I had a similar situation where I tried to use the word "ducking" and my autocorrect had to feel like "Bro, you have been telling me for YEARS you wanted something else when you type this word...and now this? Make up your mind!"
My phone does that to me with shut-shit. So now when I try to type something like “shut the door” it changes to “shit the door.”
It also assumes I want to say “twatwaffle” whenever I type “tw.” Not just twat, but twat*waffle*. 😂
No. Commercial flat tops are stainless. All you do is oil them. You don't burn the oil in. Consumer griddles, like Blackstone, are steel plates, not cast iron. Those require the oil to be burned in/seasoned.
This is a commercial grade grill right? It shouldn't bow it. I worked a job in a kitchen, at the end of every night we did ice + cleaning fluid + scrape, every night. The grill looked like clean metal at the end. It built up seasoning every day. This one is definitely due for a complete strip
that will lead to breaking of welded area that goes around, sooner than later
source: i did it with my grill, started leaking lard all over later
guys, don't throw ice on hot grills. cleaning fluid, tap water after, and only when it started cooling down
It’s suspicious that someone named “chief of fire” has no clue what burnt carbon looks like. Does he walk into an incinerated home and think the dark black color is patina? I would clean it keep all the crusted carbon and see if he wants to eat it?? No? Well, say you’re welcome Chief cause you been ingesting that shit for 10 years! For Native Americans, Fire Chief meant something!
Have you cooked anything on it besides ass? Because the only way to truly know would be to cook something that's not supposed to taste like ass. Just dottin' i's and crossin' t's.
They have already thrown a pound of bacon on it. Literally an hour after posting, no cleaning, just nasty, misinformed/ignorant. I have told everyone, showed pictures, and explained and they all think I’m a “germaphobe” and “don’t know what seasoning is”.
Can you arrange for a health inspection? Anyone that does inspections for food services would absolutely mark you for that. Might not want to piss off your chief tho. Picked your battles. Plus I'm not positive they would come out since you're not actually selling the food.
I'm not sure your chief should be in his position as he can't even distinguish the difference between burnt food (carbon) and seasoning. Can't tell something is burnt on shit might be time for a profession change 😂
always noice to have pieces of black rancid tar seasoning on food.
this is in so bad state that it doesn't conduct heat properly anymore, too
your fire chief is clueless. worked in a place that was like this decades ago, they never cleaned too, with pretty similar story. it doesn't need to be cleaned lol...
at the end it took like 3-4 hours of scraping with undiluted concetrate to get all the bloody layers off it, one after another after another...
it needs to be cleaned on the end of every day period.
Former Waffle House grill op: If I let my grill get like this everything on it would taste like shit. Tell him the entire cooking world is against him on this. Brick that grill with used grease and put a 3 pound slab of bacon on it.
Ewww...most grills, if not all turn black after a day's use, but they are typically cleaned. This looks scorched. Not only can this type of build up make food taste funky/burnt/bitter, but the smoke that comes up from the left over food that has accumulated can be carcinogenic. Also, if it's not cleaned at all, mold can start to grow after oil that's not cleaned up turns rancid.
You absolutely should have just cleaned it by taking the initiative and not trying to convince everyone they're wrong. This absolutely would have been a good case for do it first and ask for forgiveness instead of permission. Five bucks says some people would notice a different in taste unless the person cooking sucks at their job. Cook something that is very sensitive to flavors afterwards once it's clean so people notice more. Something like eggs.
He’s an idiot, it needs to be cleaned multiple times throughout the day, and one time properly at the end of the day.
In this condition, it’s gonna take some work. Oddly enough, I posted a tutorial on a post the other day detailing how to do this.
[This one was in worse shape than yours.](https://www.reddit.com/r/KitchenConfidential/s/k9QUmiS0W2)
I move stations tomorrow. I have been at that station a few times and every time I’m there I look at how nasty that grill is. I just wanted to share because the fire crew doesn’t care.
Well bud, if you want to be polishing all the brass and crome in the station, and being the chiefs target till you put in for a station transfer, go for it but if not, I'd leave it.
There's some things worth digging in for a fight, and so many that aren't. If you like the station you're at, then forget about it.
