STEELMADE USA Flat Top Grill Instructions

: June 13, 2024
: STEELMADE USA

Table of Contents

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW FLAT TOP
THE SEASONING PROCESS
COOKING ON YOUR FLAT TOP
MINUTE CLEANUP
TEMPERATURE ZONES
Customer Service
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

STEELMADE USA Flat Top Grill

STEELMADE USA Flat Top Grill

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW FLAT TOP

The Steelmade Flat Top Grill is the perfect accessory to transform your stove into a flexible and fun flat top griddle. This unique product eliminates multiple pans and skillets and makes amazing food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on one cooktop that only gets better with age.
If you’re new to cooking on a Flat Top, you’re in for a treat! There is a learning curve to any new piece of cookware and the Flat Top is no different. Please be sure to read the instructions before use and be patient as you learn the ins and outs of your new cooktop – the results will be worth it.

QUICK START – MUST READ

You can use different settings to achieve different heating zones, but never leave any burners off entirely.

Pre-heat slowly and never exceed the recommended maximum temperature of 600 degrees to prevent warping or damaging your Flat Top
DO NOT use pots and pans on the Flat Top to heat water. This warning does not apply to PRO Series Flat Tops.
For easiest cleanup, begin cleaning right after cooking while the Flat Top is still hot using water only to steam clean any stubborn food bits. Do not use soap as this will strip away the protective oil and seasoning layer.

Fitment Check

Before use, place the Flat Top on your stove to check for proper fitment. There should be adequate clearance on all sides for proper airflow with a minimum of 1/2” space between the back of the Flat Top and the back of the range to prevent overheating and/or damage to your appliance. The Flat Top should not extend beyond the cooking area of your range. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THE FLAT TOP IF ANY PORTION OF THE GRIDDLE EXTENDS PAST THE COOKING AREA OF YOUR STOVE. Place the Drip Tray below the drain holes to check fitment. Refer to the images below for proper placement. The drain holes must align over the top of the Drip Tray completely. Some stove models may require the optional Heat Shield to protect plastic control panels from high temperatures when cooking. Please refer to the illustration below to see if your stove requires one. If you have any questions about fitment, please check our support articles at support.steelmadeusa.com or send photos of your stove to our support team at info@steelmadeusa.com before using your Flat Top for the first time.
UNLESS YOU ORDERED A CUSTOM FLAT TOP DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR COOKTOP DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE A STANDARD FLAT TOP ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE 30” RANGE STOVES THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR OR YOU MAY DAMAGE YOUR APPLIANCE.
Fitment Check

INITIAL SETUP
Wash the top and bottom surface with hot water and a small amount of dish soap using a nylon dish scrubber or equivalent. Blot dry immediately with a lint- free rag or cloth. Turn your cooktop burners to medium low heat and allow the Flat Top to come to temperature to dry completely. Using a metal spatula, spread a thin layer of oil on the entire cooking surface. Keep it heated for 10-15 minutes before allowing to cool completely. Apply a thin layer of oil to the entire surface of the Flat Top. This will provide a base layer to protect the steel from corrosion while you continue the seasoning process. Install drip tray beneath drainage holes at front of Flat Top.

Gas

Electric Coil

Glass Ceramic

THE SEASONING PROCESS

The seasoning process is the black magic of Flat Top ownership. If you’ve ever owned cast iron cookware, you’re probably already familiar with the term.
For the uninitiated, “seasoning” refers to a natural chemical reaction where oil and fat are heated to the point where they literally bake into the steel through a process called polymerization. This transforms the raw silver steel into a gorgeous black finish with amazing non-stick properties without the use of dangerous coatings like Teflon.

Follow the setup instructions to clean your Flat Top after receiving it. Apply the first coat of oil and heat it to 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Let it cool completely and apply another thin coat of oil to the entire surface.

Greasy food makes the best first meal on your Flat Top.
Bacon is our go-to food for this. Cook some bacon across the entire Flat Top, making sure to coat the entire surface in grease. Be sure not to overload it on your first use!

After a few meals on your Flat Top you’ll see the entire surface transform into a cast-iron-like appearance. The low-maintenance finish has amazing non- stick properties that cleans easily.

COOKING ON YOUR FLAT TOP

Just like any new tool it may take some trial and error to find the best settings on your particular stove to get the temperature and cooking times you like to work with. It’s important to note that because the mass of the Flat Top is so much greater than common pans or skillets that it will cook food faster than you may be used to. We do believe that an infrared thermometer is an invaluable tool for finding the perfect temperature on your Flat Top.

