Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How long to soak a cedar plank

Updated: 23 October 2026

The plank is in the washing-up bowl, the packet is silent or it says 30 minutes, and a video has just told you 15. How long to soak a cedar plank is the choice between those numbers, and what the water still will not do. If the pack and the UK makers disagree, submerge the board for at least an hour. A wet board is less likely to flare, and it can still burn. The packs are on the [cedar plank comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/cedar-plank). The figures are Weber UK, Napoleon UK, and the amazon.co.uk bullets as of 21 October 2026, not a timed soak in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The plank is in the washing-up bowl, the packet is silent or it says 30 minutes, and a video has just told you 15. How long to soak a cedar plank is the choice between those numbers, and what the water still will not do.

Our top picks

Landical Landical 6-pack cedar planks 15x5.5

Best overall

Landical Landical 6-pack cedar planks 15x5.5
9.6/10about £31.10
View offer
Wildwood Grilling Wildwood 12-pack cedar planks 5x11

Best value

Wildwood Grilling Wildwood 12-pack cedar planks 5x11
9.2/10about £21.72
View offer
Weber Weber small cedar portion planks

Alternative

Weber Weber small cedar portion planks
8.4/10about £11.19
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Why the soak times do not match
  2. 2.What the water changes
  3. 3.How to keep the board under water
  4. 4.After the cook: reuse and washing

Why the soak times do not match

The times come from different speakers, not from one UK rule. Weber UK's salmon plank recipe says at least one hour, then about 180°C. A different Weber fillet recipe says two hours. A Weber trout note and Napoleon UK say at least 30 minutes. Landical's 6-pack and 3-pack bullets say 30 minutes. The 10-pack mentions a soak and gives no minutes. Wildwood's how-to says at least 15 minutes, and that short end is not the fallback here. If you are unsure, use Weber's hour. Do not average 15 and 60, and do not default to overnight. An hour will not make a thin board thick.

What the water changes

A submerged plank takes up water. On the barbecue that moisture turns to steam under the fish, so a dry board smells harsher and chars faster. The water lowers the chance of a flare. It does not remove it. Napoleon says a liquid layer will prevent combustion. That wording is stronger than this set. Wildwood warns that shoppers who soaked all day still had a fire, and a UK review on Cedar Alpha, dated 8 August 2026, reports a fire as well. Keep a little water for a corner that lights. Do not pour water onto burning oil. Indirect heat, outdoors, is the setting. The BBC Food account says that pattern reduces heavy-smoke exposure and does not remove it. Which burners stay off is on cedar plank on a gas grill. Weber warns against a house, a tent, a caravan, or a vehicle because of carbon monoxide.
Landical Landical 6-pack cedar planks 15x5.5

Testsieger

Landical Landical 6-pack cedar planks 15x5.5
9.6/10about £31.10
View offer

How to keep the board under water

Cedar floats. A splash across the top is not a soak. Fill a sink or a deep tray, push the plank under, and weight it with a mug that stays clear of soap. Cold tap water is the default. Juice, wine, or beer is optional aroma, not a safer soak. Weber UK smokes the empty plank over direct heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, flips it, then moves it to indirect heat before the fish. Napoleon calls that pre-char optional. Do not leave the board over a lit burner once the food is on. A US page shortens an oven soak to about 15 minutes. A barbecue cook should not copy that.

After the cook: reuse and washing

Reuse rules contradict each other. Weber's European note says two uses, with the 60-minute soak the first time. Wildwood often treats a charred grill plank as finished. Napoleon allows another cook when less than about half the thickness is charred, then rinse, scrape, and dry, with no soap. Landical's 6-pack and 3-pack say reusable. The 10-pack talks about a single use. Soap stays in the grain and comes back as a taste. Rinse, scrape loose char, and dry the board fully, away from the hot barbecue. A split, bowed, or charred-through board is finished. If you cannot show the timber is untreated western red cedar, stop.

Common questions

Is it 15, 30, or 60 minutes?
They are different speakers. Wildwood's how-to says at least 15 minutes. Napoleon and some Landical bullets say 30. Weber UK's salmon plank recipe says at least an hour, and one Weber fillet recipe says two hours. If your pack is silent, use the hour. Do not average them, and do not adopt an overnight garden-centre line.
Does the board have to stay under the water?
Yes. It floats, so you weight it in a sink or a deep tray until it stays submerged. A splash on the top face is not the same soak. Water is the default liquid. Juice, wine, or beer is an optional aroma, not a safer method.
Will a soaked plank still catch fire?
It can. A soak lowers the risk and does not remove it. Wildwood warns that a long soak still leaves boards that ignite, and review notes in this set describe fires after soaking. Keep water for a small edge flame. Do not treat Napoleon's "prevent combustion" line as a promise.
Should you heat the empty plank before the food?
Weber UK does, for about 5 to 10 minutes over direct heat until it smokes, then flips it and moves it to indirect heat before the fish. Napoleon calls that pre-char optional. The cook itself stays off the lit burner.
Can you reuse it, and can you wash it with soap?
Reuse depends on the brand. Weber's European note says twice. Wildwood often bins a charred grill plank. Napoleon allows another cook under about half the thickness charred. Do not use soap. Rinse, scrape, and dry. A split or deeply charred board is finished.
Is an oven soak shorter than a barbecue soak?
A US seafood seller shortens an oven soak to about 15 minutes because there is no open flame. That is not a Weber UK time and not a bullet in this set. If you use it, keep a tray under the board. A barbecue cook should not copy the 15 minutes.
What if your pack does not print a time?
Use at least an hour, which is Weber UK's salmon-plank figure and the fallback when the sources disagree. Several packs in this set, including the Wildwood rows and the Weber portion planks, leave the minutes blank. A printed 30 minutes is still a shorter claim than that hour.

Related pages

Salmon on a cedar plank

Cedar plank buying guide

Cedar plank

Best cedar planks for grilling: portions or a side

A cedar plank on a gas grill: which burners stay off

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.

  1. FSA: BBQ food safety (retrieved October 2026)
  2. Food Standards Scotland: Barbecue food safety (retrieved October 2026)
  3. Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 (retrieved October 2026)
  4. Weber UK: Salmon from the plank (retrieved October 2026)
  5. Weber UK: Large cedar planks (retrieved October 2026)
  6. Weber EMEA: Reusing a wood plank (retrieved October 2026)
  7. Napoleon UK: How to plank grill (retrieved October 2026)
  8. Wildwood Grilling: Is cedar wood toxic? (retrieved October 2026)
  9. BBC Food: Barbecue smoke (retrieved October 2026)