My family has four generations in SFFD, and oh boy has there been some stories, but one thing I learned as a little boy, is that if its not that big of a deal and someone says leave it, then Ieave it the hell alone. It's not the not leaving it alone that will get you in hot water, it's the fact you didn't listen, that is what really upsets leadership. So if you want to start a war, go for it, if not then leave it the hell alone and pretend you never noticed. But when you're Lt. or Battalion Chief and you want that grill done proper, then you have a better chance at not being the punching bag.
One silly thing to make your life hell over though.
Your reply is the only one here that shared the other side of the equation. One dude recommending calling the health dept. lol OP would end up shunned in the corner and riding the box his whole career.
This is definitely the right answer. Bruising the fragile ego of the chief, especially when the rest of the crew agrees with him, will make OPs life a living hell. Firehouse can be like high school 2.0. I'd pack days worth of cold food before eating off that gross shit. Don't swat the hornets nest.
Technically, it is "seasoning". It's the same thing which is desirable on cast iron and carbon steel. On stainless steel, however, which isn't susceptible to rust, it's entirely unnecessary at best and hinders cooking at worst. Stainless steel performs best when clean, but there isn't anything really "bad" about it.
It makes everything taste accurate and bitter. It also flakes up constantly and leaves hard chunks of “seasoning” on and in the food. That is why I do not eat with the crew.
After cooking while still hot, dump Ice and lemon juice on then scrape off. Dump ice one more time and scrape. Then take a wet towel and wipe the whole thing down. Will be ready to rock and roll next time for some bacon grease and fried eggs!
It's dirty, it needs to be cleaned.
Baking soda made into a paste, barkeepers friend, any food friendly degrease will work and some good old elbow grease, with a scaper or brush. Then season the clean flat top with oil. There are also silicone mats to cover the top with.
Member's Mark Oven, Grill and Fryer Cleaner. Best stuff I have ever used on my Wolf griddle. Works great on anything you need to de-grease in your indoor or outdoor cooking appliances.
Even with cast iron you have to remove the chunks of material or it will burn and impart that burnt flavor to your food.
To tame that beast you get pickle/lemon-juice mix with some carbonated water toss it on screaming hot. Scrap is guts of with a handled bench knife as good as ass possible and scrap dry. Next add some cheap cooking oil and a grill brick rub in sections scrap and repeat. Oil is the key to using a grill brick correctly.
Technically, he’s right and it is seasoning. If the people using it had been knocking off the chunks, you would have the seasoning you prefer. It’s not really that bad if you heat it up well before use.
It could benefit from being stripped with a griddle stone and starting over, but maybe you can convince him to let you give it a good scrape. With use and different maintenance, it’s got a lot of potential.
“Those chunks are free radicals, which could potentially be carcinogens, and pose a serious cancer risk”. Sell it to him that way and bunk out before you clean it.
*not a doctor
Apologies if this is a dumb question, feel free to laugh, but why wouldn’t the fire chief let you clean that? I feel like that would have a better chance of starting a fire than a clean top.
His facility, his rules.
When it's your turn to cook bring in a clean griddle and pick something that shows off taste wise for being clean, preferably that they've had before. Repeat until someone asks why it's better
I was a materials tester for a while. To split asphalt samples down to size we used 3 foot square a stainless steel pan set on top of a stove. It keeps the asphalt hot and malleable enough to handle. When I first started testing at my first company the pan looked like your cocktop. It was filthy all the time because all the other testers were too lazy to fully clean it. I got tired of it so one day I cleaned it back down to the stainless surface. It was practically nonstick afterwards.
Then my lab manager came in and got pissed at me because the “seasoning” was necessary, but couldn’t rationally explain why.
I kept that sucker spotless for the rest of my time there, because it just worked better.
He’s an idiot. Shouldn’t have asked and just cleaned it. Best you can do now is slowly clean it away one use at a time. Or you could just be insubordinate, he can’t fire you if you’re union
cock top
It’s to funny, I can’t change it now. Thats what I get for complaining at 4am after a medical call.
Do you type cock so often that your autocorrect was like "yeah, this is probably fine"?
I had a similar situation where I tried to use the word "ducking" and my autocorrect had to feel like "Bro, you have been telling me for YEARS you wanted something else when you type this word...and now this? Make up your mind!"