The Flat Top is designed to handle a maximum temperature of 600 degrees while most cooking occurs well below 500 degrees. It’s important not to heat the Flat Top beyond the recommended temperature to prevent any potential warping or damage to the Flat Top itself. Most stoves will require only 1/3 power to heat the Flat Top to 400 degrees or more. Be sure to use all available burners on your stove to prevent warpage of your Flat Top. You can use different settings to achieve different heating zones, but never leave any burners off entirely. DO NOT use pots and pans on the Flat Top to heat water.
This warning does not apply to PRO Series Flat Tops.

PRE HEAT

Pre-heat gently – start low and don’t overheat. You might get the urge to turn your burners up to full blast the first time you use the Flat Top, but don’t! Because the Flat Top is so large it can take time for it to heat evenly. Once it’s up to temp it will stay there for a long time. We recommend starting with your stove set to low heat and gradually increasing the heat until you get to your target temp. It’s actually easier to make it hotter once it’s already warmed up so by pre-heatingslowly you can control the heat more easily. To be efficient with your time you can start the pre-heating process while you’re getting your ingredients together. It typically takes 10-15 minutes to completely pre-heat the Flat Top. Be sure to use all available burners on your stove to prevent warpage of your Flat Top. You can use different settings to achieve different heating zones, but never leave any burners off entirely. DO NOT use pots and pans on the Flat Top to heat water.
This warning does not apply to PRO Series Flat Tops.

ADD OIL

Oil is a critical component to Flat Top cooking. It helps transfer heat to the food for cooking, prevents food from sticking to the cooktop, enhances flavor, and helps create texture in the food. Use the right oil for your style of cooking. Different oils can take different amounts of heat before they start to smoke (and stop being good for cooking). In general, canola and vegetable oil are most versatile. Olive oil is great for lower-heat things like sautéing (not for stir-frying or higher-heat cooking), and delicate or flavored oils should be avoided for cooking. Avoid the smoke – As the name alludes, the smoking point is the temperature at which a fat or oil begins to smoke. Sure, smoke is pesky, but that’s not the only reason why you should be concerned. Heated past its smoke point, that fat starts to break down, releasing free radicals and a substance called acrolein, the chemical that gives burnt foods their acrid flavor and aroma. Think watering eyes, a stinky kitchen, and bitter, scorched food.

MINUTE CLEANUP

Minute Cleanup

It doesn’t matter how messy your meal was, you’ll be amazed how quick and easy it is to clean your Flat Top.
No elbow grease and no special cleaners are needed and it really does take just a couple of minutes.

As soon as you’re done cooking while the Flat Top is still hot add some water across the surface.
The hot water will steam clean away any stubborn bits of food that may be stuck on the surface.
Use a food scraper to clean the entire surface, directing the contents into the drain holes. Leave
the heat on the stove to completely dry the Flat Top.
Apply a thin coat of Flat Top Oil (or oil of your choice) to the entire surface of the Flat Top to protect it from corrosion and leave it ready for the next meal.

TIPS

Get right to it: Clean the Flat Top immediately after use, while it is still hot or warm. Don’t soak the Flat Top or leave it in the sink because it may rust.
Avoid using soap or steel wool, as these may strip the seasoning.
To remove stuck-on food, scrub the pan with a paste of Steelmade Flat Top Scrub, then rinse or wipe with a paper towel.

TEMPERATURE ZONES

Creating different heating zones on your Flat Top is an essential technique when cooking meats of various thicknesses, searing a larger cut of meat that needs to be finished with low heat, or cooking foods requiring different temperatures simultaneously like eggs and bacon. Be sure to use all available burners on your stove to prevent warpage of your Flat Top. You can use different settings to achieve different heating zones, but never leave any burners off entirely.
You can create different temperature zones by setting the heat output of each burner separately. The first step to mastering cooking on the Flat Top is to learn the specific settings for your stove to achieve the desired cooking temperatures.
One of the most surprising things that people sometimes learn is that the settings on the knobs for the different size burners on their stove are not standardized, and are relative to each burner they control. For example, setting the power on a larger burner to level 5 (or medium) will not produce the same cooking temperature as setting the same power level on a smaller burner. Generally, these settings only indicate the relative power output for each specific burner. Experimenting with different settings while checking the temperature above each burner with a thermometer will help you find the best settings for your stove.
Depending upon the layout of the burners on your stove, a natural warming zone may be created in the middle of your Flat Top if there is no center burner. If your stove includes a center burner you can create a warming zone by turning the heat output to a lower setting while doing your higher temp cooking on the sides.

Temperature Zones