Griddle pan, what am I doing wrong?

[zed4]

Hello,

I was given a really nice griddle pan and skillet pan for Christmas. But I'm not sure if I'm using them correctly. Every time I use them they smoke like mad and makes it unbearable to be in the kitchen!

I did some research when I first received them and throroughly scrubbed them, rubbed fat over them and baked them in the oven for a couple of hours to season them. I haven't washed them with soap, only water and a sponge, but it's difficult to remove eepverything from the pan.

So, any tips for using and caring for them? How do I stop them from smoking so much and how should I be cleaning and storing them?

Thanks,

Dan

[226bhp]

Cooking food in a very hot pan will cause smoke, there isn't much you can do about that!
What oil are you using? Some smoke worse than others.
I just had some seared Tuna, lovely, but smoked the kitchen out. Just put the extractor on, opened the doors and windows and cooked....

[zed4]

I've been using vegetable oil, or none at all.

Is it correct to season with vegetable fat?

[NicD]

I have had mine for years, coated it with olive oil first time.
Now never use any lubricant.

the heat sears and seals the meat or veg being cooked.

It does smoke though

Nic

[redtwin]

A good deal of the smoke when pre-heating will be from oil residue left on the surface if you are not washing with soap and water. I know everyone says you shouldn't, but I always wash my cast iron griddle after use and dry fully before storing. Any light surface rust that forms can easily be washed off again when I next want to use it.

[Healey73]

As said already there will be smoke. I've moved to the garden now. I have a small camping stove which I just stick outside for any smokey griddle cooking.

[sherman]

Try changing to rapeseed oil for a slightly less smokey experience.

Also dont oil the pan oil the meat/veg you are cooking.

[Pferdestarke]

If you're experiencing lots of smoke then it's simply too hot. Unless you're searing steak, you want a moderate, even heat for marking vegetables etc.

In truth, they're excellent for cosmetically enhancing food but the reduced surface contact area makes them a chore to cook quickly with or clean afterwards.

If you're doing a steak, mark it in the pan and then finish in a warm oven to get some temp through to the centre.

Overall, I'm not a huge fan.

[AtWork]

I gave up on mine for much the same reasons as pferdestarke (lack of use also saw mine start to rust). I now use a good quality thick bottomed non-'non-stick' (stick?!) pan which doesn't put the lines on the food but is far less of a pain to live with.