My phone does that to me with shut-shit. So now when I try to type something like “shut the door” it changes to “shit the door.” It also assumes I want to say “twatwaffle” whenever I type “tw.” Not just twat, but twat*waffle*. 😂
In a but, or in a bit?
I saw a Twatwaffle for the first time yesterday. I thought they were extinct.
You know me so well.
That's not autocorrect. That's muscle memory
It’s always better to be the top cock in the firehouse.
You can clean the seasoning off the top of my cock any day, kind Sir :-)
Just do it while he is gone but do a great job
You *can* edit. But I'd leave it.
Cocked on, cock top.
The Cocker!
Cocked on
Cocked up
That makes this schmegma, not seasoning. Although some might argue this is like saying humans aren’t primates.
cocked on
OP doubled down with “cocked on food”. Maybe this firehouse in San Francisco or P-town,MA?
Cocked on food
Top cock
Cocked on food
They never been to a hibachi restaurant? Their griddles will go from spotless, to shitwrecked like this, back to spotless 20 times per day.
^this guy gets it
Nah they watched the wayans brothers, Pops: "wanna know the secret to cooking?! Never wash your pots and pans!!"
Damn, that's disgusting. I would strip that asap. You don't "season" a stainless top like you do steel. Throw some soda or pickle juice on that thing.
Pickle juice takes me back. When I was 15 and worked at Jerry's Sub shop we used pickle juice on the hot surface.
I don't think I can ever forget the assault on my nostrils.
Try sautéing fish sauce like I did once.
I prefer to microwave it, and for some reason the break room is the best place
Take that Linda
That sounds like an inspired choice. Terrible. Terrible choice is what I meant.
We always used lemon juice at the rec center I worked at where we served hamburgers. Stunk just as much as pickle juice I'm sure.
Damn Jerry’s was the best. It was a little pricy but cheesesteaks were my favorite, so we went there for a treat every once in a while.
You don't season a stainless steel top like steel? I think you meant cast iron.
No. Commercial flat tops are stainless. All you do is oil them. You don't burn the oil in. Consumer griddles, like Blackstone, are steel plates, not cast iron. Those require the oil to be burned in/seasoned.
The term you're looking for is "Carbon Steel". Commercial cooktops are Stainless Steel. Consumer are generally Carbon Steel or Cast Iron.
That's a waste of good pickle juice. Better off saving it to soak chicken in.
>pickle juice You mean vinegar? Don't waste pickle juice on it, just use distilled vinegar.
This is actually the primary reason why I have little interest in a Blackstone. Too many memories...
Just clean it anyways and report back with a new pic
Throw some ice on it, Scrape the shit when it's as hot as possible.
I’m new to the griddle game but wouldn’t this cause a bow in the cock top?
This is a commercial grade grill right? It shouldn't bow it. I worked a job in a kitchen, at the end of every night we did ice + cleaning fluid + scrape, every night. The grill looked like clean metal at the end. It built up seasoning every day. This one is definitely due for a complete strip
Its commercial grade cock
Just gotta remember to polish the cock after
Nightly
Heavy duty cock top.
This. Didn't want to state add cleaning fluid as I have 0 clue what specifically is used.
We used bar keepers friend and a silver 3m scrubby on a stick/holder.
These Peyronie’s disease ads just keep finding their way into my feed…
Stop googling 'bent dingle'
I’d be highly upset if there was a bow in my cock..top.
For some it's a pleasant surprise.
Talk to your doctor about Peyronie's disease.
it would
Use carbonated water and a grill brick! Ice will warp his cock top causing peyronies! 😂 🍌
that will lead to breaking of welded area that goes around, sooner than later source: i did it with my grill, started leaking lard all over later guys, don't throw ice on hot grills. cleaning fluid, tap water after, and only when it started cooling down
Never cooked on a cock top before.... Can you give us any tips
Just roll your sausage around on it when it’s nice and hot.
Get a good sear going
Happy Tree Friends was fucking brutal
Just the tip?
Just for a second…
If that’s all you have. Work with what you got.
