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How to use a plancha: outdoors, preheat, then oil

Updated: 23 October 2026

You have a flat plate on the table, or the box is still taped, and the first cook stuck or the grease tray overflowed. This guide walks siting, lighting, preheat, fat control and shut-down for the cartridge, multi-burner and wood-fired units saved on amazon.co.uk. Model choice stays on the [plancha barbecue comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/plancha-barbecue). Portability sits on [portable plancha for camping](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/plancha-barbecue/sub/plancha-barbecue-camping). Fuel trade-offs sit on [gas plancha vs wood fire pit](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/plancha-barbecue/sub/plancha-barbecue-gas-vs-wood).

You have a flat plate on the table, or the box is still taped, and the first cook stuck or the grease tray overflowed.

Our top picks

Campingaz Campingaz Othello 1 CV gas plancha

Best overall

Campingaz Campingaz Othello 1 CV gas plancha
9.2/10about £159.99
View offer
BIG HORN BIG HORN 4-burner gas plancha

Best value

BIG HORN BIG HORN 4-burner gas plancha
8.8/10about £179.00
View offer
BIG HORN BIG HORN wood-fired plancha

Alternative

BIG HORN BIG HORN wood-fired plancha
8.4/10about £189.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Put it where the fumes can leave
  2. 2.Light it and wait
  3. 3.Move the fat, not the lit plancha
  4. 4.Shut down and leave it outside

Put it where the fumes can leave

A plancha is an outdoor cooker. London Fire Brigade says barbecues stay out of homes, tents, caravans and houseboats, including after the flame is out, because carbon monoxide can linger. L&Q tells residents not to barbecue on a balcony. The Campingaz Othello listing mentions balconies. That sentence is not clearance or a lease rule. Put the unit on a stable, non-flammable outdoor surface that can take the weight: 10.5 kg for the Othello, 16 kg for the four-burner, 18.6 kg for the wood bowl. Before you light gas, check the hose for cracks and follow the leak-check steps in the manual. Gas Safe Register advice is the same backbone: change cylinders outdoors, shut the cylinder or cartridge first when you finish, and leave gas repairs to a competent person. If you smell gas, stop, get people clear, and treat it as a gas emergency.

Light it and wait

A plancha cooks by plate heat, not by open bars. Food sticks when the plate is still cool. For the BIG HORN gas plancha the bullets claim the griddle is hot in about ten minutes. Treat that as a listing claim, not a lab result. One UK Othello review put preheat in a five-to-ten-minute band. Another said pancakes stuck until the plate was fully hot. Wait until a drop of water skitters, then oil lightly. Do not invent a Celsius figure these listings do not publish. On the Othello, electronic ignition and batteries are named in the bullets. There is still only one 2.8 kW burner, so every piece of food shares the same heat. On the four-burner, piezo ignition and four knobs let you park food over a lower setting once the plate is up, after the gas fitting matches the appliance. On the wood bowl, light dry wood outdoors without petrol, let the fire establish, then oil the stainless ring. The central open-flame rack behaves more like a grate than the flat ring. Set any slope for grease drain while the unit is cold.
Campingaz Campingaz Othello 1 CV gas plancha

Testsieger

Campingaz Campingaz Othello 1 CV gas plancha
9.2/10about £159.99
View offer

Move the fat, not the lit plancha

Fat that sits on the plate smokes and can catch. The Othello has a grease hole and a removable tray. The four-burner has a drip tray in the bullets. A detailed UK wood-bowl review names a slide-out ash tray. Empty trays when they fill during a fatty cook, using tools that suit a hot plate. Do not tilt a lit appliance toward yourself. Do not scrape enamelled and bare stainless the same way. The Othello and the four-burner use enamelled surfaces. The wood bowl’s plate is coating-free stainless. Harsh metal on enamel risks chips. Covers are not included on these three listings. Buy one for outdoor storage only when the unit is cold.

Shut down and leave it outside

For gas, shut the cartridge or cylinder first, then the burner controls, as Gas Safe Register frames barbecue shut-down. Leave the plancha outdoors until it is cold. Carbon monoxide symptoms they list include headache, nausea, dizziness, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness. Get to fresh air and treat that as an emergency. For wood, let the fire die outdoors. Do not drown a hot stainless plate, and do not walk a cooling bowl into a tent or kitchen because rain started. If a hose arrives cracked, return the unit. If a joint will not seal after the manual’s leak check, call a competent person. Do not convert a cartridge plancha to patio gas because a review did.

Common questions

How do I stop food sticking the first time?
Preheat until the plate is properly hot, then oil lightly before the food. UK Othello notes link early sticking to a plate that was not ready, especially with pancakes.
When do I set the slope or the feet?
While the plancha is cold. UK notes say the Othello’s adjustable feet are awkward once the plate is hot.
How do I empty the grease tray during a fatty cook?
Pause the cook enough to remove and empty the tray with heat-safe handling, then refit it. Do not tip a lit plancha to drain fat.
Can I finish the cook in the kitchen if it rains?
No. Bring food inside if you must; leave the plancha outdoors, including while it cools. Carbon monoxide can continue after the flame is out.
Is a balcony all right if the listing mentions balconies?
Treat that as marketing, not permission. Fire-service and landlord advice keep barbecues off balconies and out of enclosed spaces.
What do I do if I smell gas?
Stop cooking, keep people clear, and follow emergency gas advice. Do not keep testing burners. Call a competent person for the appliance.
How do I shut a wood-fired bowl down?
Let the wood burn down outdoors. Remove ash only when cool enough for the tray design. Cover only when cold; covers are a separate purchase here.
Should I scrape enamel the way I scrape bare stainless?
No. Enamel chips under aggressive metal scrapers. Match the tool to the surface and wait until the plate has cooled from cooking heat.

Related pages

Plancha barbecue buying guide

Best gas plancha UK

Plancha barbecue

Portable plancha for camping: weight and cartridges

Gas plancha vs wood fire pit: knobs or a fire bowl

Sources

Public UK sources on gas appliances, UKCA and CE, outdoor LPG barbecues, barbecue gas safety, carbon monoxide, smoke control, patio-gas regulators, and balcony rules. Prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved on 21 October 2026. No mark was inspected on these units.

  1. GOV.UK — gas appliances enforcement (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. GOV.UK — UKCA and CE marking (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. BSI — BS EN 498:2012 outdoor LPG barbecues (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Gas Safe Register — BBQ safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. London Fire Brigade — carbon monoxide (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. GOV.UK — smoke control area rules (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Calor — hose and regulator for a gas BBQ (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. L&Q — barbecue safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)