You’ve seen the videos. Someone takes a grey, porous-looking stone to a blackened, crusty cooktop, and suddenly, shiny silver metal starts peeking through. It looks satisfying. Therapeutic, even. But if you’ve spent weeks—or months—nurturing that deep, non-stick patina on your flat top, seeing a blackstone griddle cleaning brick can feel a little like watching someone walk toward your car with a piece of sandpaper.
Is it a tool or a weapon? Honestly, it’s both.
Most people buy these bricks because they’ve let a layer of burnt-on teriyaki sauce sit for too long, or maybe they inherited a rusty unit from a neighbor. But there is a massive difference between "cleaning" and "stripping," and if you don't know which one you're doing, you're going to have a very bad time at your next smash burger night.
What This Pumice-Like Block Actually Is
Let's get technical for a second. These bricks are usually made from heat-treated cellular glass or pumice stone. They are incredibly abrasive. That’s the point. Unlike a sponge or a soft cloth, the stone wears down as you use it, conforming to the shape of the surface and getting into the microscopic pits of the rolled steel.
When you rub a blackstone griddle cleaning brick across the surface, you aren't just "wiping." You are essentially sanding the metal.
Because the glass or pumice is harder than the carbonized food but softer than the hardened steel (usually), it shears off the gunk. It’s effective. It's fast. But it’s also indiscriminate. It doesn't know the difference between a piece of burnt onion and that beautiful layer of polymerized oil you’ve been building up since last summer.
When should you actually reach for one?
If your griddle looks like a mirror and eggs slide off it like they’re on ice, put the brick down. You don’t need it. You’re doing great.
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However, if you’re looking at orange flakes of rust, you need the brick. If you have "carbon scale"—that thick, chunky, black stuff that starts flaking off into your food—you need the brick. Professionals in commercial kitchens use these every single night, but remember, those industrial flattops are often stainless steel or chrome-plated and get abused for 12 hours straight. Your home Blackstone is rolled steel. It’s a different beast.
The Brutal Truth About Your Seasoning
Here is what most "how-to" guides won't tell you: if you use a blackstone griddle cleaning brick with any real pressure, you are going to kill your seasoning.
You’re resetting the clock.
Seasoning is just oil that has been heated past its smoke point to create a plastic-like polymer. It bonds to the metal. The brick's job is to break bonds. So, when you scrub, you’re taking that polymer off. This isn't necessarily a tragedy, but it means you can't just cook a steak five minutes later. You have to re-season.
I’ve seen people get frustrated because their food starts sticking after they "deep cleaned" with a brick. Well, yeah. You just turned your seasoned pan back into a raw slab of iron.
How to Use the Brick Without Hurting the Steel
If you’ve decided the gunk has won and it’s time for the nuclear option, you have to do it right.
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- Heat is your friend. Don't do this on a cold griddle. Get it up to maybe 300 degrees. You want the fats and sugars to be soft, not rock-hard.
- Lube it up. Never, ever use a cleaning brick dry. It’ll create a fine glass dust that gets everywhere and sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Use a generous amount of cheap vegetable oil. Some people use water, but oil protects the metal as you're stripping it.
- Gentle circles. You aren't trying to scrub a hole through the Earth. Small, circular motions with the blackstone griddle cleaning brick will create a grey slurry. That slurry is a mix of the stone wearing down and the gunk coming off.
- The "Squeegee" Test. Periodically push the grey sludge into the grease trap with a bench scraper. Check the metal underneath. Is it smooth? Good. Stop there.
- The Cleanse. This is the part people mess up. You have to get every single grain of that stone off the surface. Wipe it down with wet paper towels until they come away clean. Then do it again.
A Note on the "Scary" Dust
Because these bricks are made of glass or stone, they break down into a powder. You don't want to breathe that in, and you definitely don't want to eat it. It’s not "toxic" in the way lead is, but it’s an abrasive. It’ll make your food crunchy in the worst way possible. Always wash the surface with a little water and a cloth after using a brick to ensure no grit remains.
Common Mistakes That Ruin Griddles
I've seen it all. Someone uses a brick on a brand-new Blackstone because they thought they were supposed to "prep" it. Total waste of time.
The biggest mistake? Using the brick on the side walls.
The walls of your Blackstone don't get as hot as the center. Seasoning there is usually thinner and more fragile. If you hit those with a brick, you’re almost guaranteed to invite rust because it’s harder to re-season the vertical walls properly. Keep the brick to the flat cooking surface.
Another mistake is forgetting the corners. The blackstone griddle cleaning brick is a rectangle. Use those sharp edges to get into the 90-degree angles where the grease likes to hide. If you leave a "ring" of old gunk in the corners, it'll eventually go rancid and make your whole griddle smell like old gym socks.
Alternatives You Should Try First
Before you go the brick route, try a scoured pad or just a heavy-duty stainless steel scraper.
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Steam is also incredibly powerful. If you have a stubborn spot, squirt a little water on it while the griddle is hot and put a basting cover over it. Let the steam loosen the proteins. Often, a good scrape is all you need.
The blackstone griddle cleaning brick should really be your "Level 3" cleaning tool.
- Level 1: Water and a scraper.
- Level 2: Scouring pad and oil.
- Level 3: The Brick.
Maintaining the Surface Post-Brick
Once you’ve finished the scrub and your metal is looking grey and clean, you are in the danger zone. Raw steel oxidizes—rusts—faster than you’d believe. If you leave a freshly "bricked" griddle sitting out in a humid garage overnight without oil, you’ll wake up to a coat of orange fuzz.
Immediately after the final wipe-down, apply a very thin coat of seasoning oil. Turn the burners to high. Wait for the smoke. Repeat three times.
You want to see that silver turn to brown, then dark bronze, then black. That’s the sign that you’ve successfully repaired the damage the brick did. It’s a cycle. You strip, you build, you cook.
Practical Next Steps for Griddle Owners
If your Blackstone is currently covered in a layer of mystery crust that won't come off with a spatula, go ahead and grab a blackstone griddle cleaning brick. It's the right tool for a heavy reset.
Start by heating the surface to a moderate temperature—hot enough to sizzle water but not so hot the oil smokes instantly. Pour about a quarter-cup of oil over the problem areas. Use the brick in a back-and-forth motion, applying steady but moderate pressure. Don't focus on one spot for too long; keep the stone moving to ensure an even finish.
Once the surface feels smooth to the touch (test this with your scraper, not your fingers!), scrape the residue into the grease trap. Use a damp rag to remove the fine dust, and immediately begin a fresh seasoning cycle with three to five thin layers of oil. This restores the protective barrier and ensures your next meal won't stick. Keep a brick in your cleaning kit, but use it sparingly—maybe once or twice a season—to keep the steel perfectly flat and free of carbon buildup.