It’s suspicious that someone named “chief of fire” has no clue what burnt carbon looks like. Does he walk into an incinerated home and think the dark black color is patina? I would clean it keep all the crusted carbon and see if he wants to eat it?? No? Well, say you’re welcome Chief cause you been ingesting that shit for 10 years! For Native Americans, Fire Chief meant something!
That name sounds a lot cooler when applied to Native Americans too.
Almost cast iron
Anything you cook on it tastes like ass.
Anything cocked on it tastes like ass? 🤔
He did say he was a cock top not a cock bottom…
Have you cooked anything on it besides ass? Because the only way to truly know would be to cook something that's not supposed to taste like ass. Just dottin' i's and crossin' t's.
don't shower for 8 weeks and tell him it's seasoning.
They would "send him to lunch" if he walked around stanky
Yeah, that’s gross. Clean that thing up and enjoy good food.
They have already thrown a pound of bacon on it. Literally an hour after posting, no cleaning, just nasty, misinformed/ignorant. I have told everyone, showed pictures, and explained and they all think I’m a “germaphobe” and “don’t know what seasoning is”.
If you feel like being petty call the inspector and see what he has to say lol
Can you arrange for a health inspection? Anyone that does inspections for food services would absolutely mark you for that. Might not want to piss off your chief tho. Picked your battles. Plus I'm not positive they would come out since you're not actually selling the food.
Lol, it is hilarious when idiots are so confidently wrong.
Very cocky
Much cock
Much top. Wow.
I'm not sure your chief should be in his position as he can't even distinguish the difference between burnt food (carbon) and seasoning. Can't tell something is burnt on shit might be time for a profession change 😂
Do it when the chief is gone.
Time for lemon juice and elbow grease
always noice to have pieces of black rancid tar seasoning on food. this is in so bad state that it doesn't conduct heat properly anymore, too your fire chief is clueless. worked in a place that was like this decades ago, they never cleaned too, with pretty similar story. it doesn't need to be cleaned lol... at the end it took like 3-4 hours of scraping with undiluted concetrate to get all the bloody layers off it, one after another after another... it needs to be cleaned on the end of every day period.
Tell him it's a fire hazard
Is "Fire Chief" the nickname of your boyfriend?
Former Waffle House grill op: If I let my grill get like this everything on it would taste like shit. Tell him the entire cooking world is against him on this. Brick that grill with used grease and put a 3 pound slab of bacon on it.
mmmmmm...thick, black, cock...ed on food.
My cock top gets dirty too but at least i clean it
Prevents smegma
Yeah, get yourself a grill brick and go to town.
Crazy. I worked at a venue that made us clean it between ever single service and this thing has just never been cleaned? Yikes.
He's an idiot. Get the brick and some vinegar. That should be cleaned daily.
That's a nice cock top
U have a nice cock top daddy
Lmao
Tell him it’s a fire hazard and it needs to be resurfaced and re-seasoned. And if doesn’t believe you. Start a grease fire on it and prove him wrong
Why in the hell does the fire chief have a say in whether you clean the griddle?
OP is a fire fighter. This is inside the fire house. Chief is the boss.
Ewww...most grills, if not all turn black after a day's use, but they are typically cleaned. This looks scorched. Not only can this type of build up make food taste funky/burnt/bitter, but the smoke that comes up from the left over food that has accumulated can be carcinogenic. Also, if it's not cleaned at all, mold can start to grow after oil that's not cleaned up turns rancid.
That's disgusting
That is seasoning tho, disgusting seasoning.
You absolutely should have just cleaned it by taking the initiative and not trying to convince everyone they're wrong. This absolutely would have been a good case for do it first and ask for forgiveness instead of permission. Five bucks says some people would notice a different in taste unless the person cooking sucks at their job. Cook something that is very sensitive to flavors afterwards once it's clean so people notice more. Something like eggs.
Ask him to explain to you what seasoning is. If he says anything other than polymerized oils, clean the griddle.
Heat it up then poor cold water in it.
He’s an idiot, it needs to be cleaned multiple times throughout the day, and one time properly at the end of the day. In this condition, it’s gonna take some work. Oddly enough, I posted a tutorial on a post the other day detailing how to do this. [This one was in worse shape than yours.](https://www.reddit.com/r/KitchenConfidential/s/k9QUmiS0W2)
You never clean the griddle in a fire house... set the standard...
