning, scraping, and getting debris off the surface. I would just clean it constantly during service, deglazing with water if needed, so it never gets dirty enough to need a hugely time consuming cleaning. I don't like cooking on dirty equipment.


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## panda (Dec 11, 2015)

ice, salt paste


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## wbusby1 (Dec 11, 2015)

Ok, so I'll talk to the boss about investing in the scotch brite. I don't know if he'll go for it since it looks to be around $75 for the kit. How long should the kit last approx?

I used the grill brick again and it removed all the one-day buildup. So I guess it works fine if you use it frequently, it just sucks for removing 3+days of build up. 

What is salt paste!?


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## ThEoRy (Dec 11, 2015)

The kit comes with the squeegee, the pad holder, a few #46 pads and a few packets of the chemical. It's just a starter kit after all. Then you need to but the chemicals and #46 pads separately. Those last a long while.


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## panda (Dec 11, 2015)

coarse cheap salt and water made into a paste, and scrub the hell out of the surface with it


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## Chef Andy (Dec 11, 2015)

I use grill brick at the end of every night. I personally don't like to let things get so dirty that it is a mission to clean them, I'd rather just clean them more frequently.


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