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How to season a cast iron griddle

Updated: 23 October 2026

You have just unboxed a cast iron griddle, or you own one sold as pre-seasoned, and the first eggs stuck or the face turned orange after a wash. Seasoning is a thin coat of edible oil heated until it sets. It is not a factory non-stick coating, and it is not a repair for a crack. This page is the method: a short wash, a wiped-on coat, heat on the hob or the barbecue when the plate will not fit the oven, then a dry cupboard. Ranked plates are on the [cast iron griddle plate comparison](/hub/grill-accessories/griddle-plate-cast-iron). We used public UK care guides, not a lab. Updated 20 October 2026.

You have just unboxed a cast iron griddle, or you own one sold as pre-seasoned, and the first eggs stuck or the face turned orange after a wash. Seasoning is a thin coat of edible oil heated until it sets.

Our top picks

nuovva nuovva reversible cast iron griddle, 50 x 25 cm

Best overall

nuovva nuovva reversible cast iron griddle, 50 x 25 cm
8.8/10about £39.99
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OVERMONT OVERMONT reversible cast iron griddle, 51.2 cm

Best value

OVERMONT OVERMONT reversible cast iron griddle, 51.2 cm
8.4/10about £29.17
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Dayacoco Dayacoco reversible cast iron griddle, 42 x 25 cm

Alternative

Dayacoco Dayacoco reversible cast iron griddle, 42 x 25 cm
8.4/10about £22.99
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On this page
  1. 1.What seasoning is
  2. 2.Oil and heat
  3. 3.On a hob or a barbecue
  4. 4.Rust you can scrub, and rust you should reject

What seasoning is

A seasoned face is oil heated until it smokes and bonds to the iron. BBC Good Food describes the same idea: wash, wipe on a thin sunflower or vegetable oil, and heat until the coat sets. Factory pre-seasoned is a thin start. Buyers of nuovva, Dayacoco, and Velaze plates in this amazon.co.uk set still reported sticking on early cooks. OVERMONT prints the ongoing step: dry the plate, then a thin coat of oil while it is warm. Wash a new plate if it feels waxy or dusty. Use hot water, and a drop of washing-up liquid only if the film will not shift. Dry it at once. Rust in these reviews follows a dishwasher cycle or a wet cupboard. Dishwasher is No except on Mihoho, which says Yes and has no review text. If the plate arrives cracked, or a handle is loose, stop. Oil will not close a fracture. Listing words are in the cast iron griddle plate buying guide.

Oil and heat

Use an edible oil, wiped on until the iron looks damp rather than wet. Do not leave a puddle. BBC Good Food names sunflower or vegetable oil. Netherton Foundry, in Shropshire, names edible flax oil and tells you not to use boiled linseed oil. Boiled linseed is a wood finish. Extra-virgin olive oil smokes early and turns sticky if you pour it on thick. If the plate fits the oven, BBC Good Food’s figures are 240°C, or 220°C fan, gas 9, for about 40 minutes. Netherton’s page is about 250°C for 40–60 minutes with edible flax. Pick one oil and one schedule. Sticky patches mean the oil was too thick, so warm the plate and wipe the excess off. A 50 cm plate with handles often will not fit a UK oven. Do not prop it in the door. Broil King UK’s outdoor method is a thin oil at about 200°C for 30 minutes.
nuovva nuovva reversible cast iron griddle, 50 x 25 cm

Testsieger

nuovva nuovva reversible cast iron griddle, 50 x 25 cm
8.8/10about £39.99
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On a hob or a barbecue

Set the plate on the largest gas burner, or across two if it is a two-burner length, and heat it gradually. Fast induction heat can warp a griddle. If you only have induction, start low. A lip that holds the iron off the glass means the hob may not start. Dry any wash water on low heat. Wipe oil on with kitchen paper held in tongs. Leave it until the surface smokes lightly, then wipe once more. Do both faces if you cook on both. On a barbecue, close the lid once the grate is hot. Food on lukewarm iron sticks. After cooking, scrape while the plate is warm, dry it on the burner, and wipe on a few drops of oil. Store it dry.

Rust you can scrub, and rust you should reject

Light rust after one wash is usually a damp plate. BBC Good Food’s recovery is to scour with salt, rinse, dry on heat, and season again. Stop when the damage is not surface rust. A crack, a rocking warp, or a loose handle is not a seasoning job. Do not sand a crack or grind a lip off. Rust on delivery is a reason to reject the goods. Consumer Rights Act 2015 section 22 gives 30 days. OPSS alert 2502-0151 recalls named Emba skillets and griddles. If your plate matches that alert, stop using it. Seasoning does not fix a recall, and the alert does not cover every brand in this comparison.

Common questions

Do I wash a pre-seasoned plate before the first cook?
Yes if the surface is sticky, dusty, or smells of shipping oil. Rinse with hot water, dry it on a low burner at once, then wipe on a thin coat and heat it. Plates sold as pre-seasoned still stuck on a first cook in this set.
Which oil, and how thin?
Sunflower or plain vegetable oil is the BBC Good Food choice. Edible flax is Netherton’s choice. Both want a coat wiped until the iron looks satin. Do not use boiled linseed, and do not pour extra-virgin olive oil on for the seasoning heat. If the paper comes away dripping, wipe again.
What if it is longer than the oven?
Season it on the gas hob or the barbecue. A 50 cm plate with handles often will not sit on a UK shelf. Heat gradually, dry it, wipe on oil, and leave it until the surface smokes lightly. Do not heat a cold plate on full induction in one jump.
It rusted after one wash. Can I recover it?
Usually, if the rust is a film and the plate is not cracked. Scour with salt, rinse, dry on a burner until no moisture remains, then season. If the iron is pitted through, or the plate arrived rusty, reject it.
When is rust a reason to reject the plate instead?
Reject it when the rust is there on delivery, when a crack or a broken handle appears on first heat, or when the plate matches the Emba recall. You have 30 days under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Seasoning is for a sound plate that got wet.

Related pages

Best cast iron griddle plate

Cast iron griddle on an induction hob

Cast iron griddle plate

Cast iron griddle plate buying guide for hob or BBQ

Cast iron griddle for Weber: Spirit and Genesis fit

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.

  1. Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, food-contact materials (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  2. SI 2012/2619, materials and articles in contact with food (England) (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  3. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  4. GOV.UK — General Product Safety Regulations 2005, Great Britain (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  5. OPSS product recall — Emba cast iron cookware 2502-0151 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  7. Which? — how to buy cast iron pans (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  8. BBC Good Food — how to season cast iron (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  9. Netherton Foundry — cast black spun iron care (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  10. Weber UK — griddle 6790 (retrieved 19.10.2026)