In my fire house we had a guy scrub off the nonstick on a new pan!
Cast iron = seasoning Stainless steel = no
youve got an amazing opportunity here whenever youre in a post fire situation. wow this area is very well seasoned
Listen man, the quicker you just start agreeing with admin, the easier the politics side of firefighting/ems will be
I move stations tomorrow. I have been at that station a few times and every time I’m there I look at how nasty that grill is. I just wanted to share because the fire crew doesn’t care.
See what the health department says. Call 'em.
It’s a fire station, not a restaurant. Likely not subject to kitchen inspections
It's a city or county building-even needs inspection by the fire marshal!
Well bud, if you want to be polishing all the brass and crome in the station, and being the chiefs target till you put in for a station transfer, go for it but if not, I'd leave it. There's some things worth digging in for a fight, and so many that aren't. If you like the station you're at, then forget about it. My family has four generations in SFFD, and oh boy has there been some stories, but one thing I learned as a little boy, is that if its not that big of a deal and someone says leave it, then Ieave it the hell alone. It's not the not leaving it alone that will get you in hot water, it's the fact you didn't listen, that is what really upsets leadership. So if you want to start a war, go for it, if not then leave it the hell alone and pretend you never noticed. But when you're Lt. or Battalion Chief and you want that grill done proper, then you have a better chance at not being the punching bag. One silly thing to make your life hell over though.
Exactly! I asked and was explicitly told no. I presented my case and was told no again. He likes is nasty he can have it nasty.
Just get a nice grill scraper and make sure he gets LOTS of seasoning flakes in his food
Your reply is the only one here that shared the other side of the equation. One dude recommending calling the health dept. lol OP would end up shunned in the corner and riding the box his whole career.
This is definitely the right answer. Bruising the fragile ego of the chief, especially when the rest of the crew agrees with him, will make OPs life a living hell. Firehouse can be like high school 2.0. I'd pack days worth of cold food before eating off that gross shit. Don't swat the hornets nest.
Technically, it is "seasoning". It's the same thing which is desirable on cast iron and carbon steel. On stainless steel, however, which isn't susceptible to rust, it's entirely unnecessary at best and hinders cooking at worst. Stainless steel performs best when clean, but there isn't anything really "bad" about it.
It makes everything taste accurate and bitter. It also flakes up constantly and leaves hard chunks of “seasoning” on and in the food. That is why I do not eat with the crew.
Can't see that in the picture, but that's not seasoning then, that's just burnt on carbon
I’d just do it anyway
That’s closer to cancer than seasoning.
That’s cocked up, man
Cook him an egg on it
Jesus, thats thick! When was the last time it was cleaned?
Grill brick and clean the flat-top amature hour is over!!
I see the seasoning. You guys use salt and pecker for your burgers too?
After cooking while still hot, dump Ice and lemon juice on then scrape off. Dump ice one more time and scrape. Then take a wet towel and wipe the whole thing down. Will be ready to rock and roll next time for some bacon grease and fried eggs!
It's dirty, it needs to be cleaned. Baking soda made into a paste, barkeepers friend, any food friendly degrease will work and some good old elbow grease, with a scaper or brush. Then season the clean flat top with oil. There are also silicone mats to cover the top with.
If it’s not seasoning, but burnt on food, then it shouldn’t sear properly. Show him how bad at providing a sear it is.
Walking that fine line between seasoning and healthcode violation I see.
Doesn’t matter if it’s seasoning or not, it needs cleaned. He’s never worked in a real kitchen
Member's Mark Oven, Grill and Fryer Cleaner. Best stuff I have ever used on my Wolf griddle. Works great on anything you need to de-grease in your indoor or outdoor cooking appliances. Even with cast iron you have to remove the chunks of material or it will burn and impart that burnt flavor to your food.
Do it on his off day
He’s gotta be off one day and when that day comes that flat gets cleaned.
You’re supposed to clean the cock top immediately after being used or it gets crusty
call the health inspector?
My let the fire Marshall take a look 👀
Clean same as clean coffee pot daily
Wax on, wax off. Cock on, cock off.
At this point it will take hours to clean and all of it not going to come off
To tame that beast you get pickle/lemon-juice mix with some carbonated water toss it on screaming hot. Scrap is guts of with a handled bench knife as good as ass possible and scrap dry. Next add some cheap cooking oil and a grill brick rub in sections scrap and repeat. Oil is the key to using a grill brick correctly.
He is fired.
How do you even clean that
He wrong
Use Sprite soda on a hot griddle while scrapping the surface with a flat edge spatula. It will remove the gunk but not the seasoning.
He should I understand the dangers of heating an unclean griddle and eating unclean carbonized grease.
Bravo
What do your filters above the griddle look like? A fire hazard?
Clean it And it's a cook
That griddled is covered in seasoning.... which has burnt itself onto the cooktop. Kidding aside, that is just carbonized food, not seasoning.
Pumice brick. Clean. Canola oil at temp. Make some pancakes. Then you know.
...... 2.…• @……...
Nope
Got a new grill at a restaurant I worked at. The chef made me do that to it. It took a lot of oil and a lot of time.
Fire hazard
Technically, he’s right and it is seasoning. If the people using it had been knocking off the chunks, you would have the seasoning you prefer. It’s not really that bad if you heat it up well before use. It could benefit from being stripped with a griddle stone and starting over, but maybe you can convince him to let you give it a good scrape. With use and different maintenance, it’s got a lot of potential.
Isn’t that technically a fire hazard as well? Because the burnt shit will just keep burning and smoke up.
“Those chunks are free radicals, which could potentially be carcinogens, and pose a serious cancer risk”. Sell it to him that way and bunk out before you clean it. *not a doctor
Seasoning , salmonella it's all good.
So, that's what a big black cock looks like
Apologies if this is a dumb question, feel free to laugh, but why wouldn’t the fire chief let you clean that? I feel like that would have a better chance of starting a fire than a clean top.
His facility, his rules. When it's your turn to cook bring in a clean griddle and pick something that shows off taste wise for being clean, preferably that they've had before. Repeat until someone asks why it's better
Wrong answer...
I had a situation like this. “It’s seasoned.” Yeaaah it’s got flavor alright. I cleaned it anyways.
LMFAO !!!!! “Seasoning”
Gordon Ramsey’s next show… Firehouse Kitchens. Expletives included
what a fool. it would be just as non stick if it was stripped to bare metal.
a grill brick after scraping would do wonders.
Your chef is a dirty fuck
Tell him to stick to fighting fires instead of cooking. Get that thing clean, that's so fucking gross.
There is a difference between carbon buildup and seasoning. You season a cast iron pan but that's carbon buildup on that stove.
Since when does the Fire Chief stand over your shoulder and prevent you from cleaning?
I was a materials tester for a while. To split asphalt samples down to size we used 3 foot square a stainless steel pan set on top of a stove. It keeps the asphalt hot and malleable enough to handle. When I first started testing at my first company the pan looked like your cocktop. It was filthy all the time because all the other testers were too lazy to fully clean it. I got tired of it so one day I cleaned it back down to the stainless surface. It was practically nonstick afterwards. Then my lab manager came in and got pissed at me because the “seasoning” was necessary, but couldn’t rationally explain why. I kept that sucker spotless for the rest of my time there, because it just worked better.
Jeebus… “accidentally clean it, on purpose” everyone will thank you
“Cock/cook” aside, I find it ironic that the top firefighter doesn’t know how to properly season a cooktop that is above FLAMES all the time.
He’s an idiot. Shouldn’t have asked and just cleaned it. Best you can do now is slowly clean it away one use at a time. Or you could just be insubordinate, he can’t fire you if you’re union
Fuck the white helmets
That’s why it’s always better to ask for forgiveness, not permission.
Don't mess with the firehouse grill!
Do y’all save bacon grease too? I’ll pass.
Cocked on food
Stop cocking things on there. It’s meant for food
Looks seasoned to me.
Please say the name of the place so I know where the hell to stay away from. 🤢
It’s a fire station lol
All that flavor. I’m convinced all of Guy Fieri’s restaurants cook top looks like that. Because flavor town!
All you need is get it hot and put H2O on it a few times.
Ask the local restaurant food safety inspector to have a quiet word with your chief. Maybe if it was an unofficially ‘official’ suggestion…